Day two or my workiday (holiday to humans)

We have been grounded to the farm because of something called the Welsh Enduro, which Mum says involves noisey motorbikes riding along our forest tracks (spoil sports) and everyone is banned from going into the forest or even down the roads for two whole days - boring!

This meant Mum, Delia and Nondus had something planned to keep us all entertained. Both the boys (Dave and Vince) got to meet Larry legs, though he needed repairing between lessons. I should explain Larry legs is used to get us ponies used to things jangling on our sides, for my pony readers it's like carrying a very bad rider who just wants to kick you all the time, with the added disadvantage of them not being very balanced in the first place - I know, if you can cope with Larry legs then humans seem a lot easier to handle. 

Below is Dave, making easy work of the legs, though he did manage to break them, but through no fault of his own and he didn't mind when Larry legs slipped out of the stirrup iron and continued to bash him in the side, due to a maintenance failure to ensure the strings were up to the job - honestly humans you are going to have to try harder, if you want to fluster a Dales pony. 

Even when the legs get back to front.....

After some maintenance Vince got a go too, and was equally unperturbed by the experience.

Both these talented boys are for sale and I am on a bag of carrots for each pony I can help sell, so if you are interested in either of these handsome youngsters please call Delia at the Akhurst Stud and tell her I sent you, I really need those carrots. 

In between Larry leg sessions June and Katy were also put through their paces in the arena. Nondus got to ride Katy and poor June got my Mum which meant she had to work extra hard, but she was looking good over the poles.....

Finally Mum got to practice working out whether I was on the correct canter lead or not. She is definitely getting better at feeling whether I have got it right or not.  I try and get it right most of the time now but like to throw in the odd left canter lead on the right rein or visa versa just to make sure she is paying attention and doesn't take it for granted I'm always going to get it right.

Us ponies had a fun day and the boys definitely enjoyed getting the better of Larry legs, much to the disappointment of humans who were hoping for some more entertaining action.  Everyone finally got turned back out into the fields for some much deserved R&R (rest and recuperation) so we will be ready for whatever tomorrow brings.......

The whole family is on the move

Dave is still sending me distressed reports of cruelty even though I know from Mum's last visit he is just being silly. However I have managed to convince Mum that perhaps if she took me to Wales I could show Dave how it's done and lead by example.  

I thought this was a bit of a longshot but Mum fell for it on condition Zippy and Benji came along for the ride too. So last Wednesday we were all packed up into the box on wheels and off we went to the current home of Dave, and my old home The Akehurst Stud in mid Wales. 

We arrived in time for lunch, so Zippy and I were put into our rooms, most of the crew were already in there, including Katy who came to stay with us for a while (but Zippy didn't like her). Mum disappeared off for lunch while we tucked into our hay. 

Then Zippy & I got to stretch our legs, by going for a little walk around the racetrack. 

Zippy met her new rider Nondus, she likes Nondus because she's nice and light weight. Zippy enjoyed herself so much she even offered a canter up the hill for Nondus. Mum told me I had to keep behind because if Zippy thought it was a race she'd go faster and hurt herself.  Humph, I could have beaten her, but Benji won like usual. 

We posed for a family photo afterwards, think Benji was a bit tired!

Then we got a real bonus and were turned out into a beautifully cut field, which turns out to be our home for the week - yummy.  Plus it's next to Dave's field, so we can chat to all three boys.

This is our standard view of them, they are like the three musketeers!  Brian is on the left, he's two years old. Then it's my old mate Dave in the middle, who I have come to sort out and then there is Vince on the right. Dave and Vince are three and Mum is just helping back them. All three are for sale, all enquiries to Delia Weedon at the Akehurst Stud, but make sure you tell her I told you, as I'm working on commission and have been promised a whole bag of carrots for every pony I find a lovely human for. 

Mum and Nondus then took Katy and June out. Mum got to ride Katy who is very proud of her new shoes, it's the first set of shoes she has ever had and she loved being shod, standing like an old pro, she was so excited to give them a test drive. She also likes the noise they make against the metal bars in her pen - not sure the humans share this view!  Below is Mum on Katy, she's my half sister. 

And below is Nondus on June.

