Bye bye 2012

Well I'm hoping that as we eat our hay this evening and say bye bye to 2012 we might be saying bye bye to all the rain too. Here's hoping anyway!

Lynette and her Dad came down this evening to feed us and check we are all ok. I fear Lynette might be scheming a way to clean our legs of mud. The green snake is coming out each day but only to fill up our water buckets. I keep a beady eye on him but he seems to behaving and curls back up in his nest each evening.

Well it's been a big year for me this year, I've moved to my new home and started my qualifications to become a fully grown up riding pony. It's so exciting. I have a new best friend, Zippy, though I do miss my pals Dave & Vince. I wonder what 2013 will hold for me?

First priority is to help Lynette get better, then we will be able to resume our adventures together. I'd like to learn to jump, especially as Baby Brian seems to be doing so well at that. I'd also like go to out and discover what lies over every hill, Zippy has told me about places like the Cotswold water park and something called fun rides, so I hope 2013 will allow me to experience all of these things and more.

I'm one lucky pony, going to sleep tonight dreaming of my new adventures - in sunshine! Wishing all my pony friends and their humans a safe and happy new year xxx

Hay, hay, hay

Our bedrooms have held up well and Zippy and I have been trying to keep them clean for Lynette. Lynette's Dad came down this morning to give us more hay and water - yummy. We have decided to hang out on the yard, that's where all the hay is and to be honest there is only so much mud a pony can do and yesterday the muddy back garden did actually turn back into a Lake.

Lynette came down with two friends this afternoon, Max and Louise, they helped give us our tea and more hay and water. Benji was looking tired, it turned out Lynette and Benji had met 17 human friends and one dog friend for a walk around Lydiard Park - it's rolling chair friendly so they both had a great time. Think we will all sleep well tonight!

So many visitors, what a great day!

Well from one extreme to another - today we saw Lynette lots. She came down in the morning with Uncle Matt to hang up our Christmas presents - yummy! While Uncle Matt worked on the exact hanging position and dimensions, I had a test taste while all the Likit's were still in Lynette's lap, they are definitely very very yummy. Mine got hung up first and I have a boredom ball and a Likit now hanging from my bedroom ceiling, they are not so easy to lick now they are hanging up!

Zippy then had her Likit installed so because of our new open doors policy I thought it only polite to go in and taste test hers too - yummy cherry flavour. Zippy had her rug changed by Lynette while I was distracted playing with our new toys. We then got a late breakfast and tonnes of hay - it's a hard life!

To top off this wonderful day Lynette returned with Aunty Cathe later and overhauled our bedrooms. Lynette even helped sitting in her rolling chair in the middle of my room, with a poop scoop managing to clean it quite well. I'm really not sure she has read her loan agreement with the Red Cross (which is where she has hired hire wheels from) as I'm sure there must be a clause about restricted use. But as Aunty Cathe says - she doubts they would have thought of putting in a clause that states 'not for use in mucking out of stables'. Still we don't mind as we now have a lovely deep layer of clean straw to out our hooves up on!

Just can't decide on my favourite flavour, I can lick banana, apple or mint!

Dark days

I now understand why Lynette left our doors open, she didn't turn up til 5pm yesterday and was leaking all over us. I think not being able to do anything is really getting to her, I tried to tell her it was ok. But I'm not sure she was really listening. She just kept sobbing and apologising about the fact she couldn't muck us out and that we had horrible dirty stables and a horrible muddy field and we were filthy dirty.

She seems to forget that mud packs are highly beneficial for our skin so we don't mind being dirty at all. And to be honest we can forgive her everything else as we are getting lots of food and hay and water. Plus I am managing to sneak into the tack room when backs are turned to eat extra rations of carrots!

Didn't see Lynette at all today, that makes me sad, but her Dad has just come down and made sure we have everything we needed. So our tummies are full, hopefully we will see her tomorrow. Maybe our yummy Likit's Christmas presents will arrive too, keeping our hooves crossed.

