10 out of 10 on the smugness scale

'Mr F' is the master of smugness since his return to 'Buttercup Farm' and the cosy stable which he shares with his new best pal 'little Sam'. They have been together before but he was never very interested. However, one cannot have everything even if one tries, and 'Mr F' tries hard at having it all.

The clocks have gone back last night and this brings the short evenings. 

Yesterday young we arranged to go out for a ride, young 'Jem' on 'little Sam' and myself and Mr Smug. 

I realised while at work that not only was the light diminishing after 14:00, it also was a very murky autumnal day. Still unusually warm, although this is going to change now, according to the forecast.

Considering the quickly drawing in dark evenings I rushed at work so that I could be back at 'Buttercup Farm'  for 15:30-ish. We had a quick cup of tea while tacking up and gathering together anything hi-vis we could find and fit somewhere on our tack and ourselves.

I hadn't ridden 'Mr F' for pretty much 3 months, instead we have just been out on walks almost everyday. There wasn't enough time to test a the new saddle, I will do that when I am on my own and when I am not making anyone wait. 

Last time I had the hoof boots on they were twisting at the back a little so this time I wrapped a thing layer of vet wrap around 'Mr F's hooves to make the boots 'stick' rather than twist around his hoof. 

They had just been trimmed yesterday. Interestingly: I wasn't sure on the verdict of the state of his hooves but apparently there was nothing to be concerned off except the usual winter wet / damp mud matter. I was lucky that I caught those deep holes in the solar area of his fronts those 3 weeks ago and dealt with them.

We got tacked up fairly quickly and went on our way. Each time I ride after a break it feels fresh and each time it feels more natural, in a way. This time was perhaps the longest break. I was experimenting with minor seat adjustments, trying to listen to 'Mr F's body and how he reacts. We did some trotting, too, which I was surprised to find that my leg muscles were OK with the posting (without stirrups). 

'Mr F' was quite interested in it all and had a steady gait, not like before when he was like treacle. Overall he seemed pretty relaxed with being ridden, no angry tail swishing or head shaking. A few times he pointed out that I wasn't in a for him comfortable position or that I was reacting in a stiff manner. He was quite right too, of course. Often when I was talking to young 'jem' I wasn't with 'Mr F'. I generally prefer to ride silently and be with the horse (I.E. feel the horse rather than being just a passenger). But young 'Jem' is lovely and I don't mind a bit of chatting.

I was pleased to see that the boots didn't not twist this time and stayed nicely in position all the way. We were only out for perhaps a little more than an hour as it was getting dark so quickly. We managed to get back to 'Buttercup Farm' just in time before it was basically night time.

It is time to invest in some LED gear to be seen.

Back at the farm, 'Mr F' was peeking out of his stable with the smuggest face I have seen him have. All his requirements seem to be met. He had his feed and then both of them tucked into some tasty soaked hay served in the hay nets. 

I sometimes wonder if he is still growing ... each time I dismount (jump off as no stirrups) I come to realise just how tall he is. Inside the stable he looks even taller. His rear end is higher than me ... 

Once more I have to mention just how great this 'Barefoot' Physio ride-on pad is. I have bought it now over 18 months ago and it is still doing well. It's very good quality and well made, I can only recommend it. And not once has it slipped.

We shall see what tomorrow brings (appart from work) - I now have my breakfast at 'Buttercup Farm' together with 'Mr F', as usual.

Return to 'Buttercup Farm'

Today I moved 'Mr F' over to 'Buttercup Farm' where he'll be spending winter.

I had moved most of his stuff early in the morning prior to work so that I would not need to drive back and forth in the evening. All his rugs, liners, feed buckets etc etc was stuffed into the car. It's amazing how much room there is in a 5 door Ford Focus Hatchback. It has been well worth the £500 I paid for it! The loading space when the seats are down is quite impressive and has been fully utilised many times now also during moving my stuff.

As soon as I got back from work (and had a cup of tea of course!) I went to fetch 'Mr F' who was already waiting near the gate. It was time now for the field to be put to rest as all the grass had gone. 'Kitten' and 'Tolka' will be moved to another of 'Lillian's fields.

And so 'Mr F' and I got on our way over to 'Buttercup Farm'. I forgot to drop of the carrots and my tea-making things (very important of course: almond milk, honey and Yorkshire tea) and put it all in a big shopping bag which I slung over my shoulder. I guess we were once again an odd sight for passing cars but quite a few of them by now have gotten to know us and so they wave. There has even been a couple that would wait to meet 'Mr F' on our walk. Many of the people we met on our walks would tell us some parts of their lives, usually also animal related. It seems 'Mr F' just brings it out of people.

We munched some carrots on the way over while enjoying the beautiful autumnal colours of the leaves. It was a surprisingly warm day (16 degrees at the end of October) with an equally warm night. No rugs for 'Mr F' tonight. He is not clipped and has got a nice winter coat.

I was curious to see how he would react once he was back at 'Buttercup Farm' and would realise that he was going to be there with 'only' (I means from a horse point of view) 'Little Sam' and none of his big horse friends.

However, upon arrival 'PL' was wanting to greet him (she and 'Mr F' arrived together, both in equally bad shape - see beginning of this blog) but 'Mr F' showed no interest. Instead he looked at me: 'Where's my food?' - 'Sigh ... so matter of fact!'
'Little Sam' seemed very keen to join us, he was grazing outside at the back of the stable but when I went to say hello he came straight inside. It was mostly food orientated but he did come to rub his head for a while. Previously 'Mr F' would spends considerable time calling out for his big mates and would pace around in the stable but not this time. 'Mr F' was calm but did look at me somewhat quizzing ... 'So, whats this now? Am I going to stay here? What's the deal?' - 'Yes yes, all to please you.' - 'Hmm, OK. Took you a while didn't it!'.

'Helen' and young 'Jem' arrived too, the family that is currently looking after 'Little Sam'. And there was also 'Izzy' who also has her horse at 'Buttercup Farm'. I may get into troubles here but I think that the two girls may be of approximately the same age? Oh I am no good at age guessing because it doesn't matter to me. We all get on well and so the yard soon fills with the chatter and giggles and the noise of busy brushes, scraping of shovels and the boiling of the kettle. 'Mr F' observed it all, looking most up-beat. Once 'Little Sam' was prepared for the night we let them out. No fuss here, straight for the grass.
After a little while I went to see how they were doing and upon seeing 'Mr F's almost smug face as he turns his head towards me I smiled.

