Was so sleepy I forgot to provide a title...

[glenatron]

This week I've been trying to cram in as much pony time as possible while we still have daylight after work. On Wednesday I finally got to ride Donk ( in the absence of a working Small he is really sleepsy_mouse's horse ) for a little while, which was really nice. He makes me acutely conscious that Zorro is a fairly hard horse to work with. Things that Zorro will dispute extensively Donk just offers. On the flipside Donk isn't nearly as smart as the other two, when you're asking for something new he'll quite often need to be asked a few times before he figures out that the thing he's been trying is not working and he needs to try something else- I'd guess it takes about twice as long as I would expect with one of our regular two before he starts exploring different options. He tends to carry a somewhat anxious expression as well, as though he knows he's not terribly smart and he wants to do the right thing but he's not sure how. I'm sure that is entirely anthropomorphic transference but it helps focus one's mind on the job in hand.

On Thursday Zorro and I went down the trail below the ponies' field, which has been entirely reworked by the local authority so it is now passable by things other than the most rugged of four wheel drive vehicles and the boldest of cobs. It turns out a path that has changed particularly one that has grown beech-trunk posts to stop people taking said four wheel drive vehicles off the byway and into the woods, is terrifying and it took quite a bit of persuading to get us through there. Get through we did, however and I'm sure the path will be fine next time.


Today we began by walking down to visit the ponies. On the way past we met this gentleman:

I have named him "Mr Scruffymanes" and clearly his hobby is rolling in bracken.

When we got to the yard, we found ourselves a big bay horse, put some tack on him and sleepsy_mouse hopped aboard for a gentle wander down the valley and up the other side ( valley is steep so Donk had to grumble a lot as he went along ) and for a short loop on some permissive bridleways around the fields on the other side.

I think this was a conversation about which way to go next. Donk looks like he's studying the options pretty intensively.

Now dear little Small remains ill but he's also been very flat and we've been wondering if he's a bit depressed in general. In the end sleepsy_mouse decided that maybe it would be worth putting him out with Donk to see if they got on alright. Donk seems quite friendly with him and when Small was in his playpen in their regular field, Donk would just stand by him on the other side of the fence ( while typically Zorro would be at the furthest possible point ) and look mellow.

Donk meets small for the first time and they do the breath sharing thing.


It's been a while since we had any of this from the little guy.


Let alone this...


Both horses move beautifully.


Grabbing a moment to play the squeaky-breath-game again.

After a few minutes of that they basically set to grazing together and hardly looked up. Donk seems very happy to have a friend and Small is more cheerful than he has been for a while, although his heart rate was up a bit at teatime and we're a little bit worried that he'll wear himself out as the major symptom of this virus seems to be lack of energy. He was by no means as expressive as he would be when in full health, but it was nice to see him feeling able to play a bit.

Once we'd had lunch while watching the ponies graze, I went and obtained a cob and we went out for a hack together. I was quite tired, I think Zorro was feeling a bit flat ( possibly the autumn shedding thing that geldings seem to be affected by at this time of year ) and it wasn't the best ride ever. It was enjoyable and we went some places we've not been before but we didn't have much forward and there were a couple of moments as we got closer to home that he decided to charge off at top speed and buck a little. I changed his mind about doing that and he was fine from then on, but it slightly indicated the slightly plodding quality and vague background disharmony of the ride.


Out on the sandy trail.

Of course, compared with where we were a few months ago, a vague sense of disharmony is still pretty good, but knowing that he can be amazing now means that I know I have to offer him something slightly better.

Also, it's hard for Zorro to tell me if he is a bit off. Small is super-keen riding out and so the minute he doesn't march off excitedly in search of adventure sleepsy_mouse knows something is up. Although Zorro is pretty good on the trail now he tends to slow down, think about going home and generally be a little resistant, particularly on the early part of a ride, so all the things Small has as ways of communicating a problem are basically standard parts of Zorro's insubordination repertoire. I don't know how to work around that except maybe for me to trust that I'll know if he isn't really up to the work. Today I had a niggling feeling he may not be, which was quite possibly one reason he seemed not to be. Damnit, who made horses this complicated?

All in all, the weather has been pleasant, the ponies have been good and it's been a more than passable day. It felt more like August than most of August did really.

Comments

[wldhrsjen3.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry Small hasn't been feeling well, but... do you think it's wise to turn him out with another horse? Is he contagious?

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

As far as we can tell there's no discernable risk to anyone else, certainly the vet hasn't recommended isolation on any of her many visits. The whole thing started as a reaction to his flu jab and it seems likely that it only hit him as hard as it did because his immune system had taken a serious hit from that. It may even still be part of that direct reaction.

So although we're not certain it's wise in terms of risking him wearing himself out, we're not worried about him passing on whatever he has.

[harnessphoto.livejournal.com]

I do so look forward to your illustrated entries.

[serennig]

What IS wrong with Small? I thought it must have been pain or something, didn't realize it was a virus.

Hey, I have a question that I can't seem to easily find an answer to. Is it required for you guys on that side of the pond to use all that hi-viz when riding on hacks/trails/whatever, or is it more like just sensible and everyone does it, or is it more like you probably should but most people don't (kinda like helmets).

Just wondering really. Because I have never, ever, seen so much hi-viz horsewear and gear as I do when I look at your pics and others from the isles. And I noticed the BHS Trec rules made quite a stink about it, and I was thinking, by god, if we had those rules here everyone would instantly fail because we can't get that stuff without ordering it from the US and paying shipping AND duty.

