Monday 25 February 2013

Week 6, a little bit of sunshine

Not a bad week this week. We have had sunshine. We have had a napping toddler, a child back at school and two horses who have been exercised. Not many weeks are this productive! 

The horses are slowly picking up. I feel more enthusiastic when it is sunny, so I suppose it makes sense that they do too. They have had some time without rugs which they love - dirty beasts! They rolled and rolled! 

The work is slow with them though and I'm finding it hard to keep at it to be honest, especially when I am tired or the weather is rubbish.  Sometimes it seems a lot of effort to arrange the whole day just to lunge for 10mins. But this week is making it seem more worthwhile.

The weekend was just what I needed. I went to a point to point with some friends, while my fabulous husband took the children to a birthday party, and then I went out with my mum friends for cheap and cheerful cocktails (and chips on the way home!)
On Sunday I was allowed a lie in (have I mentioned my husband is pretty fabulous?) Our afternoon was spent putting up electric fencing so the horses can spend more time on the grass, practising reversing my trailer ready for my test in 10 days time (eek!) and shifting hay from the big barn (wonderful husband again). I then repaid some of the debt by cooking a pretty damn good roast dinner.

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Week 5

Five weeks in already, and no progress with the horses, well, not the sort of progress I had hoped for.

It is half term this week, so the girl is off school, and my husband is taking holiday.

The week started at 5am on Monday morning. We were having a day out in London at the Science Museum, but of course the horses need doing first. Fab day, but I am knackered by the time we get home at 8.30pm.
On Tuesday I had my first trailer lesson! It went well, but I am exhausted after 4 hours of driving. I did manage to give both horses a quick lunge though.

No exercise for the horses until Saturday, due to an Ikea visit and seeing family, but they have spent a bit of time out on the grass.
I lunged the mare and she is still so weak and unbalanced. I used two lunge lines, one behind her, to encourage her to track up, and despite my general ineptitude with long reining, it worked well. The gelding was lunged in side reins.

Sunday was spent trying to get ready for back to school tomorrow, going food shopping and stopping the kids from killing each other. I escaped for a while to hack the mare around the fields which was wonderful! Maybe things are looking up after all.

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Week 4. Ups and downs.

Monday - The chiropractor came to see the mare. I am now slightly poorer, but have a happier horse, so completely worth it.

Tuesday - Under chiropractor's advice, I put a saddle on the mare today. Huge improvement from trying to put it on last week, I managed to lead her once around the arena quite comfortably. The gelding's mud fever has improved dramatically, due mostly to some drier weather last week.

Wednesday - saddle on the mare again and longer being led around the arena. Gelding lunged and looking quite perky (if a little weak and malnourished! *)

* he is not actually malnourished, just runs up very light without grass and enough exercise.

Thursday - I just want to forget today happened!

Friday - I can't believe the boy has napped every day this week! So helpful! The weather was beautiful this afternoon and gave me a much needed boost of enthusiasm (vitamin D is amazing isn't it?!) With this new found enthusiasm I lunged the mare (interesting, she is obviously feeling much better) turned the gelding out in the arena stripped for some gentle exercise, and mucked out a friend's horse for them. Unfortunately, my idea of 'gentle exercise' and the gelding's varies. I thought he should mooch about a bit, and soak up some sun, he thought he should roll in the wet bit and come in coated in wet sand. Nice.

Saturday - Despite a ridiculously early wake up call (4am, thanks kids) it has been a perfect Saturday. Lazy morning at home, followed by going to see the hunt (mostly the hounds, I love hounds) onto the horses, where the gelding was lunged in tack, the kids helped clean a rug (ok, bash the crap out it with their toy brooms - it helped get rid of the dust) and ended with a happy, tired family tucking into Burger King in front of a film. Sometimes it all falls into place.

Sunday - Bit depressing horse wise. I rode the mare today, but there was just nothing there, no lift, no bounce, no bend, just nothing. It was like riding a very rigid plank of wood :(  A lot of work to do here, but feeling a bit low about it, rather than enthusiastic.

Monday 4 February 2013

Week 3, photographing horses is really hard!

Monday - More horse food needed today, so a trip up to Simple Systems horse feeds for some more Purabeet and Lucie Nuts. Beautiful sunny day, despite the cold and wind, horses all rather happy on the yard. Mare looking back to normal, so some tack on tomorrow hopefully.
I tried to take some pictures of her as a kind of 'before and after 8 weeks of work' type thing, but they are pretty rubbish - It's really hard!

Tuesday - only the bare minimum done today as I had a very unhelpful 'helper' in the form of a 2yr old boy. Wednesday - Bit of a mixed day really. Pro - child free afternoon, Con - neither horse can be ridden (gelding not quite there with being brought back into work, mare still sore, especially muscles around girth/front legs) Pro - erm....... had time to brush horses, Con - weather was atrocious, a sleet blizzard! Thursday - Running around like a blue arsed fly today, the horses and children are lucky to have been fed! Saturday/Sunday - Rather an uninspiring weekend, horse wise. The beautiful Saturday afternoon was spent at a child's birthday party, and Sunday was cold, wet and miserable. The husband was working all weekend too, so no chance of escape!