Smart cookie

Continuing the lunge work with Remy today, looking for good forward movement with active hind legs, good rhythm and relaxation and lowering of the neck. He's getting there, with better rhythm today.
Bonbon had her second session at starting lunge work, she was a complete star. Walk and halt transitons on a circle, both reins with good forward movement. Started and finished on a good note. The shortest session I've ever had with a horse!! A smart cookie.

Obi improving

Obi seems to be improving day by day. We've had another 2 visits to the vet and she's pleased with him. Apart from being tired, he's much more like his old self. We're taking it as it comes.

Yesterday, Remy and Bonbon both had short in-hand sessions and I went for a short hack with Corky.  She had her stroppy head on. Another reason why I have to get her into the groove in preparation for going out with Rem. Once she gets her head around the fact that she's not, in fact, retired, she'll be fine.

Today a friend came over to help with the youngsters and Remy had a lunge session, walk and trot, looking for forward with more activity of the hind legs, relaxation and stretching and lowering his neck. Bonbon had an in-hand/baby lunge session. Both were well behaved and I'm very pleased with them.

Obi

Obi had what looked like a stroke last night. The vet called it an 'accident vasculaire cérébral' and, of course I know what that is because it's what Jim had last year. It was late, but we rushed him to the vets and they were really good with him.
She explained the options and said that it could be a 'one off' vascular event, an infection in the brain, a brain tumour or possibly a problem with his vertebra putting pressure on his spine or causing inflammation.
After a couple of injections we brought him home, wobbly and scared ( me and Jim also) with an appointment for today. It was a case of watching and waiting, so it was a long night and we emerged all of us tired but Obi showing some signs of improvement.
He had x-rays today of his lungs and neck, firstly the lungs to see if there were signs of tumour ( any signs of spreading from a brain tumour are most likely to show up first in the lungs) but they were clear. His neck, to check the vertebrae for any sign of changes, and there was a narrowing between 2 of them which could have caused a problem but it wasn't conclusive. He has lost a little weight recently and this is a worry also, so it's a case of  keeping up with anti-inflammatories and antibiotics and close monitoring.
I hate my beautiful boy being so scared and confused, but he's more like himself today and we'll just have to wait and hope.

A busy morning

It was sunny and bright today and I started with flexion sessions for Remy and Bonbon. After this I took Corky for a short (35min) hack and then a short in-hand session with Anky. Remy and Bonbon were very happy to oblige with some nice flexions and stretching down. Corky, after some encouragement (she really thought that she'd retired) walked out nicely with a long relaxed neck, and Anky tutted her way through our in-hand session but relaxed, and after moving her shoulders and quarters independently, gave me some nice giravolta and shoulder in.

Remy and Bonbon in-hand

Another short in-hand session today with Remy. Working again on relaxation and stretching down,trying to get even bend on a circle, rein-back with a low neck and moving the shoulders and quarters independently. He was calm and attentive.
A short session also with Bonbon in-hand, asking for softness, lowering of neck and taking that into the walk transition. It's been quite a while since I've done anything with her but she was also calm and attentive and very well behaved.

Enjoying life

Inca's been having a few problems eating over the last week or so. We took her to the vet and I was worried that they would have to give her a general to sort it out, but luckily they were able to remove some tartar with just a light sedation. She has an infection where it had been pressing into her gum but after a few days of antibiotics, she seems much happier, eating well again and obviously enjoying life!
Apart from a short ride on Corky the other day, I've done nothing with the horses for a while. It was such a lovely day today and I took Remy into the school. A short session working on relaxation with a low neck in-hand and then a short sit-on asking for walk/halt transitions.

Eggscellent

Well, it's the 1st Jan and another year unfolds. Our two original chooks have been moulting for the past couple of months and so stopped laying. Our new chooks are still a little young and hopefully will start laying in the spring. Of the two originals, Boo is now looking resplendent in her new finery and today produced the first egg of the year!! Good for her!

