Recent content by Abacus

My 16-day forecast show rain and a bit of snow until the 17th, and then cold and bright. Too far out to be very reliable but it's a faint glimmer of hope.

Seems to have been flooded in the last day or so with positive reviews, many of them anonymous. I’m not saying there are no happy customers but I smell a rat.

As a YO storage and having to buy enough hay in advance is incredibly difficult. My winter hay is probably £12k, so although I buy in batches (storage currently limited) I still might have £3k of hay waiting to be sold on to the liveries at any point. Adding to which putting up a new storage...

I realise it’s probably not your choice but I’m surprised by leaving feeds out open waiting for later, especially the ones that leave them outside the stables. At mine, made up feeds in bowls are kept in the feed bins until they are all fed, they are taken out of the bins and given straight to...

Perhaps consider using it to your advantage as much as possible - hills are generally good for fitness, strength building and rehab, if taken on carefully. If he struggles with canter up or down the slope then use it for walk and trot, with a canter along the long side and back to trot or walk...

Just saw this on Facebook. Surprisingly cheap for those looking for a solution for late night or midday feeding - if it works! Can imagine a few spooks when it drops out suddenly for the first time...

I have completed it and thought it was a good survey in that it gave specific scenarios to consider, rather than asking for personal experience (although it did that too). This really helps in establishing how different people would react in a given situation and takes out all the nuance of real...

I have always found it best to steer away from gossip and hearsay. She said one thing, they have said another. Until and unless she involves you in drama, I would try to walk a line of being friendly to everyone. Sometimes it is easier said than done. If you can hack safely with her, then do...

Unfortunately it provably isn't at a point where a welfare organisation would intervene, as they tend to focus on the basic needs of the animal, which presumably are being met. IME an instructor is often more instrumental in effecting change by pointing out unsoundness or poor saddle fit, or...

With my hopeless sense of direction, I would appreciate being lent a map of the suggested routes with rough timings, perhaps you could laminate them so that they last. As others have said, biosecurity - if you have multiple groups staying it would be good to paddock/stable their horses...

Of course everyone should be informed, ideally in a kind calm manner, it's generally not the owner's fault if a horse behaves in this way although it is their responsibility to make sure people know if it's typical behaviour, and that measures are put in place to protect others. Generally I...

I'm no expert but maybe some strengthening exercises (focussed on back and shoulders) would help long term? Personally I would look at how to be stronger, with a short term fix of different equipment.

In very much my own opinion, the more managed horses are, the more they seem to come to harm. You don't describe the ways in which hers are 'very managed' (but also quite naturally) so I might be barking up the wrong tree here. I think there is much to be said for horses living in groups (for...

Pouring here as well, and looks the same all week. The fields are muddy by the gateways but still have some clear patches, not that they tend to stand in them, why? No point moving them, new fields would be the same in a day. We have 2 Egyptian geese who have moved into the lake in the bottom...

I remember being at work probably 20 years ago and it was the only forecast showing snow. Everyone laughed at me when I said it was going to snow at 3pm. It started exactly at 3. By 6pm we were all stuck in our cars on a hill (I escaped by driving over a roundabout, thank you little Land Rover)...