Had to send Mum to Wales

After my mate Dave the Dales sent me a distressed message about abuse and mistreatment I thought I had better send Mum to find out what was really happening. So a couple of weekends ago Mum went on a crisis mission to find out what the problem was. 

It turned out he is having to learn to grow up and start wearing a bridle and starting circle work.  Dave doesn't like the bit and is very silly about having it taken out of his mouth - silly pony I'll have to sort that out, but he is quiet good at the circle game and can be controlled quite well by voice alone now in walk and trot. Ironically Vince is the opposite and is quite good about having his bit in but likes to tank around the arena, so Mum tried to install some manners into them while she was there.

Now I sent her to do serious work sorting out these youngsters so they can follow in the clever hooves of all other Dales ponies and in fact she was out having fun.  Delia and John specially mowed the field into a race track so all the ponies could have a blast around the field. I'm really cross because whenever I go we can only really walk and trot around the mountain tracks and now they have their own personal racetrack.

Even Benji got to join in the fun, he's fast. He beat Katy around the field no problem. 

June struggled a little, she's not so used to speeding along and it is quite an up hill stretch. 

This is Suzy, she is a bit faster and nearly caught Benji, but by then he had raced around the field with all three riding horses several times, so he did well to keep ahead of Suzy. 

Hmmmmm not fair. I want a go.  Still I have been having my own pony adventures out on another fun ride, but more about that next time. Off to race around my field just in case I can go use the Welsh racetrack!

First competition of the year and.....

Wow mum woke me up this morning, she found me laying down snoozing! I was excited to see her and both Zippy and I were brought in for breakfast. Yummy!

Then I had a bath, yuck I hate having my mane washed but it was over and done with fairly quickly. The horrible horse flies are out so Mum was really kind & put my ghost rug back on. The flies are even worse than the shampoo.

I got loaded into the can on wheels. Poor Zippy was left on the concrete yard with a tiny bit of hay & a big bucket of water. She did have access to the hay stable for shelter from the sun, unfortunately we had already eaten all the hay!!! She looked grumpy when we left.

Me I was off to Breach Lane for a circles competition. To be honest I was still quiet tired from my session yesterday but today there were lots of other horses. My blonde friend Wilfie was there who did the pleasure ride with me a couple of weeks ago - go Wilfie go!

Lots of Mum's friends were there too, so it was great fun. I was quite keen to show the judge my canter work but Mum tried hard to make sure my first test was just in walk and trot. I kept trying to offer canter before A and then spooked when I saw myself in the mirror, I didn't realise my duplicate friends had come with me! 

Because of my antics Mum was so shocked when we came.........1st!  Well the judge couldn't resist my charm though she did say I needed to relax more. So with top marks in the bag time to show off my canter work.

I was sooooo excited about this, but I was a bit too keen. At each corner I offered Mum canter, ummmmm, evidently this was not required. It was so exciting I got my legs muddled up too, oops. The summary from the judge was I was rushing, tense & excited but when I do relax I'm lovely. Lady this was important. Sorry Mum I tried my hardest.

Mum says because I got a red ribbon on the first test and because I tried sooooo hard on my second test, she still thinks I'm the best, phew, I love you too Mum.

Zippy was very pleased to see us as it meant she could go back out in the field. I had lots to tell her, I enjoyed my first ever canter test, must try to be less excited next time. 

Where was the rain?

Hmmmm it was forecast for horrid thunder and torrential rain today and as I was skidding & spinning around the back garden yesterday including performing an unasked for canter pirouette, Mum decided to book the very posh indoor arena with lots of ponies like me in there. In fact they are identical and copy my every move.

So I loaded up and off we went, at 1pm we arrive, errrr in baking hot sunshine! Great! That meant an hour of hard work sweating my little pony coat off! We were supposed to being smug enjoying the dry but instead we were wishing to be outdoors - weather men get you act together, it's hard work practicing your canter transitions in a boiling hot box.

I was up for the challenge and kept offering Mum canter, now? Now? NOW?

Evidently I was a bit keen and canter isn't needed in a walk, trot test - well if that's the case why the hell has mum been teaching it me!!!!! I was just trying to show off my new skills!

Honestly being a pony can be very confusing sometimes.

Dave, why did I bother?

