Recent content by Caol Ila

Sensible words, as always, guys. I think when you read lots of barefoot stuff, you get this idea in your head that if it's not 'rock crunching,' literally, you have not achieved the barefoot holy grail. You see mustangs running over all sorts of mad terrain, but I guess they grow up doing that...

Both my horses are barefoot behind and booted up front for hacks, which has worked fine for Fin, but now that Hermosa has graduated to 2+ hour rides, she's giving me the impression that she would like boots behind as well. Just for the long ones. Still feels fine on sub-two hour rides. I sort of...

Thinking of you and Bog and hoping you get clarity. I'll be at the other end of my phone all day, though I don't always get a reliable signal when at the barn.

The park has done a good job of putting up little signs everywhere saying they're multi-use trails and to look out for horses, bikes, dog walkers, kids, etc. I've seen fewer out of control dogs since they did that. Yesterday, Hermosa and I were in the park circa 7pm, along with all the 'melts'...

Dugs of Mugdock: Today's winner goes to the owner of a black labrador. I joined a trail at a t-junction to see the off-lead lab and its owner going one way, and an on-lead dauschund and its owner going the other way. The lab charged up to the dauschund, which was clearly quite reactive and...

Gosh, I wish I could face getting rid of the shight that doesn’t fit either of my horses but I’m hoarding because I can.

Depends on the day and horse. Fin won't hack alone. Nae danger. So he always goes out with mates. Hermosa hacks alone. I like swapping her between solo hacks and accompanied hacks, just for the training/experience of it all. Some weeks, I'm out by myself every day. Some weeks, I can't get away...

Lots of people hack at the yard. Finding friends isn’t hard. Plus Hermosa can be lead horse.

I’m not that much of a control freak. I just need someone who rides with a light hand and won’t be scared/can handle a bit of spookiness without getting stressed/upset themselves. Gypsum had a sharer for years because she was at a yard far away and I didn’t want to drive there every day. She...

Hermosa does but Fin doesn’t .But I can’t increase turnout at the moment. I guess that’s one of the issues. As per yard rules they can only be out from 9-3. Earlier in the winter I made my life easier because they were allowed to stay out until 6. I rode Fin 3-4x per week and left him out as...

I know there are people out there who are experienced riders/owners but who don't have their own rideable horse now, for whatever reason. Just need to find one of those. The main aim of a share, I suppose, would be to give Fin is own person a couple times per week, and take the pressure off...

As some of you may be aware, I keep toying with the idea of a sharer for Fin, then running away from the idea. It's back in my heid now because a very tricky, complicated horse at my yard found himself a good sharer, and I'm thinking, "If he can find one, why not Fin?" The pros: *Keeping two...

Hang in there. Hopefully, it's just a blip. All horses have them -- sometimes it's nothing, sometimes not. Moving and routine changes can definitely set off ulcers, so with Ockham's Razor and all, that's highly likely. When Hermosa moved in next door to Fin's stable, there was definitely some...

I hand-walked Hermosa alone (and in company) for two years. Her first ridden hacks were with OH as a foot soldier. No other horses. I rode out myself as soon as I felt I safely could. Wanted to make it as normal as possible so she didn't get ideas in her head (like my other horse) that she...

I'm another one who just stoats along through the forum, oblivious to all the faff that goes on in PMs.