Recent content by blackandwhite

My pony has returned a positive strangles screening after testing before going on loan. I informed yo straight away and she informed other liveries. No animal shows any signs of infection, we suspect pony is a carrier. However, yo has implemented the most lax bio-security (there is none at all...

The girl who rides my horse for me is unexpectedly pregnant. I have three options: 1) bring horse back to my others and he does nothing in the hope that jockey will pick up again after baby arrives (I'm a mother of 3 so I know this is not likely), 2) sell him, 3) explore the possibility of...

Doing my lot this morning alongside other livery who owns one horse. Lovely people, novice owners but keen to learn and really great livery mates. I'm doing mine and I notice other livery is seeing to 4 which belong to another livery. Got me thinking, how on earth can a livery business survive...

We all know that this time of year can owning horses a miserable wet and muddy chore. I'm sure that you don't for a second mean it but is it possible that your horse has become just another wet and muddy job to do for this other woman? Maybe your comment was just the straw that broke the...

I fill my own nets anyway, they just put them in so there'd be no extra work. I haven't said about not asking for a livery reduction, I'll give that a go and if she still says no I think we'll have to leave.

I totally understand the storage issue and, like a few of you, she's bought in her haylage for the winter. We're part livery (everything but mucking out) and the haylage is included in the cost. I'm happy to buy it myself, I won't even ask for a livery reduction, I've got my own storage area I...

I own a horrible horse (hw cob completely spolit by his previous owner and Parellied to death. Please no helpful rope based suggestions!). We've taken a long time making him less horrible and in doing so have found out that he is better if not fed cereal grains, alfalfa or haylage. Still rude...

I used to use pellets but it was ridiculous the amount we needed to maintain a decent bed. I don't know if this would be an option where you are but we now buy "sawdust" which is ground wood (basically the raw ingredient of pellets and what they break down into) by the tonne bag. It's a million...

I have a friend who got a rescue vizla from Hungary. It's just gone back after causing them all sorts of problems. I won't judge them but imo it would have been better put to sleep and the whole thing sounded odd. The charity it came from clearly lied about its age and history and tbh why they...

I agree with GG2B, maybe let him grow in to himself a bit first but I reckon you might have a lovely hogged cob there (if he doesn't do too much more growing). Mine looked very like that at 4, he's twice as wide now!

The most horrible injury I have ever seen came from a block wall coming down. It's not worth cutting corners, you'd never forgive yourself if anyone or any horse was hurt.

Ooh I can feel my clippers itching to get at those legs! How tall is he just now?

I got rope burn on my fingers the other day, if your nethers are as sore as my fingers you have my deepest sympathy!!

I think Spring Feather has it spot on, a novice on a yard with lots of experienced help at hand is one thing and a novice on a yard with little or no help quite another. The yard in question is run by a rather disinterested very young woman and has a handful of liveries besides me, there's no...

Went to my ponies this morning and had a passing chat with Dad of lovely family who are very much novice owners (thankfully they're under no illusion they're anything but novice). On my way out to my guys and out the corner of my eye see Dad trying to take Horse out. Horse does not want to go...