29th May, 2007 Equine Open Day at MGFT

There is going to be an Equine Open Day at the Margaret Green Foundation Trust on Sunday 15th July, 2007 with all entrance fees going direct to the Trust. Hilary Vernon will be running a bitting clinic, The Damory Vets (plus farrier and physio) will be talking about colic, laminitis and back problems and I'm doing a horsemanship demo. There are still horse places available at the bitting clinic.

25th May, 2007 Oh Foot

Probably my busiest week ever until it came to an abrupt end! I have been nursing my poor squashed foot for over a week (or rather trying to ignore it) until it protested so loud that I had to go to hospital. The doctor has now ordered me to put my feet up, literally, for a week. Fortunately I didn't have much on for the next five days anyway - unless you count being filmed by the BBC!! Petra perkins is now much sounder than I am. Some very interesting customers again this week - a couple of loaders and a starter to look at. Duke has worn and accepted his new bit (a 4 1/2" Hanging cheek low port Myler comfort snaffle) and Rushy has been sat on a couple of times (without any tack!). I've got Hilary Venon's Bitting Clinic to look forward to on 3rd June and she is also booked for 15th July when we are doing a joint horse event with Damory veterinary Clinic down at the Margaret Green Foundation Trust. All spectator fees will be going to the Trust.

18th May, 2007 Wrapped in cotton wool

So now both the Perkins and I are lame. Petra has tweaked a tendon somehow - probably cavorting around the field - and I have my squashed foot. This means we will miss two sponsored rides but we will both get a lie in. She is on Nissen Hut rest literally wrapped in cotton wool whilst I have a liberal coating of Arnica cream and the odd painkiller. I was extremely pleased with my new vets (Ruthe from The Barn) when she arrived within 30 minutes of my call and passed the initiative test of finding my place. Tonight I have had my foot up reflecting on how lucky some horses are - having got caught up in a terrible downward spiral, they fall on their feet with the most wonderful owners. Little Dani on Monday who can at last rely on someone to look after him, Millie, the wild New Forest pony on Tuesday who now has a doting owner and the Czechoslovokian warmblood who will at last be allowed to be a baby and to learn at her own pace.

17th May, 2007 Sober dress and sturdy boots

My life has gone from sober dress to sturdy boots and thank goodness for the sturdy boots. Yesterday Duke stood on my foot and even with the sturdy boots it has gone very black. I sat with it in a bucket of cold rain water for half the afternoon much to the amusement of Duke's owner. I'm not looking forward to putting my boot back on this morning but with a Hanoverian cross in front of me, I think I'd better.

15th May, 2007 Wild...child

Another curious day. If you received a telephone call from a woman asking whether it was a good idea to get a 10 year old wild New Forest pony for her child to ride you might be tempted to say no. Today I went to see aforesaid pony and it was a dream. With the usual reservations about inexperienced riders being put with inexperienced ponies, I could see no reason why this pony wouldn't turn out as well if not better than a domesticated one. She was quiet, responsive, polite and happy to be handled.

14th May, 2007 In search of the East pole

What an emotional day. I had been called out to help with a two year old pony who was refusing to be caught and has managed to leave a trail of destruction in the last few weeks with his previous owners and now his new ones. Last week he jumped out of the horsebox while the ramp was half closed and managed to break the foot of one of the helpers. I find it hard to believe that a pony can have been so wrecked by the time he reaches this age and I have little doubt that if his present owner hadn't bought him he would have ended up in a tin of pet food. It took quite a while to even get the pony into the field shelter today and we managed it by very slowly closing down electric fencing around him. Fortunately he didn't run through it. The shelter was surrounded by my panels as he had broken out of it at least twice before clearing a five bar gate in the process. Inside the shelter the merest suggestion of a touch was answered with both hind-legs aiming directly for me. I retreated behind my long hand on a stick and eventually reached the stage where I could touch his shoulder without him having a fit. Once this turned into a gentle rub he succumbed and after a while I was able to rub him along his neck, back and bottom with my hands. He was terribly offended by the sight of the headcollar and there was no way I could have put it on him today - I did manage to touch his shoulder with it a number of times and to rub it along his back. His owner was desperate to get him home to her land so later I fetched my trailer and a willing friend and we gently loaded the pony loose into the back. Fortunately he stayed this time and we were able to close him in. He parked his bottom in the corner and didn't move throughout the journey. Finally we were able to let him out into his new stable where he will have a panelled annex and his owner will be able to work on touching him for the next few weeks. Just like me with Piper, she may be in search of the East Pole but at least she can now enjoy the journey. Got back to find an e-mail from Jane to say that he horse was now picking his feet up beautifully. I first met this horse when he was at the vets being sedated to have his feet trimmed. It took two sessions but on Saturday we clicker trained him to pick his feet up and put them in our hands very lightly. Now we need to clicker train the farrier to hold them very lightly.

14th May, 2007 Happy EATer

Horses have two main aims in life - to eat and to reproduce. I couldn't come up with a pneumonic for reproduction so I thought I would stick with EAT. E - explain well - in a language that is as close to the horse's A - ask nicely - using the lightest pressure T - thank graciously - seduce your little horse, make each word and touch the most pleasant that it can be