Mad About Horses

Jazz and Hunter

2010-04-02T13:56:00.000-04:00

Jazz and Hunter, who came first. You would not think this whould mean so much but it has always been a bone of contention between my two friends and it has become a real issue.

I'll give you the facts and you make the decision.

I found Hunter first. On a Friday. He was only 18 months old and needed to be trained to go on the trailer so I was told to expect him him two to three weeks.

Now it's the following Monday. I go to an auction, Jazz gives me the old eye to eye contact, that heart breaking thing, sending me a message, 'take me home with you or you will regret it till your dying days'. Now I don't know about you but I found that to be a very powerful message, so I was compelled to bid on him.

He came home...he came to his TemPorary Home that night, at 2:00 in the morning, and of course, in the pouring rain. Hunter came to the same TemPorary home about 3 weeks later, and of course, in the pouring rain..

So who was first?

Uhhmm...I don't know if this is pertinent but I was looking for Hunter. I wanted a Saddlebred, gender wasn't an issue and I was hoping to find one that was black. Jazz was an impulse decision. (A decision that I have been eternally gratefull for. He's lush.)

I told them I would put it to the bigger population and what ever was decided by strangers they would live by.

So, tell me, who came first?

Helping others

2008-01-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

I've just finished reading the posts about the RSPCA rescue - woah. Its all very well for us to say 'how awful' and 'poor horses' and 'why did it take so long for the RSPCA to do something' but just saying it is not going to help. I actually feel useless, for want of a better word. Daft thing is, I know I can make a change. I've done it before (ok so on a teeny weeny level & with help from my friends) and I'm still fighting for a satisfactory outcome on a dispute involving myself and an education institiution. I'm a stubborn old witch & if I believe in something, I'll fight for it to the end. Time to do some research.....

RSPCA & time to do something

2008-01-11T12:10:00.000-05:00

If you were on the Your Horse forum today you might have come across me shooting my mouth off about doing something about man's cruelty.

If someone truely wants to become involved with correcting an injustice there are a number of platforms available. There are also many degrees for self-involvement. Putting a few coins into a box for charity is one of the least ways to offer support without becoming personally involved.

Joining a group, signing petitions, sending a letter off to your MP, donating money to the cause all require a little more involvement, a little stronger committment.

Then you find the ones who actually, really and truely want to do something about it, and that is what I'm going to explore here.

I started this blog to chat informally with others who love horses as much as I do. I wanted other Mad About Horses people to have a place to share even more about themselves in a friendly, caring atmosphere and to maybe delve past the superficiality we use as a mask to keep ourselves safe from harms way.

Over the next week or two I'm going to explore further into tackling the problems we have putting action into the place where our mouths are. I hope there are a few who will join me.

Jealouse

2008-01-11T11:40:00.000-05:00

That is spectacular. I'm coming to England this summer for a holiday and will definitely spend time exploring Wales. The biggest problem is there are so many places we love to see and we'll have so little time to do it all.

Jim is self employed and has trouble getting a lengthy time off. He usually takes a week here or there but you can't do justice to the UK in that short of a time frame.
Hhmmm. I think I'll have to come on my own and he can join me.

I've been out a few times riding and (fingers crossed, knock on wood) haven't damaged myself again by doing something stupid like slipping on ice. We've had the strangest weather though. We usually have a pile of snow, ponds are frozen so you can skate on them, and you have to bundle up in sub zero clothing to stay warm but the temperature is above freezing, was actually as high as 14 Celsius, rain, thunder and lightening.

What is also interesting is our Lab's winter coat and Jazz and Hunters winter coat aren't nearly as thick as they were the last couple of years. Hunter usually ends up looking like a fur ball.

Your pictures are amazing and I feel terrible because I have been so lax in taking pictures. I don't even have a good excuse other then I have a muddled brain and need to really work at getting organized and staying focused. That was one of my New Year resolutions to.

Ah well, as Scarlett said in Gone With The Wind, "I'll think about that tomorrow."

Pictures!

2008-01-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of our trip up the mountain. I've got pretty good riding up where I keep him (will take camera up to his place if I remember) but its nice to box up & go somewhere different. The BHS have opened up a beach ride nearby so I'm hoping to take him on that. I'm really lucky in that we have such varied countryside to ride in - quiet lanes, open mountains, forestry, lakesides and beaches. Great fun!!

The transmitter mast at Moel y Parc

Handsome Horse

The view across the Vale

Looking out over the Vale towards the sea. If it had been a clearer day you'd be able to see the sea on the right hand side of the picture.

