Boring day

Mum turned up this morning about 7am so fortunately not mega early, so Zippy & I were awake and ready for breakfast. We were fed outside our stables so Mum could muck out, she did my stable straight away - I'm very tidy, but rumour has it I have always been tidy ever since I was very little and Zippy keeps me on the straight and narrow now, she hates messy bedrooms.

So once my room was all ship shape our rugs were changed and we were led to the gate ready to go to the field. Benji was left behind & Zippy got to carry Mum, which was a shame, I was bouncing around all ready and keen - maybe less bounce tomorrow, Zippy seems to think that will make me a more attractive proposition, I'm not so sure?

Anyway off we went down to the field and turned out like usual with a couple of sections of hay each to keep us amused while Mum dug inch thick ice out the water trough, then off she disappeared for the day to do something called work???

It must have been important as she didn't return until it was pitch black, you can't miss seeing Mum she is always wearing some flashing light contraption. Evidently it was too dark for me to be a trusted riding pony, so Zippy carried Mum back and we had our tea outside our stables while Mum tidied Zippy's bedroom up - which is unusual because she normally likes to get them both done in the morning. Still once we had munched our tea of carrots (hurrah Zoe rations have been restored!) nuts, chaff, vitamins and for Zippy old age medicine, we were tucked up in bed.

I'm sure I heard Mum muttering about moving the trailer for solo loading practice, but I must have been mistaken because it is still in its parking bay, so I guess not. Wonder why I need solo lessons anyway?

Still being allowed big responsabilities

Two days running now I have been given the huge responsibility of bringing us all in from the field safely. So far so good, I did get a bit jumpy this time because it was getting dusky and Mum was trying to steer me onto the grass so we were out of the road for the land rover to go past. I think I was concentrating so hard on where we were going the car creeped up on us and made me jump, but Mum sat deep and we were all fine and to be honest we just crashed into Zippy which is a bit like crashing unto an unmovable tree - nothing shakes her!

It was like the other day when we were all coming back from the field. Uncle Tony had Benji, Mum was riding Zippy and I was being led. We heard the motorbike before we saw him, Uncle Tony stood in the middle of the lane in his bright yellow jacket to slow him down, while Mum manoeuvred us into the side, also in her bright yellow jacket, he did slow down - a bit! But boy it was still very scary as he sped past, made me leap about as he was on my side of the road, I just crashed into the brick that is Zippy.

Every time I crash into her she gives me this really disdaining look, that says its really not scary stop being so stupid - that makes me feel kinda dumb. I need to keep practising my brave pony stance, just like Zippy, turn to stone and I will not move, I will not move, I am not scared, I am not scared.

Going to sleep now, will keep repeating my new mantra so I will wake up a stubborn mule scared of nothing (apologies Muleteers, no offence meant!)

BIG Responsabilities

After much discussion with Zippy I had been resigned to not being ridden for a while as I had to agree creating a flying dismount for Mum between my ears was probably not the best route to follow.

So I was somewhat confused when a couple of days ago Mum came to collect us from the field like usual but instead of lining Zippy up next to the gate for her launch mounting, I was lined up instead! Well there had to be some mistake I had no rug, no saddle, no bridle, in fact I was only sporting my rope halter & lead rope. No, it was not a mistake, Mum launched from the gate and landed on board!!!!

Wow, what a privilege, I was to be ridden bareback in my halter while leading Zippy home. I felt so seriously grown up. I never dreamed in all my pony life that I would be allowed this honour so early on in my career. I have to say Zippy was somewhat disgruntled and dragged her feet all the way home in protest.

Honestly you can't win with Zippy she moans about having to carry Mum to and from the field, especially now she is barefoot, so I get the opportunity to help out and carry Mum instead and now all she moans about is me being a little upstart who has taken away her one pleasure in life - honestly women, you can never please them!

Rodeo Pony 1 Human 0

Mum came back from Glasgow last Friday and Zippy & I were very pleased to see her. Even more exciting Saturday morning I was tacked up and allowed to be lead pony down to the field. Yes Mum rode me and I led Zippy down to the big field.

