Meeting new friends

Brrrrrrr it was cold when I woke up yesterday morning. It was real icy so we got turned out with some yummy hay - but I prefer to nibble the grass! Just before lunch Mum packed me up in the box on wheels to go visit a new friend.

To be honest I do worry about my Mum and her sanity, especially when we are driving along narrow icy lanes, you do have to question whether the trip was really necessary or whether there were better roads we could have gone on. She was sensible enough to creep along very slowly and kept good control when we skied down a big hill, didn't know cars could do that!

Slightly shaken we did arrive safely. OMG how big was this horse I was going out with, he was huge! I could have walked under his tummy (well nearly), he's at least 16.3hh he could be bigger. Now you would think a big horse would be a brave horse, but in Benno's case this is not quite true. He's a very clever horse mind and pretends to be scared out on hacks. Now this is just a cunning plan to ensure his safety at all times.  So I had to go in front on the whole ride, which meant Benno's had his own personal ice checker to help ensure he didn't slip, told you he was clever. 

 Me waiting to meet Benno.

Now being in the lead meant I had to walk fast, I did such a good job Benno's struggled to keep up with me. We managed to dodge all the ice and we both kept upright.  I was taking my job of keeping Benno safe very seriously and towards the end of the ride the road crossed a stream. I have heard so many tales of trolls living under these types of bridges that I wasn't prepared to fail in my duty and risk Benno being attacked by a troll so I wouldn't carry on.

As a car was behind us and it was icy Mum decided she had better get off and lead me, that way she could check for trolls - luckily there were none this time, phew! Catherine was impressed with how easily Mum got back on, the advantage of having a short pony, rather than one on stilts!

It was a lovely ride and Mum was so proud of me, I had grown several inches taller with all the praise - see I'm nearly as tall as Benno in the picture! Thank you Benno for not biting me, Mum and I really enjoyed the ride, hope I can come back soon and do more escort duties. (I haven't told him I'm only 4, as I thought this might upset him & he might not trust such a young pony to be in the lead - I don't think it would matter now).

Today is horrible rain and wind, I having been typing my blog waiting for Mum to arrive for breakfast - still no sign! Bet she is still asleep, tucked up warm in bed, listening to the horrible weather. Can't blame her I'm still tucked up in bed doing the same!

Festive fun

I am having the best Christmas ever! To start with I am spending quality time with my Mum, Benji and Zippy. I have done loads of things.  I've been out on my own and battled sheep.

Mum was not impressed when we came across these sheep on the track, yes a proper Bridleway and yet again farmers are abusing their privileges.  Well this time Mr Farmer you were foiled, brave pony that I am, Mum and I squeezed past these silly sheep down the right hand side. It was brambliy and I did stop to kiss a sheep on the way past - she was a cute sheep and the only one brave enough to come say hello to me! 10 yards further on temporary sheep fencing blocked our way, Mum leaped off and made space for us to past, wow the air was blue!  We had great fun and I turned mud colour from cantering through muddy puddles, heehehee. There were some great views...

Spooky a horse and rider that looks just like Mum and me!

I've been out in biting icicles and rode through a field of charging cows, Benji was with me to help protect Mum, I've had more practice of going out on my own recently so I am getting much braver being out on my own, not that I haven't been brave.

Yesterday I met a new friend Cinders, she's owned by Lynda, they were a little taken aback by my arrival. I was leaping up and down in the trailer all excited and anxious because when I arrived one of the horses was very upset because his field companion had gone and he was galloping up and down his field.  I was trying to join in, but Mum had other ideas.  Lynda thought I was a bit wild, however once Mum got on I settled down and we had a lovely hack around Notton.

Today I took Zippy for a ride around Woodshaw, she has had lots of Christmas presents....a new bucket so she doesn't have to reach the floor for her food and a hay feeder for the same reason.  This is because she's getting old and her arthritis hurts her shoulders when she eats grass.  Finally the vet has given her a never ending supply of bute to keep her comfortable and happy - seemed to be working.  However I might not have got any presents but I have the best present of all, my Mum, we have so much fun together, I am a very lucky pony and having a family including Mum, Benji and Zippy makes me one very lucky pony :0).  Happy Christmas pony friends, hope you got lots of buckets of carrots and treats xxxx

Happy hacking

Thought it would be nice to take my field companion Zippy out for a gentle hack. Mum allowed us to go in the box on wheels and have a ride to the Cotswold Water Park.  Benji was allowed to come too, so it was a real family outing.  

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining though it doesn't really look like it in the photos.   it's a lovely hack around lots of lakes.  It all looked very different to last time, the trees have now lost all their leaves.

It's a good ride for Zippy as we can only really walk and trot. There is so much to look at, in particular lots of wild birds, and machinery - Mum read a sign which says they are repairing the pony paths, which is nice, though they are very good anyway, especially compared to some of the boggy paths we ride at home.

I've been testing Mums loading skills and making sure she can load me up with a lunge line behind my bum too.  She's very good at that, so she gets her loading her pony certificate.