I don't know, I spent three long months teaching Dave how to be the perfect pony companion.  How to share my field, be nice to retired veterans like Zippy.  He learnt how to stand tied up while Mum spent hours turning us into girls and I am horrified that after all my training he got turned down at interview for the most perfect job - companion pony to Kaiser a lovely (big) horse.  He didn't have to travel far, just to the next farm, I have seen those fields - HUGE!  More grass than any pony could hope to eat and he was only going to share it with one horse.

I have no idea how he failed his interview, obviously my training went in one ear and straight out the other.  Even more embarrassing Baby Brian who is a whole year younger and has no idea about being a grown up pony companion got the job.  Boy that Dave has a lot to learn!

And then to top it all off I yesterday I get a distressed hoof mail from him asking to come back!  I mean he didn't listen to a word I said last time, so I have no idea how I can help and I am not sure I even want to!  It sounds like he is resisting growing up.  I think his strategy is a bit backwards.  Basically he is now being told by his Mum he has to grow up and wear a bridle with a bit and learn to be a proper riding pony.  He is not happy about this, I think because he lost the best job ever next door to Baby Brian, he thinks if he acts like a baby maybe they will change their mind!  Oh Dave you have so much to learn about humans.

Dave, if you are reading this I can send my Mum to help but I promise you she will only do more of the same as your Mum is currently doing.  GROW UP!  Being a riding pony is fabulous, just look at all the adventures I get to go on.  Open your mouth accept the bit and have fun.  No kicking humans - always a bad move, never bite the hand that feeds you either - because you will go very hungry!

So my advice is HORSE UP!  I'll send Mum, and I'll try and catch a lift too and show you how it is all done properly later this month.

Youngsters, honestly they have no idea!

Buried alive in mud!

I think Mum is loosing the plot having abandoned me for a week, while she went off to look at Zippy's homeland - supposedly Zippy is an Irish cob, not that it says anything such thing in her passport!  Mum says it was for work, but I have had a look through her phone, now do these pictures look like she was working????

OK, maybe this one does, but it still looks far too much like fun and not hard work at all!

Anyway I digress, back to Mum's craziness.  Now she says its adventurous to go on our expeditions and its exciting, personally I think she is starting to take me on suicide missions.  I haven't told you about the cow episode (mental note will tell you another time) but today fresh from not being ridden for a week it was decided we would do a fittening ride up the road along the track and back.  OK I was up for that.  I set off at a smart pace, happily trotted long sections of the road until we got to the top. Then it all started to go very wrong!

Mr sheep man and his dogs were moving the nosiest set of sheep I have ever heard and annoyingly he was taking them towards the track Mum and I wanted to go along.  OK, so we quickly reformulated a new plan, go up the hill instead.  So up we went through the gate like usual, now the next section is steep and muddy, so Mum in her wisdom (not) decided the ground to the left with bright green grass looked better than the muddy slope we normally climb - how wrong could she be!

It's only about a 10m stretch from the bottom to the top of this section and I found myself all too quickly knee high in mud, then thigh high, and then tummy deep.  Errrr Mum I don't think this is the right route to take.  I did not panic, we took a moment to assess the situation, Mum considered getting off (but hey Mum we don't want to get your boots and chaps dirty do we!) and then stayed on.  I thought about turning around, Mum thought about that too and in the end we decided to push on. It's one of the few times I have wished I had longer legs, but we made it out of the depths and to the top of the bank - phew, definitely time to catch my breath!

You can see from the picture below the mud tide-line on me, I was seriously that deep in mud.  Mum so was proud of me to get us both out safely and I didn't even loose a shoe!

And still there was more drama, well nearly, so once on top of the bank Mum decided a little canter around the bottom field would be better than going up the steep track - just in case the crazy cows were around - ohhh Mum how wrong AGAIN!  The cows were in the bottom field, this required some serious stamping and snorting (from me) and slowly and quietly Mum and me turned around and crept away - neither of us could cope with the drama of being chased again - not this morning anyway.

After that I decided to take control we headed left over the hills to avoid having to go down the muddy track and had a nice canter there and back before carefully walking down the hill back to the road and trotting most of the road home to get some very well deserved tea and all before 8am!

Definitely time for a nap and a snack.