It was probably also a good experience for him to have moved and to see things from a different prospective. As I had noted in a blog post at the time, the day after we moved 'Mr F' was quite anxious to see me ... he seemed quite unnerved as though he thought I might 'abandon' him somewhere. I suppose he had a quite sheltered life since he arrived at 'Buttercup Farm'. This move may have just made him accept different circumstances with a little more calmness compared to what he was like before, pacing up and down and shaking his head. None of that this time.

It is favourable in every possible way to have a set up of stables with adjoining fields and 24/7 turnout. If needed, they can also be locked in of course.

Well, the fields are nowhere near as exciting as at 'Lillian's but at least here we have everything under one roof. Yes, I can't just walk out the door and go see him but a 10 minute drive is no ordeal at all and it's easier now that I have transport, which I didn't have in the previous years.

I am curious to see him in the morning before going to work. The barefoot trimmer lady is coming tomorrow latter part of the afternoon after I have finished work, a week overdue. I must not forget to measure his hooves, I might try out the new type of hoof boot called 'scoot boot'.

There has also been some interest in 'Mr F's new saddle ... we shall see how it works out. 'Rolling rolling rolling ... rawhide ...' (some of you may remember this tune ... seems to fit the saddle ...)

And then on Sunday we may go out for a ride ... in the new saddle or old pad, I don't know yet.



'

The Saddle Experiment

'Mr F' was in good fettle this morning and later this early evening when I went to see him. He appeared more content. 

Tomorrow we shall wander over to 'Buttercup Farm' where 'Mr F' will spend the winter months. That is as far as I plan ahead. Everything changes all the time, but my only concern is for 'Mr F' to be sound and well. 'Mr F' is to go and stay with 'Little Sammy' once more. It won't be the same as a big horse but it is company. The reason for moving 'Mr F' back to 'Buttercup Farm' is first and foremost so that he has access to a stable 24/7. He can wander in and out as he pleases and will have hay / haylage in there for food. For me it is only a 10 minutes drive away from where I currently reside.

He was somewhat making a point with his down attitude that things just weren't quite as he is used to. While I greatly enjoyed having him being able to be on the wonderfully natural fields here at 'Lillian's, the use of a stable in the winter months is more important.

And it will save me no end of time as I don't have to drag all maintenance gear (paste for his soles, brushes, hoof picks, rugs, etc etc) through damp fields in the dark. I can also go and see him when it is dark as the place is quite well lit.

Currently the stable door needs some repair done to it prior to arrival and there will be a few other things to sort out but it will be so much easier for me to attend his feet etc. He will miss his bigger pals but he can see 'Madame' and 'PL' in the other fields and there is only so much I can do to make things 'right' for 'Mr F'. 

And there, all being well, I shall be testing out 'Mr F's new saddle. Before we were riding in a 'Barefoot' Bareback Physio Pad. Basically a pad which is shaped especially to accommodate the protruding withers. The pad itself is padded with high density foam basically a big pad with a cloth (like suede) outer and non-slip (it really never slipped, neither up nor downhill even with loose girth). In fact it is like two pads, under the bigger main pad sits a smaller pad with velcro openings at both ends on both sides that allow to insert various layers of further foam or shims (pre-cut to shape and can be ordered online). The entire pad can be washed in the washing machine (if your machine is big enough!). Initially I rode with those little side pads but they kept getting in the way of my legs or more precice, my feet (I am short, as I said ... )

I remember the first time I tried this pad - 'Mr F' immediately accepted it and his gait was much freer. He stumbled less going downhill and overall was much more keen on going out. He certainly did no longer walk off when I turn up with it (he used to walk away if he saw me appear with the saddle).

Above 'Mr F' in May 2015, with the 'Barefoot' physio-ride-on pad, in May 2015. The pad is quite soft from a structural point of view and therefore there are no stirrup attachments. I felt instantly more comfortable riding with the pad because my body could find its 'natural' position on 'Mr F's back. No knee rolls in the way and no stirrups to struggle with.

The only downside are rides with a lot of trotting, something I am not able do for too long a time as my muscles will give in eventually. By this I mean posting ... not sitting trott. Sitting trott at a slow speed is OK but at a faster gait, on uneven terrain ... well I cannot do it without bouncing and on protruding withers this isn't very comfortable. Other than that: I feel more safe without stirrups than with for many reasons which I have explained somewhere else in this blog.

However, to give my bottom a bit of a rest on longer rides I have over the past 3-4 months been contemplating getting a treeless saddle. 'Mr F' and I haven't been out riding for basically as long as he has been here over at 'Lillians'. It's time to see if he still is willing to come out while being ridden. It would open up further options, we could travel a little further and see new things, something we both enjoy. 

All the treeless saddles that I saw online that looked as though they could work are in the price range of £650 upwards. I don't have that type of budget though. Then, the other week, I have come across a western-style treeless saddle. It was advertised as a 'possibly barefoot' saddle. It had the typical (like the physio rideo-on pad) velcro attachments underneath to add extra padding (shims?) for spinal clearance. So it could be ... it looked like a 'Barefoot' Arizona saddle. It was listed for very little money, a fraction of what it would have been new, yet it looked basically new. What I liked about it was that it would give me leg freedom. I will need to wear some chaps or long riding boots while using stirrups. It looked a very sturdy saddle yet flexible enough not to create pressure points. 

And so I bid for it and won it. It was promptly delivered withing 3 days and I was very surprised by its quality. Overall I liked it straight away but I have to find out how i get on with it. It will be quite different to the pad, and leather is going to be more slippery at least to start with. But all the shaped parts of the saddle can be exchanged for different sizes, width, etc 

Plenty of means to attach saddle bags ... which is another of my plans for further outings. I am fit so I can ride half way and walk half way ... as long as 'Mr F' carries the bags ... most of the weight are going to be his carrots anyway! 

Ignore the asymmetric placement of the padding, they are attached with velcro and I didn't make an effort of putting them into place for this photograph. The pommel can be swapped for different widths, with or without horn. 

The cantle too can be swapped, or fully removed.