Lovely day, Zippy enjoyed her trip out, bouncing along sometimes, though she doesn't like the hard road work, I think the hard surface hurts her shoulders she's got a lot of arthritis in her shoulders, she does love the change of scene though.  Hope we can go out again soon xxx

Still tired, from 'holiday' capers

Mum took me out yesterday with Zippy and Georgie we had a nice ride around Cotmarsh and with lots of the gates being left open because the cows are now tucked up in their barns for the winter it was great, it meant Mum only had to get off once.

I wasn't my normal bouncy self, I think I'm still tired from my 'holiday'.  Well firstly I think Mum needs to look up the definition of holiday because as Dales it means eating lots of yummy grass and resting those hooves. Mums definition ride up Welsh mountains everyday for 7 days and NO grass.  Ok so I did get fed some very yummy haylage but that is not a holiday, even if I did get to visit my family and pony mates.

Ok we did have some fantastic rides with some great views.

Mum thought this would make a great house, just needs a little work!!! I think her definition of house is bad as her definition of holiday!

Glad I got to have today off, especially as we have just been moved into our winter field, which means lots of new yummy grass, so today has been a very good day, I practically had to roll home my tummy was that full of grass. Happy pony x

Boring day today

Mum turned up promptly at 6am and she unceremoniously turfed Zippy and I out into the back garden in our outdoor pyjamas with only hay and water. Errrr Mum where's our breakfast? I hung around making huge hints but Mum obviously had other things on her mind and was deaf to my pleas.  Not long after she disappeared off in her car not to be seen for 14 hours! 

We had Benji keeping us company during the day, one of the disadvantages of being chucked out in the back garden, plus not much room to run around in, well not as much as our 4 acre field!

All credit to her she came straight down to see us when she finally did get home and she even took the time to muck us out put extra snugly straw in our bedrooms, changed our water, replenished our hay and thank goodness remembered to give us tea. Was hoping for double portions to make up for missing breakfast but no such luck!

Still we have nice cosy bedrooms, night Mum, see you in the morning xxx

1/2 a training session

Well this morning I was up early to help Mum practice her balance and to teach her how to ride bareback.  It was a training sessions of 1/2's.  Only 1/2 the floodlights were working in the back garden so it meant we could only use 1/2 the school and Mum only put on 1/2 my tack - just my bridle no saddle.  The session lasted 1/2 hour.

I suppose I could tell you only 1/2 the story too!  We spent the morning in walk, I thought it best to break Mum in slowly she normally only rides me bareback for 5 minutes down the road and back each morning and evening so 1/2 an hour was going to be a big ask.

We concentrated on bending and once we had adjusted to using just 1/2 the school we started with 20 m circles before finally ending up walking 10m circles making sure Mum turned her shoulders in the direction we were heading and concentrated hard on keeping an steady pace and not falling in or out of my shoulders (my favourite trick to see if Mum is paying attention).

Then to end the session we tried to work on free walk on the long rein.  This is something Sarah was teaching my at our last lesson.  It's quite hard as I like to snatch the bit away from Mum but we came to an understanding and we did a reasonable job.  By then it had started to drizzle, so as we had done 1/2 hour, Mum popped my rug on and rode me down to the field leading Zippy and Benji.

Now out in the field tucking into some yummy grass, munch, munch!

May have to change my blog name!

Hmmmm, I haven't been doing very well at keeping my blog up to date recently.  I could give a whole long list of excuses but on current performance I think I should change the name of my blog from Daily Dales Diary to Monthly Dales Diary!

I got told off by my dales friends Dave and Vince, because they rely on reading my blog to keep up to date with my exploits.  Sorry boys will try harder to keep you updated.  So what have I been up to the last couple of months?  Well since the dentist (last blog) I have moved into my bedroom for sleeps, however you can see how special I am to my Mum, as I am obviously her pot of gold under the rainbow!

As you can see from below I have also been attacked by the dreaded clippers and now have even bigger go faster stripes.  To be honest I don't mind at all, its quite relaxing and certainly keeps me cooler, I was getting very hot and sweaty - yuck!  Fur is growing back very quickly though, not sure Mum is so impressed with this!

I've been to visit Katy at her home in Cookham.  This meant me travelling on my own for 1.5hrs, which in my spacious trailer is great fun and I am very happy travelling on my own now.  Katy was given matching go faster stripes by Mum while we visited, she was just as good as me and she had never been clipped before either.  She then took us around her farm and we had a good canter/gallop which was good fun.  Katy hadn't taken Sarah that fast before, so we all enjoyed speeding around the farm.  Katy is doing very well but like me has a bad habit of rubbing her mane (opps) unlike me she now has nothing at all - bad Katy, but I am working hard to catch up - we like the short cropped look, much to the horror of our Mum's.

I have also been a diva, having attended a major photo shoot - still waiting to see the photographs Mr camera man - Mum is not impressed, so no doubt won't be spending much money with him when he does finally decide to show us my handsome pictures.  Mum knew I was upset about this as I was looking forward to posting my pictures all over the internet so made me a lovely present and drew a picture of me.  I had to pose for hours (well in a photo) i think it is quite a good likeness of me.

Well that's a very brief synopsis of what I have been doing recently - other than my recent holiday which I will blog about separately.  I'm off to read all my friends blogs now and catch up with what Zoe and the Mules have been up to.  Promise to blog again very very soon x