My trusty steed!! Doesn't look very tired after his adventure up the hills. The white stuff on his front legs is cooling leg clay. He'd been a bit of a prat and the ground was slippy so thought it best to put the stuff on to cool and tighten his tendons & ligaments.

Another view with some sheep in it (white dots!)

Now I have my trailer I just want to go exploring different places, but I really must do some schooling in preparation for a dressage competition in a couple of weeks time. Trouble is, I'm not very disciplined with that sort of thing & prefer to 'play'.

Good luck with the jumping! Warrior doesn't jump fences anymore due to his arthritis. I don't miss it much as I wasn't very good but there are times when I spot a small log & am very tempted. I know Warrior would do it too, lumpy knee or not, but its not fair to ask him to jump. Keep us up to date with the jumping progress!

2008-01-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

Your ride sounds aw some. When I was researching long distance walks I came across the Offas Dyke, is it as good as it sounds? Are there places you can ride straight from where you board or do you have to trailer?

I'm lucky that there are trails near where I board, though now with winter snow and ice I won't be riding to far from the arena. There are some decent riding spots near home as well but nothing like you have. Ours are pretty tame.

Jazz has a tendency to rush going down hills, and when I rein him in to keep at a walk he starts prancing, swinging his butt around and tossing his head. I have a fear he's going to buck and unseat me. There's one spot in particular that's pretty steep so now we go down on the diagonal. Takes a little bit longer but I feel more comfortable doing it that way.

This year I want to learn how to jump with Hunter and work at being more comfortable going downhill. And I'm going to take more pictures. Your little camera sounds perfect. The one I have right now is pretty big and it's too bulky to carry around while riding, plus it's getting on in years. Hhmm, Mothers Day, better start hinting for it now. My crew are a little slow on the uptake.

How is your new truck and trailer working out? When I first bought Jazz and Hunter I had a Subaru Forester. It was a great car and I loved it but after I had the boys for a year my OH traded it in for a truck. I don't think you have them over in the UK, it's pretty big. It's a General Motors Sierra, 3/4 ton diesel, 4 X 4 and could haul a small house if I wanted to. Which is a good thing because a couple years ago I found a horse trailer I could afford. It's old and made of steel, so it's very heavy. I had to have it overhauled to make it safe so now it's basically like new. Hauls like a charm.

I love the freedom having a truck and trailer gives me. We also use the truck for hauling hay, the square one's and round bales, lumber, rocks, dirt, dogs and all sorts of farming type things. It's a bugger though to park when I take it into town.

Take lots of pictures, I love pictures. You can paste them here. I know this sounds really weird as I am a born and raised Canadian and I love Canada, but I get homesick for England. My OH is the same way. Once we're over there and settled in our little village that we like to go to we don't want to leave. So post some pictures so I can get all misty eyed.

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T06:36:00.000-05:00

The festivities are over for another year & people are starting to return to their jobs. I go back on Friday (don't work Wed & Thurs), in for another week & then start a new job on Monday 17th.

Managed to get out up the mountains with Warrior on Boxing Day. Boxed him up and took him down the road and parked up in a layby that is well used by horse riders. He was full of beans & jogged the first mile or two, eventually settling down only to start jogging again due to a change of surface and that we were now riding along a track going through a large field. Back on the road again and he settled into his ground eating walk and we soon found ourselves at the next bridlepath, which we took to get up the mountain. We had a little canter up this track, which involved Warrior putting in a couple of bucks for good measure. At the top, we stopped for a breather, while I consulted my map, found where we were supposed to be heading and made our way back towards home. Somewhere along the way, I went a bit off course and we seemed to still be climbing. I knew we were out of our way when we came across the transmitter mast, found where that was on the map and then headed towards home. By now, Warrior had got his second wind and was bouncing down a slippy slope, paying no attention to me what so ever. Next thing he almost went arse over tit (well chest in his case). I've no idea how he stayed upright or how I stayed on board. At the bottom of the hill was a well used old road, the Offa's Dyke path so we were back on course. We were out for about 2 hours, mostly walking, and he was still full of it when he got back to the trailer.

Bumped into his old owner the other day while I was out riding Prince, leading Warrior. He drove past us & then stopped & got out of the car to say hello to us. Out of all the horses they've owned, Warrior was his favourite and he was really pleased to see him looking well and still fit & active. I think he found it slightly amusing when I told him we were doing dressage competitions & he was doing well as a veteran show horse!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T10:20:00.000-05:00

Well, Christmas has finally got here & my small town is teeming with shoppers buying last minute gifts and groceries. They remind me of ants, but without their organisation.

