TCJpart 42 Boosters and Teeth Check

THE ANNUAL VISIT:
...when the vet comes...

Tom and Henry have just had their annual appointment by the vet to give them their booster injections and check their teeth. I always feel anxiety when the vet comes, I get that squirrely feeling in my tummy,  just in case something happens...they get scared during the process and clock me or the vet with the heavy gag they have to wear, or Henry has a reaction to the sedative again and get colicky, fidgety and sweaty. Or Tom takes exception to a stranger in his stable.  Like most horse keepers...if there's something to worry about, we will.

I don't ride after the vet has been, I worry their mouths may be uncomfortable or the sedative hasn't cleared their system.  I take extra care with them.

The boys were brilliant, they always are.  When the vet arrived the horses were out in the field munching the grass.  I shook the treat pot and called them, they came cantering in.  It always amuses me when they behave in a normal way (normal for Tom & Henry), and if the visitor has never met Tom & Henry before, they can't hide their surprise at how my boys behave...perfection, they want to please, they want to do the right thing. 

They  make me very proud, and every visitor is always happy to go the extra mile if needed because Tom & Henry are relaxed and happy, they have impeccable manners and only fidget out of fear.  They stand still for prodding and injections, they don't barge or push. they don't make anyone nervous. 

Henry with the gag on.

Henry has to have a Shetland-pony sized dose of sedative because of a previous negative reaction to the injection.  They have sedative because a single vet scared them both in their second year with me, but I will ween them off gradually, needless to say I have banned this vet from ever coming near my boys again.  I vet the vets.  They are good boys, but with the gag on it can be dangerous if they get frightened and panic, those things weigh a tonne.

Coming round from the dose you have to be careful they don't trap their windpipe falling asleep with their heads over the stable door. Their heads are very heavy and horses can and do feint if their windpipe is restricted. It's never happened here, but the vet tells me it's not good. So we take a horse each me and John and lift their heads onto our shoulders so their necks are clear of the door, listening to them snore and being so close to those big creatures is quite humbling. Half awake we open the doors. You have to make sure they don't try to eat until they are fully awake in case they choke, but the whole thing only takes about an hour.

Passports all signed and stamped boosters and dentistry done for another year. Phew!!!

We always say to the vet, we hope we don't see you for another year!!

Boys went back out after waking up, like nothing had ever happened.

TCJp41 Special Edition

STAR QUALITY:
Tom & Henry have personalities to be proud of, they amaze everyone they meet and are so great to be around xxxx

Posing for the camera is something you wouldn't expect horses to do.  Mine do.  Especially Tom, when he sees that lens he strikes a pose.  I have lots of part-face shots of them too where they up very come close to the camera.

Here are some of my favourites: gorgeous pictures taken by both of us, some funny, some stunning and some that simply sum-up that horse in a way that's difficult in words alone.



 

Taking photos of Tom & Henry isn't just fun, but it's an excellent way to remember every amazing stage in having them here. 

They are the most amazing creatures I have ever met.

TCJp40 New Friends

NEW FRIENDS:
how to make friends and influence people...

Today I rode with Jenny, but instead of Tom & Henry's pin-up pony Amber, Jenny came on Bertie.  We had never met him before, and what a treat he is.  Just gorgeous, and you know how I always say I'm and arse-girl....well Bertie has a gorgeous dappley one!!

Henry needs no introduction.

Jenny and Bertie.

That first meeting, and instantly friends.  Henry had never been so calm on a ride the whole time I've had him.  We think between the two, there may be a great horse to ride, Henry might get a little less manic and Bertie might get a bit more... Henry's disappointment at not seeing Amber quickly forgotten.

Tom called out to Henry and Bertie as they went past.

TCJp39 Special Edition

FUNNY FACES!
...try to take photos of your horse, you never know what you might see xx

Tom & Henry are very funny.

'Itchy Lip face'. And I must mention Tom's amazing neck too!

Here is a small selection, I will endeavour to add to over time, of captured moments.

'Don't mess up my hair'' face.

