A couple of scruffs!

It's been a wet couple of days, yesterday being particularly miserable, so not a lot done with the horses.
I've started doing some stretching exercises with Remy and today we had a relaxing session in the barn, followed by a general tidy-up as he's looking quite scruffy coming out of winter.
Jim took a pic, and in fact, he certainly doesn't look as scruffy as me!!

Yee haa!

I rode Remy to the school again today and we had a lunge session at walk and trot. The trot is finally startng to come now. He's starting to relax and stretch into it and get a much better rhythm. After the session I rode him back down the lane and then on again up the track, this time past the haylage bales which he had a good look at, but then stood calmly. He walked out really nicely on the way back home and it felt great.

We then took Bonbon to the school for her lunge session.
We tacked her up in the barn, including the saddle, and as soon as we put it on she objected to it. We kept it on and started walking her up the field to the school, but for whatever reason she was having none of it and started yeehawing about and nipping at her side. I unbuckled the girth to see if anything was scratching her and decided to carry it up to the school. She then walked up fine.
Once in the school she was a little lively, but soon settled into a nice walk stride and we worked around the school using long sides and circles on both reins. We then put the saddle back on and she was fine with it so we had another five minutes on each rein before finishing on a good note. Little madam - she's a sweetie really!

Sunshine!!

It's been a glorious day, sunny and warm.
I rode Remy up to the school, we had a lunge session and then I rode him back and on up the track. Jim came on foot and we were out for about 20 minutes. The neighbours were loading up a big white van on the outward journey and we met it on the lane coming back, but Remy took it all in his stride. We stopped and chatted to the neighbour and I was so pleased with his quiet calm behaviour.
We then took Bonbon to the school for a short lunge session, moving her around the school, long sides and circles asking for walk halt transitions. To finish I brought the step over and leant over her back on the saddle, patting her on both sides and putting a little weight into the stirrup. What a good girl.
The weather's so nice I may mow the lawn - or then again, I may ride Corky this afternoon, I had a very short lunge session with her yesterday and was quite pleased how easy and relaxed she looked..

Well, after a disastrous day yesterday (breakdown on the motorway - car now in bits in the garage awaiting devi (gulp)) we've started the week in good form.
This morning I started with a short in-hand session with Bonbon as she was the only one standing, the other two snoozing. We concentrated on walk and halt transitions and keeping relaxed through her head and neck. It was a bit blustery and she was a good girl.
Remy was up and munching by the time I'd finished with Bonbon so had a short session with him in-hand. He's getting (and keeping) the relaxation through the neck now, he's keeping good forward momentum and moving his quarters and shoulders really well. His reinback was great today, really straight and fluid, followed by immediate walk on with a lovely long stride.
Finished with a hack out on Corky. She seemed tired today. It may be that  now she's on her own with the youngsters she's not getting as much rest overnight - I don't know. She livened up a bit on the way home ( comme d'habitude) and was striding out (figuratively speaking, for Corky) by the time we arrived back.

Thanks all...

... for the lovely comments.
We're getting on getting on here and after being pretty subdued, the horses seem to be  returning to normal too.
I've really enjoyed riding Corky the last three days. I'm aiming to get her fit ( I know, I've said it before) so that she'll be up for some hacking out with Remy, but also because I want to hack out with some friends - and, she needs to be fitter. It was a lovely ride today, about 40 minutes at walk and she was so focussed and sensitive, with some lovely stretching, a good walk stride ( for Corky) and some really precise halts off the seat ( helped by my stash of carrots). I always say it, and I always mean it - she makes me smile!!

Anky

Anky died yesterday.
She was a beautiful, sweet horse with tremendous spirit, a constant challenge, but with the capacity to bring great joy.
She's gone now and free from pain but she'll stay in my heart forever.

