We didn’t leave work till late last night so BG got off lightly. I just led her in hand a little to try and teach her manners as she is getting a little headstrong.
Luckily her face (fingers crossed) has been fine so far after her thorn incident. There is a slight bump where the scab is but that is all.
You can tell summer is here, the fly spray is out. BG doesn’t like the sound of it spraying or the feel of it so I spray it on a cloth and wipe that on her, it is easier to do her face this way too.
She is starting to look beautiful in her summer coat. Her neck is a much lighter colour than in winter and it makes her dark mane really stand out.
I am slowly putting her head collar on her in the field rather than her shelter. Just stood by the shelter door to begin with, then a couple of metres away. Maybe one day I will be able to catch her in the field like a normal pony.
We have had a little bit of rain here which was lovely to see, the grass really needs it this year, our field looks bare, but it seems to be the same everywhere, although the hedgerows have sprung to life now.
First morning without a hay net this year. Only P1 stared dolefully after me as I left; P2 and BG were happily eating the grass.
Friday 30 April 2010
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Thorn in the cheek
Silly BG decided to stick a thorn in her cheek today. She must have been itching on the hedge, or rolled and picked it off the ground, or... I don't know. Horses manage to get themselves into trouble in all sorts of unimaginable ways. This was a new one for me.
I just thought she had a leaf or something on her face, till I went to pull it off and realised it was a thorn that had stuck right in her cheek and her face had swollen slightly around it.
Pulled the thorn out and luckily it looked clean, the hole filled up with blood once I'd pulled it out. Cleaned it up and put Sudocream on top of it to stop any dirt getting in. BG didn't seem to realise anything was wrong, she didn't blink at all when I pulled it out and cleaned it up.
I will have to see what it is like in the morning, fingers crossed it is all okay.
First night lunging BG since she had the farrier out. Only 15 minutes in total and then I tried to do a bit in hand with her, she is getting a bit headstrong and trying to trot around to head back home if you try to lead her up the field.
I just thought she had a leaf or something on her face, till I went to pull it off and realised it was a thorn that had stuck right in her cheek and her face had swollen slightly around it.
Pulled the thorn out and luckily it looked clean, the hole filled up with blood once I'd pulled it out. Cleaned it up and put Sudocream on top of it to stop any dirt getting in. BG didn't seem to realise anything was wrong, she didn't blink at all when I pulled it out and cleaned it up.
I will have to see what it is like in the morning, fingers crossed it is all okay.
First night lunging BG since she had the farrier out. Only 15 minutes in total and then I tried to do a bit in hand with her, she is getting a bit headstrong and trying to trot around to head back home if you try to lead her up the field.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Just another couple of days
Monday night I put a bridle on BG once she had her tea. She has only had a bridle on a few times in the last year and never in the previous seven years. Despite that she is reasonably good. You have to put it on in two parts. First the bridle as she doesn't like it going up near her eyes or ears, and then you put the bit on second and attach it to the bridle. It isn't the conventional way of doing it, but if it stops her getting too upset it is worth it.
Early on she did get used to popping her head into the bridle as she does with her headcollar, but with her it is one step forward and twenty back so now you have to put it on over her headcollar so you can stop her moving away.
Last time she had the bridle on she was quite headstrong and tried to trot around me rather than listen. I don't like this as I am aware she isn't used to having something in her mouth and I don't want it to tug too much. This time she was better though. I am trying to tweak the reins slightly so she turns on the slight pressure in the corner of her mouth.
I didn't walk her round much but she was reasonably good so I was happy. I don't want to lunge her at the moment, or put the saddle on her, as she was still a little footsore, but it meant I did something with her.
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Tonight I trotted her up and she was so much smoother in trot. I think I might be able to lunge her tomorrow.
She had a good groom tonight too. She is moulting and has been for a few weeks, and probably will be for another couple of weeks. She moults in certain areas at a time, and the areas that are moulting just keep on coming out. I covered the floor of her field shelter tonight, the ends of her coat are white when she is moulting.
First her neck looses it's winter coat, and the tops of her back legs on the inside. Her neck is pretty much all moulted out now, and her face has a diagonal line on it from the ear across the cheek bone under which her coat looks very black in comparison to the rest of her face, as that part is still to loose its winter coat.
Today it was her belly that was moulting, handful by handful.
Early on she did get used to popping her head into the bridle as she does with her headcollar, but with her it is one step forward and twenty back so now you have to put it on over her headcollar so you can stop her moving away.
Last time she had the bridle on she was quite headstrong and tried to trot around me rather than listen. I don't like this as I am aware she isn't used to having something in her mouth and I don't want it to tug too much. This time she was better though. I am trying to tweak the reins slightly so she turns on the slight pressure in the corner of her mouth.
I didn't walk her round much but she was reasonably good so I was happy. I don't want to lunge her at the moment, or put the saddle on her, as she was still a little footsore, but it meant I did something with her.