Hmmmmm, thinking face. This picture looks like Henry is trying to do some difficult maths in his head!  He has a far-away look.

...so very sleepy...
Whilst the boys try to maintain a certain amount of decorum befitting their noble Trakehnership, sometimes when they think we're not looking...they do some  very funny things.

Spaghetti grass eating face!


They pull the funniest faces.

This is why you should always have your camera or a camera-phone ready, because you never know what they're going to do next!

Was it something I said?

Comedy hour at the yard.


Anyone who spends a lot of time with their horses will notice and likely film and photo as we do.

Take a camera to the yard as much as you can, capture great moments.  Once you've seen your horse pull an amusing expression like the one Tom is demonstrating above, you can't take them seriously ever again.

laugh....I laughed my bloomin' head off!!

TCJp38 Harrowing

A HARROWING MORNING?....not really xx

I had planned to ride this morning, but the weather threatened to rain as I was grooming the boys, so I wanted to make sure I'd finished all the work on the land before any downfall, it has to be done in a timely fashion harrowing, the conditions have to be perfect, so like a farmer would do, drop everything to get it done.  Spots of rain threatened to spoil the mornings fun  -  I actually would welcome some rain once the job is done.

Lemmy and Min. When you have a job,
it's a good idea to employ some help.

As the title of today's blog suggests I have finally harrowed the winter paddock.  You can see in the photo how dry and poached the ground is, it's difficult to walk on without fear of twisting an ankle.  So, of course, I want to make it better as soon as I can, the boys will be happier I'm sure.  Here they are 'marching' over to the Wishbone field, as I have opened it for the first time after winter, and the grass is quite lush. They can't wait to get there.

Tom, he has such a great neck.

I emptied my year-long cooked compost into the paddock first, leaving only a couple of  forks full of newly added grass clippings to rot further. John skillfully drove the trailer laden with worms and compost into the field so I could add it into the boggy bits - the dips that hold water. 

I have attempted to fill the dips in, I'll let you know if it works next spring. I'm not a big fan of still, stale water lying on the land - in my head, this is like inviting mosquitoes and midges to breed near my horses.  Tom & Henry don't suffer from sweet itch, but I wont take any chances...not with those 2.

I then spread paddock seed onto the bare patches.  I have a spreader which I can pull behind my lawn tractor, but the vibration of the mowers' engine separates the herb from the grass seed and doesn't spread it mixed - so I prefer to spread it by hand.  I can do a much better job than any automated device.  Just a practised flick of the wrist. You can also see from the photo the feint hint of green all-over the surface of the ground, this is the tiny grasslings poking their way to the light, likely from last years re-seed.  The seed stays viable for 5 years so John tells me, which is why after a total coverage a few years ago I only do the bare patches now.  Although, when you get your eye in, you can see the tufts of green, even in the most unlikely of places - I'm talking about the high-traffic routes.  Where the boys trail their way across the once muddy ground - travelling the same route every time.  We suspect this is to preserve the grass, once again they manage their own pasture, all year round.

Tom & Henry finally out in the Wishbone field, where there's grass.

You can clearly see from the photo above the dark patches on the land:  this is where I have attempted to fill in the dents in the field.  I harrowed the new soil into the surface of the land.  Still full of little pink worms, I had a trail of sparrows and a couple of robins following me, looking for a meal perhaps for their babies?

...from this hard and poached field...

...to this smooth and tilled surface, ready for the grass to grow, and easier to walk on, and roll on too.

Jumping into the Landy, driving it in low-box so I can go very very slowly, I harrowed the poached and dry paddock to within an inch of it's life.  I go twice around each way, so it breaks up all the large solid lumps of mud and works all the dried manure from winter into the surface of the land.  These paddocks have had years of not being looked after very well until we bought the property.  And although we have worked very hard catching up, we still have a long way to go. The land needs new soil added, from my compost heap, I can add 6 trailer loads to the surface every year.  Which will help.

I am now hoping it will rain of course, which it's threatening to do.

All harrowed, and last night: 3 April, it rained all night, so that'll help the grass grow, and already little tufts of grass where I have harrowed are sprouting.