The underneath ... with the two adjustable shims. This time I have placed them symmetrically ...although my concern here is that they will not be sufficient enough to give 'Mr F' enough spinal clearance with stirrups attached. Although I won't used them much, I still want to make sure that his spine and also shoulders are protected.

 I discussed the saddle with 'Lillian' fleetingly and she said; "doesn't the under pad of the physio pad fit this saddle?"  - "I don't know, didn't even think about it ..."

So I went to try and low and behold: it fits perfectly. The placement of the velcro on the underpad matches the placement of the velcro strips on the saddle perfectly. Perhaps it is indeed a 'Barefoot' treeless saddle.

Here the saddle with the physio under pad attached to the underside, We have to see how it fits with the pommel (may have to get different width) but it should offer plenty of spinal clearance. I am only 48kg of weight which should help make riding as comfortable as possible for 'Mr F'. He's not yet seen the saddle. I shall wait until he is settled back at 'Buttercup Farm'. 

The barefoot trimmer lady is coming on Saturday, I am quite sure that she is going to tell me off about the state of his feet. Having said that, recently when we had been going out, 'Mr F' preferred to walk on the tarmac rather than the softer ground ... he used to be the other way round.

Perhaps the past 2 months of going out mostly without hoof boots (although always routes where he could walk on the grass) did harden his hooves for the better. I will find out soon!

Keeping hooves dry without stableing and other ditties

Quick entry, this is after all a 'diary' to remind myself of events.

My experiment with the easy boot gloves is working well. To give 'Mr F's feet some relieve from the damp ground (it isn't muddy as such but just moist) I make a dressing in the evening before putting on the easy boots.

The dressing goes as follows:  two layers of cotton wool (off the roll) applied to the sole of his boot, Then a sandwich bag (it doesn't have to be thick plastic, it just needs to keep the wet out) is pulled over the hoof which is fastened into place with vet wrap, making sure not to wrap too tightly. I wrap it just above the coronary band before 'sticking' the entire hoof into the easy boot glove. All the while 'Mr F' is patiently resting his leg on my thigh, not moving an inch so I can calmly use both hands to fiddle with all the utentsils.
Once the hoof is properly inside the hoof boot, I ask 'Mr F' to put his foot down and stand with his weight on the leg I just dressed. Now I can check if it is all in place. If all is as required, I wrap a little more cotton around his pastern just to help regulating moisture coming from the skin before pulling up the sandwich bag. Here too I loosely wrap some vet wrap around the pastern, making really sure it is lose and then I just gently press it into place around his pastern with my hands. Now I can finish fastening the hoof boot, tuck away any surplus sandwich bag material and we are set for the night.

It works well and he doesn't appear to have troubles walking and there is no extra heat building up anywhere in his legs.

'Mr F' was a star this morning: after we both had breakfast, I was taking off his over night dressing. I had forgotten about the refuse collecting lorry that turns its vehicle at the crossing where the gate to the field is and where we usually hang around. The other two, 'Kitten' and 'Tolka' were standing near the gate (being fed up of me telling them to hop off while we have breakfast as I don't want 3 mouths in my cereal bowl!). There was some loud rattling sounds coming for the refuse lorry and both 'Kitten' and 'Tolka' made off down the field in an over dramatised manner. 'Mr F' was just wanting to follow but in the last second remembered where his leg was: resting on my thigh and that means : 'DO NOT MOVE'.  And he didn't move, not even while the others ran off. Although he did look at me kind of 'am I going to be alright? These guys are frightened of that loud noise, I trust you that I will be alright, OK?' I thanked him for not having moved as it would have meant me cleaning his entire hoof before applying the protective paste for the daytime hours.

His new saddle should arrive tomorrow ... although we don't yet have stirrups. I shall see if it fits and how he gets on with it. Will take him out for a test ride. It's no big deal if it doesn't fit as it looks like a great quality saddle which I won at a bargain price due to the seller not being able to state the manufacturer. Although we do think it is an old version of a Barefoot saddle, and the newer models go for over £600 (way out of my budget!)

And on the food side: 'Mr F' and I have found a new snack we both like -

Pumpkin seeds (I have recently developed a craving for these ):

"A good source of zinc which is vital in warding off osteoporosis. They contain L-tryptophan which is linked to lowering and combating depression as well as contains phosphorus, magnese, iron and copper. They are also a great source of plant based omega-3s"

Sunflower kernels

"rich in Vitamin E which has anti-inflammatory effects that may help combat the effects of osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis and may reduce the frequency of hot flushes"  Well the latter is no worry for 'Mr F' and I pay no attention to those 'womanly' things.

'Mr F' is very keen on both seeds and picks them over the carrots even.

Still, I yet have to make a decision as to where he is going to spend winter. In the end all that I am concerned with is to give him the setting he requires to keep being healthy. He can't do it himself.

Easyboots To Rescue

A couple of days ago I did mention about 'Mr F' hoof boots twisting and seemingly having become a tad too big. Well turns out just as well because they have been most handy in keeping 'Mr F's feet dry and clean so his heels can recover for a while.

And so, here we have two front feet. The sole and heels are covered with two layers of cotton wool (cut off a roll). Over that I placed a food bag to keep it all dry and then wrapped a thin layer of vet wrap over it, carefully leaving it loosely wrapped around the pastern. It only serves to keep the dirt out. So far this has worked well and the frog is starting to look a little better. Any moisture inside the food bag is held by the cotton wool. But although 'Mr F' very patiently stands still during the whole procedure and even though I can just let his leg rest on my knee while I fiddle around with scissors etc it is still time consuming and tricky in the half dark before getting off to work. 

It is clearly no long term solution. I have tried to go all the natural way with hoof treatments but I may have to revert back to using Keratex. The fields at 'Buttercup farm where much more muddy and sodden in wet weather but at least there 'Mr F' could get onto dry ground. He can't do that here, hopefully soon though. Meanwhile I have to find a different treatment method. I have last year used Keratex mud shield powder, as a last resort. And it worked amazingly well and has saved me a lot of time and 'Mr F' a lot of unnecessary discomfort. So now I shall go and try their Hoof Gel.

It's a challenge keeping a Thoroughbred who seems to have lost most of their natural resilience through breeding as natural as possible. 

We shall find out shortly how well the hoof gel works.

The rain is forecast to stop for the next few days so I look forward to photographing some of the beautiful tree colours.

