Recent content by mariew

I have never had access to hot water on a yard. Do you have to wash or can you get away with a decent groom and cold tail wash?

I thought about this the other day and actually I'd take this rain over the searing summer heat you are now starting to get in Southern Europe. Pest and cholera but I'd way rather have to put clothes on and grumble. I'm have no idea how you keep a horse in 40 degrees. All fields would need...

Well the weather turned nasty about 16.45 and now it's almost sleeting

Unruly dogs, tractors, quads, trailers rattling past.

Riding school ones, yes, they did 3-5 hours / day but the private ones generally only one hour or so of work. And not great turnout in winter. Not many of them were nuts or fizzed up, but I guess they got worked most days.

Does anyone still feed straight oats? In my youth I was at a stables of 100 horses, about half and half private and riding school. 95 % for fed hay and straight oats. Half rations for ponies and vitamins. They were all pretty good looking to be honest

When I bought mine breeder refused flexion tests as she has had horses go lame from them before so I was ok with that

Interesting observation this weekend on my horse who is late starting and have had some groundwork done. She showed at the weekend she really wasn't comfortable with nose pressure (lunge line on each side of a Cavesson). When clipped back onto but she was way happier but plays with the bit like...

What about training her to a neck strap/rope? For emergency stops or a please listen? If head collar fits and works normally

One thing to take advantage of is if possible get a load of ibcs and collect rainwater. Saves on water bills :)

Money no object, if love a track and big enough barn the horses don't feel like they can't escape. I guess turnout paddock with hardcore and sand is an option but maybe individual with scratches over fence? We have 4 that would kick the crp out of eachother if area wasn't big enough. At minimum...

Lots of people are struggling at the moment so you may well find a share to hack out form the cost of shoes. Especially if you can help with chores and be relatively reliable

The 4 horses up the yard you can't catch in the summer when out 24/7 at the moment give us puppy eyes after 30 minutes out to come back in. All blimmin 4 of them line up in order 😂

Honestly, I would probably give up and either retire or PTS. It doesn't sound like a horse that will be particularly comfortable long term, or even now. Mine had neck arthritis and loved to gallop, she wasn't treatable so I retired her at 11. I could never trust her front leg not to give way...

That's hilarious, it's just happened on our yard tonight. Pony is very pleased with her clever manoeuvre of opening a half closed lid lol.x