Greens Stables Summer Camp 2012

Well its that time of year again - CAMP TIME!   Have been a bit worried what the weather would do but luckily it was great all weekend up until the 'higher and higher' event last night when the heavens opened.  So that has been put on hold for a nice evening - to be continued ...

Unfortunately Mulligan is still not right and he LOVES the games - he stood watching from his paddock - neighing to Billy his little field mate as if to edge him on was really sweet to see. 

Our theme was Cowboys and Indians and although people started camping from Friday night the first actual event was the famous obstacle course on Saturday afternoon.   I took Sadie and a lady who used to ride on our yard came along and she took Dainty.  She did really well as she has never ridden Dainty before.

Entering games field :

So in Fancy Dress we waited our turn .....

 and then we were off ....

we had to negotiate the scary walkway with balloons

and on to the scary arch.  Last year Mulls was ace with this and I really didnt think Sades would do it but I kicked her on and off she went through - what a fabby pony when she wants to be ;)

next stop - biscuit corner - eat a biscuit before continuing - I think it would have been better if horse ate biscuit - was very dry lol

then through the bending poles ...

collect a jug of water ...

and carry safely to deposit in bucket ...

once water and jug in bucket - enter the holding pen and turn a circle ...

after a 5 second wait we were off ....

over a small cross pole ....

 

then a quick dismount ....

 through the tyres on foot and a run through the finish ....

We came second with a time of 22secs beaten by a 13.2 pony lol who got 18secs.  Will have to go faster next year!  We came third in the fancy dress category. 

Next up we played a game where you have to jump over a line of water tubs and each time a tub is removed until only one tub left.  If you knock or miss you are out.  I cant remember where I got up to but this is definately not Sadie's thing.  After the fourth round she is just 'yee haa' and staying on is tricky never mind aiming for a narrow tub so I think we went out fairly early - it is good fun though. 

Saturday night was BBQ and Broncing Bull - (Pics to follow).  I did not have a go however Lewis did.  Did not want to tweak my back in any way or form.  Sometimes I just roll over in bed and it twangs so dont want to find out what would happen falling off a bull!  Was great fun though watching everyone.  The kids were really good at it too.   I went home to see to dogs and sleep in my own bed although almost everyone else camped and luckily the weather was kind. 

Sunday morning early start to smarten and spruce ponies for the Showing Competition.  Two Sections - Tack and Turnout  and Ridden.  Again everyone really made an effort and Penny was our judge.  I remember being the judge last year and its really hard.  I won the adult section in both categories which was nice as Sadie was not too happy that Dainty was in field on other side of fence and I caught her twice in her stable trying to rub out her tail plait!!  Was also a good excuse for my tack to get a good cleaning. 

Sunday afternoon was gymkana games and the higher and higher competition.  I decided not to enter Sadie as it all just gets far too exciting for her brain.   The higher and higher had to be abandoned as the forecast rain finally made its appearance with thunder and lightning so we ran for cover.   It is to be continued this week some time. 

Hoods Cross Country

I thought it was about time I put something on my blog..... Today Lauren and I tootled off to Hoods XC in Lincoln for a bit of a play around.  Miss Felicity (Flick) has had some loading issues but given a bit of time does get on.  Well today took 40mins and then Madam (Sadie) decided she wasnt going to get on.  There was a moment when I thought we wouldnt be going.  All of sudden we were all loaded up and on our way.  Hoods is a wonderful playground - it caters for the novice through to the advance.  I didnt push myself today but we intend to go back soon and there were a few jumps that I ummed and aahed about and then wish I had done afterwards.  We only had one hop, skip and jump moment which was good and both girls were very well behaved.

Quick warm up and we were on our way.  The great thing about this place is that there is a whole field that just has little jumps so the horses gain their confidence really quickly.

The weather was lovely although I was convinced if I was going to come off I wanted long sleeves on so was a little warm at the end.

Sadie I am pleased to say was only sweaty from work and not lathered from getting giddy.


There were only another 2 people on the estate at the same time as us and we only really saw them in the distance at the beginning. There are about 100 different jumps - just about every type you can think of.

Unthank Cross Country Schooling

Yesterday (after Sunday being washed out) I took Sadie to Unthank Cross Country to have a play around.   Was supposed to go with a friend and in all honesty my intention was just to wander around and use my little horse as a chair :).  Unfortunately Miss Felicity (the horse) decided she was not going to get in the trailer and so Sadie and I went anyway.   I really need lots of pushing to get my A into G and struggled to find one jump that I could keep jumping to get the 'feel' right.  Poor Sadie was brilliant - she is much calmer away from home as at home she knows the jumps so well and actually backs off a bit when out somewhere new.  

Therefore,  I should have really been riding her forward but instead we cantered in, stopped, looked and leapt with most of the time me jabbing her in the mouth poor girl.   Eventually, as time was just about up, I got it together and pieced together a small string of them at a decent pace after my friend was shouting encouragement at me :) :)

Over a small log trying to get the pace right

Throwing her at the ditch

 

Loving the water!

