23rd January, 2016 A Remarkable Thing - Or Two

For anyone with doubts about the use of clicker, it's such a useful technique in emergencies. Yesterday Victor was really intent on kicking Amy when she needed to attend to his wound with cold water and Hibiscrub. One click and I had his attention and I continued to click while she worked. Even though he couldn't actually have a treat because he was under light sedation, the click reassured him, held his attention and hope, and distracted him from pain and discomfort. Amy said she could feel him relax under her hand on his back whenever I clicked. It reminded me of when Jack had a rectal examination using the same technique when he had mild colic and wasn't even in the mood for accepting food. The click takes on a meaning of its own and is associated with good things and happy times.

The other remarkable things is Tracey! How many people do you know who would turn their day upside down in order to help you? Instead of ending her day by picking up the children from school, she started her evening's work by picking the children up from school, leaving them with our good friend Barbara, and came straight over to give me a hand, well two hands. She saw to all of our horses while I attended to the vet, and then she came with me to two night loaders at Beaulieu. I literally couldn't have done it without her what with handling two horses, leading them miles in the dark, and setting everything up.  We didn't get back to the fields until after 9 p.m. (we know a lot about car fuses now!) and she still came over with me to feed Victor his antibiotic. After a very short night's sleep, she's coming over here again for 8.15 a.m. so that we can head off for our Warmblood Foal Course for the day.

22nd January, 2016 Moonlight Flit?

Two sudden emergencies today. Despite my best efforts to prevent Victor getting an infection following his castration he has succumbed on day 10. So little Amy has been out to wash his pockets and stuff a tube of antibiotic into each side. We didn't tell him that it was the same treatment as for cows udders when they get mastitis.  He will be on antibiotics for seven days but can still go home on Tuesday.

Meanwhile Hannah needed to load and move her two horses off their field where there is no grass and acres of mud and take them home to Sussex.  With the aid of the moonlight, one spotlight, a phone torch and my panels we got them both loaded in relatively quick order having changed their rugs for the journey. It did feel awfully like a moonlight flit (which it wasn't!). Still, everyone ought to go out occasionally on a Friday night and then have just a few hours sleep before a busy Saturday. 

I haven't worked with Hannah or her horses for some seven years and so it says something about who people call when they know they need the job done, and the job done kindly.

"Thanks so much for tonight. They travelled really well and we arrived at 10:30. Both were really settled and didn't hurry to get out. they are happy on grass. Xx" HM

21st January, 2016 Alacrity

After an appointment at the hairdresser's, during which he went to sleep tied up, Victor tackled some obstacles with alacrity this morning. He wore my jacket as his first 'rug' and seemed to appreciate the warmth on his back. His back legs are getting braver.

Later, our second visit to Atse. He has had no turnout since Saturday so we though it would be prudent to allow him to stretch his legs and let off steam for ten minutes before we made a start. Hopefully he is going to have some more turnout as from tomorrow.

Despite potential cabin fever, ten minutes running around the deck seemed to be sufficient. He really is an incredibly calm youngster and he worked so nicely through the remainder of our session.

20th January, 2016 Horse with Handlebars?

Jasper continued his education this morning and accepted a headcollar. Nathalie tells me that he used to 'freak' if anyone tried to put anything over his neck.

For us, three is the magic number, and so after I had put the headcollar on three times and taken it off, Nathalie did the same. She'll now be able to carry on without me and next week we hope to get him leading outside.

On which note Victor went on his longest walk yet, taking in the scenery as we wandered down to the stream, across the bridge, around and back along the drift way.

He didn't quite know what to make of the square looking horse with the handlebars...

19th January, 2016 Flatmates

Victor and Jasper had a highly educational day. Today I started Jasper's halter training with his owner, Nathalie. Jasper is four this year but his first year was marred by some pretty rough handling. He was born on the Forest and ended up at Beaulieu Road Sales Yard four times in his first year!

You can see that he has started putting on weight following his spell on the Forest. He will allow people close to his body providing they have nothing in their hands so I decided to take him one step back to see how he would cope with the feather duster. As usual he much preferred to have me on his left than the right but that's not a problem at the moment.

He quickly allowed me to touch him with the soft scarf, to put it around his neck, to create a figure of eight around his face and even to lead him with it. Nathalie took over from me with the same result. Although there is no limit on how long we have to halter train him, all of this happened within one hour. Tomorrow we'll see what he thinks of the headcollar.

Thank you so much for the pictures and also for today; what a wonderful day. I was smiling from ear to ear all day! I tell Jasper every day he is the best little gelding in the world because to me he is. No one but H has ever understood why on earth I bothered with him before so I am really pleased you think he is brilliant and his fan base is growing!" NH

Victor met a few obstacles this morning and showed that although his front feet are comfortable with all sorts of new things, his back ones are very sensitive! We need to build up confidence both with his right hand side and his back end.

A similar pattern with the tarpaulin.

A natural obstacle out on the Forest

18th January, 2016 More Adventures of Victor

Victor wasn't keen to put his back feet on the little bridge today so rather than put pressure on him, I decided that front feet was good enough and took him at his word. I suspect that he might be a little sore and for that reason I haven't been picking up his back feet either.

As you can see he still has a fair old wound in his undercarriage but thankfully there is no sign of swelling or any hint of an infection. I have spoken to the vet today and she has reassured me that he will be healing from the inside and should be as good as new within a week. For that reason I am keeping him in for the rest of his stay so that we don't risk an infection.

That doesn't mean we can't go for walks although it is complicated avoiding groundwater and mud, as well as the twenty mares milling outside my fields.

Once inside the inclosure we've got the place to ourselves. Victor is an angel and just walks along, side by side, as if he has been doing it all his life, not just for two weeks.

I led him from the left and from the right so that he doesn't always expect people to be on the same side and also because he is more worried about people being on his right than on his left. We need to even him out.

Back at the fields he wanted to take his pick.

17th January, 2016 Pony on a Pedestal

Succumbed to temptation today and took Victor out for a walk around the field. We are still avoiding mud due to his surgery so I haven't been able to turn him out for five days although he has a lot of room to move about the barn. Considering he has been cooped up for so long he was an angel, neighing to the ladies three times (he still thinks he can make promises), but leading beautifully. We worked on stopping and starting, turning left and right, and backing up. The little bridge holds no fear for him any more and apparently the bigger bridge is no step up. Such a lovely pony.