Flibble
Well-Known Member
So here I sit 1 week on from owning Drifter how has it been.
We picked him up last Saturday and by Sunday/Monday I was in a flat panic. What had I done ? Why the hell had I bought a 5yo ISH gangling giant of a horse when I was looking for a compact schoolmaster.
Honest and Straightforward was on the Advert.
His vetting found a few clinical problems the most significant being early indications of possible sarcoids high up on his inner thigh they are just skin marks that you need a torch and a magnifying glass to see. (dont respond about sarcoids as I have found that some of you are armchair vets).
24 hours after he arrived he started chewing the wood in his stable. I spent a few sleepless nights over thsi feeling guilty in case I had depressed him and it was not obvious when I tried him (saw his stable) so I went down the route of young horse too many changes to cope with.
He is on NAF pink powders for a month. He has his hay on the floor with additional small nets hung up with goodies buried in them Carrots and treats. He has a herbal salt lick and I have put gel on all the chewed wood. Touch wood (ooh thats Ironic) he has stopped. He is also on liquid Echinacea and Garlic Granules as well as his nuts.
Due to a one Day event and flooded fields he isnt getting as much turnout as anticipated so I take him out on a lunge line to tuck in wherever I can find some good grass.
I have lunged and ridden every day since Sunday going from 30 mins quiet lungeing and 10 mins ridden to 5 minutes lungeing and 35 mins ridden mostly doing the lungeing to check he hasnt turned into a lunatic overnight especially today as he had his rest day yesteday.
My evening visits I groom and fuss and fiddle with him a lot and I am slowly introducing him to every spooky thing I can find.
Today we stood and watched a big tractor come towards us with Big Bale Haylage flapping black plastic held high above his head and then 3 point turn near him to put it ready for weekend yards. No obvious reaction apart from ooh look its a tractor. Gully who I always regard as a saint would have sat on my lap!!
Each day I have introduced him to a new Livery boy as he will be turned out with the boys. Most of his time with them has been spent Cross Grooming nose to tail.
And how is he ... well fingers crossed he is an absolutly stonkingly kind gentle babe. Nothing has yet spooked him he has had no tantrums and he has a lot to put up with as my head spent a lot of time remembering being broncd off and bolted with by Gully when he was on walking work.
So after week 1 I would say he is 'probably' going to be the nicest horse I have ever owned. Time will tell.
No more piccies yet as I keep forgetting the blasted camera.
We picked him up last Saturday and by Sunday/Monday I was in a flat panic. What had I done ? Why the hell had I bought a 5yo ISH gangling giant of a horse when I was looking for a compact schoolmaster.
Honest and Straightforward was on the Advert.
His vetting found a few clinical problems the most significant being early indications of possible sarcoids high up on his inner thigh they are just skin marks that you need a torch and a magnifying glass to see. (dont respond about sarcoids as I have found that some of you are armchair vets).
24 hours after he arrived he started chewing the wood in his stable. I spent a few sleepless nights over thsi feeling guilty in case I had depressed him and it was not obvious when I tried him (saw his stable) so I went down the route of young horse too many changes to cope with.
He is on NAF pink powders for a month. He has his hay on the floor with additional small nets hung up with goodies buried in them Carrots and treats. He has a herbal salt lick and I have put gel on all the chewed wood. Touch wood (ooh thats Ironic) he has stopped. He is also on liquid Echinacea and Garlic Granules as well as his nuts.
Due to a one Day event and flooded fields he isnt getting as much turnout as anticipated so I take him out on a lunge line to tuck in wherever I can find some good grass.
I have lunged and ridden every day since Sunday going from 30 mins quiet lungeing and 10 mins ridden to 5 minutes lungeing and 35 mins ridden mostly doing the lungeing to check he hasnt turned into a lunatic overnight especially today as he had his rest day yesteday.
My evening visits I groom and fuss and fiddle with him a lot and I am slowly introducing him to every spooky thing I can find.
Today we stood and watched a big tractor come towards us with Big Bale Haylage flapping black plastic held high above his head and then 3 point turn near him to put it ready for weekend yards. No obvious reaction apart from ooh look its a tractor. Gully who I always regard as a saint would have sat on my lap!!
Each day I have introduced him to a new Livery boy as he will be turned out with the boys. Most of his time with them has been spent Cross Grooming nose to tail.
And how is he ... well fingers crossed he is an absolutly stonkingly kind gentle babe. Nothing has yet spooked him he has had no tantrums and he has a lot to put up with as my head spent a lot of time remembering being broncd off and bolted with by Gully when he was on walking work.
So after week 1 I would say he is 'probably' going to be the nicest horse I have ever owned. Time will tell.
No more piccies yet as I keep forgetting the blasted camera.