Errr shutting the stable door please

Happy Christmas everyone, we got a great Christmas present each - Boredom breaker Likit's but because Lynette is still in the rolling chair we are having to wait for Uncle Matt to arrive before we can play with them as they need attaching to the ceiling of our bedrooms.

Lynette loves our Christmas Present, she was very excited and wanted to play with her camcorder straight away - it was to replace her broken one (by the way we didn't break it!) but Zippy and I forgot to order the SD card it needs to actually work (opps) so she now has to wait for the postman to bring her a card. Looking forward to being able to feature in more videos once the camera is up and running.

Bit confused this evening, the open doors policy that has been introduced recently to allow Zippy and I to come and go as we please from our rooms during the day - seems to have been extended to tonight as well??? Really not sure why we quite like being tucked up all warm and safe each night - now I have a breeze blowing through my room and no rug either - do you know how wet I got today. Though Lynette was quite impressed with how dry my tummy and neck were, she also reminded me the reason I didn't have a rug was because I broke it, oh and I've since broken my lightweight pyjamas too - let's hope it's stays mild for the rest of the winter, but preferably with less rain.

Lynette, please shut our doors tomorrow night it's chilly in here, mind you I can sneak into Zippy's stable and we could curl up together I guess - and I can eat all her hay too, ok so maybe this isn't such a bad idea!

Lynette's Christmas Present has arrived

It's sooo exciting. Lynette's Christmas Present has arrived today, we have wrapped it up and put it under the tree. All of us animals have contributed.

Zippy put the most in - she raided her piggy bank which was full of all her competition winnings from the old days. I donated the money Lynette has saved having me a fluffy Dales instead of Charlie huge, hungry and expensive to shoe competition horse. I've also promised to replenish the piggy bank with my winnings (err no pressure then!) when I'm old enough to compete - otherwise Zippy won't have enough to retire on and live out her old age in comfort.

Benji has been doing all the running around (like usual). The cats have saved money up by not eating as much and going out and catching the wildlife instead - though we did have to stop them when they caught and killed a robin - explaining that that was not in the spirit of Christmas!!!

I did have a sneak peek under the Christmas tree and I'm fairly sure Santa has arrived early and brought us pressies! Hurry up Christmas Day!!!!

Photos of the family

Another boring day of mud and hay, but I was greatly cheered to receive an email from my pals back in Wales who seem to be having much more fun.

I should introduce them properly Dave & Vince are my old field pals - well to be honest they are not old, they are a year younger than me, but we all hung out together as bestest mates - obviously I was top pony and was afforded hero status when they moved in with me. I think they were awestruck by my handsome good looks and knowledge of all things Dales.

I've trained them well and they now have the dubious pleasure of sharing their accommodation with Baby Brian who has recently left his Mum to move in with them, and so the circle of life continues and they are now training Brian in all things Dales.

This is not altogether successful as Brian thinks he's a show jumper obviously there is some miscommunication going on - but hey if Brian has jumping aspirations then I'm sure he'll make it to Olympia one day!


However training in eating and playing with everything seems to be making much better progress.


Brian has also discovered there is a forfeit if he doesn't do as he's told, the old cover the you in hay trick, it's a classic, makes me laugh every time! I think you'll agree that Dave and Vince have mastered the 'it wasn't us' look pretty much down to perfection.


Well time to turn in, thanks for the email boys brightened my day no end xxx

Open doors

High risk of flooding today meant we have been allowed to hang out on the yard and sleep in if we wanted to. Lynette brought Aunty Cathe down to help her this morning - well 10.30am, is that still morning? My tummy was rumbling by then. They mucked us out but left the bedroom doors open so we could go back to bed if we wanted to or wander into the very muddy flood plain that is the back garden...

Sadly I have been de-robed of my lightweight rug partly due to the mild weather mostly because I have managed to put a massive rip in it - it wasn't my fault, honest! I was playing twister last night and got all in a tangle. Legs and straps all got a bit twisted up and in my efforts to stay in my twister position and upright meant the rug stretched (err ok ripped) a bit! Still I won the game but it might have come at a high price as its raining AGAIN! Also in my defence the rug was a bit big and Lewis dressed me - though I'm sure that's not really relevant!

