I hope you all have a lovely Christmas break, I am really hoping to spend some extra time with my boys!
Have you seen my latest vlog 'One Wet December Day!' on my You Tube channel, Horse Life and Love? Please
check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter for updates on Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until
next time!
Jo
November was a wet month but we still managed to get plenty of riding in. I am so relieved that Basil's vet visit is
done and we can relax for a bit. Basil
has lost some weight in the last month, he had some to spare but I will now be
watching him carefully so that he doesn't lose too much more. Tommy has lost very little and still has
plenty of padding to keep him warm over the next couple of months. I have lots
of grass left, although there won't be much goodness in it. It is always a balancing act between Basil
and Tommy to keep weight on Basil and off Tommy, I do really prefer it if they
can be out together :)
This
is how November looked:
1st
- lunged today and Basil was mostly good, bit of a mad moment in the
middle. Trailer practise again and he
put 2 feet further up the ramp :)
3rd
– hack out, weather was a bit gloomy but it was nice to get out and Basil was
very good.
4th
- lunged and very, very silly for 10 minutes at the beginning. We managed to get some sensible walk and trot
in then on each rein. 4 feet on the ramp
today.
8th
- short hack today. Very good until we
saw some people over the river waving big orange flags and then shooting (I
think trying to frighten pigeons), then Basil was loopy all the way home. He was upset when we got back so no trailer
practise today.
9th
- lunged today, in between rain showers.
Bit silly at the beginning but not for long, then he was very good. 2 feet on ramp today.
10th
- hack today, bit speedy but very good.
4 feet on the ramp today. Tommy
managed to get himself on the wrong side of the electric fence this afternoon -
with all the nice grass!!!!
13th
- hack again, lovely sunny day and so good to get out in the fresh air. Bit fast but good really.
15th
- lunged today. Started well, then got
silly and had a nosebleed, I have no idea how.
When he calmed down we walked a couple of circuits to make sure we
finished on a good note but didn't want to do much because of his nose
bleeding.
16th
- hack today once the fog lifted, really nice ride.
17th
- arena today, walk and trot leg yield and serpentines.
18th
– visit to the vets for his dental work.
20th
– lunged today, bit silly but not too bad. I will lunge a few times before I
ride to allow his mouth to settle down after his vet visit.
22nd
- lunged and we got wet today.
24th
- lunged and silly again.
27th
- hack today, we got very, very wet but Basil was very good.
28th
- lunged and a good session today.
29th
- hack out today in the sunshine, lovely.
30th
- another hack out - very good again.
Have you seen my latest vlog 'October Sunshine' on my You Tube channel, Horse Life and Love? Please
check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter for updates on Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until
next time!
Jo
It
is only 2 weeks until the shortest day!
The days will start getting longer but the weather really won't be
improving for a good while. So, I have
been thinking about the important things I consider for Basil and Tommy at this
time of year.
Tommy
copes really well with the cold although sometimes feels it when it is really
wet. Basil, as a thoroughbred, needs
some help to keep warm so has a rug on inside and outside ... I wrote a blog
a while ago about how horses are adapted to cope with different weather
conditions.
Mud
Fever: can be a big problem at this time of year so I keep a good
eye on their legs and heels when I pick out their feet - which I do every
evening when I fetch them in. I posted a video
for tips on preventing mud fever.
I
increase their feed in the winter, although Tommy really only gets a bit of
chaff with some apples in to make it more tasty. Basil gets bigger helpings of the food I feed
all year, which is designed for over 16's ... if he needs a bit more help to
keep his weight on I will add some sugarbeet. However, I have plenty of grass so don't
think it will be a problem.
Throughout
the year when I ride on the road I wear a Hi-Viz waistcoat and hat cover. At this time of year I always try to ride out
in the middle part of the day when the sun is at its highest so it is also as
light as possible. Depending on the
temperature I will also put Basil's bright exercise sheet on and his
boots.
Winter
with horses is always a challenge but there are always the weekends!
Have you seen my latest vlog 'November News' on my You Tube
channel, Horse Life and Love? Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter for updates on Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until
next time!
Jo
I
thought I would give you an update on Basil today. In my blog a couple of weeks
ago I let you all know that Basil had a problem with his teeth again. The vet came out a month after finding the
chunk of food stuck between Basil's molars on the lower right side of his
mouth. Unfortunately, although there were
signs that his gum was starting to heal the vet felt that he was likely to get
more food caught up before it totally recovered.
This
meant that Basil had to go on a little trip in the trailer up to the vets. If you watch my vlogs on You Tube you will
know that I had been practising getting Basil on the trailer for the month
because it was possible he would have to go and hadn't travelled for a few
years.
I
was so pleased with him as he walked all the way onto the trailer with only a
little nudge from the vet. Once on he
became a bit stressed, he has never been a great traveller, so in the interests
of his safety and my peace of mind he had a little sedation for his 10 minute
trip. This is a huge advantage with my
current vets as the last time Basil went for dental work it was 45 minutes in
the trailer.
If
I am honest I got a bit upset leaving him there, even though it was only for a
couple of hours, but of course he was fine!
I picked him up just after lunch and although he was still a little
sleepy the vet helped me get him back on the trailer. He was calm on the trip home and when I drove
in Tommy looked up and trotted up the field from the far corner where he had
been stuffing his face. I am so pleased
that Tommy is good at being on his own as it was one less thing to worry about. Basil had to stay on the yard until he was
fully awake but then he went out in the field for a couple of hours.
The
vet had cleared the area out again and filled the gap so that more food can't
get stuck. He also took the opportunity
to clear a few bits out of the other side of Basil's mouth. The vet gave me some painkillers for Basil (I
opted for the syringe as he is so difficult with stuff in his food). He had these for a few days but to be honest
did not seem to be as uncomfortable as when the vet cleared it out a month
ago.
I
have to organise for the vet to come out to check how things are in February
but for now we can all relax.
Have you seen my latest vlog 'November News' on my You Tube channel, Horse Life and Love?
Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter for updates on Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until
next time!
Jo