Oh Warm Autumnal Sunshine!

As mentioned in the previous blog entry, here are some of the photographs that I took yesterday in the warm sunshine:

The trees are suddenly all changing colours and once more it seems that we have the joy of enjoying a golden Autumn. I wasn't sure as there hadn't been enough cold weather yet but seems that the trees are willing yet again to change costume for us before shedding it all before winter arrives.

Again, this was yesterday and I managed to get home early, just in good time to go into the field to take off 'Mr F's rug. I left it on as it had been torrential rain most of the morning with cold gusts. And as most of us have experienced, being wet in a cold and windy environment greatly adds to the chill factor.

I climbed the fence (short-cut), equipped with my thermos flask (filled with tea, almond milk and honey) and my trusty camera. It was such a lovely day and it was about time to take some more photographs of the surroundings and the mini crew.

As it is a very large field with so many 'hiding' places I wasn't sure where they might be but guessed that they would hang out at the other end with the cows and sheep. I was so keen on going to get 'Mr F's rug off that I didn't even make myself heard upon approach. 'Tolka' was resting on the ground while the other two where doing just the same standing up.

It so warm that even the flies made a re-appearance in great numbers. 

'Mr F' was glad to have his rug taken off!! They all by now have a decent winter coat and if he'd be younger, I wouldn't rug him just yet. But at the beginning of October he had lost a little weight which was a sign that the cold nights now made him use more energy. 

They still have plenty of grass, it has been growing and still is as it is so warm still.

I found them all gathered at the top end of the field, right next to the cows and sheep. There is a nice breeze here that keeps the flies off a little and of course its a lovely sun bathing spot. 

They all come to say hello and I quickly take 'Mr F's rug off so he can enjoy the warmth of the sun on his skin. All are very mellow and it appears that it is time for some 'grooming'. 'Mr F' instigates it but none of the others want to scratch his back. I have noticed this many times now but it is his own bad behaviour ... because he often quite roughly  mannered give them a nip. They leave it up to me to scratch his back ... "let her deal with 'Victor Meldrew'" ... 

And so I spend some time with all of them, each coming for some scratching and while I scratch one's back, the others rest their heads on each other's back and so we all take turns. 'Tolka' is often a little puzzled as to where he is supposed to scratch me so he wanders down with his mouth, along my back, starting at the neck (very soft as it is bare skin - and he is the third horse I trust with this) then going down the back (here he applies a little more force as he is trying to figure out what on earth I am wearing today - which is an old 100% wool jumper) and then he slowly goes with his nose under the jumper (or sometimes under the jacket) until he gets to the skin just where the waist is - then he continues to wander down and I have to stretch out one of my legs. This quite fun ritual usually ends with him nibbling my boot. I have to say 'Luke' was the best at this grooming matter, he would give you a real good back massage, which I enjoyed greatly. So blissfully peaceful!

We spend some 20 minues like this and then it is apparently time to go eat grass. I settle down to drink my tea at last.  However, to my very surprise 'Mr F' lies down right next to me ... to roll !!  It was just about save enough distance for me to remain without getting tangled up in his legs. He nearly manages a full roll too. Oh its nice without that rug!

And here he is, 'Mr F' making sure I have got more work when he is prepared for the night!

I remain seated for a little while, soaking up the sunbeams and drinking my tea. Without thoughts. This is a continuing effort of mine to observe my thinking habits. The more I think the more unsettled I become and the more I miss what is actually going on. This non-thinking (btw, thinking is not the same as planning. Planning is thinking but its based on facts. The thinking I refer to is the kind I wish to do less and less of. No more thoughts about things or events that have been or might be or could have been. It's all wasting time and pointless. I have learnt this from these beings and also my macro photography of insects, by observing them and how they are. I am tallking about  'being'. Being alive, aware, present. This became another big topic when I began my Aikido training, however, that I have stopped for the time being due to the teachings being confusing and missing what the message of Aikido really is. But I may write about that some other time.

 It is too windy to take macro shots of insects and I hadn't set up my camera properly anyway. I felt like relaxing a little for a change. Looking around me I noticed many little and larger mushrooms. 'Lillian's partner 'Tom' is a great mushroom expert, but I am not and so I leave them in the ground. I find mushrooms / Fungi fascinating and beautiful, such as this tiny pair that was peeking out of the ground right in front of my feet where I sat.

But I mostly don't get very far with my camera as there is always some being that is stalking, usually it is 'Mr F' or 'Luke'. Everytime I see them come twards me, with their heads low in a relaxed and so trusting manner, his eyes filled with wisdom but also a hint of tiredness. His front feet are a quite sore and meanwhile I am treating them. The easyboot gloves have stayed on during the day and this evening 'Mr F' came trotting up with a more relaxed stride, and a more relaxed expression. We went for a walk too and he was quite a bit more pleased with things. I have changed the dressing this evening and am repeating the same over night, hoping they will still be in place in the morning.

'Mr F' just knows ... and I am most thankful to be able to learn from him so much. Not just about horses, there isn't a 'they and me' ... there is 'us' ... we all are beings, made of the same stuff, atoms (and empty space) that is held together by energy of some sort. Its only because our minds are so full with garbage that we cannot communicate with one another. Let go of your thoughts, your preconceptions of what should and shouldn't be, of 'what one does and what one doesn't' - let go of wanting to control / over power / rule and you will be surprised what you discover! I was and I will talk about it in detail one day when I have more time.

This little chap here, 'Tolka' is a super little horse. Only 2 years of age and now that he got used to me he wants to know EXACTLY what I am doing and why I am doing it and whom to and with what. He keeps sticking his little nose into everything so you can imagine it is quite a palaver when I try and apply dressing to 'Mr F's feet - I reach out for the vet wrap ... "it was there, I know it was ... now just ... oh 'TOLKA!!'"  Whatever is in a bucket, next to a bucket, on the floor, anything that doesn't look like it is 'natural' has to be examined, has to be picked up, chewed and turned upside down. 

The other day I was in the field with a feed sack which I was in progress of filling with all the dead wood on the ground for kindling. Well, I left the bag out of sight for one minute only to return to the wood being taken out of the bag and with 'Tolka's head halfway inside the bag ... Well you don't need to do friendly games with him when he's a grown up. It will be old hat!