Not a lot else happening today so hay munching has been the key activity, wonder who will be helping Lynette tomorrow?

No longer in the Big field

Opps I think it might be my fault Zippy and I have been banned to the back garden - well with a little help from Lewis! Lynette decided Lewis could take us to and from the field one at a time. Monday and Tuesday evening Lynette came down to oversea the manoeuvres, with Zippy going home first and me having to wait for Lewis to come back and collect me.

I ran Lewis home quickly Monday evening, so Lynette never got to see my 'good' behaviour. However Tuesday evening she was quicker to lock up the field gate and witnessed me running circles around Lewis. Evidently this behaviour is not safe on the roads (even quiet single track lanes) especially when Lewis threw my lead rope around my neck so I could run down the drive to meet Zippy all on my own.

So we have found ourselves back in the back garden, in need of wellies.....

Hurrah finally back in the BIG field

The back garden is cool but we do have a serious lack of grass now. So I was very pleased when Lewis took me yesterday on my own down to the big field, well if the truth be told I probably took him! He thought he could keep up with me when I started running across the field to get to our field, opps he tripped, splat into the water logged grass - oh dear, just not as sure footed as us Dales, better luck next time Lewis.

What a wonderful day Zippy & I spent eating lots of real grass - not a drop of dry stuff in site. The team arrived en mass to collect us from the field. They all turned up in Lynette's Dad's car, which was parked up right next to the field gate so Lynette could take charge. This was after her Dad had cleverly extracted the broken key from the gate lock. This was disappointing because Zippy & I had been plotting the breaking of the key for months, as it means we have to walk through a really big field with more grass than one Dales pony and one Cob could ever dream of eating, and with Lewis leading us this means A LOT of quality snacking on the way to and from our field.

So with our plans in tatters Lewis led Zippy out of the gate and down the road back to our bedrooms, but leaving me behind. I was not happy, what about me? I didn't want to stay out on my own all night, tooooo scarey. After lots of running around and neighing and a bemused Lynette standing with her Dad watching me, Lewis arrived and walked me back home to Zippy.

Spending our evening plotting the demise of the next gate key, my vote is to eat it, but Zippy says that might involve a visit to a V.E.T. and in her experience that is never good! But we haven't thought of a better idea, yet......

All beautified

It's been a busy few days. Friday I had a pedicure and met Lynette's farrier, Shane. I wasn't too sure how qualified he was, so I did test him out a little by rearing while he trimmed my front feet. Disappointingly he didn't seem phased at all and just stood there with my front leg between his knees - so he quite clearly knows what he is doing, so I settled down and let him get on with his work. I now have a nicely trimmed set of hooves - and so does Zippy.

Saturday, Lynette's friend Sarah turned up to help muck us out. There was much discussion about whether Lynette would actually be able to mount Zippy so we could all go for a ride but discussions petered out and instead we were treated to a pampering session instead. Manes groomed, backs scratched and pig oil applied to our legs.

So with posh toes and shining coat Zippy and I headed into the back garden for a good roll and have some hay, I think the mud pack finished off the beautician weekend just perfectly!

Brrrrr again

Much to the dismay and disappoint of Uncle Keith and Aunty Mary, Lynette insisted on me going out in my winter coat, they say Dales have thick fluffy coats for a reason - which obviously all us Dales know. However Lynette is working on the theory that if she keeps me warm I can use that energy to grow instead and as I appear to be growing at the moment she may be right!

Guess we will never know!

Zippy has been very frisky today, she has been fawning over me all day, I'm not too sure why, maybe I look extra handsome in my winter coat? The attention got a little nauseating after a while but I tried to humour her as much as possible.

Didn't get to see Lynette today she has come down with a stinking cold on top of her poorly fetlock, so straight after work she got tucked up on he sofa, while we got tucked up in bed. Hope she's feeling better tomorrow.

