it must be winter, the horses are in

since my last update - Dudley's lameness eventually transpired into an abcess in a back foot, though we believe there might also have been a touch of not-quite-laminitis in the front feet. I had started groundwork with him when he was briefly lame again (we suspect a bruise). I've just started him back again (last week).

Fi has (touch wood) stayed much better in terms of movement and soundess than she has for a long while. She has also stayed on both the joint supplement and oestress. The oestress seems to result in her being a lot more chilled - even in quite windy days she has been quite calm and almost sensible !

Rosie has been out for a few hacks with C, a young girl who shares one of my sister's ponies. We wll went out together around the stubble fields with me on one of the highlands (that C rode down) and C on Rosie. It all helps with getting fitter. In theory I have two walk and trot tests this Saturday but the forecast is high winds and rain... so we'll see !

And because of the weather - real this time rather than forecast - the horses came in tonight. Apparently they thought it was quite a good idea, having had to mooch around in wind and rain all day. It does mean that people, horses and dogs all need to remember the winter routine - and we are one less this winter so it is not quite the same - but we all seem to slip in to new routine quite quickly.