Through Billies Eyes

I didn't do anything with the horses yesterday, still recovering from my exertions the day before! :-)

Today we rode out, just for 30 minutes up the lane round the fishing lake and back again. Anky came in looking perky, ate her breakfast and did a semi-solid poo! (Believe me, poo watching has become a way of life recently).
There was very little energy in the walk, but she felt very relaxed and was stretching down to my hand, so I'll take that as a positive.

We've changed her over to Luzerne (alfalfa) nuts instead of the Alfa A as there is no molasses in the luzerne nuts. She's now having corn oil in every feed and we've ordered some psyllium. She's had the last full syringe ( 1 per day for 28 days) of her Gastrogard today, she'll now have half a syringe per day for another 14 days. I'm really hoping she doesn't revert to having the discomfort she had before once the dosage is reduced.

I took Remy up to the school, it was a good exercise as we had tractors and trailers (harvesting the corn) coming and going along the lane all the time we were up there.
He got a little worried at one point and jumped away on the lunge line, he didn't try to get away though and soon calmed. I led him around for a couple of minutes to reassure him and then we did a little walk work up and down the long side. He's starting to respond very nicely to the walk on signal and I can walk at the side of him rather than leading from the front. I say I can walk, but when he really walks out I have a job to keep up with him.

This is something a friend of mine wrote today, she's going through a bad time at the moment. I wish I could help her.

Through Billies Eyes.

I remember a different place, before we came here.

We all had our own rooms, we didn't stay in them much though we spent our time running through the fields, playing, or just grazing and sleeping. Whatever we wanted to do.
Sometimes we would get excited, we just knew something was going to happen, different to other days, we could smell it, we could feel it, we would watch her approaching, we always did, but these days were special. She would come and greet us in turn, I always speak to her, she understands what I say, its funny she doesn't make a sound back but I know what she is thinking.
When she walks away I follow her, we all follow. We don't know where she is going but we trust her, its always somewhere good. We walk across the now short stubby fields that only a short time before had been lush and green. Now and then she stops and listens and looks around, we understand and wait behind, wait for her to move again, onwards we follow, she disappears between the trees and bushes, we can't see what is on the other side, we are anxious, then she is back again and we are happy to follow, through the trees and out the other side, and there before us is another magical place, a green expanse where the breeze is cool and we can see for miles around, we are still not sure and wait patiently for the signal, as she steps aside and lowers her head we know we are in a safe place , we run as fast as we can, leaping and racing each other as far as we can go and then race back again where she is waiting, we roll in the long grass which feels wonderful on our backs, we are happy and relaxed because she is watching for us.

It is not the same here, there are no magical places, we still follow her on the special days but we can see where she is taking us, we can still run and roll and eat, but is not the same. It is hot and we don't stay long, we prefer to stand back in the big room, we all stand together helping to keep the flies away. Sometimes she sits with us, quietly in the corner, she makes a strange noise and there is rain on her face, but it is not raining outside. I have heard this noise before on the day I couldn't find my friend. I saw him when we were all together in the field, but then he started running around and I tried to follow him and he kept rolling in the grass but he wasn't happy. We were taken back to our rooms, he didn't come, I could hear him but I couldn't see him. When she came for me and took me to where we were, I could see him but couldn't hear him anymore. There were others there, they all stood making noises I couldn't understand and they had rain on their faces but it wasn't raining on me.
I stood with them and whickered low, but he didn't answer me, so I turned to her and she nuzzled me it made me feel better, so when she sits in the corner with rain on her face I nuzzle her, it makes her feel better.