Crispy Morning

Brrrrrrr I'm glad I had my thick pyjamas on last night super chilly. Woke up to a white morning, Lewis was down again this morning to change our rugs and I got a gold star (for a change). He decided to adopt a new strategy of changing our rugs before we are let out to breakfast.

Zippy was very naughty and decided to pin herself to one side of her stable and refused to move. It was an impressive display of stubbornness, but eventually Lewis won the day. Me, well I was pony perfection moving as requested, checking straps were done up properly - it's not Lewis's strong point but he is improving - with my help.

Lynette came down to chivvy Lewis up, he is very laid back and likes to take his time but he had an important meeting escorting 12 opera ladies on a narrow boat. Rumour has it I might be allowed to pull the narrow boat when I grow up. Especially at this time of year as they do lots of Santa trips and I might even get to dress up as a reindeer - watch out a rudolf!

Lynette goes solo

It was very, very late before we had breakfast this morning, but I think this was because Lynette was flying solo, and everything seems to take a lot longer in her rolling chair.

Zippy and I were really impressed Lynette was on her own, so behaved really well. Breakfast was served, Zippy had been put to bed in her outdoor pyjamas so didn't need them changing this morning; though I did need my night time pyjamas taking off as the forecast was dry and not too cold for the day. Lynette's getting very good at manoeuvring her wheels and managed to get my rug off and she also chucked hay out into our field over the yard fence.

She has a clever system of gates and ropes that means we can wander out to the back garden in our own time once we finish eating our breakfast.

The good thing about the back garden is its MUDDY so I can get a really good all over mud wrap without having to book in at the beauticians! I think it's a great look too, though I'm not too sure Lynette is so impressed but hey no tack needed for the next few weeks, so I'm making the most of the down time, bring it on mud glorious mud! Ohh I should add that song onto the music list!

Hmmmm not so impressed to find my bedroom hasn't been cleaned tonight, but as the rolling chair doesn't roll over my bed I guess I might forgive Lynette as I do poop right at the back of my room - hope it doesn't become a habit though!

Fun morning with Lynette

Had a lovely morning with Lynette. She turned up in her rolling chair with her friend Cathe. We were served breakfast and Cathe rubbed pig oil into our legs while Lynette gave me a nice groom.

We were turned out into the back garden while Lynette covered herself and her rolling chair in hay and straw trying to help Cathe tidy our bedrooms. She looked very happy to be down the yard.

This evening Lynette wheeled down and served us dinner in our rooms while her Dad helped put my pyjamas on. All tucked up now, what a lovely peaceful day xxx

Lewis arrived with reinforcements today!

Lewis arrived at his usual 8am start yesterday and gave Zippy and I our breakfast. By 8.30am Lynette had turned up in her rolling chair with her other employee Emily. Lynette soon had us and the yard organised as she wanted it, explaining to Lewis the complicated leg straps that are on my outdoor coat (it was due to be cold and wet), so she ensured we were ship shape and ready to go to our field.

While we were waiting for Zippy to get dressed Lynette and I had a lovely chat and she let me have a close examination of the rolling chair - June I think we may need more then one if we are going to convert it to horse use! (June is my Dales friend back in Wales - she has been making enquiries about using the rolling chair in the field so she just had to eat rather than walk and eat).

I also took a nibble on the hoof of her bad fetlock to check her reactions - well I have seen the farrier do that to our feet if they are poorly so I thought I should do the same - the reactions did indicate a poorly foot!

Lewis was asked to lead me to the field on my own - no Zippy - but I've done this before and Lynette was looking so I was on best behaviour, Lynette and Emily stayed with Zippy. I was left in the field while Lewis went to fetch Zippy and I didn't run around. So when Zippy arrived we settled to a lovely day of eating.