 Here he is again, same relaxed, warm and innocent expression, reminding me very much of 'Mr F' sometimes.

And of course 'Kitten' - although more distant then the boys but she does like to come for some affection now and then. She loves resting her chin on top of one's head and then gently nibbles on ones neck. All are relaxed and enjoying the warm sunshine.

As I type this I have just won an auction for another saddle ... a treeless Barefoot saddle (and a very lucky bargain so even if it doesn't work out it can be sold easily again) to swap with the Bareback physio pad ... I want to try just once more if 'Mr F' might just enjoy going out for a little longer and a little faster. We shall see! First his feet have to get better.

No Feet No Horse

It now been just over 2 month that 'Mr F' has been without access to dry ground. 

Luckily, the weather has been on our side and still is with an lovely somewhat late summer almost. Yesterday I was glad to have finished work early and dashed back 'home' to take off 'Mr F's rug. While the morning was very chilly with torrential rain, suddenly the sun came out at it must have been 15 degrees. The flies certainly were out in great numbers still ... I took some lovely photos of the 3 ('Tolka' 'Kitten' and 'Mr F') which I upload later.

Although the weather has been mostly dry, the ground still is saturated, albeit not muddy but it seems enough to make a mess out of 'Mr F's frogs, especially the front. And I am partly to blame for this too because I hadn't cleaned his hooves everyday as I thought I might interfere with a natural balance of good / bad bacteria. It appears though that I have, because of this, missed a key moment where I could have possibly prevented the quite big holes in his heels. In fact they have never been this bad. 

Surprisingly, 'Mr F' isn't sensitive while I dig around in them to clean all the muck out. I am fully stocked up with 'Hoof Stuff' 'Field Paste' 'Sole Paint' etc etc. The previous evening I used some field paste together with cotton wool and stuffed it into the cleaned holes. This morning, although the underneath of the hoof was coated in sticky albeit almost dry soil, the cotton will was still in place and kept the inside of the hole clean. I cleaned the entire hoofs (both fronts) once more and sprayed them with 'Silvastrol'. A spray I was recommended by the barefoot trimmer lady and it works really well. I have used it on my own cuts as well! After treating with said spray, I covered the sole with cotton wool, wrapped a little clingfilm over it and over all that some vet wrap although only a thin layer. Then I put the easyboot hoof boots on which appear to have become a little too big now; just as well!

I shall see how they stay on when I return from work. The good thing about the easyboot gloves is that they are solely attached to the hoof. They do have a gaiter that fastens around the pastern but that is designed in such a manner as not to put any pressure on it, i.e. no interruption of circulation etc. Hopefully it keeps his feet dry for a few hours so they can start healing rather than having to unsuccessfully fight bacteria.

I guess it is the nature of the Thoroughbred that they are just not as resilient as other types of horses. Having said that, 'Mr F' overall is a strong horse and has no other issues.

Oh, except for the biting lice infestation he seems to have every year come winter. While on previous years I applied various powders, none of them seems to have worked, nor did shampoos. So I just got hold of a 'Coopers Fly Spray Plus' bottle and applied that (after testing for allergic reaction first) and I couldn't find any new nests of the critters (little itchy bumps on the skin).

His rather fluid rear end business has also returned back to normal. Not entirely sure what was the cause of it ... perhaps adding Calendula flowers to his meals or the load of lush grass he ate on our walks. I cut down the lush grass eating and we have run out of the flowers. 

But he has a new favourite treat, and so do I: sunflower kernels and pumpkin seeds. It's our snack when we go out walking and adding some sunflower kernels to his feed makes him eat slowly, rather than gulping it all down. 

Here's hoping the boots stay on during the day.

Why Do We 'Have' Horses?

Today was a cold day with intermittent rain showers, some of which were quite heavy at times but luckily only very short.

Still, overall the weather was of the bleak kind although that depends on the perspective of the observer. I do like all type of weather although what the management of other beings concerns, it's a little bit of a different story, depending on settings / circumstances.

Just as I was to go and get 'Mr F' for an evening walk, the skies opened up and it poured it down.

While 'Mr F' has all the gear he needs for more or less any type of weather, my weather suitability is lacking behind. I have yet to chase after some suitable 2nd hand gear in preparation for the oncoming winter season. Especially more high visibility gear and warm gloves and boots. Watching the rain from the kitchen window I decided to cancel the walk, it was even colder than the previous day when I had gotten drenched already and I didn't fancy a repeat.

Upon arrival at the field I called for 'Mr F' and he promptly but slowly made his way towards me. He was eyeing me up while approaching, 'Mr F' has his own check list:

• 'Does she carry the lead rope?' 
• 'Does she wear hi-vis?' 
• 'Is she carrying that black container (thermos flask)?' 
• 'Is there a bucket with hoof boots?'
• 'Is there that padded cloth thing  (barefoot bare back pad) that goes on my back?'

If 'No' to all of the above than he knows we are not going out.


As he slowly continues his approach I use the opportunity to observe him closely and I too have my check list:

• Does he move evenly
• Are there signs for soreness
• Is his head bobbing more to one side or is it the usual rhythmic swaying from one said to the other (the first would indicate some soreness most likely in his legs or hinds / shoulders)
• How does he carry his tail, is he swishing his tail in an agitated manner (without horses behind him) and what are his ears communicating
• What is the 'quality' of his backside business ? Sometimes when 'Mr F' knows he is about to be taken out he likes to lessen his burden. If he for examples realises that a trip in the trailer is imminent, his rear end business is not as consistent as one might like. So what comes out at the back end is a very helpful indicator in understanding what might be going on inside the horse.
• How does his breathing sound, are there signs of coughing or mucus in his nostrils? He cannot be fed hay unless it's soaked so I have to take great care of his lungs.

The longer I spend time around 'Mr F' and the less my ever so noisy mind interferes with useless thoughts, the more do I understand the communication that is offered to me by 'Mr F' on so many varied levels. And of course this is the same language as all other non-human beings use. It becomes surprisingly simple once one lets go of thoughts and 'sink's into a state of just being. By this I do really mean to enter a state of just 'being' ... no thoughts but just observation. No opinions, no emotions but instead only facts and sensations. The scent of the fur, the scent and warmth from the breath exhaled by through the nostrils, the soft, velvety hair around the nose when they come and greet, the tingling that goes through ones body when gliding ones hands along the soft fur. None of this is emotion, but just sensation and its pure and innocent. It's enjoying to be.

