Massie Lodge is under water. (Can you believe it?)
We had a deluge last night, over 30mls and it has been continuing today... much to the delight of all the horses who are now officially coloured mud brown. I have to laugh as I type this, as I look over my monitor in the study, I see that Joey has found herself a very nice muddy spot and had a beautiful roll right in a pool of watery mud - not to be outdone, Sunny and Gracie have followed her lead and have also enjoyed the delights of a mud bath. Here is the lovely Havachat after a downpour!
Our hospital paddock that we continually try and build up is a wading pool and we have had to move Cindy out of there as she was up to her fetlock in water. So after some more shuffling around, Oscar has been moved next to the boys and Cindy is now in the day yard next to Libby & Susie.
We are still not sure of our final configuation as Charliefarley comes home next week from Paul Moody. His report card is excellent and Charlie will be sent to Wadham Park in January in the next stage of his career before being vetted for Hong Kong.
A question that has been on my mind this year and after the very dry season that we have just had. Do horses forget how to graze (and be horses) when they have been handfed for long periods of time? I guess the question can be expanded to; do horses forget how to be horses in a paddock after being in work in the stable for a long preparation?
My first reaction to the first question is, yes. However, after seeing the Massie Lodge residents after the first lot of rain is that it doesnt take them too long to forget about lining up for a feed and get on with the act of grazing.
I have pondered the second question for quite some time after seeing horses arrive here from training stables. They are all tucked up, lean and really quite wound up emotionally. Of course, not all horses are the same and the time for let down is different dependent on the state of their "head".
Take Susie after coming home from her second last preparation. She was over the top, very skinny and very, very agitated. It took her at least 3 months to start to wind down and relax. After 3 months we noticed that she started to put some paddock weight on. To me that was an indication that in herself and her mind, she had finally relaxed. I think Joey was a bit the same (although not as bad as Susie was). Joey has come along way in a month and Iam confident that she will be a different horse by the end of January. I find Joey now to be a very quiet girl, happy in her surroundings with her mates and always looking for a cuddle.
Susie was a different horse when she came home from Paul this time in with her injury. In fact, she was missing her stable life for a period of time there and became quite agitated because her work and routine had stopped. After a period of re-adjustment, Susie learned her new routine and is very happy with her life (now that she has found Libby). I am dreading to think how she will be when Libby goes off to Noralla. AAArgh! One very unhappy mare again.
On the other hand, the trick is to know when they have had enough of doing nothing! lol
Well, the rain has stopped and all fly veils need to be collected and washed (so that they can see through them again!!). See, I get all the best jobs!
Helen.
We had a deluge last night, over 30mls and it has been continuing today... much to the delight of all the horses who are now officially coloured mud brown. I have to laugh as I type this, as I look over my monitor in the study, I see that Joey has found herself a very nice muddy spot and had a beautiful roll right in a pool of watery mud - not to be outdone, Sunny and Gracie have followed her lead and have also enjoyed the delights of a mud bath. Here is the lovely Havachat after a downpour!
Our hospital paddock that we continually try and build up is a wading pool and we have had to move Cindy out of there as she was up to her fetlock in water. So after some more shuffling around, Oscar has been moved next to the boys and Cindy is now in the day yard next to Libby & Susie.
We are still not sure of our final configuation as Charliefarley comes home next week from Paul Moody. His report card is excellent and Charlie will be sent to Wadham Park in January in the next stage of his career before being vetted for Hong Kong.
A question that has been on my mind this year and after the very dry season that we have just had. Do horses forget how to graze (and be horses) when they have been handfed for long periods of time? I guess the question can be expanded to; do horses forget how to be horses in a paddock after being in work in the stable for a long preparation?
My first reaction to the first question is, yes. However, after seeing the Massie Lodge residents after the first lot of rain is that it doesnt take them too long to forget about lining up for a feed and get on with the act of grazing.
I have pondered the second question for quite some time after seeing horses arrive here from training stables. They are all tucked up, lean and really quite wound up emotionally. Of course, not all horses are the same and the time for let down is different dependent on the state of their "head".
Take Susie after coming home from her second last preparation. She was over the top, very skinny and very, very agitated. It took her at least 3 months to start to wind down and relax. After 3 months we noticed that she started to put some paddock weight on. To me that was an indication that in herself and her mind, she had finally relaxed. I think Joey was a bit the same (although not as bad as Susie was). Joey has come along way in a month and Iam confident that she will be a different horse by the end of January. I find Joey now to be a very quiet girl, happy in her surroundings with her mates and always looking for a cuddle.
Susie was a different horse when she came home from Paul this time in with her injury. In fact, she was missing her stable life for a period of time there and became quite agitated because her work and routine had stopped. After a period of re-adjustment, Susie learned her new routine and is very happy with her life (now that she has found Libby). I am dreading to think how she will be when Libby goes off to Noralla. AAArgh! One very unhappy mare again.
On the other hand, the trick is to know when they have had enough of doing nothing! lol
Well, the rain has stopped and all fly veils need to be collected and washed (so that they can see through them again!!). See, I get all the best jobs!
Helen.
1 comment:
Good to see that the front of the house is green too. Both mowers will be kept busy for quite a time now.
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