3.30pm Lynette surprised us both by turning up at the field in her rolling chair, with Emily, Benji dog and Lewis. Lewis was left in charge of me after I tried to pull Lynette out of her chair so I could get some grass - Lynette was not impressed and I figure I'm in for one hell of a hiding once she is back on her feet - but hey that's still weeks away!

So Lewis and I led the way home, with Emily pushing the rolling chair, Lynette leading Zippy and Benji attached to the chair and trying to pull them all along! It was nice to come home altogether and I went to bed smiling, wonder what tomorrow will bring.

The professionals arrived today!

I must have been bad yesterday because Uncle Keith and Aunty Mary turned up this morning to take us out. So we had little choice but to be on our best behaviour. Keith was struggling with our lead ropes though, mostly because Zippy & I had dragged them and Lewis through the wet and mud, what with the overnight freezing temperatures they were more like rods of iron then flexible bendy ropes, so it was entertaining to watch him try and tie us up.

Boy it was cold, I wonder if I can sack Lewis, he had only put my cotton sheet on brrrr and he didn't do it up properly so with a little bit of wiggling and rolling it had fallen off and I had trampled it into my bed (again). I think I should have been allowed my duvet last night so I'm going to file a complaint.

Zippy says I probably don't stand much chance of being successful in light of my recent behaviour and Lewis probably did it on accident to reek his revenge. Hmmmmm will spend this evening contemplating tomorrow's strategies.

Stressful day but happy ending

It was icy this morning so we didn't go out first thing. After my skating antics yesterday Lewis decided to take us out later and one at a time. But he didn't tell me that, all I saw was him disappearing off with Zippy. He had left me tied up so I panicked and broke free and was running around screaming for Zippy, she has never left me. My screams got some people's attention and then Uncle Keith arrived to calm me down, I had got in a right pickle.

Lewis returned and walked me down to be reunited with Zippy, it turned out Lynette had already been chauffeured off to Birmingham for a meeting so wasn't around to rescue the situation.

Lewis decided to try and bring Zippy and I up together this evening because of the mayhem of the morning but we both wanted to eat the grass verge so he really struggled because as soon as he got one of us walking the other dived for the grass. Eventually we were dragged up and put to bed.

However I had a lovely surprise this evening as Lynette turned up on the yard in a very special rolling chair. Dave the lodger had to push her down, as she hasn't passed her driving test yet. She gave me lots of strokes as well as a big lecture on behaving - opps. Zippy was very ashamed of herself and after a quick stroke on the nose hid in her stable all apologetic. I wasn't very ashamed of my behaviour but I was very subdued and butter wouldn't melt in my mouth while Lynette was there. I enjoyed having my chin rubbed and it was sooo lovely to see Lynette, going to sleep with a smile on my face tonight x

To teach or to test?

Zippy and I have conferred on our best strategy to train Lewis, our TEMPORARY handler. Zippy thinks we should be constructive and helpful, I'm much more for testing the young chap out and seeing what we can get away with!

In the end after much bickering we have agreed to adopt our own strategies. So Zippy is being miss goody two hooves, standing still for her rugs to be changed and quietly walking up and down the lane - though it was determined that it was too icy to go down today (I pretended to do lots of ice skating and that put Lewis off taking us down the lane - it really wasn't that icy teehee). Zippy even tilts her head to remind Lewis where to undo her halter, I mean, really!

Now beyond my pretend icy skating, I've been perfecting the throw your head around and look wild act, which has included head butting Lewis - but that was by accident, honest, I just got a bit carried away.

I'm also training him that I won't go in the stable unless he has treats with him. The lad learns quickly and I can now guarantee he will have at least a carrot in his hand to 'persuade' me into my room at night - so that trick is working nicely!

I've also managed to snake out of my rug at night time, due to poor fastening of the front strap and trampled it into the floor - I think that back fired as I now have to wear the same filthy, straw covered rug tonight!

Hmmm off to devise more entertaining strategies for tomorrow, now what can I plan.......

