Just help!

[Peglo]

I’m so sorry for your loss but what a last gift he gave you to take the decision away from you and give you time for a last hug.

Definitely don’t make any decisions right now and if you’re struggling to think positively about Standie then I would try and give yourself some space from him right now. Do your chores and general care but don’t force yourself to do anything more if you’re not feeling it. It won’t benefit either of you to try to ride if you’re feeling negative about spending time with him right now. Give yourself time to be sad.

 

[Caol Ila]

So sorry about your cob.

One unridden thing to do with Standie, while you consider your options, is play about with getting him to be okay with stuff flapping around his pasterns. Useful if he is being ridden in hoof boots because they sometimes do that. Some horses get really upset by this. I knew someone who had a nasty fall because a Renegade Viper half-detached, and when the strap ended up around her horse's pastern, he completely lost his sh1t.

When my horse was a baby, she was quite scared of having stuff around her legs, so I faffed about with flags and old lead ropes and whatever until she didn't care anymore. The odd time a hoof boot malfunctions like that, she stops and stands there with her foot in the air. "Mum, fix it...."

I did a lot of stuff like this. She obviously doesn't give a damn now but there was a time when we had to work on it quite diligently.

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