doncha just love winter
well we were supposed to have a dressage competition this Saturday.
I was getting increasingly cold feet (literally !) as the week went on. Not only had madam only been ridden once in the last three weeks (when I fell off), but the weather has continued to be horrendous - more snow, more high winds, more rain...
In the end Saturday dawned with a hard frost and I was trying to convince myself that I was NOT being a wimp if I backed out - when the phone rang to say the event was cancelled as their arena resembled an ice rink.
They are rescheduling for next week, but I still haven't got out with Fi so I am in two minds about whether going is clear sign of insanity.
The weather has stirred up the others as well. Red took Rosie on a walkabout into the neighbouring wheat field (well the gate was open - so clearly he was meant to do it !). The day after the weather was so bad that the 3 bigger horses did not get let out on the longer grass. Red registered his disapproval of this move by letting himself out when they went to fetch them all in - and leading them a merry dance before consenting to come in for his dinner.
Fi's weight seems to have levelled again, but we still need to keep an eye on the boys. The boys are still itchy despite being treated with a pour-on treatment last week. (We couldn't see any livestock but figured it was worth doing anyway to eliminate that as a cause).
Fi is going to need to be shod soon, and our farrier is away in Gambia for another week or so. The normal alternative is already up to his ears in customers. I checked the register of farriers - according to the farrier register, there are over 600 horses for every registered farrier in our county ! (The paper does suggest the stats for horse population may be over-stated - but still quite worrying).
I was getting increasingly cold feet (literally !) as the week went on. Not only had madam only been ridden once in the last three weeks (when I fell off), but the weather has continued to be horrendous - more snow, more high winds, more rain...
In the end Saturday dawned with a hard frost and I was trying to convince myself that I was NOT being a wimp if I backed out - when the phone rang to say the event was cancelled as their arena resembled an ice rink.
They are rescheduling for next week, but I still haven't got out with Fi so I am in two minds about whether going is clear sign of insanity.
The weather has stirred up the others as well. Red took Rosie on a walkabout into the neighbouring wheat field (well the gate was open - so clearly he was meant to do it !). The day after the weather was so bad that the 3 bigger horses did not get let out on the longer grass. Red registered his disapproval of this move by letting himself out when they went to fetch them all in - and leading them a merry dance before consenting to come in for his dinner.
Fi's weight seems to have levelled again, but we still need to keep an eye on the boys. The boys are still itchy despite being treated with a pour-on treatment last week. (We couldn't see any livestock but figured it was worth doing anyway to eliminate that as a cause).
Fi is going to need to be shod soon, and our farrier is away in Gambia for another week or so. The normal alternative is already up to his ears in customers. I checked the register of farriers - according to the farrier register, there are over 600 horses for every registered farrier in our county ! (The paper does suggest the stats for horse population may be over-stated - but still quite worrying).
posted by seahorse | 1:54 PM
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