Wow! That was one loooong winter!

[Mrs B]

Finally this evening, left M out for the night ... Yay!

Don't get me wrong: I love looking after them and am now into my 5th decade of mucking out, but I have to say the prospect of no poop to scoop in the morning is rather nice!

No wrinkled noses in the shop queue when I get my newspaper either

I hope you all have a lovely summer with your horses - what are all your plans?

 

[Firewell]

Its funny you should post this. I have just been looking through old photos and I have pictures of my horse at the end of March 2011 in his summer coat and super shiney and blooming! I have pictures of him today just loosing his coat now and a little lean. I can't believe the difference. It has been one hard, long winter.

 

[castella]

I totally agree, I managed to ride in the field yesterday as the ground was perfect, it was lovely cantering round in the sunshine and has been far too long coming !

I'm pleased I managed to tough it out over winter and kept the pony ticking over hacking out at weekends that we can now get cracking doing some competing for the first time.

 

[Clava]

The buds on the trees were finally bursting today It has been a very long winter, I held on for March thinking it would be Spring soon and 6 weeks later it is finally here

 

[Brimmers]

Ours are STILL in at night due to the heavy week of rain we had last week. This sunshine should be drying it up mighty quick though!

It better be a good bloody summer thats all I can say...

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

No wrinkled noses in the shop queue when I get my newspaper either

Hehe, that did make me laugh, wrinkled noses

I hope you all have a lovely summer with your horses - what are all your plans?

Well plans for this summer are to just be happily hacking, I am not into showing or competing or anything like that, never have been. Nell is rising 4 and we are just hacking out in the last 2months, did have our first small trot last weekend mind, but I just want to hack out in the beautiful peaceful countryside this summer
Its wonderful to see and hear the bids chatting and my flowers coming up, and I have seen the bees and butterflies out today too, lovely stuff

 

[Mrs B]

Its wonderful to see and hear the bids chatting and my flowers coming up, and I have seen the bees and butterflies out today too, lovely stuff

'Tis, isn't it? I saw a Brimstone butterfly the other day - bright gold! I like the superstition that the more colourful the first butterfly you see, the happier your summer will be ...

And it's been such a relief to hear the bees back in the garden today - couldn't think how they had survived for so long, but the air was full of "Bbbbbzzzzzzz" as they bumbled between all the (very) late spring flowers

 

[LeneHorse]

swallows (or maybe they are housemartins) arrived back at the yard today

 

[Hairy Old Cob]

No Swallows here yet, and with no real summer last year I think with the late winter Blast it has made it the longest most miserable mother of a Winter I have ever known.

 

[Nickijem]

So lovely to actually feel some warmth in the sunshine at last. It has certainly been the longest winter I can remember. It was 7 months ago when the gritters first went out - that gives some idea about how long it has been. Coupled with the fact that my horse had a recurring abscess over the winter meaning very early mornings to tub and poultice his foot it has been particularly hard going. BUT today the birds were singing and we have the whole summer to look forward to.
Hopefully we will get to a few little dressage competitions this year and lots of lovely hacks!

 

[Aarrghimpossiblepony]

I heard a cuckoo today, thought I heard him four days ago but it was so windy I wasn't sure. This evening it sounds like he has set up shop near my field. Probably drive me nuts in a week or two.
Haven't seen any butterflies yet though.

And the most beautiful sunset.

 

[ridefast]

I was actually getting too hot on my horse today after months of being freezing or soaking

 

[Elsbells]

I heard a woodpecker in our lane last week. It's been a while.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Our first swallow arrived on sunday on the yard and when I was down yesterday I noticed quite a few more swooping in and out of the barns

 

[mcnaughty]

I saw a caterpillar yesterday! Yes, it has been hard - makes me laugh everyone at work moaning about the weather - they should try getting out in it every morning and evening rather than having a winge from the other side of a pane of glass!

Loads of showing planned for this summer - in fact we have our first show of the year planned for Sunday so rather nervious - first time doing both LR and cob classes so quick change needs to be perfected!

 

[LeneHorse]

Another sighting for the 'springwatch' thread!
This morning at 7am I saw a large flock (?) of geese flying north. They were flying in V formation so definitely geese not random seagulls

 

[TrasaM]

The grass snakes have appeared in force at a friend's place. Not been to see them yet

PS mrsB...the sun is cracking the rocks in Loughborough

 

[Faithkat]

Mine's out all the time and I've been moving her round. I sectioned off the fields with electric fencing and as she churns up one bit so she gets moved to another so she can churn that one up! However, I wouldn't be getting too excited about the use of the past tense in the post heading . . . . . it was below freezing here last night and similar forecasts well into next week so although it might be sunny and almost attaining double plus figures during the day, I wouldn't really say winter is over just yet . . . . . "ne'er cast a clout" and all that. Interestingly though, I had frog spawn in the "lakes" in the field before the end of January which is the earliest I've ever seen it in the 10 years I've had the field.

 

[Mrs B]

The grass snakes have appeared in force at a friend's place. Not been to see them yet

PS mrsB...the sun is cracking the rocks in Loughborough

Ah Lufbra ...Say hello to it for me TrasaM!

 

[Clodagh]

It being that narrow window of opportunity when the grass tracks are dried out enough to ride on but not too hard to canter we have just had a blast! Two long steady canters then a full on gallop up the last half mile...woo hoo! Nothing like it.
And I love the idea of the brighter the butterfly the better the summer, I saw a brimstone too.
Not so good springwatch a mink had my broody hen off her nest yesterday. But the minkhounds are meeting here today! (They were anyway, we diodn't do an emergency call out). Of course they don't hunt the mink but if they scent one we can mark it.