'Mr F' wasn't in a great mood today, in fact after he had his feed he stood with me for a little while but didn't look his usual chirpy and wandered off when he realised that there definitely was not going to be a walk on the list (even though by now the rain had stopped). I admit that I by now had resigned myself to going back indoors and prepare my dinner. I was tired, cold and hungry.  There is one area of concern while 'Mr F' has not got access to a stable: his feet. Being a TB he isn't the most resilient of beings so he does need a little extra care. I do apply 'Field Paste' and 'Sole Paint' invariably at least twice a week to the entire underside of his hoof. The frogs on his back feet are always better than those on his front. Looking at the underneath of his front hooves, there seems to be an imbalance in as much as the frog isn't exactly in the middle. He's had that once before but then it had grown out again.

We have to see how things develop, I guess it is time for another body check by Neill.

And so, looking at this beautiful being, right there in front of me I keep wondering again: why do we have horses? 

What is it that gives us the desire/motivation/urge to keep these divine beings captivated?  

I look back at the very beginning, when I spent weeks pondering over whether or not to look after 'Mr F', when nobody else wanted him. There was something deep inside my 'gut' that let me know that this is what I had to do. It was meant to be, like so many things in our life are, may they be good or bad. I had my fair share of bad but the worse the circumstances had been, the more I evolved. Also, who is to judge what is good and bad? In the end it is all thoughts in our minds, those pesky thoughts, made up, fed into us by parents and everyone else. And so we learn to desire, to want, to achieve, to be the best, the most famous, the most attractive, the .....iest at or of whatever. Failing that we then develop anger, frustration, depression ... make each other feel guilty etc etc etc. Where am I going with this? 

Well, back to my original questions: what are the reasons that make us want to have a horse?

Is it because we want to ride?

Is it because we want to control (or attempt to do so) something that is still semi-wild (compared to dos who are much more domesticated) ?
Is it because we want a challenge, because we want to play daredevil?

Is it because we expect them to fill a gap in our lives / existence?

Is it because we want to impress ourselves/others (like some do with fancy cars)?

Is it because we want to be part of an 'upper class' group?
Or is it because there is something that attracts us to these beings but we don't know what?

I cannot see any reason why nowadays we have to have a horse unless it is for pure pleasure and enjoyment. We don't need carriages anymore, we don't need horses to plough our fields or work mill stones or drag logs back from the woods and we don't have to hunt for our food anymore either. So any partnership based on the pure survival of both (human needs horse to have food, horse needs human to have food) hardly exist anymore.

These partnerships of old are rare nowadays, or have they just changed?

What about games such as Polo? What about those amazing achievements in categories such as freestyle dressage, or even stunt riding? These are perhaps new forms of partnerships, no longer for survival as such but well, for entertainment and because we can. 

Still, even with the above it seems in the end a very one sided aim ... to win and to be the best, just because we can, not because we need to (well I guess some do as it is a way to earn money - i.e. horse racing etc).

 
Whichever way I look at it, it all comes down to us wanting /needing to control the animal - the horse - for our own desires.

So then our reasons are of a selfish nature. I am not judging this to be bad or good. More and more do I want to come away from having opinions because having an opinion will trap me and those concerned straight away and most likely taint any further outcome of matters. Just as much as most thoughts are fake and made up and cause for so much unnecessary torment just as much as our never-ending urge to judge and criticise ... that too traps us and the object of our frustration.

These are all observations. Witness accounts if you so wish. I lack the words here really, perhaps there aren't any. Words mean different things to people, this too I have learnt.

I spend a considerable amount of time observing insects and other small creatures with my macro photography, a favourite pass time of mine during spring and summer when all of nature bursts back into live, doing what nature does, existing, by continuing the life-cycle.

Nature is very matter of fact, there is no drama, there is life and there is death. All that comes into being will sooner or later cease to exist. Everything, by default, is perfectly balanced yet ever changing. All we humans need to know is right inside ourselves and all around us. The intelligence all around us is infinite and infinitely more so than our 'own' perceived knowledge can ever be. Nature / universe / god / its all one and the same. Why go and look for it out there, why chase something 'mysterious' when we in fact are it. Everyone of us and all of us. One.

As a child I used to talk to stones and plants (and I sometimes quietly still do) and I was convinced that they understood, well now, some 40+ years later I may just come to realise that they may have done. And I still touch stones and trees and plants and enjoy the sensation of it.

From my observations, children up to the age of about 3 are so beautifully innocent and very matter of fact. When they see a dead animal on the road they don't make a drama at that age. All they see is an object on the ground that doesn't move. I remember well that once on a hike with my grandparents (I may have been around 5 or 6 years of age) I found the parts of the jaw of a marmot. It was those long yellow-orange teeth that interested me. There was still some flesh on the bones and to the shock of my grandmother I picked it up and was about to stick it into my pocket. I wanted to take it home and clean it so I could see those teeth a little better. My grandfather, with a big grin on his face, offered me his handkerchief and said: "wrap it into this before you stick it into your pocket." Now I was allowed to take it home, in my jacket pocket.
I couldn't wait to get back home and to scrub off all that fleshy matter on the bones. Not once was I sad or thought; "oh it could have been a mummy marmot and some poor little young ones are dying somehwere." To me it just was something once alive that now was dead. Very simple. Likewise it would never occur to me to kill something either. At that young age our minds are not poisoned, yet.

And so, in a bit of a roundabout way, coming back to the horses: 

The more I observe and witness and become aware of this vast intelligence right inside and all outside 'us' the easier it becomes to communicate with nature.
But as soon as my mind interferes it all disappears. At least now I 'know' and am observing my mind closely when it is getting too noisy again.

Much of the communication with 'Mr F' is via the eyes. He has such wonderful eyes and when he opens up the depth of them is invite.
And that is what drew me to 'Mr F' straight away. I didn't want to look after him because I wanted a horse or because I wanted to ride. It took me several more months before we went on our first short ride. The reason I took him on was because deep inside my 'gut' there was a 'knowing' that I had to take him on, that this was all part of a bigger plan of which we don't know the aim.