Au revoir

Up early this morning to take Mum, Dad and Thomas to the airport.  I returned home with a heavy heart. The house is empty and I miss them already.
I feel I should return to doing something with the horses, but I'm very reluctant to do so. It's a worry - I can't seem to find any fun in it these days. When did it stop being fun?
Horses fill my life, I love them, but it has to be fun.  Perhaps it really is time to stop.

Chistmas day

Spent in the usual way, eating, drinking and playing games, but we also managed to get a little walk out with the dogs.

Knitting , X Box - what's that all about ?

We've got my parents and nephew here for christmas.It was a bit touch and go with the weather being so bad in the Uk,but the gods smiled on us and kept the airports open! It's great to have them here, but difficult to find things to keep them occupied, it's a little quiet here for townies. My mum's a little bored and has already knitted one scarf. She's started on another, doesn't like the wool so the job's now fallen to me to finish it. It's a very long time since I knitted anything, but I think I can manage a scarf!
Jim's decided he wants an X Box (Why?????)  so we're waiting for that to arrive along with several games. I suppose it'll keep his mind active. Thomas (nephew) is 'well pleased' and we're having to track it's every movement online.
The horses are taking a back seat, but they seem to be enjoying themselves out 24/7

New chooks

We went for some new chooks today. Our happy little band has been depleted and they're a little lost in their huge pen so we felt it was time to give them some playmates.
We thought we'd get 3 point of lay hens (3-4 months old) to start laying in the spring -  but, best laid plans and all that, we came away with 4 young hens and a young cockerel heading for the abattoir that we just couldn't leave!
So we have Jill, black and white Light Sussex, Brin, a beautiful brindle colour, Golden Wyandotte, Buffy, Buff Orpington, Sindy, a lovely cinnamon coloured Buff Orpington x Indian Game Bird and finally Ginger, a beautiful 6 month old pure bred Buff Orpington cockerel.
Here they are settling into their new home

 and our chooks keeping their distance

 They're all in the hut together tonight and I hope they're all intact tomorrow!!

Di and Rem, feeling the cold!!!

The weather here is grim at the moment. Over the last couple of days we've had glimpses of the sun, but it's lost its warmth and it's very COLD!!
Some pics  of our last session in the school continuing with the in-hand work. Notice Di sporting her snazzy winter wardrobe! LOL  We're just at the basics but we're making progress and I'm reliably informed :-) that we're at a good place to build from.

Be positive...

I was that person today. Our in-hand session was positive with lots of energy. Very simple work in the headcollar, moving first the shoulders and then the quarters, putting it together for a good giravolta on each rein, keeping the shoulders up, good crossing over. Jim called it 'taking charge', it felt a little bit like that too! LOL
Remy thanks his Aunty Trudi for providing the stimulus for some semblance of order!!!!

Venturing out from the gloom

We've been doing this over the last few days. The snow has gone, but we've had days of rain. Now we're getting drier, colder weather, with brief but very welcome sunny spells.
I had a short in-hand session with both Remy and Bonbon today, working with a cavesson on a small circle asking for relaxation, slight inside bend and lowering of the head and neck. They were both focussed and well behaved. After the in-hand with Remy, we had a mat session which he seemed to enjoy.

Wintry walks....

...with Obi.
Over the last week or so I've been taking Obi for walks around the tracks. I'm not much of a walker, but I thought it may help to get me fit and Obi needs controlled exercise to strengthen his back legs - he's a heavy dog and not getting any younger  (like the rest of us). It's lovely countryside around our place and I find that I really enjoy it (whatever happened to the girl who used to drive to the corner shop!). This is our walk today.
Down the track through our fields

 towards the lakes

 I don't think our neighbour is going to freeze this winter

 the largest of the three lakes

heading back towards home, a place to rest

 and another

 nearly home

 time for a hot brew

  A lovely morning, nice lunch with a couple of 'winter warmers' (hot cherry liqueur and red wine), just the way to tackle the weather.

In the bleak...

