TCJpart58 Jubilee Celebrations

BUNTING ANXIETY:

And how to deal with it.

Yes, it's Jubilee fever!!  The country has gotten patriotic without a single thought for those of us who have to ride past all the celebratory decorations!!

it's BUNTING ANXIETY!!

Not since England played in the last World Cup has the UK been adorned with this many Union Jacks (and not all the right way up - did you know there's a right way up?).  And I can tell you now, the horses wont like it at all. 

Of course my own village bunting won't be a spectacular as Oxford Street this morning (above), can you imagine riding your horse through the West End??!! Me either, I'd rather stay indoors with a nice cup of tea and some street party inspired cake - what could be more English country village than that?!!

 

    

 











Flags all flapping about in the wind, garden

gates that until now have been a safe place to ride past are now a minefield of movement and colour.

There are a few things you can do to prepare your horse for this madness, namely buy him some bunting of his own and get him used to it, like we have done in our yard.




This is Henry of course, eyeing up the new bunting, he's always the first to go near something.....


.....and we suspect actually Tom sends him in. Much like they did on StarTrek to see how the new monster worked!!

Then of course the next stage in any horse related encounter like this is the 'acceptance of the mouth'.  By this I mean, if they chew it, they think it's ok. 

When I got to the yard this morning Tuesday 5th June, this is what I found.  And this would be the work of Tom - he chews everything as a sign of his acceptance! so eaten, I guessed the boys were happy about the bunting finally. 





Tonight we will take it down, not just because the Jubilee will be over, but they need to get used to the fact that things change, I'll have to get them something else to eat!!

So, lets assume you're happily riding past a house you've been past for years without a second thought - be prepared - there may be monsters lurking, all in the name of Patriotism!! God Save the Queen.

Grace Tully's House: Tom & Henry would have a fit!!

Your horse has spotted something red, white and blue flapping about in the hedge, or like Grace's house above, the whole house could be alive with scary flag activity: he stops of course, because he's still a horse even though he doesn't mind the neighbours steam engine!! Sit still, relax, take a series of long deep breaths, don't make a fuss, wait if it's safe to do so, until your horse has decided for himself that everything is OK.

 

If he still doesn't like it after a few minutes, and begins shuffling about, get off, stay calm and quiet, and lead him past.  Get between him and the foe, and he should be happy that if the worst comes to the worst, you will get eaten before he does - thus giving him time to run away, but of course he wont need to.

If he still doesn't like it, there's no shame to turn around and go the other way, don't take any risks with yours or his safety, it's just not worth it.

Eat cake, drink tea...relax.....

Stay safe this weekend people!!!!

TCJpart57 it's Fashion Darling

THE 'TOM TOP':
You guessed it....I have famous as well as super-gorgeous horses....

HORSE IMAGERY is so on-trend:  and this is the story of how Tom&Henry are about to become icons of fashion. ..well that was bound to happen wasn't it?

It won't have escaped your notice how horses are appearing on fashion items everywhere from dresses and tops, knitwear and jewellery, and metalware in the shapes of stirrups and bits on handbags too.  High street to designer brands, the imagery of equines is everywhere.

Naturally as a horse owner working in a fashion design studio in London, I was ever so slightly influential to the team around me as to the actual horses that were used for these trends at my place of work, Marks and Spencer...namely Tom & Henry. 

             
                                                              




...well, where else would they find such stunning images of horses?

If you are a regular visitor to my blog you will recognise their images immediately.  

Tom & Henry appear on t’shirts and loop-back tops throughout the season, and I will add photos as they become available in-store.

The first piece to appear was the 'Tom Top', a Spring12 Indigo Collection for M&S.

...you can just about see the old bungalow next door in the background!



...and here he is, the real thing Mr Tom, totally unchanged by his fame, he has decided he just wants to lead a normal life and be treated like a regular horse,  he will sign photos though! ...

When the next top comes out in Autumn12 it will have both of them on it, I wonder if Henry will take being a fashion icon quite so humbly?

Who would have thought owning horses would take such interesting turns?

Tom appears totally unphased by his fame...but I do have to adore him a little more...that's not hard! 

