Sunday 27 March 2011

Which is more scary?

Horse eating chair


Rare, white, flying tigers...






























Generally speaking, Grace is obsessed with water fowl, and ducks in particular.  However I hadn't realised that she reserved her affections for the wild versions.  Apparently domestic geese are not to be trusted, they don't head bob properly and they sound different. Note the tarpaulin has never been a problem...

But the rare white flying tigers are not as scary as the tree trunk which has been made into a chair.  Obviously it it big enough to hide something horse eating behind it.

As these life threatening items were either side of the track we were on I will leave you to imagine the bouncing, snorting and general bog eyedness we enjoyed last night. 

We survived, Grace learnt something, I learnt something.  All is well.
Look into my eyes - deep into my eyes...
repeat after me - Grace is beautiful, Grace
needs food, feed Grace now......

Monday 21 March 2011

Chillin'

I am not asleep, I'm resting my eyes!














The human has been tolerable recently, so I let her sit down with me and have a cuddle while I considered which bit of me is the most beautiful.

Monday 14 March 2011

You're right I am gorgeous

But a girl no matter how beautiful can't idle the whole day away. So as a treat - here is a picture of me on dawn patrol. Numpty human couldn't get a shot of my fabulous figure, so I hope the profile will do!

Dawn patrol - checking on the geese in the 52
 

Monday 7 March 2011

Prepare yourselves

For weeks of long reining shots....
Oh my - the human has the camera out AGAIN!

What do you mean you can't see the poverty lines...!

Always make sure you look well ahead

Because you just might come across something really bad

See haylage - how scary is that!

Danger passed - we can look for the next monster

Or just admire the view :-) (me that is - not the scenery!)


Sunday 6 March 2011

Does my bum look big in this?


4th? long reining session 06 03 11 - photo taken as night falls (yes we carried on into the dark)

What a difference a year makes.  We rebroke Grace last year.  After great success all work ground to a halt when a feed product which was guaranteed to be ok for her was not.  Multiple EPSM attacks, laminitis and killer pony tendancies were the unhappy result.

It took a good couple of months to start to unravel the damage so we gave  her the winter off.  Not a particularly good idea for an EPSM horse, but the best we had in the circumstances.

By the first week of February I was already starting to notice the early warning signs of laminitis.  So as part of Grace's job is to help find products which might be useful for clients we tried her on another 'miracle cure' for laminitics - this one produced by a vet.  Sadly another failure - it's key benefit was that Grace ate her dinner a bit quicker, but it's impact on her feet was non existant. 

A mass break out from her field was the final incentive for me to bring her in.  I hate it, really hate it, but it is better for her to be in with no EPSM symptoms and feet that don't hurt than to be out on the grass that makes her so ill.  Fortunately for her there are two other horses in her barn that stay in so she has company.

So now Grace is working twice a day and we are building up the quantity and variety of what she does.  Supplimented by her untying herself and going for random exploratory wanders when I am mucking out.

And the long reining - well last year I was wary of trying it - she was a bit quick behind and she hated any real pressure on her bridle, being bridled or having her ears fussed.  This year she is really good behind (with me anyway) and is very happy with her bridle, contact and general head/ear handling.

I don't know if anyone has long reined with Grace before me, but I am finding she is picking it up really well.  I think it is kind of cute how she does a quick look back over her shoulder at me when we are about to take on something scary.  But even after a few days she is getting bolder, ready to take on things that she would have baulked at previously.  Got quite keen in the gallop field, I was very impressed about how she came back to me when asked - last year I'd have had the two hoofed salute.

Long may it last.  Made my day :-)