No Lynette today

Hope Lynette is Ok, Benji dog ran down to our rooms this evening to report Lynette was back but now has four legs! Though she is very lame and can't put her poorly fetlock down at all. Hoping to see her soon and give her Cyril cuddles as Zoe has suggested.

Oh no, don't know what to do

What a fantastic day, Zippy and I got turned out into the back garden which is always fun. There is plenty to watch, orange railway men, Benji dog and Chloe cat are always trespassing, other horses going by, Lynette and her Dad and friend Matt putting the roof on the shed.

Very pleased when I was brought in and tacked up so excited I just couldn't keep my feet still, major fidgets so I was put on the lunge and continued not to concentrate I just want to go for a real hack. I finally worked out that showing how keen I was with acrobatics was not working so I went into sensible pony mode - hey presto, led out onto the lane on our own!

Lynette mounted from the stone wall, still being a bit fidgety I couldn't help it I was so excited to be going out on my very own adventure. Off I trotted Lynette didn't seem to mind, I stopped to say a quick goodbye to Zippy and then happily pottered off down the road to explore. We only went out to the canal and back about a mile in total and we met several cars, an old lady who was hiding behind a hedge, a cyclist, and two horses going in the other direction, I didn't put a hoof wrong I just kept going happy to be about and exploring all on our own.

Lynette gave me huge cuddles and I have passed my solo hacking exam to boot - soooo easy!

Once Lynette had tucked us up for the night in our pyjamas she came into my stable for cuddles. She started crying, I didn't know what to do, I looked across to Zippy for help (I thought I had been brilliant on the ride so was a bit confused) and she told me to just stand still and give her lots of cuddles.

In between the sobs I managed to discover that she has to go to the vets tomorrow for a big operation on her fetlock. Originally she had been told she would just need to take it easy for a couple of weeks but a horrible MRI scanner diagnosed much bigger problems and now she is going to be in plaster cast for 4-6 weeks and Lynette's not going to be allowed to put any weight on it - so how is she going to look after us?

She's terribly upset, we are too, no one knows how much we are going to see each other, especially the first few days. Lynette said its ok, Lewis, the young lad who came down to meet us on Friday is going to make sure we can get to our field during the week, in the right clothes and he will keep our rooms clean and feed us. But I will really miss not seeing Lynette, feeling very sad now :0(

Crispy morning

What a beautiful morning, I hadn't been ridden all week so I was pleased when Lynette got all my riding clothes out and decided to have a ride.

Because she thought I might be a bit 'fresh' what with no exercise this week and a frosty morning, I was put on the lunge - so I obliged with a good bucking display when asked for canter but I think I might have overdone it because I forgot Lynette would want a ride too. So by the time Lynette got on I was quite tired.

I stood brilliantly still not only while she got on but also while she tightened my belt. Lynette was all set to go but today I wasn't so keen, even though she had shut Benji in the house I was a but reluctant to walk - I had already done my exercise, well so I thought!

Eventually we got on the same page and did a little walking and trotting but I was too tired for anything else. So I was finally allowed to quit and we were turned out to relax - pictures of us below.

Zippy gets daytime pyjamas but I am not allowed - but now it's sooo cold at night I am getting proper pyjamas, though they are Zippy's hand me downs but I don't mind keeps me toasty warm, sweet dreams xxx

A new human

Lynette turned up very late yesterday morning with a young lad in tow. His name is Lewis, evidently he works for Lynette as a Sales Apprentice - I'm just not sure Zippy and I are going to be any good at telesales!!!!

I have been given a new halter it's all posh with nubuck on the inside, it's so it is easier for Lewis to put it in - my usual rope halter is a bit more complicated.

He lead us out to the field while Lynette walked Benji. It was another cold morning but the grass still tastes good. I was surprised when he helped Lynette bring us in too, he seems like a push over I managed to get quite a bit of verge eaten to and from the field!

I also tested him out by trying not to go into my room but Lynette stood behind me & I know not to mess with her so I went in and settled down to my evening feed and munch on my hay. A lovely relaxing day, sweet pony dreams friends xxx