I was so drawn to this creature who seemed to eye me up and 'stalk' me every time we met in the field, more or less right from the start, even when he within wasn't in a good place. Or perhaps that was why? Both of us were in not very pleasant situations in our lives back then. You see, sometimes perhaps we meet beings that are not what we think they are. I rarely look upon him as a horse.

Perhaps 'Mr F' picked me, perhaps that is how it is meant to be. If he wouldn't have turned up when he did I probably would not be in England still now, but instead back in Switzerland, where I was born.

So, why did you pick your horse?

Close one!!

It was yet another long day at work but I managed to get it done in time so that even after driving home I still had enough daylight to go on the daily evening walk with 'Mr F'.  We are still blessed with dry weather and only a little rain in between. Hopefully it continues like this, at least while I am without stable for 'Mr F'.

I have invested in a laptop so that in winter I can go and sit with him in the stable for a little in the evenings. Quite often I used to take my paperwork into the field where they were grazing, working in the presence of these animals is very relaxing and 'eye opening'. The fresh air, the views, the sound of the birds, the humming of all that buzzes and the rhythmic chewing all contribute to a peaceful environment which seems to be full of ideas.

The more I spend time with 'Mr F' the more we trust one another. I guess it is a case of just 'knowing' ... sometimes the 'barrier' of human / horse is just a physical one. People think of me as odd for saying these things but it is what I withenss and observe.

And today I had great proof of just how much 'Mr F' trusts ... 

As I got home I went to fill my thermos flask with tea, got changed, said hello to the 'Maggies' (housemate) dogs and went up to the field to get 'Mr F'.

I saw him on the otherside of the little stream, lazily grazing in the later afternoon autumn sunlight. Not wanting to loose daylight time I called him as I walked up. As usual, his head turns upon hearing my voice, trying to figure out where I am and what I might be wearing. (yes, he knows, if i turn up with hi-vis stuff it always means 'we go out'.) Once he saw me he made his way over to me. 

But he had a little surprise in store: as he slowly (very slowly!) made his way down the slope and over the towards the short bridge that leads over the bigger of the two streams in there, he stops and looks at me again. I call him once more, somewhat hoping he'd hurry up a little. 

He made a few more slow strides, then looked at the ground in front of him 'what is he doing now?' I thought.  Then he suddenly made a huge jump (way to exagerated!) over the 2nd much narrower stream (I can easily step accross it) and came cantering up to me! This was a surprise as he has made such a fuss about jumping over this tiny stream! 

He looked so pure when he came running up, the golden late autumn afternoon sunlight was highlighting his entire body in a play of shadows, animated by the movement of his muscles. It was a sight to behold! These are moments of pure bliss, nothing else. Just standing there, witnessing this beautiful being move.

'Mr F' seemed VERY pleased with himself when he arrived. He ran right up to me and stopped dead at arms length. We greet each other by our noses ... something I noticed them do all the time when they meet each other or return back into the pasture. It's their way of 'shaking' hands but with much more information. I have said this before somewhere here in this blog next time you go see your horse, don't straight go for the touching ... greet it like they greet each other, by exhaling air out of your nostrils, gently, just as they do. When I did this the first time they seemed a bit surprised but ever since I do this even with horses I don't know although there I am of course careful because not all may like 'me' as  being, just as they not always see eye to eye for reasons known only to them.

Very keen on going out of course 'Mr F' as usual holds down his head so that I can easily put the head collar on. Bear in mind I am only 5 feet and he is some 16+ hands he has to lower his head quite a bit.

That is something I am quite keen on all horses doing that I deal with. To me it means that they are relaxed (otherwise their heads will remain straight up just like they do when they see something that bewilders them) and willing to be handled by me. 

And so off we went on our evening stroll. As always, we meet various people, some in their cars, all waving and smiling at 'Mr F'. 

The sun had began to set behind the hills and it was time to return. 

Back at the house - which is opposite and at the bottom end of their field, with the main road in between - I loosely tied 'Mr F' to a piece of baler twine that was attached to a quite old log store. However, to stop the dogs from jumping out there was a make-do gate - a wonky wooden frame with chicken wire spun accross it. The baler twine was going through the chicken wire of this make-do gate and then attached to that afore mentioned log store. There is a reason why I am explaining this in detail ... 

I made 'Mr F's food while he was patiently waiting on the drive and outside the entrance to the small garden, all of about 15 meters from the quite busy main road.

It was time for hoof maintenance so I while he was busy eating I dealt with his feet. All went fine as usual, then i want to work on the front feet. I picked up his left front foot to clean it. 

  Unfortunately, 'Mr F' does have the enoying habbit of sometimes 'snatching' it away and he did so today. I waited until he had his legs sorted out again proberly (as in: him being squared up) and proceeded to continue with that one leg I had started working on. Suddenly he began fidgeting, something he never does when I work on his feet ... 'what is the matte ....'  and at that moment I saw that somehow he managed to get the long lead rope behind his other front foot but by now the rope was taut and 'Mr F' in mild panic continued to reverse of all things!

  Suddenly there was a 'crack!' Then something hit me on the head and back followed by the clattering sound old dry wood hitting the tarmac.

  The wonky gate was now stuck to the rope and 'Mr F' was trying to get away from it but of course couldn't. It all happened so fast, all I saw what the long lead rope dissapearing in front of me like the loose chain of a heavy anker that is being thrown over board of a ship in a strom. I just managed to grab the end bit of it and so hoping that he wouldn't run into the road in panic! 

"Stop. Stop!" I called out, trying everything to stay calm while my heart was pounding. Then suddenly, 'Mr F' stood still, as I had asked him. He realised that he couldn't sort this out and that he had to wait for me but he was NOT happy about this 'neglect' of things and made quite sure to express this by the look on his face;  he does tell stories with his expressions and this one was the story of 'oh this human, doesn't she know better than to expose me to this.'

While proceeding to calm him down I realised that he actually was quite calm by now and that it was I that needed to settle, my heartrate must have trippled by the thought of him reversing backwards into the road, dragging that wonky gate behind him while at the same time trying to escape from it.

'Mr F' watched me while I was clearing up the aftermath of this little event. I showed him everything, the broken off part of the wood which still had the baler twine attached and the wonky gate which was surprisingly still intact. There was a bit of snorting about the gate but quickly 'Mr F' deemed it to be safe now that it was no longer attached to his lead rope.

