Tommy - our surprise!

It has been a while since I wrote a Tommy update because I have included him in my monthly reviews instead.  However, I am so totally amazed by him that I wanted him to have a blog of his own.  A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that we were working on a surprise - well, if you scroll down to the last photos you will see :)

October
Back in September he had his first try with a turnout rug - which turned out to be too big.  So in October I bought him a new one and we tried it on!   He was nervous initially as it made a funny noise.

 
November
Come November and he was getting better with the rug, although still a bit hesitant about having the rug put over.  He soon got better and we had some horrible weather days when he wore it in the field!

 

December
Now with the rug he is not bothered at all when I go to place it over his back - obviously I still do this gently.  At the end of November I started thinking that with the progress we were making he might feel like joining in the festive spirit.  So I introduced him to the tinsel.  NEVER imagining I would get it on his head!

Isn't this pony FANTASTIC :):):)

Did you see yesterday's video ' Christmas Treats' on my You Tube channel.   
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

Exmoor Ponies

I always thought that Fidget might have some Exmoor blood in him as he had some of their characteristics! 

The Exmoor pony is thought to be the last survivor of the original Celtic ponies.  This breed was first recorded in the Doomsday book in 1086!  Native to Great Britain there are many still living semi-wild on the moors of the South West of Devon and Somerset.  They contribute to the management and conservation of these moors but are another endangered breed. 

The Exmoor ponies have developed into a hardy breed able to survive the harshest of winters. They are very strong ponies and can carry weights much larger than other ponies.  They are tough and hardy and have amazing endurance.

History
Equine fossil remains have been found in the Exmoor area which have been dated back to 50,000BC and many Roman carvings depict ponies that look similar to the Exmoor.  Ponies taken from the moor in 1818 formed  the 'Anchor herd' for today's Exmoor breed.  In the late 1800's Exmoor ponies and their crossbreeds began to be registered with the National Pony Society.  They were often used as 'pit ponies'.

After the Second World War the Exmoor nearly became extinct because soldiers used them as target practice and they were stolen for meat.  Numbers went as low as 50 but luckily they were saved and then during the 1950's started to be exported to North America!

In 1963 the Exmoor Pony Society was formed.  The 1990's brought the establishment of small herds of Exmoors in various areas of England where they are used to maintain and manage nature reserves.

Characteristics

Height: up to 12.3hh

Colour:  Bay, Brown, and Mousy Dun.

Conformation:  Small head with an oatmeal coloured muzzle and black nostrils. The oatmeal colour (mealy) is also found around the eyes, flanks and under the belly.  They have small ears and the eyes are slightly 'hooded'  called a toad eye which helps deflect water.  The coat is thick, springy and rough for protection during the harsh winters - it is unlike any other equine coat.  The Exmoor ponies also have good sloping shoulders and a deep girth.  The back is short and broad and the quarters strong.  Their legs are also short but with good bone and strong feet.  These ponies have a distinctive 'fan' at the top of their tails which again helps to deflect water away.  They are strong ponies in comparison to their height and are known for their endurance and hardiness.  

Temperament: Good temperament and intelligent.  They can be independent and willfull!

Exmoor's make excellent children's ponies, although, they can be difficult if not managed correctly. They are used for showing, long distance and driving in addition to managing moorland! 

This is another breed we must not allow to die out!

The Exmoor Pony Society Website:  http://www.exmoorponysociety.org.uk/index.html


Later this week I will be uploading my 'What's in my Grooming Kit vlog on my new You Tube channel.   Horse Life and Love
Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

My Weekend Routine

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about my weekday routine, which, like a lot of people, is generally squeezed in the winter.  The weekend's are a time to tackle all the other things AND ride :)

 

SATURDAY

6.45am
As in the week I tend to get up fairly early.  This suits the horses and apparently it is good for us to get up at a similar time every day too.  So I have about 10 minutes longer in bed!  As soon as I get to the horses I make their breakfast.  Just as in the week.  While they tuck in I get on with some other bits ....

Now that Basil is having steamed hay, things are a little bit different in the week and at the weekend.  I put the haynets in the steaming bin the night before so all I do in the morning is plug in the unit and turn it on!  This is really to make sure the hay has the maximum time steaming as I have to turn it off before I go to work (in the week).  While they are eating I take Basil's empty nets from the night before out of the stable and fill them with hay - to put in the steamer later in the day.  I have 4 nets for Basil now so that I can do this!

As in the week Tommy has usually finished his breakfast by now.  Next I change the rugs, Chesney is usually still eating but he is very used to this by now.  Basil sometimes has finished and sometimes is just licking the last bits from the bottom of his bowl, he also is very good.  Tommy has his rug on some days if it is cold and wet :)  He is getting really chilled with it now which is great.