A little sunshine to brighten the spirit

We've had that in reality and figuratively speaking today.
It's gloriously sunny, and it seeps into you and warms you from the inside out.
My babies have given me plenty to smile about.
The trailer's still hitched up in the yard from collecting the unit the other day so before my session with Rem, I took him out for some trailer training. We'd left the training a good few months back with both Remy and Bonbon loading on, standing for a few minutes and then walking off. Today, I asked him to walk on, stand quietly as I put up the breast bar and then Jim raised the back ramp. He was fine and it was all done with quiet, confident acceptance. Chuffed!
Our session was good.I wanted to ride him up to the school, so Jim walked alongside and it was fine even though a couple of cars came towards us, they stopped just ahead of us and we walked past without a problem. We had a short in-hand session with the bridle (first time in a while) and I moved him around the school, asking for a nice stretch forward and a soft feeling in the hand. He setted to it well and we got some nice circles with even bend, some shoulder in and some reinback with a low neck. I finished by riding him back down the lane, home.
When we got back, I told Bonbon how well Remy had done in the trailer, so, of course, she had to show me how clever she was too. To be honest, I was never in any doubt that she'd oblige and she walked on the trailer without a second look and stood quietly as I raised the breast bar and Jim closed the back ramp. While she was having a good sniff around, Jim opened the jockey door and I stepped out for a minute or two, leaving her in there alone. Then she waited calmly as I lowered the breast bar and we walked quietly off the front ramp. Although it's a while since we've done any trailer training, it's obviously sunk-in and they're happy with it all. The next step will be to have them in there with the motor running.

Une petite promenade

I had a good session with Remy today. We walked up the lane to the school and had a short in-hand session. He's beginning to be more consistently relaxed through his head and neck now, keeping a nice stretch forward. We had a really nice giravolta on each rein, some nice shoulder-in, both on the circle and down the long side and some rein-back to walk on, followed by a couple of rein-back to trot. He's coming a little softer in the trot on the lunge, starting to get the relaxation we're getting in the walk. He falls on his inside shoulder on the right rein trot and it's difficult to keep his shoulder up and out and so get a relaxed inside bend. Today, I practiced one or two rein-back to trot and then asked him to lift and yield his shoulder in walk and then ask for the trot transition. He seems to find it funny that I'm trotting along beside him, but we got a few nice, balanced steps. I couldn't resist a sit-on at the end of the session so I rode him back down the lane, with a litte diversion up the track to chat with our neighbour.
Anky's still miserable this morning. She was unsettled last night, but ate some hay and a little feed this morning. She's at the bottom of the garden today ( a little change of scenery) and although she's been lying down, she's been eating a little grass too. It's been so nice today they've all had a little snooze in the sunshine.

Obi and Anky and the Vets

It's been a bit of a stressful day. Obi went off to the vet first thing for his tumour removed. The vet said to ring after lunch to see if we could pick him up. As it turned out, she rang us at 11.30 to say we could, if we wanted, pick him up immediately as he 'doesn't settle here'. The reality of it was, he was howling the place down and they'd had enough of him. He came home bright as a button, big relief all round.
The vet came to see Anky. I'd booked him for a full work-up for the beginning of next week, but Anky's been so down with very little improvement over the last few days, I rang him this morning and he came over immediately. A friend came over for support and I couldn't appreciate it more. Not only is she very caring and supportive, she's also very knowledgeable, the perfect person to have around at times like this. A big thank you Andrea!
Anky was sedated and then the vet perfomed a rectal exam, an internal and external ultrasound, checking ovaries, uterus, large and small intestine. He took a blood sample and a peritoneal tap, all to be sent off for analysis.
He discovered fluid around the large intestine and ceacum, and thickening of the wall of the small intestine. Possible indicators of inflammation and/or infection. I really hope that the blood test and tap can lead us to a more definitive answer. He's left me with an anti-inflammatory/painkiller and at least this should make her more comfortable.

Trimming and trailers

It's been a busy couple of days. Yesterday we had a visit to the vet with Obi, another check-up and to assess a little growth on his foot, which the vet says is a tumour and has to be removed. Only a little operation, but still a general anaesthetic. He's booked in for thursday.

Gareth, our trimmer came this morning and they're all doing well, even Anky who has great feet ( still a puzzle considering how many problems she's having at the moment), good growth and good quality hoof.
This afternoon we went to pick up a kitchen unit and I had my first go at pulling the trailer (gets used for everything except transporting horses!!), even a little reversing, so was quite pleased with myself. It would be nice to have a horse to ride - and somewhere to go with it!