Recent content by Marigold4

I wouldn't travel that far to see a pony unless I had already seen lots of videos and had been able to ask lots of questions. You can tell a lot from videos and by speaking to the owner. I wouldn't want to travel 4 hrs to see a pony just from photos, turn up and see that it's lame!

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I've only bought from private sellers. I've never looked at one from a dealer. I just feel dealers know all the tricks in the book whereas it's easier to tell what's going on with a horse and whether what they are telling you is true with a private seller.

Thanks. She goes off in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for that feedback. I'll give it a go and have paid a deposit. When she went away for 5 months for weaning her foal, she was in a night. Where she is going is a small, quiet yard of 10 horses with all year turn out. I would say half the horses there are hardly ever ridden and the fields...

I would say some horses choose to be outside in wind, rain and cold. Mine does not. She stands by the gate after 2 hours out if the weather is foul, not at feed time, so pretty confident it's not about routine, more about weather. Where she is going, she'll be in out of the flies during the day...

In the end, I think my mare needs to be stabled at night in winter so I don't think a 24/7 field livery will work. I can't bear the thought of her being out in all weathers. She's always the first to stand by the gate to come in in bad weather. I'm looking at options where she can at least have...

Thanks, that's encouraging to know. I think I should give it a go. I've got an appointment to see somewhere that sounds suitable next Saturday. It's further away than I wanted though. I think her anxiousness is down to the fact that she's busy "helicopter parenting" her two offspring even though...

Thanks. Yes, I think I will try it out, if only I can find somewhere! I do worry about her - and about my safety when she's galloping around - and about the effect she has on my other two making them anxious over nothing. I think it would have to be retirement livery rather than as a companion...

She's retired.

Good point. I live in that area.

As per the title. Any recommendations gladly received. Ideally with access to a barn or stable in winter. I have contacted one called Rockstead in New Forest, but that's the only one I have found so far.

I have a 16 year old mare who is causing some bother in the field. She is turned out with two others. I've written about her weird behaviour before - spooking at nothing and then galloping round like a racehorse, taking the others with her, standing and staring in an anxious way in a particular...

I used both a Solution saddle and then a Torsion until I could find a treed saddle for my young horse who was very difficult to fit. The Solution gave him a sore back, the Torsion one didn't. The Torsion one put me in an armchair seat but it was better than not riding so I went with it. Finally...

I think I've struck lucky! I looked up which were the most frequent dietary allergens, eliminated alfalfa from her feed and, hey presto, hives have gone! Maybe a coincidence, I guess, but I'm hopeful.