It's race time.....

The other day I got to go on another new adventure to meet some more of Mum's friends.  This time it was Barnaby and Liz.  They live near Rockley and have the most AMAZING riding ever - I want to move over there, we only crossed one road and there are miles and miles of grass tracks you can ride along.

I know Mum likes to canter and when we go out on our own we try to get some practice in, as many of my pony friends don't like going fast, or in Zippy's case is now too old and creaky.  Mum said she thought Barnaby would be up for a canter.  However when we went out on the ride he took quite a bit of convincing.

There was a big muddy hill and Liz said they always charge up there, so I was all ready to go but Barnaby wasn't interested - it was quite sticky icky mud.  However later on Mum held me back so we could have a canter to catch up as its not often we get treated to so many nice grass tracks.  I was keen to catch up so after bouncing on the spot for a while I was allowed to charge after Barnaby and met let me whizz past too, Barnaby suddenly woke up and decided to catch up and we started a race.  Humans are soooo boring just as we got going they pulled us up - hey I thought you wanted fast?

We were allowed another canter later and after a toss too much of my head a super quick acceleration Mum asked me nicely to stay behind Barnaby and let him go first - humph! but I did do as I was told.

We got one last super charged blast up the field towards home which got Barnaby and me a bit over excited and it took a while for our Mum's to calm us down and wait for the horse and trap to go past.  It was a great ride about 6 miles and I had so much fun, hope we can go back soon - thank you Barnaby for teaching me racing I had never done it before and its really good fun, thank you Liz for letting us come visit and ride with you xxx

Family Frolics

Well Christmas is a time of getting the family together, and I have managed not only to ride with my Uncle Eric down the road but I have managed to get away with inviting cousin Dave to stay too!

Mum has a new friend, Kevin, who really knows how to ride, so she arranged for him to borrow Eric.  Most of the time Eric is good but he hasn't been ridden a lot lately so was a bit fresh.  He also doesn't seem to like me much so I have to be on alert for stray legs heading in my direction.  We had a good ride around Cotmarsh, Mum was up and down like a yoyo because all the gates were shut and not pony friendly - grrrrrr!  But the weather held and we kept dry and just managed to get back before it got dark.  Hopefully I can have some more rides with Eric soon.

Well that was what I was thinking until Mum broke the news to me that I need to have a rest for a few months while she has another operation on her ankle.  Not happy about this, especially as it means for some reason I have to give up my toasty warm rugs and stable and be 'roughed off'.  NOT IMPRESSED!

The upside though is because Zippy is so old and has to stay in her stable at night, I got to invite my mate Dave from Wales to come and stay while I am being roughed off.  He arrived yesterday afternoon, I wondered why I had been turned out in the big field on my own.  Lots of neighs and galloping ensued.  I showed off my talents at doing handstands I'm getting quite good at those, I think Dave was impressed he couldn't buck half as high as I can.  I said I'd help him practice while he's here.

However being Dales we soon had to get on with the serious job of eating grass.  For Dave this is a big plus as he was inside for the winter in his pen.  I've managed to keep my raincoat on at the moment, only because everytime Mum comes down its raining and I give her a sad face and she hasn't the heart to take it off while its tipping a gale - crafty, not too sure how long I can keep the sad face up for but will try for as long as possible!

Zippy has a bit of a reputation for not mixing with other horses and I hadn't seen her all night as we were left in the field while she was still up at the house, so it was great to see her arrive this morning.  I had made friends with Dave and we were getting on great, but Zippy says I'm not to like him, so its a bit more tricky while she is around I have to pretend I don't like him (when really I do) but as Mum put out lots of piles of hay we all settled down to eat instead.  I'll have to work out the field politics later, it could take some highly skilled negotiation techniques to win everyone around!

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