He has breakfast in bed some mornings when he's just too famous to get up, I have to put his bowl under his nose while he eats lying down....

..and finishes it lying down...then I clear away...

...and he's stretching and lying out flat!!!

Those boys!

I have bought these for all my friends and my Mum has one too!!!

Such handsome chaps those horses. xxxx

...it's OK Henry, your T'shirt will be on sale in September xxx

                           ...Henry doesn't care so long as I don't wake him up!

TCJ part56 Be the Lord of your horses' Flies

FLIES & HOW YOU CAN DEAL WITH THEM:

It's that time of year again when we stop worrying about mud fever and start liberal applications of fly repellent!  So, smelling wonderful our horses can have some peace out grazing at dawn and dusk when fies are at their most annoying.

T&H don’t suffer from sweet itch thankfully but my beef with flies exists nonetheless. I can't bear seeing my boys with flies around their eyes or swishing their tails frantically, and even worse stamping their feet on the ground because the flies are so pesky.

EQUIPMENT:

As you know, Tom & Henry have field safe fly fringes: navy blue ones since they don’t come in black to match their manes.... I wonder why not?  To my horror when I was buying a top up supply there seemed only to be pink available...PINK!!! Do I look like a teenage girl!? Seriously all this pink is just nauseating which is ironic since the stuff you drink for nausea is pink!

So I bought the country’s last remaining supply of blue, so my boys would never have to be embarrassed going out in daylight!

The fringes need no head collar, since I prefer my horses naked and safe whenever possible, and the rings linking the pieces together are rubber and break easily so when Henry scratches his head with his back foot, he wont cause himself an injury accidentaly getting caught in it, the fringe will simply come apart.



I don’t trim my boys either, again I prefer them natural, but their forelocks don’t quite reach their eyes yet so I use a fringe for now.

BUT:
I have ordered new NafOff Citronella ‘Tags’, and there are a few ways you can use these.....

You can attach them to your horses bridle whilst you ride, his head collar when he's in the yard.  To the rings of a field safe fly fringe like I intend to try...














...but for my first go, I plaited them into Tom & Henry's manes, and if they work, I'll do them into their tails too.

They should last a couple of months and are completely safe and waterproof - whether they are Henry proof remains to be seen!  Here's how I did it, and the boys didn't seem to mind at all:

Firstly I plaited a small section of mane just behind their ears, but not close enough to get in the way of any headgear.  I stopped the end with a plaiting band, and I didn't plait all the way to the end, that was unnecessary, looped the end of the rubber sling through the body of the plait and threaded it back on itself and over the main part. There's probably lots of different ways you could work it.

They smell really great to!

Tom & Henry with their NafOff Citronella Tags,  they have had them on for almost a week and don't seem to mind wearing them at all.  We have noticed in fact that all the flies, gnats and midges seem to turn around and fly the other way when they get near them - so they work brilliantly. Neither horse have 'busted' them open scratching their heads - and they do love to scratch!

The packet says they last 6-8 week's, so I have bought a top-up supply.

I will of course keep you updated as to their effectiveness once the smell start to wear off, and I'll attach them to the boys' bridles too so I'll update you about using them riding and whether they get in the way or not!

NafOff also do a complimentary Cirtonella fly spray, and just so the aromas are pleasant and matching, I'll be ordering some of that too - Deet for Men with a Lemony scent!

TCJpart55 Weeding

IT'S TIME TO WEED:

While the ground is still damp and the weeds are beginning to take control of their little areas of domain, it's the perfect time to get out there and do some gardening...equine style!

Firstly, it's very important that you recognise the poisonous weeds your horse can gain access to.  Whether it's your land or not, your responsibility is to your horse since no one else will love him as you do.  Don't wait for someone else to take action, do it yourself!!  So, get some advice, read some literature with plenty of photos and get out and start pulling!




Here are a few of the dangers your horse might come in contact with, from gardens, to parks, bridlepaths and countryside, always be on the look-out:  If you suspect your horse has ingested any of these plants, don't take any risk, call your vet immediately for advice!


Never let your horse snatch a bite en-route just incase!