So, I think I need to get my act together and learn to trust her more and ride her on instead of sitting there like a passenger!   Also might invest in some calmer for myself lol.

Its Good News !

Well our team of vets were back on Thursday for the big trot assessment.  Mulligan stopped all painkillers on Saturday and to say he was feisty on Thursday was an understatement.  It didnt help that it was pouring with rain and luckily Lewis was there to hang on to him as I dont think I would have.  He took off down the stretch like he was training for the Grand National.  He even reared and bucked and I thought 'whoop whoop - he is sound!), hand brake turn at the top and another powerful trot back down however I could see on the return that he was not 100% and on the third take he was limping behind.  It is however good news in that he is MUCH better than before and is no longer dragging his leg or dipping his head and considered 3/10th lame down from 7/10th lame - bizarre scoring I know.



Mulligan - 21/04/2012 - first time out after 3 months



Our next course of action is four (one weekly) injections of Cartrophen which will help settle and smooth the cartilage and then in 6 weeks time, two weeks after final injection, he will be assessed again.  He is still on no / limited sugar intake but can now go in a pen for a bit each day. 

Well today the pen was made - after all the rain last night - honestly it has rained non stop for over a week now (well it feels like non stop) I was in two minds whether to do it but we were alone on the yard and I wanted to do it whilst it was quiet - I decided in the end not to drug him up and he walked out like a lamb and just stood and tried to graze (in his  limited grass edition paddock) - I couldnt believe it - it was quite a non event actually and his neighbours (whom he adores) came over to say hello.



I am ok :)

 I then went off to go and clean out his stable and kept checking on him but he would just look at me as if to say - its ok I am fine - he had a few rolls, dug the ground up a bit and tried to eat a few morsels of grass.




 

Unfortunately the return journey back to the stable half an hour later was not so un-eventful.  Thank goodness Lewis had him - he came out the gate - reared up - challenged Lewis - bounced on the spot and walked back to the stable like he was a race winner heading to the winners enclosure!  Fortunately stables are really close by and he was back safe and sound fairly quickly! He is extremely strong and obviously feeling on top of the world.  I just wish the sun would come out now so I can bath him and he can have the sun on his back when in his pen.



Muls having his bath



When we went back this afternoon it was lovely and sunny and luckily the yard area is like a sun trap and no wind and he LOVED being bathed.  I think he shed loads of coat and is nice and silky now too.

 





Drying off

 


 





Mulligan update

Gosh time flies by and I really must make more effort to update on here as its a great place to read back to remember details. 

After a few physio sessions (advised telephonically by my vet) she agreed she needed to come out and have a look.  As mentioned previously my lovely vet was in a horrible car accident and is still on crutches.  She has a locum vet (out from Italy) helping so Muls had the added advantage of two pairs of eyes.  He was still fine in walk and still lame in trot - after flexion tests he was actually crippled on his left hind - 7 /10th lame in fact!   A few days later he was sedated and xrayed - the stifle is showing mild arthritis but the big shock was the fracture to the hock!!!  The cartiledge has slipped back and the hock joint does show wear and tear and arthritis but nothing degenerative thank goodness.  There is a hairline crack to the bone and a few pieces missing off the side.  I have been told I can get copies of the xrays so will post them up at some point. 

Anyway it was decided that the best course of action was an injection into the joint which would be like a power blast of anti-inflammatory.  He had this done after we came off holiday and we had to stop all sugar, haylage and NO GRASS due to the steriods in his system which could set of laminitis.   He has now done a week of complete box rest and has started walking daily in hand around the yard.  I am so lucky that is such a sweet laid back horse and is so not bothered about living in his stable.  On Saturday we are to stop all his painkillers and the vets are back on Wednesday to re-assess.  Depending on how improved he his (everything crossed please) we may re-xray to see how bone is healed otherwise we just keep on with the box rest.  He can go out for a couple of hours a day in a pen from Monday which he will love as he loves a good roll and is moulting like crazy and could do with some sun on his back.

Will post again about him next week after our 'check up' visit.

One of my favourite pics of him from last year :

 

Spring is Here!

A bit of a slow start to this year but hopefully once all the blips are ironed out we can just enjoy summer.  Mulligan's knee injury came right and then he went lame behind in anything but walk.  Physio came and did some sessions and it is suspected that the problem is in the stifle.  He is still on box rest and my vet is coming out tomorrow to see how he is doing.  The problem with Muls is that his body may be 19 but his brain is 3!  I decided to take him for a walk up the road - he walked up past the horses ok and then they all came galloping over to say 'hi' to him which made him feel very important and so we came home race horse mode prancing and dancing about 17 hands high.  I eventually had to wrap the lead rope around his nose as I cant keep turning him in small circles.  Ok, so that was a bad idea, next time decided to walk around the new cross country section - oh dear - Mr Mulls decided to lock onto one of the logs and I had to dig my heels into the ground and was dragged a few meters before he decided it wasnt much fun dragging my dead weight along!  So now we just walk around the school and yard, poor chap.   I feel awful that he is in so much now especially as soon all the others will go out 24/7 but to be honest he really doesnt seem bothered.

