lungeline

this morning - not very exciting. arena very wet and sloshy with hard underneath, and someone had left poles in interesting patterns all over the place (they were there when Monfils arrived) so was never going to do anything exciting, it was as much about take him in there and see what happened ....

what happened was a nice walk, then pole avoidance, than a nice walk, then pole avoidance - rather think pole avoidance was an excuse to fall in sometimes! change rein and same again - 5 minutes or so, no problems - but really between trying to keep the lungeline out of the wet when he fell in and us both avoiding poles, nothing exciting was really going to happen!

the poles have been moved tonight, so it'll be much more usable tomorrow if the weather holds.

anyway, a start.

and he was prevented from rolling when i turned him out by another horse going up to him just after he went down - i wasn't arguing with that, i have to say!

warning, mud on horse....

very first thing he did, i think, when i turned him out - when i went back down to see him before i left, he was dripping it everywhere (and the rug was still damp mud when he came in this afternoon...)

someone has farrier coming Tuesday, so i've asked them to ask him to take his shoes off; i won't be able to be there, first day back at work, but i want to get them off sooner rather than later... start the transition to barefoot whilst he's not in work and whilst the ground is soft .. hope it works, i reckon his feet are good enough for it ...

and FB followers will have noticed my swearing about the car again......ggrrhhh

the thaw continuees

and i took the fleece off from under the outdoor rug before turning him out (back on again now, it'll get chilly and feels a bit nippy anyway) and he seems to have had a good day. isn't coming in with any obvious wounds/bumps anyway, which is half the battle!

the arena is still somewhat waterlogged, and thus frozen, so it may be a while before it is usable again! and then, i guess, we'll be fighting each other for it, LOL

treacherous ice

in the yard this morning so i took the view that if i was iffy about standing up on it, then Monfy would be too, and kept him in. that was despite the thaw - it hadn't, at that time, got as far as the packed ice underneath

so he went out for an hour this afternoon, and not sure he was too fussed about that!

the ground is still solid so they're all having to be careful out there ...and think it'll be a while before it's fully thawed (and turned into mud, eugh)

in the meantime, we went for a walk - and i had been right to say we could NOT do what partner wanted (recce 7 miles!) so only went round cassop country park

in the meantime, here's a stable visitor ...

thawing...

very slowly, and snowed all morning at the same time, but definitely thawing. would like to think the arena will be usable by the end of the week and we can start a bit of lunging

Another day in the field - when i went to get him in, there was him, Dunovan & Bailey, and I had no idea what Dunovan & Bailey are like to keep away from the gate.

monfy caught no problem at all (but then, this time of year, he would LOL) and the others were easily pushed away from the gate - got monfy through it in jig time though before they came back, unhappy to be still out. but their owner would come soon. and they were very good - guess we've all known horses who are FAR from good in that situation, but these were very good. just as well, as it was somewhat icy and i was concerned about not falling over myself!

then groomed - think he is putting a touch of weight on ... he's very good about it! which is good.

he's such a calm soul, i think, despite having had a very well travelled life - America to France and then to England, and several yards here. I suppose he's learnt to take it all in his stride..

a day in the field

Hurry. Yo said to try as he's been so good. Had camera at ready but nothing happened which is good. And we went to teesside but were disappointed as came back via sedgefield and had lunch out.
Forecast to thaw!

christmas Day greetings

to all

We had a lovely walk round Joe's Pond at Rainton Meadows

I've never seen a white duck before!


and this was the only open water to be seen - we think because there's a sluice gate between the two ponds at this point...

and this was amusing!


Monfy had a day in the arena, with haynet and waterbucket of course - not sure how impressed he was with that! brought him in about 3, huge amounts of hay and big feed.

how to prevent soaked sugarbeet freezing - wrap it in a thick stable rug, works a treat. Not too sure about the feed bins RIGHT outside the stable door, think i should re-organise again (they were in an old stable that 2 of us were using as a store, but it was converted back into a stable midweek...)

hopefully, we'll be able to try again during the week introducing him into the herd, in the meantime, YO is happy enough that he can be in the arena.

and partner came down to meet Monfy and had proper camera with her.. he moved, though, LOL

some pics

finished work at 12 so was able to turn him out in the arena for a couple of hours (might only have been 1 1/2?) whilst i bottomed the bed and tidied it all up. Then when i went down, he was very keen to be in again! TBF, bit boring in there, but he could see the other horses, walked himself round a few times, was spoken to by some of the other owners as they passed. Then took his rugs off and groomed. He does, of course, need more weight on (the amount he's eating, i'm sure that won't take long!) but he does take a nice pic!

left him with LOADS of hay, and a much bigger water bucket since i had the chance to sort that out; also tidied a load of stuff up, and some things had been moved during the week to create space for a pony that needed to be in nights rather than out!

the one with his head in the feed dish is from the other night; the rest are today.

he's bored! and is rising 9

dear claire, do not leave tack box in stable ... it will be upended and filled with hay.

happily, it wasn't trashed, i don't think from what i could tell so when i've some daylight i'll be able to sort it (and a lot of other stuff!) out!

otherwise, as happy as he can be in the stable, eating up, toasty warm.

we finish at noon tomorrow, so hoping i can get him out in the arena tomorrow afternoon... that WOULD be good. apparently 3 went out today, 2 in arena and 1 in field...

and the vet arrived just after me tonight, a pony has hurt himself .. not sure what the view was, thinking abcess or twisted joint...hope he's ok.