But, as a very general rule: if it's got a yellow flower, chances are it's poisonous!

We live in the countryside so my weeds might be different from yours, remember some of the most innocuous looking plants can be fatal, and it's important to learn which ones you have in your area.  Plants like privet and yew amongst others are lethal for example.


Happily, horses have evolved over millions of years learning not to eat things that will kill them, but on the plains there are very different plants.  Human introduction of alien plants into our island mean we have to be vigilant, because our horse may not recognise the good from the bad.

IMPORTANT EQUIPMENT:

The weeds that could be fatal to horses or make them sick are in all likelihood not that great for us either, so be prepared *(the Brownie moto), and have the right stuff ready. 

Firstly you'll need gloves, I prefer the sort that has rubber palm area, designed I think for wearing whilst painting preserver on your shed and fence - you know the type.  Some plants have irritating leaves, or 'milk' in the stems that can give some people a nasty rash when they're pulled up or snapped.  So wear long sleeves too.

Secondly you'll need a weed puller, this is to be certain all the roots get pulled, not just the leaves you can see.  Ragwort for example, has tiny roots, all capable of producing a new plant even if the tiniest piece of root remains in the ground - so get it all! 

You'll need a bag to put the weeds and roots in, and if like me you're in the fields with your horses, that bag will need to be sealable - just in case you have a horse like Henry who wants to stick his head in everything.

WEEDS I HAVE ON MY LAND THAT MUST DIE: and how to recognise the good from the bad and the ugly.


RAGWORT: It's not ugly, but it's very, very bad and must be properly destroyed wherever you find it.

Get it now whilst it's still at rosette stage.  It's easy to spot, but if I'm unsure I'll pull it anyway since it's still a weed if it doesn't look like grass!  Get the rag fork in right beside the main stem and lift, you're trying to get all the roots out so be gentle. 

Once you have this weed up, you must dispose of it properly since it's an 'injurious' weed and controlled by the Weeds Act: see my blog from September last year about this evil weed.  The only way to be sure, is to burn it.  Don't try to compost it, some parts might remain viable live material.

HEMLOCK: it's bad and ugly and flowers in June, a full month after cowparsley.


Hemlock is an angry looking plant, with huge talon-like darker leaves, it doesn't flower until June, but the flowers are a little similar to cow parsley, and that's the confusing part, because in a countryside hedgerow, you may not be able to see the leaves, and the two plants are never flowering at the same time to compare. But general rule, if it's flowering in May and smells like the countryside in spring, its likely cow parsley, if it flowers in June with an unpleasant odour, it's likely Hemlock. if your at all confused, don't take the chance with your horse - dig it up!

Learn to recognise this and don't get it confused with Cow Parsley.  Buttercups also in this photo are also not good for horses and should be dug up where possible. 

COWPARSLEY: looks like this, is very pretty and has light fern-like leaves..it's good...

Cow Parsley, or as Tom & Henry like to call it: a tasty treat, is fine for horses, and looks 'friendly' and light.  It's leaves are lacy and the flowers smell like spring.  It's flowering now: middle of May.

Hemlock is poisonous to horses and can't be allowed into their grazing area.  More palatable once dry too so when you pull it, take it all away, every last little bit. It smells nasty too, so that's another clue.




BUTTERCUPS:

They grow in damp conditions and although not tasty are also not unpleasant to horses, so they might eat it if there's little else. The odd mouthful is usually OK, but horses who consume more would get very sick. My advice, get rid of it.

HARMLESS WEEDS THAT NEED CONTROLLING, BUT NOT ERADICATED:some plants we call weeds, because we don't want them in our herbaceous borders can actually be beneficial to our horses.


NETTLES: ugly and good.

My Mum swears by nettle to help with her rheumatism, she just plunges her arms into the bush and the tiny hairs that embed in the skin that cause irritation, actually increase blood flow and help relieve the pain.

Nettles should be kept under control since like mint, if you leave it to itself it'll take over.  That said, if you pull nettles in your paddock don't be tempted to throw it all away, leave a few branches  to dry and your horses will enjoy munching them.  They are supposed to have health benefits too.