clipped

it was a lovely day for it - over 16 degrees and no breeze to speak of, perfect day for clipping and we reckon the boy's much happier for it.

I know, i should have taken a photo!!! sorry..

anyway, G did the clipping (she likes doing that) whilst i sorted out the rug trunk.  good jobs jobbed...

farrier today

he was pleased. he had a look at the abscess as well of course; we're to just dry wrap from now on, and keep it wrapped for 7 days and then keep it well sprayed with the blue spray stuff.

we're planning on clipping Friday as it is supposed to be warm and we're both off work....

amazing

the poultice stayed on and was totally uncompromised after turnout today (amazing as he went out full speed ahead! the night in did the foot good even if it did nothing for his frame of mind, lol)

in overnight again - after i'd found him in the dark in a wet field! had to put fleece on, he was wet and its going to chill right down tonight.  G came with me to help wrestle with poultice in the dark, but we didnt' need to as I say, and the rest of the week we can deal with it in daylight...

an abscess

near hind.

had to get the vet as we couldn't see it and in fact thought it wasn't - he said we'd not have found it, it was really high up ...

:-(

unhappy boy

at being in.

he was so unhappy he trashed the stable and broke a cupboard he has never once touched in the nearly 4 years i've had him.

ah well...

I went down this afternoon with G - she's got flu (well, starting to recover from it) but we thought the better plan was if i do the heavy work and she just take him out for some grass.

they can go out again in the morning, thank goodness.

It has been blowing a hooly today - possibly not quite as bad as the other day, but not a lot in it, but at least it was a good drying day for my towels out on the rotary airer, washed this morning, bone dry this evening.

and the clocks went back last night, so dark nights now until march; mornings will be a bit lighter until about november or so....

oh, and by the way, it was the baby's cries that did my head in a bit - felt as though it was drilling into my head. i guess that's the normal reaction when a baby cries!

distractions

of an unusual nature - a crying baby.

someone came to do some ponies which are stabled in sight of the arena; owner normally parks where you can see the car, this car was out of site and all we could tell was that there was a random crying baby out of site - i knew where it had to be but it was somewhat disconcerting and didn't want to be consoled!  mother was doing the ponies and father consoling baby.  settled for a while, and then was brought into view so at least M could see where the noise was coming from.

i was able to work him through that, and various other distractions (other horses going out for in hand walks, they're all confined to barracks for 48 hours for worming weekend, horses and ponies whinnying to each other which required a whinny reply of course, and so on..) and he kept trying to get out of it because he was having to work.

i kept him going and got some nice walk and some reaching for the contact and didn't block him (he did that for himself when distracted by whatever it was) .. and was able to stop him twisting his head to avoid the contact and got it back properly ....but eventually gave up as the noises off were going through me, if you see what i mean....i couldn't concentrate as well as i wanted.

still, normally i dont ride at all worming weekend as he isn't is normal calm self, so i was pleased i did get on.

oh but his bed... all over the place.

putting it into practice

for the first time for ages, i was able to ride the night after a lesson - the last few times either the weather has been adverse, or i was on holiday..

so i could actually feel an improvement and we were getting somewhere, i got a good walk - didn't make it to trot, someone else came in to lunge hers and i didn't quite have enough of our small arena, so just worked on the walk in the circle at the top end...the light wasn't perfect either to ensure each person's circle was within their own half so to speak....

but i was pleased.