the watcher
Well-Known Member
So, the horses were out for a full day yesterday for the first time in quite a while, and anybody who remembers my posts from the autumn will recall that they can be quite a handful at putting to bed time.
I got the yard at 4.30 yesterday afternoon and started up the track to the paddocks to get the first two in - they were wet and hungry and looking quite grumpy. I have to get the gelding first because if I leave him behind he will jump out, but the mare (friends horse, she is away this week) was seeing him off from the gate. so back down tot he yard to get a bucket of chaff to distract her and back up to the paddocks. Opened gate to paddock to get gelding while mare ate, before I got the headcollar on him she had heard the gate and was charging at us, so gelding slipped out of the gate and I slammed it shut. Spent next 5 minutes catching gelding who was bowling up and down the track looking very pleased with himself.
Walk down to stables, shut in gelding and back up the track to field. Catch grumpy mare who by this time is fired up (did I mention these two are both over 16hh) and walk her down to the stable yard, with her snapping at my arm like a crocodile and dancing. Put mare in stable.
Walk back up to field with two more buckets of chaff to catch the two native mares who have seen all the fun and games and are bouncing in their paddock. Let both nibble chaff while slipping headcollar on one to lead her out, get halfway through gate and we are charged by the other, who squeezes through gate knocking pony (and me) and rips the side out of her rug. Now have bouncing 475kg of highland pony on the end of a rope, and wild dales mare galloping about. down to the next gate where a repeat gate bursting performance looked likely. At this point I lost the plot completely, snarled at the Dales and told her the glue man was coming - that did the trick and eventually the two mares were bedded down.
Went home exhausted, bruised, covered in mud from head to foot and trying to see the point of it all.
Well done if you have got this far
I got the yard at 4.30 yesterday afternoon and started up the track to the paddocks to get the first two in - they were wet and hungry and looking quite grumpy. I have to get the gelding first because if I leave him behind he will jump out, but the mare (friends horse, she is away this week) was seeing him off from the gate. so back down tot he yard to get a bucket of chaff to distract her and back up to the paddocks. Opened gate to paddock to get gelding while mare ate, before I got the headcollar on him she had heard the gate and was charging at us, so gelding slipped out of the gate and I slammed it shut. Spent next 5 minutes catching gelding who was bowling up and down the track looking very pleased with himself.
Walk down to stables, shut in gelding and back up the track to field. Catch grumpy mare who by this time is fired up (did I mention these two are both over 16hh) and walk her down to the stable yard, with her snapping at my arm like a crocodile and dancing. Put mare in stable.
Walk back up to field with two more buckets of chaff to catch the two native mares who have seen all the fun and games and are bouncing in their paddock. Let both nibble chaff while slipping headcollar on one to lead her out, get halfway through gate and we are charged by the other, who squeezes through gate knocking pony (and me) and rips the side out of her rug. Now have bouncing 475kg of highland pony on the end of a rope, and wild dales mare galloping about. down to the next gate where a repeat gate bursting performance looked likely. At this point I lost the plot completely, snarled at the Dales and told her the glue man was coming - that did the trick and eventually the two mares were bedded down.
Went home exhausted, bruised, covered in mud from head to foot and trying to see the point of it all.
Well done if you have got this far