Tommy goes out first, closely followed by Basil but I lead them both out separately.  Chesney tends to take a bit longer eating his big breakfast.  As time is not so limited at the weekend I often have a bigger cuddle with Chesney before he potters off. 

 

7.00am
The food bowls get an extra good clean at the weekend.  I wash any left food out and give them a scrub with the brush inside and out.  Then, while I skip out, I boil the kettle lots of times to fill Chesney's bowl with very hot water - and put in a bit of washing up liquid.  I leave this to soak a while and it seems to work really well at getting rid of the oil he has in his bowl.  I give it a good scrub around again and then pour the water into Tommy and then Basil's bowls and do the same. I leave them all to drain on the side of the yard.

By the time Chesney's bowl is full with hot water I have usually finished skipping out the stables and emptied out the water buckets.  As in the week I check how much they have drunk before scrubbing them out. Chesney seems to fill his with hay and Tommy fills his with shavings.  Basil's automatic waterer gets emptied out and refilled once I have finished his stable - he fills his with hay too.  

Saturday is big muck out day.  I don't know why but I always start with Chesney's (I do the same when skipping out.)  I clear out any wasted hay before gently moving all the clean shavings back to expose the wet patches.  I filmed a video of this last winter - click here to see it.  I shovel them out before putting the bedding back down, adding new shavings and making the beds look nice.  Basil's new shavings go under his old to try to reduce any dust.  

Once I have done all the stables I fill Chesney and Tommy's haynets for the night and hang them up.  I will have turned the steamer off at some point by now. Then the yard gets a good sweep and every few weeks I clear out the drains too :(  They always get lots of hay and food bits, leaves etcetera in them and it is good to keep them clear so if we have lots of rain the yard doesn't get overwhelmed and the stables flood.

9.00am
I usually have a cup of tea or coffee at some point before tackling one or two 'extra' jobs. 

1.00pm
I tend to ride in the afternoon (unless the weather is better in the morning).  If I am hacking out it is better as I don't meet the point to point horses that ride out in the mornings.  They are not a good influence on Basil!  As Chesney gets quite stressed when I take Basil out of the field he never gets a big groom before I ride.  Luckily he is really easy to catch and lead and he doesn't get upset by Chesney's behaviour.  I pick out his feet and make sure he doesn't have any mud where the bridle, saddle and girth sit.  I put the tack on as quickly as I can and we go.  Tommy is getting used to Chesney's behaviour now and tends to stay out the way. 

Obviously, Basil is not fit at all at the moment so we are just going out for about 30 minutes and walking mostly with a little trot.  We have to do quite a lot of roadwork around here as there is not much off road riding close by, I have to go out for a couple of hours for bridleway riding.  When we get back Chesney usually calms down relatively quickly so I can untack and give Basil a quick brush and check over before putting his rug back on and letting him back into the field.  I always feel like this is a good reward for his work.  

4.00pm
Now it is getting dark so early I often get them in earlier at the weekend as it gives me an opportunity to check them over in the daylight.  Checking for mud fever and any knicks or scratches.  Tommy seems to be a bit accident prone, mostly in the stable and often takes the hair off on his face.  I have no idea how or what on but he doesn't do serious damage.  The grass is not so good at this time of year and the horses have usually been standing in their favourite spot since about 3.00pm waiting for me (apparently). 

After putting Basil's haynets into his stable I follow my weekday routine and mix up their feeds before getting them in.  I put the haynets I filled this morning into the steamer so they are all ready for the next morning now.  I tend to check Chesney over while he is eating but if he needs his legs washing I do this after he has finished.  I don't do this often but every now and again so that I can reapply his mud fever prevention cream in the morning.  I did a video about this too.  Chesney is the only one who gets mud all up his legs - which he does when he walks and trots up and down while I am out riding.  So, checking Tommy's legs is relatively easy as they are usually clean above his pasterns.  

They all have their feet picked out and I usually give them a better brush at the weekend when I change the rugs.  They get a go over with the rubber curry comb and then Chesney and Basil have a body brush too.  Tommy doesn't as he needs all the oils in his coat for the days he is not wearing a rug.  As long as they are not wet I can give the manes a brush too.  To be honest I don't do the tails that often in the winter because they are muddy and combing them just breaks the hairs and pulls them out.  I also get the water buckets filled.  Tommy and I usually practise something now as well.  Getting him used to rugs and other things where he feels safe.  