I was a bit unprepared for leaving Zippy at the big field, I had presumed she would be coming with us but I boldly continued down the track, over the canal and then into the next big grass farm field. Now you need to remember that Zippy & I had been left on the horse yard for three days with no where to stretch our legs and it all got a bit much for me so I just had to do a little rodeo (forgetting Mum was on board) well by the time I finished she wasn't any more!

I only put my head down and did one of my super impressive bucks, well as Mum is not riding with her weight in her heels (not my fault, the poorly fetlock is her current excuse) I suddenly found Mum flying through the air and she landed on my head! I'm not that strong so dropped my head to the floor and Mum graciously slid off, landing on her feet - quite impressive really, equally impressive was the language she used!

Well I was in a bit of a tiz by then, Mum took precautions and decided not to remount (I think she feared a repeat performance and I strongly suspect she would have got one too!) but she did make me walk to the end of the field further away from Zippy, I was not happy. Mind you Mum was not happy leading an over excited pony back to the field either!

Mum got revenge by making up a temporary lunge line and made me run around in circles, this involved a lot of rearing, bucking & tugging but Mum was not to be moved and in the end it was easier to relent and do as I was told, so I ended up trotting lovely circles in the soggy wet field.

Being totally crazy Mum then got back on board - though it was in the safety of our horse field, with Zippy grazing close at hand, and rode me around for a few minutes. I behaved so she felt better about life and untracked me finally, leaving me to graze in peace with Zippy.

Zoe I didn't get any carrots that night, let alone the biggest one in the bag - I have taken note!

Double Bubble (Part Two)

Little did I know..... After going on my longest ride ever Saturday morning, no one was more surprised than me when Mum and Michelle turned up in the afternoon to tack Zippy and I up for another ride!

Errrrr, hello Mum, I haven't been ridden for two months, in fact I have been ridden for less than a dozen times in my whole life and I am going out twice in one day!

Well off we set, it's good going out with Zippy, she knows EVERYTHING. Over the railway bridge as usual and then we turned right onto the farm fields. Grass! Zippy was very happy about this and bounced along. Michelle was a little uncertain about Zippy's enthusiasm, so we were instructed to walk.

The farm fields are so much fun, there are lots of ditches. Now Zippy is a bit bigger than me (15.1hh) and vastly more experienced (ok plus she is quiet old 25years young!) so she takes the lazy option of just walking across the ditches, which Mum and I think is quiet boring.

Now me, I've heard stories of trolls and monsters living in ditches, so taking my responsibility to look after Mum and her poorly fetlock very seriously, I decided the most prudent option was to jump all the ditches, mostly from a standstill, this made Mum laugh and I got lots of praise, so I guess this was the right thing to do.

The downside of this excitement is it is very exhausting, we were out on the farm for about 40 minutes, I was shattered, to be honest I was on my knees by the time we reached the railway bridge. Michelle was laughing by the time we got back to the yard, she said she had never seen me so well behaved (the cheek of it).

Mum was very impressed with me and said how proud she was of me to manage two rides in one day, as she tucked me up in my pyjamas and put me to bed with a big bowl of feed. Didn't stay awake for long, I was soon asleep dreaming of jumping over trolls, happy days xxx

Double Bubble (Part One)

Wow, am I one tired pony! Mum and I were up early last Saturday as she had declared the test ride on Friday as a success so we were allowed out again. Even more exciting we were going to meet up with Uncle Eric (Dales relative who lives down the road)!

Mum got a lecture from Uncle Tony about being careful, so she wasn't very impressed with me when I threw a small hissy fit on the lane because I wanted Zippy to come with us, she had been left behind on the yard. It turns out this episode was within view of Uncle Tony had he been looking out the window at that time!!!

Anyway Mum persuaded me I was more than capable of riding up the road on my own to meet Eric. So off I trotted, Mum likes it when I do this. She says her old event horse Charlie always needed nagging, and he calls himself an event horse - really?

