It's like this: when we first moved here it was on the understanding that our horses would go out 24/7 in the summer, but for some reason this has never actually happened. I suppose it's partly our fault for not asking why, but also partly the YO's for not offering.
I was awake for ages on Monday night as it suddenly hit me that I was really frustrated that the horses were still coming in at night, especially Barnaby as it's been way too hot for him to be in a stable. He stands there dripping with sweat, and I feel so sorry for him. Being a good mummy, of course I want to look after him to the best of my ability.
So I prayed about it, then went to see the YM in the morning. I just said it had always been our intention for them to be out and it was offered but nothing has materialised. One horse came here for an operation and as soon as he got better he was turned out, which is what I think annoyed me the most, so I mentioned it and asked if ours could please go out. The YM was fine about it and said she would talk to the YO, and now, glory allelujah, ours are out!
What I had completely forgotten, though, is that Zak needs to be fed, so we've arranged it so that both boys will be brought in in the morning, so Zak can eat (Barnaby doesn't have anything at this time of year) and turned back out, then they'll be brought in with all the other horses at tea time, again so Zak can eat, then we'll come up and ride them and turn them back out when we've finished.
I think this will work really well, because:
Either me or the staff will take Zak's rug off in the morning.
I will ride Barnaby while Zak eats breakfast.
I can put suncream on Barnaby (but the staff will do this on days when I'm at work or asleep (when I've been on nights).
Then I'll turn both horses back out.
We'll probably both come up in the evenings to feed/ride/turn back out.
This will work at weekends when we do the mucking out, too, we'll bring them in for Zak's breakfast, then turn them back out, then muck out and go home/shopping.
In the afternoons we'll come up and ride, feed and turn back out.
Perfect.
I am a very happy bunny now, it's such a relief. The boys have never been kept in during the summer, unless they've been bathed to go to a show the next morning.
Also, Zak is clearly no longer lame, judgeing from the bucking and leaping that went on yesterday when I turned him out. John and I went for a quiet walk round and Zak was fine.
This morning, Barnaby and I did the slightly speeded up version! I was going to hack out round the village but didn't feel very well when I got there, but felt so much better after I'd ridden. We had a few good gallops. I love how fit Barnaby is now, I was grinning like an idiot when I got back.
Jane x
Thursday 23 August 2012
Saturday 18 August 2012
Good Hack, Bad Hack
I've had a bit of a stomach bug, probably from the prawn sandwich I had in Loughborough on Thursday. I nearly didn't ride, but felt well enough to go.
John wanted to take Zak on a long ride, so he got him in, tacked up and away he went. I knew I had plenty of time, as he'd be out for at least an hour and a half.
Hannah got Marley and Q in, so she said she'd go for a quick hack on Q, then come back and we'd get Gypsy and Barnaby in, which was fine.
Barnaby became a bit stressed when he realised Zak wasn't there, but I decided to go ahead and get him ready anyway. I can't believe the amount of hair that's coming off him, it looks like snow on his stable floor! I thought I'd do 20 brush strokes in one place, but kept going and going and there was still tonnes of it coming off, so I gave up and tacked him up instead.
I wondered what he'd be like as he was annoyed that Zak still wasn't back, but I got on him and he was fine, so we set off down the drive and turned left and went up the road. He was quite pleased when we got on the bridleway and went down to the brook very nicely, giving the odd really deep whinny as we went along. I think he'd decided it was better to go out and look for Zak rather than wait at home for him to come back.
The last time I asked Barn to go through the brook going away from home he absolutely refused, but it was very deep, so I let him off. I've been making him go through it coming towards home and he's had no problem with it whatsoever. So before he realised what had happened, he was through the water, then suddenly decided he wasn't going any further. Anyone with a cob knows how stubborn they can be! There was a man there walking his dog who'd stopped to have a gawp, so I felt I couldn't smack Barnaby and I certainly couldn't swear. I kept pulling the left rain, cos I know he's weaker on that side, so he turned, but then he reared and ran backwards into the bushes. After a few goes I realised I was getting nowhere, so I got off and walked him up the track towards the school. I was hoping for a bench or a stone where I could get back on, but there was nothing, so I had to mount him from the ground. But I knew there was no way I could let him win, otherwise he'd never go that way again.
He did try to turn for home, but I legged him on and he carried on down the track. I decided to risk having a little canter on the grass, and he was fine, so we kept going. After that he was very good, so I went along the track, past the two fields of cows, then turned left and followed the field track down. After that the grass got way too long and I turned and came back up the hill. I asked him to trot as I didn't know how strong he'd be, but he was really well behaved. I want to be able to come here on my own regularly, so I need him to be good. I decided if I could cope with him in a foul mood, he'll be fine on other days.