I continued with the hoof care and all was quite clam, although 'Mr F' was eyeing me up just in case I expose him to yet something else carelessly! After letting him eat a little more grass I lead him up to the others. As mostly the case, after 'Mr F' has had a little snooze with his head near mine he then wanders off with 'Kitten'. That is the opportunity for 'Tolka' to come and ask for some grooming. He is quite an affectionate young horse and has very warm eyes, which are yet still open and trusting.

Well, this was a close one!

Autumn Tidings

Autumn is once again knocking at the doors, announcing its arrival with the first chilly day with temperatures not climbing above 12 degrees Celsius. As though this isn't enough of a reminder of what is to come, rain present most of the day accompanied by a chilly breeze. So altogether it felt quite a bit less than the thermometer reported.

As every year, it is this time when many horse owners check the weather forecast frantically - 'Do I need to have the rugs on or off?'

On this note: the growths of the winter coat is connected with the shorter days. I had noticed quite him loosing his summer coat quite early this year, as early as July in fact. I noticed his fur growing thicker gradually.

The changeover time is always a little tricky as the sunny intervals are still very warm. At the beginning of my journey with 'Mr F' this rug topic was driving me crazy! At the time I had been working from home so it was OK to run out at lunchtime taking the rugs off when the warm sun decided to come out after all. 

But circumstances change and I have learnt a fair bit and observed. One thing has become clear, I rather have the horse a little chilly for a day or two than having it sweat inside a rug. At least if they are a little chilly they can run around to warm themselves up. But if they are too hot they cannot take their rugs off.

This year I have not yet felt the need to put his rugs on while in previous years I probably would have. If it would be 10 or less and raining all day yes he'd be out there with his lightweight rug now but as the sunshine is still warm when it does appear I rather leave him be.

There is still amble food available and 'Mr F' is keeping his weight. He is also not yet showing the 'I am desperate for food' signs which in previous years he had. In fact I recall that where we had been before he would by now be in a pasture of very little grass and already fed soaked hay to add to his feed.

His feet will need special attention this year as his pasture circumstances are different. He is now on soft ground 24/7. I am so very grateful that we have so far had a very dry late summer / beginning of Autumn. Let's hope it continues this way!

Eventually 'Mr F' will be moved to a different pasture where he has access to a stable at night, together with probably 'Luke', not sure yet. He has not been stabled at night before so that will be interesting to see how it affects the health of his frogs, perhaps they will fare better than they have so far. Wet winters when their feet are stuck in inch deep mud is always a struggle. Mud fever, rain scald, disintegrating frogs ... and so on.

Overall 'Mr F' seems to be changing still, I feel closer as a being to him than ever before. It isn't a 'human & horse' situation, its just to beings joining together.

We still go on our walks, enjoying the beautiful autumnal sunsets when the landscape is soaked in the golden, warm light. Spring and Autumn are my favourite seasons.

'Mr F' is completely trusting me, so much so that when we have to deal with traffic I indeed have to observe every of my moves and how they affect his because he blindly trust me to lead him where he is safe. The route from the house (where he is often fed when we return from the walk as all his tack is there too) to the field requires us to go along the busy main road going through the village. 

As the field is at the end of the village, the speeds the cars travel at even though there is a '30' sign is quite staggering at times. School busses,  tractors, 4x4 with rattling trailers, home delivery vans and loud motor bikes, nothing seems to bother 'Mr F' nowadays. If I stand still he just waits right next to me, looking at whatever I am looking at. As the verge is also quite covered by bushes, oncoming traffic cannot always see us until they are more or less on same level. So in most cases, they wiz past at high speeds. 'Mr F' simply and very patiently stands to my side and waits for me to move.

He generally seems quite content apart from the occasional 'Victor Meldrew' moments. (Victor was a very grumpy old character in a British sitcom called "one foot in the grave").

Oh, for some reason, his so far well fitting hoof boots are starting to twist on his back feet. It appears it is time to re-measure his hooves. There is a new, even simpler to fit hoof boot out, perhaps I give that one a try.

It's time to upload some photographs as well when I get a little more spare time. For now text will have to suffice.

Old routine In a new place

It was time for the Vet to come and administer 'Mr F's yearly flu vaccination as well as his six-monthly teeth check-up.

While the vaccination is a matter of seconds, the teeth do require a little longer. 'Mr F' is very VERY good at having his teeth done. Each time I watch the procedure I am astounded just how he puts up with it. The most scary part about the entire procedure surely must be this huge metal jaw-opener! When I saw it the first time I nearly left the stable ...

But going back to the appointment; I did inform the Vet that this time there won't be access to a stable like there was before. Although I did suggest that I could walk over to where we resided before and use one of the stables there.  The Vet said it was OK, as long as it didn't rain we didn't need the stables.

Prior to the Vet's arrival I was pondering where best to have 'Mr F's teeth done. It was not really ideal in the field with the others and the traffic with a crossroad right where the gate is. Then there were the other two horses in the field and knowing 'Tolka' he would probably try and stick his nose up 'Mr F's opened mouth, just to see what it was all about.  But it was 'Kitten' that sometimes does take off in fright if there is some 'dodgy' (loud and rattling) traffic going past. I thought it was unlikely that 'Mr F' would remain still with the Vet working on his teeth while the other two would make off in fright.

The other option was to work on 'Mr F' where the house is, on the drive.

What we landed up doing in the end was that we took 'Mr F' into the entrance part of the field where they had been right at the of arrival. He was a little suspicious of the big horse trailer (again!) and even more so when he saw the Vet emerge from her car, in her outfit and with her tools.

But like all the times before, even in new and open surroundings, 'Mr F' was a star and let us work on his teeth without troubles. It was a matter of about 20 minutes and all was done. He proceeded straight away to eating grass.

Once more I am grateful for him having become such a calm horse.
And whenever he isn't quite sure about the situation he does eye me up ... as if to see whether I was OK with what is going on. I do have quite some responsibility now with this big and wise gentleman; he pretty much blindly trust me ... quite dangerously so at times, when all sense of self-preservation seems to have left his head!

Next on the list is a blood test, 'Mr F's not yet had one done since he is with me and I find it is necessary to see if all is functioning OK still, which I am pretty sure it is.