Dainty also managed to sustain a nasty knee injury but unlike Mulligan she just doesnt do box rest and so Sadie and Dainty ended up in little paddock on their own.  It is fine now and there are new cross country logs and jumps going up in preparation for a show cross show to be held at our yard coming up in April so Lyn and I had a little play yesterday 

Dainty spotted the camera man !



Dainty & Lyn



Dainty over the log


Sadie, as mentioned in previous posts, is now on the Regumate which has made a huge difference in her overall wellbeing.  She is actually chilled and lovely at the moment.  She still did not seem 100%  and on having her back checked discovered her pelvis was out.  So she has had a couple of physio sessions and is having her saddles checked this week.  Physio has said I can start working her again and I couldnt resist popping a couple of the little logs.  Will be better when my GP has been correctly fitted as I do find it rather difficult jumping in a dressage saddle.

Sadie - not sure about my arms over this one !



Sadie loves jumping the little logs :)





Sadie

Just for the record we dont usually jump in hi-viz - we had been for a walk down the road first :)

A round up of 2011

I know its the first day of 2012 and I meant to do this yesterday but I wanted to diarise a quick round up of 2011.

It was definitely a mixture of ups and downs.

Jan 2011 started snowy cold and unable to ride or in fact do anything with the horses.  Luckily we managed to use the tractor to make a path to the field and so they still got out for a few hours each day.

Enjoying some hay in the snow

April 2011 - Spring and the sun came up but the ground was so hard and rutted and we still couldnt ride but the horses looked like they had survived winter pretty well :

Mulligan and Sadie having a cuddle

May - we made the decision not to rent any more and move back to civilisation and we put the horses back into livery and bought a house.  The new yard is about 7 mins from where we live.  We decided to move the horses the week before we moved house and the weekend we moved house the girls went down with strangles so it was a bit manic having to see to them and clear out the farm.

Sadies story is elsewhere on the blog so I wont go into that.  Bottom line - we survived it and finally got some riding done in the Summer.  Sadie still seemed a bit under the weather and got breathless really quickly and I struggled with girthing issues as her skin kept breaking open.   But Mulls stepped into the gap and I did my first working hunter class, my first combined training and a few veteran classes on him.  We even went cross country a couple of times.

August 2011 - horses were all settled and content and we had the opportunity to buy Merlin, a beautiful 6 year old coloured gelding who would step into Muls shoes once he went back to his owner.



The day I first rode Merlin



Sadly it was not meant to be and he passed away late August - I had got so attached to him and still feel very sad by the whole thing but he is free from pain now and running free with all the other beautiful horses of the past.

Showing his inquisitive nature

October - then autumn came and luckily no snow and I managed to get Sadie out to a showing competition - not quite our thing but it was fun getting dressed up - she was really chilled in warm up and then a great big horse came up her backside in the show ring and overtook us and that was it - all went a bit hectic lol.

All dressed up

November - we dressed up and did our part for Childreen in Need - was much fun and I think our yard raised £250 which was really good - the kids did good.

Jordan on Dainty - Me on Sadie

December - at least not a repeat of the previous 2 years and no snow!  There is something very rewarding though in getting up early mucking out - turning out horses in all their rugs and preparing the stables and hay for the evening.  I know by Christmas we are exhausted but a week off from work helps a lot.

Mr Mulligan decided to end the year with a nice kick to his knee so has been on box rest for a few weeks now.  The vet came on Thursday and scraped off all old tissue and he has been allowed to go out in the school for a bit of turn out and a few rolls which he absolutely loves!

On one of the vet visits I spoke to the vet about Sadie - I have had ongoing issues with her 'mareness' and every year I try another supplement or therapy.  I have spent a fortune on lotions, potions and treatments.  I normally write summer off and then do a bit of indoor winter dressage but this winter she has been really mardy and extra sensitive so whilst vet was at the yard with her scanner we had her ovaries scanned.  Poor girl has one enlarged and is very sensitive.  I dont really understand it all but something about follicles on one are just starting and just ending on the other.  Even when vet touched them she was wincing.  She was very good though - anyway it shows that she is constantly in season and so we are putting her on Regumate which will control the hormones and make her more comfortable.  I really hope that this will help the poor girl as I can feel she is not happy in her work. 

Yesterday though I could feel she was having a slightly better day than usual so pushed her a little for a bit of work and she was up to a bit of a play around :

Lengthening



Collecting





So in all a mix of up and downs but I am hoping that 2012 will be a good year and we can move on and get some serious riding and competing done!  My one wish is please no vet bills other than the routine stuff.  I also hope that Gonda - my lovely vet of ten years has a speedy recovery after a very nasty car accident where a reckless driver swiped her off the road and she is still currently in hospital having numerous operations to her feet.  Get better soon Gonda! x