Its raining here (again), has been non-stop all day. I'll have soggy horses to bring in instead of frozen ones - yuck :-( Hopefully there'll be a break in it for a day or two so I can get up the mountains with Warrior.

I'm looking after an extra two horses until Thursday as their owner goes to her mum's for Christmas. They're both Portugese bred horses and one is relatively new. He's a gelding called Pinky and is cremello in colour. Before he arrived over here, he'd never been turned out so it was all a bit new to him. Puddles, mud and stones were all very scary and its taken a few months for his personality to come out. Now, he's no longer a pale blonde colour but is encrusted in Welsh mud and various other nasties he's rolled in! He also likes playing with buckets, cones and anything else that can move in the field. Both horses had lovely long manes and tails but the goats keep eating them and now they have very poor excuses for tails. Any goat deterrent suggestions greatly received!

Merry Christmas!!!

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

I would most definitely visit again. Jim and I generally stay in the Peak District, near Matlock whenever we visit the UK. One time we went to Hay-On-Wye. I had heard it's the used book capital of the world, I had also just finished reading a book called Lady of Hay, which was based on true historical facts. I think they called her Maud, and she was responsible for building one of the castles in Hay.

We just had a massive snowfall, over 20 centimeters. I know it causes all kinds of travel problems but I love the snow falling when you're settled nice and cozy in front of a fire.

Three winters ago we had 4 horses at home over the winter. Jazz, Hunter and 2 Haflingers my OH owned. At the time Hunter was rising 3 and Axle, a gelding, was 2. I looked out the window and saw Axle and Hunter playing in the paddock, bucking and kicking, rearing and biting. Hunter was almost 16 hands and Axle was almost 14 hands, Hunter also had this long neck so he was winning the rearing and biting games so Axle switched to reaching down and biting Hunter's legs.

By the time a had changed and dressed for the outdoors they had found a new game to play.

Forty years ago the paddock area had been a small junk yard. Even though it has been cleaned up for around 35 years we still have stuff coming up over the winter. Hunter and Axle found a rubber inner tube. The sort you find in car tires. I watched fascinated as they played tug of war, and race and chase with this tube. I eventually had to go in as I was getting cold but still they were out there making up new games with it.

That night we had one of our enormous snowfalls. I went out to check on the horses and found Hunter and Axle wandering through the paddock, noses snuffling through the snow. They were concentrating so hard they hadn't even noticed I was there. Usually they would race over for their carrots. I was curious to see what they were up to so I watched them foraging up and down the fence line, kicking snow with their feet, noses buried in the white stuff.

Axles head suddenly popped up, the rubber tubing hanging from his mouth and the race was on.

I hear that horses are just dumb animals, pretty low on the IQ index, but I know differently.

Welsh winters

2007-12-20T15:36:00.000-05:00

So, you've had a taster of where I live with its Welshmen, their sheep and the mountains. Would you ever visit again or did the non-stop rain (I'll be suprised if you say it didn't rain a drop!) put you off for good?!

We don't get very good winters anymore. Last year it rained from October through to April, only allowing for a few dry days inbetween. We then had a very wet summer too and I nearly had to buy Warrior a dinghy as his field was so wet!! The winters up here used to be lovely - lots of snow and frost, but now its just mud, mud, rain, mud, mudfever & more mud. However, as I type, we are experiencing a lovely cold, crisp spell just, how I like it.

First time Warrior went out in the snow (as a hunter, he never was never turned out in a field over winter) he dug and dug the snow & went down to roll in the white stuff not anticipating how cold it was. When he kicked it up & it landed on his clipped tummy, he jumped up off all four feet and proceeded to do some strange air above the ground moves. Any further rolling in the snow was done very very carefully!

I have never ridden in the snow as I am not too sure how safe it is. Warrior doesn't wear metal shoes so he wouldn't get the snow balling up in his hooves. He has Old Mac hoof boots instead and I wonder if they're ok to ride in the snow with?

I am off work now until Friday 4th Jan so lots of time to play with Warrior. But I'd better not let him know, as he will "pull a sickie" and injure himself so he gets out of work!

Christmas

2007-12-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hi; I'm getting all dithered about Christmas. We're having the family Christmas dinner here at home, and I think the turkey Jim bought is to big for the oven.

We had a huge snowfall on Sunday, over 20 mm. It snowed all Saturday night and all Sunday. When it stopped snowing I should have taken pictures but I didn't.

I love your trailer, and we have both always liked the land rovers. Lucky girl. I think you said at one point that you are in northern Wales. What are your winters like?