Did mane and tail tonight - mane was ok, but tail had developed rats tails, as they do - didn't go for the mane and tail spray yet (although i expect he'll be fine with them!)

passport sent off to Weatherbys to register me as new owner! special delivery, so signed for all the way (not cheap, but secure!)

the passport shows his date of birth at 28th Feb 2002, so he'll be 9 in 2 months.... (and it took the insurance company to point that out to me, i thought, 8!)

i do feel sorry for Monfy..

not that he looks too bothered, so long as he can eat, drink, lie down (he seems to have done so) etc, but no way he could even be turned in the arena - the yard was too slippy to attempt. had he been barefoot i might have tried, but he still has his shoes on

happily, the water tap hadn't quite frozen when i got there, so i was able to water him, as he had not a drop left! EEK - presumably had been checked at some point during the day, i know YO does that, but then drunk it again.

i need to sort out the much larger tub, but it is currently full of very frozen water (it had been acting as a trap under the eaves in the summer and never got tipped out..) so will have to wait for the thaw

debating whether to take the haybar down and just feed off the deck - his first job is, take it out of the hay bar (well, the stuff on top, anyway)

very pleased he's clearly well used to people mucking out round him, not a bother so far as that is concerned!

and where was the thaw that was forecast for this afternoon? pah. it's been snowing off and on all day... they've changed their minds on that, as currently it's saying maximum zero tomorrow.

now WHY was it i thought this was a good time of year to buy a horse? LOL.

oh, and he's more than 7 1/2 - will be 8 end of February.

didn't go to post office today to send form/passport/cheque to weatherby's, MUST do it before close of business friday!

and you will all have to wait for daylight/better weather for photos...

he's a messy eater....

not assisted by my putting far too much hay in the haybar anyway!

it was scattered all over the bed - a lot of it was able to be picked up and put back, but the bit in the middle had to be binned.... shame. on the other hand, i think he's enjoying going round picking it out, LOL

Led him down to the field with the bitless bridle on to give control, but once he hit the field i was clearly not going to hold him to walk through it to the next one, so shut gate and let him off.

BAAAD me. should have left headcollar on, i was told (I've NEVER done that, TBH ...) he couldn't be caught until everything else was in, not that a lot went out... and he likes the ladies (no idea when he was gelded)

tomorrow he's staying in, 1/2 hour in the arena whilst i muck out and same at night.

plus YO had forgot (as had I) that it was school holidays so noone else there at same time as me... so tomorrow i shall do the horse second and then straight to work, rather than horse first then rush home to change/breakfast

but tonight i got both the rugs off and gave him a bit of a brush over, then put the new fleece on under the outdoor rug.

he looked very smart, but as he's finding it very difficult to stand still for any length of time (an everyone had gone by then!) he didn't get his photo took until he was eating his tea....which doesn't really tell you anything save that he likes his tea!

having done all that, went to Sainsbury's and as i got out of the car thought, I'm sure it's getting warmer... and then it started snowing on the way home.

I'll probably find I've overrugged by the morning, LOL!

interestingly, a friend on facebook has posted that they have seen him race....

duly collected

but my goodness i don't want to walk up a hill like that again!

Natasha didn't fancy the hill down the yard in her wagon - possibly sensibly, as at the top it looked a good bit worse than it in fact was ... so i walked down and led him back up .. .oh, and having got all the way down to the yard, what had i left in wagon? that's right, headcollar!

they said, have you not got a bridle? a Chifney? hadn't thought to fetch a bridle, have never owned a Chifney. I think they thought i was a tad mad, and i had to agree (i was agreeing re. the steepness of the hill! but of course, he won't have been led anywhere in a headcollar, never thought of that doh)

so a 10 minute walk down, was about a 20 minute back up, trying to get him to stay on the tarmac - an early lesson in aids at the girth!

and of course, you can bet they usually trot that hill!

however, in the scale of things he was very good, didn't try to play be up or dance, just thought it was all a bit odd being led up this hill!

got him loaded at the top, no bother. and of course he travels well.

Got back to the yard - it was locked! YO had tried to text me but i'd switched phone off due to very flat battery, to conserve what i had left, so just had enough charge to ring her up and say! so YO's OH had to come along and unlock.