==========================
Tonight I trotted her up and she was so much smoother in trot. I think I might be able to lunge her tomorrow.
She had a good groom tonight too. She is moulting and has been for a few weeks, and probably will be for another couple of weeks. She moults in certain areas at a time, and the areas that are moulting just keep on coming out. I covered the floor of her field shelter tonight, the ends of her coat are white when she is moulting.
First her neck looses it's winter coat, and the tops of her back legs on the inside. Her neck is pretty much all moulted out now, and her face has a diagonal line on it from the ear across the cheek bone under which her coat looks very black in comparison to the rest of her face, as that part is still to loose its winter coat.
Today it was her belly that was moulting, handful by handful.
Monday 26 April 2010
Good as gold and how lucky we are
Last night when we went up to give BG her tea the owners of P1 and P2 (the third pony in the field) were up there.
Normally BG will come down for her food as soon as she sees us but yesterday I don’t think she saw us arrive. We sorted out her food and then went up to try and tempt her down with it. No, she preferred the grass. She did let me go up to her and check her hooves over and give her a stroke (being able to approach her in the field is something only my husband and I can do (and she ran away from him last night)). The other owner said that they went past her in the field and BG saw they were carrying a head collar and fled, so they didn’t think we’d stand a chance catching her that night.
BG just grazed in her own little world. The others even jumped P2 in the same bit of field and she just ignored them and kept on grazing.
So the others left and I thought I should just put up the hay nets and she could go without her tea (she doesn’t really need it). But as soon as the others had gone she came down as good as gold, into her shelter and had her head collar put on. I almost wished the others had forgotten something so they’d have to turn round and come back as I doubt they’ll believe she came straight in once they left.
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I forget sometimes how amazing it is to be able to hug BG and stroke her between her eyes and such like.
BG has a fear of people. I take it for granted I can do these things, with most horses you would take it for granted that you can do a lot more. The other day when BG was on box rest the other owners came up to the field and one of them stroked BG up her neck. She was really happy, she had never managed to stroke BG up her neck before, or her face…it was the closest she had been able to get to BG she said. That really made me realise just how lucky I am that I can do those things to BG without thinking anything of it. Sometimes you need to take and step back and realise just how lucky you are.
Normally BG will come down for her food as soon as she sees us but yesterday I don’t think she saw us arrive. We sorted out her food and then went up to try and tempt her down with it. No, she preferred the grass. She did let me go up to her and check her hooves over and give her a stroke (being able to approach her in the field is something only my husband and I can do (and she ran away from him last night)). The other owner said that they went past her in the field and BG saw they were carrying a head collar and fled, so they didn’t think we’d stand a chance catching her that night.
BG just grazed in her own little world. The others even jumped P2 in the same bit of field and she just ignored them and kept on grazing.
So the others left and I thought I should just put up the hay nets and she could go without her tea (she doesn’t really need it). But as soon as the others had gone she came down as good as gold, into her shelter and had her head collar put on. I almost wished the others had forgotten something so they’d have to turn round and come back as I doubt they’ll believe she came straight in once they left.
=============================
I forget sometimes how amazing it is to be able to hug BG and stroke her between her eyes and such like.
BG has a fear of people. I take it for granted I can do these things, with most horses you would take it for granted that you can do a lot more. The other day when BG was on box rest the other owners came up to the field and one of them stroked BG up her neck. She was really happy, she had never managed to stroke BG up her neck before, or her face…it was the closest she had been able to get to BG she said. That really made me realise just how lucky I am that I can do those things to BG without thinking anything of it. Sometimes you need to take and step back and realise just how lucky you are.
Saturday 24 April 2010
With horses it is the little things that make you smile....
...like the other morning when BG cantered down for her breakfast.
Yesterday I had a text asking me to rug the other pony (Pony 1 = P1) when I put up the evening haynets in the field. I had been asked to do this the day before and you never know with other horses if they will like having their rugs on, or if they will play up. Luckily P1 just stood and ate his haynet whilst I sorted his rug out.
Last night I put all the haynets up and then went to get his rug. Walking across the field with it he spotted me coming and left his haynet to come and stand patiently beside me while I put it on. Maybe he was cold but it made me smile. Horses are lovely when they are behaving.
On the BG front she is footsore after her visit from the farrier. She isn't too bad; she will go into trot without reluctance but she is definitely feeling it. I put her in her field shelter today for three hours, with bedding down so she had something soft to rest her hooves on, and a haynet. I sat in the corner and read a book for the three hours (last time we had to put her in P1 kicked in the wood we had used to gate off the entrance and let her out). They do say just sitting with your horse does help you build your relationship.
Yesterday I had a text asking me to rug the other pony (Pony 1 = P1) when I put up the evening haynets in the field. I had been asked to do this the day before and you never know with other horses if they will like having their rugs on, or if they will play up. Luckily P1 just stood and ate his haynet whilst I sorted his rug out.