In June of 2001 Kari was in her final year at Salford uni and as she took the fashion course they were having a big catwalk in London with the fashions the students had created.

She made me knit a dress out of chain, silver coloured chain that you would normally use as necklace. I told her I couldn't do it and she brought out her whip and said 'yes you can' and then cracked the whip. She was right when I was finished and I saw it on the model it looked like one of those dresses actors wear to movie premieres.

As my reward she came with me to northern Wales. We made our way to Corwen by bus and train then backpacked for another 10 miles to the youth hostle Kari had booked us into. Except it was the wrong youth hostle and they were booked up with school children. We had a nice long chat with the kids, very curious about our being Canadian, asking lots of questions. Someone offered me a cigarette which I politely declined as I was trying to quit. Kari had 4 or 5 girls hanging around her and they were depating, of all things, fashion.

After about an hour the warden came to unlock the youth hostle and that's when we found out we were in the wrong one. This time we caught the bus all the way to Llangollen, and that's where we were booked in and stayed the night. Next morning we walked back toward Wexham, but halfway there are legs gave out (we were carrying heavy backpacks) and to the train back to Manchester.

I was glad we went. There is a tempered wildness, water rushing faster, hills threatening to be mountains, curves in the path that make you hold your breath for a moment in anticipation of what you might find. I liked Wales and it's people very much.

My knee is healing slower then I had anticipated but it wouldn't have mattered anyway
as these past to weeks have been a wipe out, what with parties, shopping, cleaning, puppy hunting.

Come New Years though I'll be back in the saddle again. Poor boys, I know they're getting good care but I miss them so much. Tomorrow I'm going to see them, I need a horsey fix.

Anne

Smart trailer, scruffy car

2007-12-16T06:01:00.000-05:00

<--The New Trailer!!

I've got a dark green Landrover Discovery at the moment (kind of a cross between the traditional landrover defender and the more plush range rover). I bought it last year and I am now paying my mum back so much a month as she lent me the money. It's a little bit scruffy around the edges but it pulls really well. As for the trailer, its black, (well it was until it went through all the mud the other day), has windows at the front that you can open for extra ventilation (needed for Warrior as he gets very hot when travelling), and a grooms door you can open on the inside (the other types of this make of trailer don't).

Ifor Williams Trailers, is possibly The trailer company in the UK and manufactures all types of trailer. They're based about 10 miles from where I live, so it'll be really handy for when my trailer needs to be serviced plus they'll give you a good deal on a new one if you're local. If you after them, they'll go on for years and years. Warrior won't travel in a trailer with a partition, so its really nice not to have to put them all back in after a long day, when I've borrowed someone elses trailer. Hopefully I'll be able to take him to different places over Christmas for rides & take lots of pictures of where we go!

Trucks and trailers

2007-12-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

What kind of Land Rover are you getting? That's wonderful news. Sorry I didn't pick up on that right away. I think when I went to the dentist he froze my entire brain as well.

What colour is the LR and will it match the trailer?

I'm not familiar with that brand of trailer can you tell me about it?

I bought an old trailer 4 years ago, and every year I have to do something to keep it road worthy. So now it's virtually brand new again, had all the rust cut out and plated over, five brand new tires, sand blasted and re-painted, new wiring. It's a big, heavy, old thing but it tows like a dream.

Last August I took the boys on a four hour road trip to visit a friend. Everything was fine till I got on the west side of Toronto. All of a sudden I could feel the trailer lurching about. It would stop than a few minutes later start up again. I knew it was either Jazz or Hunter moving around so I pulled over at the first safe spot. The front of the trailer has two full size escape doors, so I opened them both up. First I opened up the door on Hunters side, he was cool as a cucumber, still tied up and he gave that look, 'what, I didn't do anything'. Then I went to open the door on Jazz's side, he was drenched with sweat, but still tied. I checked him out and everything seemed okay but I couldn't understand what was wrong with Jazz. He's been towed lots of times wrong without problems.

As I started to walk away, out of the corner of my eye I saw Hunter reach over the divider and bite Jazz on the neck, off course Jazz reared trying to get away. Mystery solved. I went back to Hunter who was still giving me that "what, I didn't do anything' look and shortened his lead rope so he couldn't reach over and bite Jazz.

I waited till they couldn't hear me, Jazz is sensitive and I didn't want to encourage Hunter, then started laughing. What goes around comes around.

Hunter is usually at the bottom of the pecking order but when he has a chance for retaliation he jumps at it. He is such a boy.

