Silly Teddy!

Teddy has had a visit from the vet this week.  Now Teddy is very clever as you all know but he managed to head butt the wall in his stable the other day! Silly Teddy we all thought. 

Teddy is a little embarrassed and refuses to discuss this with anyone. The vet had to come out to see him and Teddy looks like a boxer!  He has had some stitches above his eye and now seems to be constantly frowning at us all. Nicky says it is just swelling which will go down and soon Teddy will look like his normal again. 

Teddy showing off his stitches

Teddy is a bit cross because he has to stay in now for a week or so.  He can’t go out in the field until his cut has all healed up and the stitches are taken out.  He has been out each day though for a walk and had some grass. The vet is coming back soon to check on Teddy and take out the stitches so hopefully then Teddy will be back to his happy self again!

Sunny Ride and Lead

On one of the recent sunny days the stables staff took a group of horses out for a lovely ride.  I heard afterwards from the horses that they all had a great time going through the woods and along the road.

Richard and Nicky both took two horses each; I've mentioned before this thing called 'ride and lead', which means one horse gets ridden and the other goes along beside it.

Ride and Lead

Some of the horses here are good friends with each other so they like going out like this together. Hendrix and Bertie went together and so did Duchess and Jack. I would like to have a go at this one day but I am not sure I would be able to keep up with any of the others!

My Spring Bath!

Hi everyone, I have lots to tell you all. 

Last week we had a couple of really lovely warm sunny days.  Me and all the other horses and ponies thought spring might finally be arriving, but the warm weather tricked us and only lasted a few days.  We all thought it was time to begin losing our winter coats and have begun moulting!

I had a lovely bath one day which has helped me to feel good.  There is nothing like being clean and shiny, although I wouldn't want to have a shower every day like humans do. 

After my bath!

Mind you, humans don’t need to have natural oils in their coat to help to keep them warm like us horses do. Anyway, I am feeling great and also looking pretty fabulous if I do say so myself!

... if I do say so myself!

Guest Blogger Duchess 2: A Very Exciting Day

Pilgrim: Last Sunday something really exciting happened to Duchess and Henry!  I have asked Duchess to explain, so over to her Ladyship...

Duchess: Hello everyone I have been asked to tell you about the great time Henry and I had on Sunday.  We were both groomed really well on Saturday and the arena had been levelled and watered so we had a slight inkling that something exciting might be going on. Then on Sunday morning Nicky arrived really early with her friend Emily, and they fed Henry and myself and groomed us AGAIN! Something was definitely going to happen.

Over the past few weeks Nicky had been practising riding me and Henry, and we were about to find out why.  Henry had plaits put into his mane and I had my feathery legs and lovely long mane and tail brushed out.  Suddenly outside the stables we heard hoof beats which we didn't recognise, how exciting!

Nicky tacked Henry up and took him outside, he was gone for about half an hour and when he came back he said with  a slightly surprised voice that he had just done his first ever dressage test in front of a judge! Now I also have never done dressage before but I am happy to try anything new so when my tack was put on I was quite excited.

Nicky got on me and we went to the outdoor arena to warm up.  We practised my paces and standing really still.  There were some other horses also warming up who were strangers and some of them were behaving as though they were a bit excited and showing off!

I just got on with my work in the usual way as I always like to try to do my best for whoever is riding me. Soon it was my turn to go and perform for the judge. In we went and after the judge rang the bell I was off, showing my lovely paces and behaving myself beautifully as usual.

Showing my lovely paces

It was all over quite quickly but I did get a big round of applause when I did my final halt and Nicky saluted to the judge.  I returned to my stable feeling very happy that we had performed well.  I had a word with Henry about his test and he was a little overexcited about the whole thing. He said he had also met some strangers in the warm up and had wanted to go and say hello and bounce around with them but Nicky had just asked him to concentrate on the job in hand!  Henry is quite young and not quite as sensible or experienced as me; Nicky said he was a little bit like a teenager at their first disco!

My Final Halt

Nicky soon came back into the stables and she had two rosettes in her hand and a little trophy!  I was amazed to have won my class and Henry was very excited to have been placed second!  Of course he now thinks he knows it all and will be able to compete at the next Olympics!

My Rosette and Trophy

I have explained that we only did an introductory test which is for horses who haven’t done dressage before but he has been telling Bertie and Jack how fabulous he is.  We need to bring him back down to earth! When we go out into the field tonight I shall gently remind him that I am the girl in charge.

Henry's Rosette

2015's First Horse Weekend

We have just had our first Horse Weekend of the year, we horses had a great time with all the visitors. Our guests had loads of fun with us horses and ponies and learnt lots of new skills.

They all had their own horse to look after and ride for the whole weekend, they got to muck out their horses’ stable and help to feed and groom them each day. They also helped to bring their horses in from the field first thing in the morning and put them back out each evening for a rest.

On the first day they all had a lesson and went out for a ride on the tracks.  Luckily the weather was quite good but everyone needed to wrap up warm.  Regular tea breaks were definitely needed to help to keep everyone warm and happy!

On the second day all the guests had another lesson and had a go at drill riding, which means that all the riders have to keep in line with everyone else.  In the afternoon there was a chance to show off all the skills they had been practising by riding their horse around an obstacle course. 

Everyone did really well at that. Henry who rode Brin all weekend had a bit of trouble with his riding boots; he couldn't work out which foot they should go on!  This meant it was really difficult to get them off when he had finished riding and it took four people to help him!

I am glad that doesn't happen with my shoes.  The farrier always knows which feet to put them on and he is also really good at taking them off, but he has had a lot of practice!  

A Pony Palace Just for Me!

I have been going out in the camping paddock to eat grass for a while now, and have been wondering why I am not turned out in my usual paddock next to Archery.

Rooster and Duchess came in from their field over the road the other day and told me lots of things are happening in my archery paddock.  A building has been put up and there is a big pile of earth. Duchess said she thought I wouldn’t be going out there for a while.

I thought I should ask Teddy if he knew what was going on; maybe I was having a brand new pony palace built in the paddock fit for a celebrity like me! 

The Pony Palace!

This turned out to be wishful thinking. Teddy said he had heard someone say that the workmen are actually putting in a biomass boiler. None of us know what this is exactly but Teddy thinks it is to do with keeping the centre nice and warm which is a lovely thing for all our guests.

I hope I will still have a little paddock left when they have done all the work.  Imagine cosying up to a boiler in the winter; that sounds lovely to me, I do like my home comforts. 

I think I will have to make sure that I get to keep that little paddock all to myself, I don’t fancy having to share it with any of the big horses!

Many Small People!

Last week we have had lots of small people here.  I felt quite big!  They were all from a local primary school in Shirwell. 

Some of them have horses and ponies of their own at home so they already knew quite a lot about looking after a horse and how to ride.  Those who had a bit of experience were very kind and helped their friends if they felt a bit nervous. 

Even one of the teachers had a go at riding.  He rode Rooster and said he enjoyed it but he thought Rooster was a very bouncy horse! Alice proved to be a very popular riding instructor with all the children.  They all had a great time.

Rooster

All the children helped to put out an agility course for me on the back yard.  It has been very cold this week but I still have my woolly winter coat and we shetlands are a hardy bunch, so I was fine.  The children all had to wrap up warm with coats and gloves on. Everyone had a practice first and then did a timed round of agility with me. 

Showing off my agility skills (and my woolly winter coat!)

Let me tell you I feel like I certainly earn't my hay that night!