Last night I put all the haynets up and then went to get his rug. Walking across the field with it he spotted me coming and left his haynet to come and stand patiently beside me while I put it on. Maybe he was cold but it made me smile. Horses are lovely when they are behaving.
On the BG front she is footsore after her visit from the farrier. She isn't too bad; she will go into trot without reluctance but she is definitely feeling it. I put her in her field shelter today for three hours, with bedding down so she had something soft to rest her hooves on, and a haynet. I sat in the corner and read a book for the three hours (last time we had to put her in P1 kicked in the wood we had used to gate off the entrance and let her out). They do say just sitting with your horse does help you build your relationship.
Friday 23 April 2010
A farrier visit
It was one day less than nine weeks since the last farrier visit. The time before that it had been almost eleven weeks between visits and the farrier informed us she could have gone another few weeks without a trim. This time they needed doing though. Hooves grow at different speeds throughout the year; in the winter there is little growth but come the summer they need doing more regularly.
BG (Beautiful Girl) is barefoot, she doesn't have any shoes on and so all she needs the lower part of the hoof wall trimming to prevent splits and the hooves becoming over-grown. The old sole is taken of the bottom of the hoof and the frog cut back. This time the farrier also snipped off the chestnuts that grow on the inside of her front legs. These will drop off naturally in time, though our farrier prefers to cut them off when they get too large to stop them catching and ripping on something.
BG is not the easiest pony to catch. She will be perfect in her 'safe-zones' at mealtimes but try catching her when she doesn't want to be caught and you have no chance. She is afraid of head collars and lead ropes unless she is sure she is safe.
This time we had to fit the visit into a lunchtime break from work. Add to the fact it wasn't her normal mealtime; she doesn't like the farrier. So we need to get there before the farrier and they have a habit of turning up early.
Ever since the visit was arranged I have been panicking that BG would not let us catch her and there would be no trimmed hooves this week.
Then there was traffic leaving work. I was shaking when we got up the field, silly I know, especially as BG came in and had her head collar on perfectly. (Typical of horses; when you think they'll behave they don't, when you worry they won't they do). Though she did take her time meandering in from the field as she was on new grass.
My husband held her whilst I went to open the gate for the farrier. He said she heard her voice and her ears went back and she started snorting as she was nervous.
She stood perfectly for the farrier. She was nervous but did everything asked.
When BG came to live with me she had a crack in her near-fore. It hasn't gone away. I thought in December it has finally gone but the last remaining bit split up the hoof wall again.
This has never caused a problem, over winter we used hydrogen-peroxide to clean it out to ensure no infection got in there, but up until now it has been clean. This time the farrier said she had some seedy toe (infection) in there so she cut it all out. Poor BG now has a chunk missing out the front of her hoof - not that it bothers her.
The rest of the hooves were trimmed quite short too. This worries me a little. BG used to quite often go sore on her hooves a few days after the farrier has been and the ground is rock solid at the moment. Luckily she is a good weight so there is no excessive pressure from that on the hooves. We will have to wait and see....
BG (Beautiful Girl) is barefoot, she doesn't have any shoes on and so all she needs the lower part of the hoof wall trimming to prevent splits and the hooves becoming over-grown. The old sole is taken of the bottom of the hoof and the frog cut back. This time the farrier also snipped off the chestnuts that grow on the inside of her front legs. These will drop off naturally in time, though our farrier prefers to cut them off when they get too large to stop them catching and ripping on something.
BG is not the easiest pony to catch. She will be perfect in her 'safe-zones' at mealtimes but try catching her when she doesn't want to be caught and you have no chance. She is afraid of head collars and lead ropes unless she is sure she is safe.
This time we had to fit the visit into a lunchtime break from work. Add to the fact it wasn't her normal mealtime; she doesn't like the farrier. So we need to get there before the farrier and they have a habit of turning up early.
Ever since the visit was arranged I have been panicking that BG would not let us catch her and there would be no trimmed hooves this week.
Then there was traffic leaving work. I was shaking when we got up the field, silly I know, especially as BG came in and had her head collar on perfectly. (Typical of horses; when you think they'll behave they don't, when you worry they won't they do). Though she did take her time meandering in from the field as she was on new grass.
My husband held her whilst I went to open the gate for the farrier. He said she heard her voice and her ears went back and she started snorting as she was nervous.
She stood perfectly for the farrier. She was nervous but did everything asked.
When BG came to live with me she had a crack in her near-fore. It hasn't gone away. I thought in December it has finally gone but the last remaining bit split up the hoof wall again.
This has never caused a problem, over winter we used hydrogen-peroxide to clean it out to ensure no infection got in there, but up until now it has been clean. This time the farrier said she had some seedy toe (infection) in there so she cut it all out. Poor BG now has a chunk missing out the front of her hoof - not that it bothers her.
The rest of the hooves were trimmed quite short too. This worries me a little. BG used to quite often go sore on her hooves a few days after the farrier has been and the ground is rock solid at the moment. Luckily she is a good weight so there is no excessive pressure from that on the hooves. We will have to wait and see....
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