A real wintry day today, nothing doing with the horses. I dashed out with the camera as they were playing in the snow. As usual, I missed the best of it and they decided they'd had enough and wanted to come in!!

stumblin'

Another bleak day, cold and damp. I had two short sessions inside with Remy and Bonbon. Remy, practicing flexions and Bonbon a bridle session, more familiarisation with the bit and baby flexions.

I stumbled upon this guy, I wish I had his coordination.

Brrrrrrrr...........

We've got our first snow of the year. It's been snowing overnight and still is.
Yesterday was very frosty but dry so I had a (very) short in-hand session with Remy. I was concentrating on having a good feel on both reins trying to keep him soft and relaxed. I think we're starting to get a better connection in-hand, he's started to take responsibility for his own energy and becoming more responsive. We are getting a better feel but lots to work on keeping the balance between the outside and inside rein. We're tending to get too much inside neck bend.
I then hacked Anky out and despite a little wobble going into the wood she was great. We did the same exercises as last time, halt/walk, halt/reinback/walk transitions and she started to soften in the mouth and flex the poll, then she stretched and took the rein down with a lovely forward walk. Her feet seem to be strengthening up really well, there was no sign of sensitivity on the gravel tracks.
 I had a short session with Remy at halt today working on getting a soft contact on both reins, letting him lengthen his neck a little and then asking for a very light flexion, keeping his neck much straighter. He was flexed (not too much) at the throatlash but not too much inside neck bend. It felt like a nice relaxed connection, just need to take that into movement!

It's a confidence thing.........

The last few in-hand sessions with Remy we've been concentrating on halt/walk transitions  - starting and stopping, having a quicker reaction into the walk transition, more energy in the work and a cleaner, lighter halt. This is improving and he's becoming more self motivated and we're starting to get a more forward, consistent walk. He's a very patient horse and he's coping with everything really well considering that I'm a beginner at this in-hand stuff and we're both learning together. 
He's starting to listen and wait until I ask for something, his focus and attention are really improving and I'm beginning to be able to break things down into small pieces of information that we can both grasp and build on.
All this is an ongoing thing and it's still very early days, but I feel that now, I need, and, I think, am able to work on the flexion, keeping the flexion and softness from the halt into the movement, working step by step until we have more consistent softness, bend and fluidity with no resistance. I think that then, we can start to progress with the lateral work.
 Thanks to Trudi  and her ongoing help and support, I now have more confidence to continue, and I think that we can make good progress.
I rode Anky in the school today, we've not been in there for a while and I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxed, forward and receptive she was. We worked at walk, working on circles, halt/walk, halt/reinback/walk transitions  and a little leg yield and shoulder-in. It was a really enjoyable session.

Had a fun, musical afternoon at Rickys.

Tell me why.......

...... I don't like mondays.
That's not entirely true, what gets me really, is the announcement of a new week and the tic, tic ticking of the clock as another week is committed to memory. I'm not complaining, I'm a lucky girl and I don't have to get up and go spend all my day at work!! Instead I can dodge the rain and spend my time with my horses.

I don't think the weather was too bad on saturday, I'm not sure as I spent most of the day in bed with what seemed (at the time) like the worst headache in the world.  I was a bit worried as our trimmer, Gareth was due first thing sunday morning and  I like to be there to go over every last detail of my horses feet. LOL
I awoke, relieved, feeling pretty much ok and had a good morning discussing barefoot trimming, the KC La Pierre method and maintenance work between trimmings.

I wanted to do something with the horses in the afternoon, but the chasse were out, which rules out any hacking (if you value your life) and I couldn't use the school as they were in the wood at the far side of the school. I ended up doing some in-hand work on the land at the bottom of the garden, and, despite the distractions (moronic,mindless yelling, dogs barking and gunshots) Remy was a little star. He's so patient with me, I do love that horse!

I've just seen this post from a blogger friend at Barefoot Horse Blog about hind gut acidosis, I'm amazed that more isn't known about this problem, given the fragility of a horse's digestive system. I'm now treating Anky for this and (touch wood) she seems to be doing better.