An eleven hour round trip today for the first of two training sessions at Horseworld. The staff there are unfailingly enthusiastic and there's always plenty to discuss. On the whole they employ IH methods to rehabilitate the horses that arrive on their doorstep - there are currently 145 in residence. Some of the stories are heartbreaking - one of the latest arrivals is too poor to photograph and covered in abscesses where his sticky out bones have been rubbing when he lies down. He was rescued from a 'rescuer'. Despite being very very thin, he now looks bright, cheerful and clean and acknowledges the arrival of his feed with a lovely nicker. Dreamer, the pony in the top picture, had lived in a stable with no turnout and was also in a poor state when she arrived. She is now three, loves people and ready to start her education. She took everything in her stride today. The horse at the bottom belonged to travellers and was in harness aged two. When I presented the surcingle he said he knew quite well what that was but when I introduced it gradually he let out a very long sigh and then accepted it quietly. We left it on that note today.