He seemed to like his stable, didn't object to the friend in the mirror! spotted the huge mound of hay in the hay bar.

got his second rug on (they'd let me bring him away in the stable rug he had on, as that came with him!) in the stable, he will need that (YO told me later it was -11 at 5 pm EEK)

he had a good roll! never saw molly have a roll in the stable, i was a shade concerned but it was fine.

made his tea up = hadn't put any sugar beet up, and shoudl have done, but i guess it would have frozen anyway if i had, must sort out a spare rug for insulation for sugar beet container! and he tucked into that

would have done a shade more water, but taps all frozen

so left him to it.

hope he does have enough hay, but it was well stacked up so i guess so (still can't find my scales, dammit, hope i don't have to buy another pair).

plan for the morning - the geldings field has two halves, if i turn him out early and take him through to the second half, they all get a chance to talk to each other over the gate when the rest go out. and I'll use the bitless bridle to turn him out, it gives a bit more control.

so i'll get up and do him, before coming back here to get ready for work.

he'll probably be glad of a good groom, but i'll see about that tomorrow as he should be a bit more settled.

wormer went in the feed ....

no photos again: at -11 and flat battery, there was no chance, LOL

all set

i think

bed down, water bucket sorted out, feed mostly put away (need to retrieve a feed bin from gaynor, will do that later)

hay will be in place later - £35 for big round bale, i am told.

not sure where head collars are though! but the leather one is in the boot of the car .... and need to see where i've put my scales, they MIGHT be in the box in the front room

rug rack had fallen down, lord knows why! won't be going up again just yet, i don't suppose, too cold to be drilling holes in walls

thinking i'll put loads of hay in the haybar in the morning (or possibly even later today) then tis all set for him arriving .. assuming we can get tomorrow.

so far so good, anyway

monfils monfils

is my fifth horse

that's the bay i linked to earlier.

broke all the rules - didn't get on (frankly, it was far too treacherous, and even though trainer did, it was pointless!) and haven't had him vetted. and didn't take any photos, we were all doing well to stand up, let alone remember to take phone out of other jacket pocket and out to frozen field!

but really nice person.

good as gold in box, good as gold to tack up.

now to organise transport, sort out stable/feed, and fingers crossed it doesn't snow any more on north yorkshire!

they think they worked it out

a part had to be ordered, though, and won't arrive probably till tomorrow!

whether my man would have rung the man who was testing it had i not rung him at lunchtime I've no idea.

as to hiring a car... i shall tell dealer i am doing that if need be. anyway, have to have something for the weekend....special trip, if the weather doesn't get too dire, to see what looks to be an interesting beast

like the look of him, a lot.

still no car back

and they still don't know what's wrong with it.

if i don't have it for friday i can't go to office christmas party. if it won't be ready, think i'll hire one for the weekend as need transport over the weekend...

not happy.

a boring day

Loitering about The Galleries, Washington, whilst waiting to see if they were going to be able to mend my car today

by 1 pm, they still didn't know what was wrong with it .... so i came home....

I am NOT happy, as you can imagine - looked it up, have had this car 2 months and this is the 2nd time it's been in ..

however, found a couple of presents, didn't buy a mobile phone (which tempted me), read some of my book on my android pad whilst drinking tea and eating scones in sainsbury's, met someone from the office! but by then was bored bored bored...

the river wear in Durham yesterday

the snow melt is coming down from the top of Weardale.....if it gets no higher than this, we'll all be happy (especially my mate Gaynor!)










and the cathedral yesterday, for good measure...

i'm going to start looking again

it's about time, i think, albeit that i have only been on a horse once ... no doubt I'll be able to find some more riding opportunities over the christmas break, assuming the weather is ok...

i'm missing going out early on cold horrid mornings, and being out late on cold nights ... and the chores involved in keeping a horse.....and going into a saddlers with a reason to spend money .....

but don't want to rush into getting the wrong horse...

and still think lessons are a plan if they can be organised...

mind you, the car needs mending first (AGAIN! not happy!) so trundling round websites and see what if anything friends have heard of that might suit...

more icicles

taken outside the office yesterday

in the meantime, dug my car out Sunday, and was pleased that my wrist was still good after that! which means i'm now good for mucking out, another positive.

however, no horse trialling will be happening for so long as this deep freeze continues - not unless someone offers me one ALSO with an indoor arena - and that would only tell me what it's like in an indoor arena.

in the meantime, here's a pic of partner digging round her car Saturday

icicles

and there's a pond under here - hope the newts are ok!

beyond a joke

this weather.

took some pics last weekend, but it's a lot worse now....will try to get one tomorrow!

piano set up!

hurray.

had to purchase new electric screwdriver, and request assistance from partner with a couple of minor tasks (including lifting piano onto stand!) but all set up and working.

it's great being able to plug headphones in and not disturb neighbours/partner

and it's surprising how quickly it's coming back..

so, lots of practice, methinks.

i had missed playing, it turns out! i suppose not surprising.

partner said, "where did all that music come from" clearly had never noticed it gathering dust in a corner!

dreadful weather

we were sent home early from work, most unusual, it's a nightmare out there... we are so not used to such long periods of consistently deep snow.