Once we got onto the main track, Barnaby was desperate for a canter, but there are some quite serious holes in the ground, so we did a sedate canter so I could steer him round, and then I let him open up and it was fab, to be honest. I am doing much more galloping with him now, it's almost as if he knows I'm confident enough to do it with him, quite strange! Don't forget, at the old place there were hardly any places to canter, let alone gallop, so this is quite a big step forward for us both!
We got back and John spent ages cold hosing Zak and I washed Barnaby down as it was actually very warm on the hack.
Then Rachel turned up and said if we weren't in any hurry to go, Pimm's was being served, so we sat and had a few glasses with everyone. It was quite a giggle talking about our hunting experiences etc. Much nicer than being on your own all the time.
So a nice end to a very nice day. Let's see what tomorrow brings. I so hope Zak isn't going to be lame for too long.
Back soon
Jane x
John wanted to take Zak on a long ride, so he got him in, tacked up and away he went. I knew I had plenty of time, as he'd be out for at least an hour and a half.
Hannah got Marley and Q in, so she said she'd go for a quick hack on Q, then come back and we'd get Gypsy and Barnaby in, which was fine.
Barnaby became a bit stressed when he realised Zak wasn't there, but I decided to go ahead and get him ready anyway. I can't believe the amount of hair that's coming off him, it looks like snow on his stable floor! I thought I'd do 20 brush strokes in one place, but kept going and going and there was still tonnes of it coming off, so I gave up and tacked him up instead.
I wondered what he'd be like as he was annoyed that Zak still wasn't back, but I got on him and he was fine, so we set off down the drive and turned left and went up the road. He was quite pleased when we got on the bridleway and went down to the brook very nicely, giving the odd really deep whinny as we went along. I think he'd decided it was better to go out and look for Zak rather than wait at home for him to come back.
The last time I asked Barn to go through the brook going away from home he absolutely refused, but it was very deep, so I let him off. I've been making him go through it coming towards home and he's had no problem with it whatsoever. So before he realised what had happened, he was through the water, then suddenly decided he wasn't going any further. Anyone with a cob knows how stubborn they can be! There was a man there walking his dog who'd stopped to have a gawp, so I felt I couldn't smack Barnaby and I certainly couldn't swear. I kept pulling the left rain, cos I know he's weaker on that side, so he turned, but then he reared and ran backwards into the bushes. After a few goes I realised I was getting nowhere, so I got off and walked him up the track towards the school. I was hoping for a bench or a stone where I could get back on, but there was nothing, so I had to mount him from the ground. But I knew there was no way I could let him win, otherwise he'd never go that way again.
He did try to turn for home, but I legged him on and he carried on down the track. I decided to risk having a little canter on the grass, and he was fine, so we kept going. After that he was very good, so I went along the track, past the two fields of cows, then turned left and followed the field track down. After that the grass got way too long and I turned and came back up the hill. I asked him to trot as I didn't know how strong he'd be, but he was really well behaved. I want to be able to come here on my own regularly, so I need him to be good. I decided if I could cope with him in a foul mood, he'll be fine on other days.
Once we got onto the main track, Barnaby was desperate for a canter, but there are some quite serious holes in the ground, so we did a sedate canter so I could steer him round, and then I let him open up and it was fab, to be honest. I am doing much more galloping with him now, it's almost as if he knows I'm confident enough to do it with him, quite strange! Don't forget, at the old place there were hardly any places to canter, let alone gallop, so this is quite a big step forward for us both!
We rode back down to the brook. Obviously Barnaby was marching home and had no problems going through it this time, cheeky so-and-so! We got onto the road and trotted along a bit, then in the distance I could see what looked like someone riding on the pavement on the opposite side of the road. As I got closer it looked like someone leading a horse with someone riding it. Then we got even closer and I realised it was John leading Zak, so we trotted up to them.
It turned out Zak had gone lame a long time ago and John had got off and walked him home. It sounds like the same thing he did when John did the major ride where he got lost, but he said Zak hadn't stumbled or anything and had been absolutely fine for ages, then suddenly went lame. I don't know what's up with him, poor boy. Barnaby was very pleased to see him anyway, and walked the rest of the way very calmly, but had that, "Told you I'd find him!" look on his face.We got back and John spent ages cold hosing Zak and I washed Barnaby down as it was actually very warm on the hack.
Then Rachel turned up and said if we weren't in any hurry to go, Pimm's was being served, so we sat and had a few glasses with everyone. It was quite a giggle talking about our hunting experiences etc. Much nicer than being on your own all the time.
So a nice end to a very nice day. Let's see what tomorrow brings. I so hope Zak isn't going to be lame for too long.
Back soon
Jane x
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