We met up with Eric and a young lady called Geo, who is very nice. Evidently she is looking after Eric and Dusty while their Mum and Dad are away. Mum and Geo haven't seen each other for ages so they had a good gossip while Eric and I headed down the road. I'm not sure I like Eric, he was a bit of a bully, trying to kick me a couple of times. He might be bigger and older than me, but I'm super quick and dodged his attempts to show me who was boss. He got told off by Geo, heee, heee, heee! Serves him right!

We went a long way down the road, much further than I have ever been before, we didn't quite get to the end but we went past the diary farm where we normally turn around. We just did walking to look after Mum's ankle. I said goodbye to Eric when we got to his yard and then headed off on my own back to the yard to find Zippy, we did a little trot along the straight and I neighed to Zippy to let her know we were on our way back, as I am sure she would have been worrying by now, as I have never left her for so long.

Reunited we were left on the yard with hay. I was a bit surprised about this as I would have thought an early morning ride would have deserved a day out in the big field to rest and recuperate, little did I know........

Fridays test ride

I have had a long rest while Mum's leg has been in plaster cast (since 5th Dec) and then in a brace (since 15th Jan). Now officially Mum is not allowed to ride until sometime in March when her brace comes off, but both of us are getting a bit bored by playing by the rules. Regular readers will know that Mum is sneaking rides to and from the field on Zippy - as she can be ridden bareback, so her feet don't need to be in stirrups which is quiet safe (supposedly).

Well Friday morning last week, Mum snuck out from the office and tacked me up, while no one was looking. We sneaked out of the front gate and Mum jumped on board. Now most people who haven't ridden their three year old for over two months would probably have lunged their pony first. However Mum and I have an understanding that we both need to look after each other, which is based on trust, so she didn't worry about any 'preparation' and just jumped on and we headed off down the road on our own. I think this was about the 8th time I have ever been ridden in my life!

This was a very important test ride to see if Mum and I could break the rules and get her riding earlier than the doctors said she could! Mum decided to start with her feet in my stirrups just in case we had any frights. She needn't have worried all was good. Just as she got on board two horses went by in the direction we normally head off in, so we decided to go in the other direction, heading off towards Harris Croft Equestrian Centre. There were horses to say hello to, the ones that are stuck in their stables all day (poor things), people pushing rolling buggies, cars, lorries, it was a busy stretch of road. I like busy it means there is so much to look at.

We only went on a short adventure, as I am really not that fit and Mum was not too sure about her ankle (I think it ached a bit as she did take her feet out of my stirrups on the way home). It was great to go out and both of us had a huge smile on our faces when we got home.

I hope this is the start of our adventures together, I so love going out with Mum.

I am alive!

I can't believe I haven't been able to blog for over a week! I've had a lot of issues accessing the iPad (my preferred blogging device - it's easier to type on than Mum's iPhone, which is never far from her side!). Uncle Tony keeps stealing my iPad to go Internet shopping, and if its not Uncle Tony then it has been Mum, car shopping and horse rug shopping. Whenever I did manage to get the iPad it had no battery - typical! Still Mum and Uncle Tony have disappeared for a few days - on business supposedly, but they left me the iPad (probably by accident) so I can blog to my hearts content. Zippy wants to watch all the old cowboy films on the iPad but I want to watch Black Beauty, maybe we can do both!

Mind you I can't complain because last weekend two brand new horse rugs turned up as a result of Mums Internet shopping - for me! One is a bright red cotton sheet and the other is my new light weight bright red fleecy pyjamas. I got Mum to take a photo of me in them, I think red looks good on me. I was a bit busy eating my hay to pose properly.

Right now I need to go read all my friends blogs and find out what they have been doing while I have been out of touch, hopefully the three Muleteers will have some new handy tricks and tips for me. I wonder whether Zoe's Mums no excuses year is still going well, it was looking dodgy when I was last reading, but the weather was a reasonable excuse, hope Zoe has been getting out and about.