[sleepsy-mouse.livejournal.com]

Poor Small's had a bit of a saga this summer - he started off being a bit lame, had some box rest, seemed fine. Then he had a reaction to his annual vaccination and came up in a huge swelling on his chest. Then he had a reaction to the gel i was given to treat the swelling with and lost all the fur.... and then he came down with a virus that he just can't seem to shift... I thought he was improving very slightly but the last lot of blood tests suggest he'd actually got worse.

And it seems turning him out with Donk wasn't such a great plan either - by the time I got there this morning Small had a very impressive collection of bites.

As far as the Hi-Viz goes, it's sensible but the majority of riders in the UK don't wear it - we're certainly the only ones from our yard who do. But as a lot of the roads we have to ride on are narrow, shady and full of people who drive like maniacs, anything that gives us more chance of being seen is a good thing in my book. The pink vest I usually wear also has flashing LEDs in, just to make extra sure! But as far as I know, aside from TREC, there are no rules about it.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

If you're accustomed to roads in the Americas you probably aren't thinking narrow enough or shady enough after reading that. Rural lanes here would barely be considered farm tracks in the parts of North America I've visited and because they're very old roads they have typically sunk somewhat over the centuries so they have very high, steep banks. The lane the ponies are up is single-track so when you meet other cars driving along it one of you has to back up to find a gateway or passing place. You get very good at reversing and at knowing where all the passing places are after a while.

People get cocky and drive too fast and sooner or later they run into something, so anything that makes you noticeable from further away stands a good chance of saving both horse and rider.

Although low light levels are dangerous, on bright days if a driver is in the sunshine and a horse and rider is in the shade you can be equally invisible to them.

Also unlike most places in America and Canada we're very tight on space here and very limited in places where you have a right to ride- it's restricted to bridleways, byways and roads and the latter two both also permit motor vehicles. You would have to look very hard in southern England to find anywhere you could ride straight for more than a mile or two without having to cross a road. Or, given how rubbish the organisation of rights of way is, having to go along the road for a while before finding another bridleway.

We're very lucky to have lots of rideable land by local standards but you could fit everything we have into a tiny corner of the average US National Forest...

[evil-c.livejournal.com]

I think I out-hi-vis even you on occasion...




Hi-vis is, IMO, vital in the UK when out on the roads. I almost drove into the back of someone a few months ago, she was on a dark brown horse, she was wearing black jods, dark green top and dark green cover on her hat. She was riding along a tree-line only just on the road, in the shade on a very bright summer day (so takes eyes longer to adjust when you go into shade) and the only thing I saw, and I KNOW there are horses there so I drive slower than most, was the single white foot marking of about 3 inches of white on one back foot. Scary!

Poor Lizzie, I do put rather a bit too much hi-vis on her at times...

[skiesfirepaved.livejournal.com]

Aw, the photos of Small meeting Donk are so sweet. :) I'm glad it helped pick him up a bit.

I don't know why I keep looking at your riding photos, because I explode with envy every time and, well ... the dry cleaning bills are becomming something of a hassle.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I don't know why you keep on not coming to visit and ride with us :)

Also, looking back at my post I think "Insubordination Repertoire" is a good name for a band...

[skiesfirepaved.livejournal.com]

Well it would be rude to just invite myself! ...Although I suppose if I turned up on your doorstep, puppy dog-eyed and sniffling about how much I'd love to tramp along these awesome trails with you and the ponies, you might take pity on me. :|

Insubordination Repertoire is a fantastic name for a band. Do it, do it now.

[evil-c.livejournal.com]

How tall is Donk? I think of Small as pretty tall.

Oh, I think of Small every day as I drive along "Smalls Mead Road" every day going to work ;-)

I hope turning him out and letting him kick up his hooves puts a bit of a boost on him. Poor boy, sounds like one thing after another. Thats the problem, they get run-down from one thing then another can creep in and take hold :(

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

He has his own Mead does he? I'm sure Small would approve of that.

Donk is around 16.1 or thereabouts. Tall by the standards of our horses anyways...

[oifonly.livejournal.com]

quote: "Damnit, who made horses this complicated?"

I have asked myself many, many times since purchasing my smaller, yellow version of Zorro....

Lovely pics as always. Are Donk and Small still in together, or are they apart agin, if Donk can't keep his teeth to himself? :(

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

They're apart again because we cant risk small getting nommed the whole time when he's got enough other stuff he needs to get better from.

It's a shame- they seemed to be really bless friends when we were there to keep an eye on them.

[penella22.livejournal.com]

Mr Scruffymanes is awesome. :) He needs to come live on this side of the pond...


Donk and Small do look so happy together...and I hadn't realized everything Small had been through this summer. :( But I hope he's on the mend now.

You & Zorro have, I suspect, come a long ways forward even just in the last few months. It's a good sign that the new subpar day is better than the old everyday day...

Yes, you do have to trust that you will know. And that it doesn't, in turn, give them that very thought. With Sage I think most days now I know. But part of that is because I've gotten better at knowing when he's bs'ing me, and so have more faith in my skills to read his mood and frame of mind.

Interesting that Donk reminds you how fairly difficult Zorro and Small are. And that you enjoy the challenge they bring. Such a foreign concept to me; working with warmbloods that are boring. Sort of points to a big paradigm shift I think. At least back when I took dressage lessons every week warmbloods were to *die for* regardless of temperament. Doubt I'd see it quite that way now...

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

When people talk about warmblood trainability I realised a few days ago that they actually mean they're honest but a bit dense. Makes them a lot easier to train if you're not all about the horse training...

[eggb4thechicken.livejournal.com]

Grabbing a moment to play the squeaky-breath-game again.
We call that 'playing slaps'. :P
As in:


It's pretty much exactly what they do. We laugh our heads off after playing, and horses go flying around the field after too!