Gets me going too

2007-12-13T15:08:00.000-05:00

I hate the live horse transport trade. Always gets me going too as its really upsetting. The ILPH (horse charity over in the UK, don't know if you've heard of it) has been campaigning really hard to stop the live transport of these animals across Europe and laws are changing but its so hard to enforce them ;-( Actually, its not just horses, I hate seeing any type of animal crammed into a lorry thats being driven not too carefully. Around here its usually sheep and we also get a lot of chickens and the worst thing is day old chicks, 20 or so in little cardboard boxes being shipped out for a life in a wire cage. All the red tape we have here regarding the slaughter of animals means they have to suffer long journeys. Makes me cross, upset and frustrated.

Anyway, slight digress from horsey topic......

Yes, I had Warrior freezemarked as a theft deterrent, although, no one with any sense would steal him!! He's the only one thats been done where he lives. I'd be devastated if he was stolen, absolutely heartbroken. It didn't seem to bother him when he had it done. He's still a bit swollen, but doesn't seem tender and the skin is starting to go a bit scurfy as the freezemarker said it would. He'll go scabby & when they drop off (no picking) the hair will grow back white. Over here, we can have personalised marks for extra cost, but I just left it up to them. Unfortunately I now keep calling him G57, a bit reminiscent of the cult 60s programme, The Prisoner.

dentists

2007-12-13T09:28:00.000-05:00

OOUUCCHHH

Actually it wasn't to bad. At least now I have a choice on which side of the mouth I can chew on.

Did you have the freeze burning to help identify if stolen? My friend who lives in Houston is going to have her mare done. Horse theft is a common occurance in the US. I'm frightly naive I guess and out of the loop so I should do some checking, but I have never heard of any horse being stolen in the area that I live. Plus, why steal something you can get for free. Especially now with the US closing their horse slaughtering facicilities. Thousands of horses are now being shipped up here to Canada or to Mexico. Our slaughter rules and transport rules are strictly enforced, plus we have the option to bury your animal freinds at home, if you have the space, or to cremate if you want.

I pity the horses though that are being transported in the states, and shipped to Mexico. They have horror stories. Animals packed in so tight that those who die on route remain standing up.
Sorry, got a stop can't see very well, tears are blurring my vision.

Dentist - yuck

2007-12-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

How did it go at the dentist? I really don't envy you. Absolutely hate the dentist with a vengance.

Had a good ride, although nearly had a whoopsie. Warrior, who I was leading, was scared of some pigs and he happily pushed Prince and I into & half up a bank on the other side of the lane. Prince is only a slight thoroughbred and is blind in his right eye (he has no lens - totally detached and is sitting at the bottom of his eyeball) so he couldn't stand up to hefty ol' Warrior & couldn't see the bank on his other side. Lets just say that Prince would never make a mountain horse! Both horses are looking really well at the mo & you'd never guess they were both nearly 18yrs, not bad for a pair of horses that had been written off by the vets!!

It worked

2007-12-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy, thanks Trojan. Now I know it can work.

I'm off to the dentist and when I get back I'll read your entry again and give you a proper welcom.

Anne

Warrior's week so far....

2007-12-12T07:09:00.000-05:00

After years of begging and borrowing towing vehicles and trailers, Warrior is now fully mobile due to the huge generosity of my parents. Last year my mum helped me to pay for a Landrover, (I am slowly paying her back) and last Wednesday my dad bought a lovely new Ifor Williams trailer for me :-) Have not been anywhere with it yet.

Warrior got freezemarked on Saturday - G57. He was very well behaved for it and now has a clipped bit on his back and you can just about see the mark. Can't ride him for a week, but I'll probably leave it longer. I can always do ground work with him instead. Saturday also saw the return to the field for the Arab, Putnik as he's been on box rest for a month. He's half the size of Warrior, yet he's really nasty to him and Warrior's had a lovely peaceful month without Putnik irritating and attacking him. Must book Warrior in for some self defence classes ;-)

We actually have a rain free day today, so I'll take the two old boys (Prince & Warrior) out this afternoon for a ride (leading W).

Jazz

2007-12-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

I took Jazz and Hunter to their winter headquarters, then proceeded to neglect them for a week. When I was finally able to go to them Hunter was a friendly and cheeky as ever. He came right up to me, wondered where I had been and was glad to see me again.

Jazz on the other hand takes things very personally, and he's also very sensitive so his feelings get hurt rather easily. Though after I took his picture and offered him an apple he immediately forgave me. He's lovely that way. Never holds a grudge and when he decides to forgive you he will never bring it back up again.

Mad About Horses

2007-12-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

Let's just see how this can work out.