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 :-)