Once they are all snuggled up and clean (ish) I collect the feedbowls and give them a quick scrub.  Mostly they are going away in the feedroom overnight at the moment as it is windy.  They get their little treats and I leave them in peace. 

  
SUNDAY

Is similar except I don't have to do a big muck out.  On a Sunday morning, I often ride in the arena which at the moment is not very exciting.  I also have to clean out the 'box' where the hay is steamed, this doesn't take long but is a little job that needs doing each week.   I also tackle one or two extra jobs today. 


Next week I will let you know all the extra jobs that go along with my weekend routine.

Have you seen last week's vlog on my You Tube channel.   Horse Life and Love
Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy. 

Until next time!

Jo

The Horse's Spine

Following on from my blog about the bones of the skull last week, I wanted to find out more about a horse's spine.   The horse's spine is rigid during locomotion when you compare it to other mammals, for instance a cat or dog! The functions of the spine are to carry some of the body mass and also to transmit forward propulsion.

The spine contains the spinal cord - which is, basically, all the nerves coming from the brain.  There are 36 pairs of nerve roots which branch off from the spinal cord and exit the spine through the 'intervertebral foramen' - basically the space between 2 vertebrae!  These spinal nerve roots are the connecting structure between the Central Nervous System and the peripheral nerves (see my blog).

As I mentioned in my blog about the Horse's Skeleton the spine is made up of 7 cervical vertebrae, 18 thoracic, 6 lumbar, the sacrum and 15 - 22 coccygeal vertebrae.  All vertebrae have 3 basic components; the body, arch and spinous processes, these will be slightly different in each type of vertebra depending on the individual requirements.  The arch surrounds the vertebral canal and the processes supply a place for muscle attachment .  There are 3 types of processes; the spinous processes (point upwards), the transverse (which come out at right angles) and the articular processes which are smaller but also come out to the side.

 
The Cervical Vertebrae.

The first 2 of these have individual names as they are slightly different in structure to the rest. The Atlas is the first cervical vertebra and is designed to meet the occipital bone of the skull.  It has a larger hole (vertebral canal) because this area moves a great deal and so there is plenty of space for the spinal cord to prevent damage.  The joint between the skull and the Atlas allows the nodding movement of the head.

The second cervical vertebra is called the Axis.  This is designed to provide a place for the transverse ligament to attach and to join to the Atlas and the next cervical vertebra.  The large spinous process (divided into 2 ridges) allows for the attachment of the nuchal ligament - which is the strong and central neck ligament.  The nuchal ligament attaches to the nuchal crest of the occipital bone (as mentioned in last week's blog).  The joint between the Atlas and Axis allows some rotation of the head.

The other 5 cervical vertebrae are of a more standard design, with a body, and small spinous processes. The large transverse processes allow muscle attachment - particularly the serratus ventralis muscle.  The joints between these vertebrae allow lateral curvature and some arching of the neck.


The Thoracic Vertebrae.

These vertebrae provide surfaces for the heads of the ribs, in addition to protected passage for the spinal cord.  Each vertebra has a 'disc' in between made up of cartilage. As the horse ages this cartilage can become calcified too ie: turn to bone.  The size and direction of the spinous processes alters in each; the early thoracic vertebrae have large spinous processes which point backwards, the last 2 point forwards.   The spinous processes become smaller from the 5th onwards.  Thoracic vertebrae move very little in any direction.


The Lumbar Vertebrae

Although, there is usually 6, in some breeds eg: the Arab, there may only be 5 with an additional thoracic vertebra instead.  These vertebrae have long transverse processes.  The last few lumbar vertebrae are joined in such a way that there is very limited movement. 

The Sacrum

The 5 vertebrae of the sacrum are fused together.


The Coccygeal Vertebrae

The number can vary between 15 and 22.  With the exception of the first few these do not have vertebral canals or articular processes.   

It makes sense to include the ribs and sternum here too....


The Ribs

Usually there are 18 pairs of ribs, to correspond to the thoracic vertebrae.  These are relatively elastic and at the bottom end are made up of cartilage (costal cartilage).  The first 8 pairs articulate (join) with the sternum through this cartilage but for the last 10 the cartilage is bonded together to form the costal arch - and this links to the sternum!  The last rib is short and is often called a 'floating rib'.  The amount of curve in each rib increases from front to back of the horse.  The ribs move to allow an increase in capacity of the chest for respiration.    The first 9 ribs also provide attachment for the serratus ventralis muscle! 

 
The Sternum

This is held in position by the first 8 ribs.  It is a made up of a number of bony segments which are connected by cartilage.  The pectoral muscles are attached to the sternum and costal cartilage.  Forming the floor of the chest the sternum also gives a place for the attachment of some neck muscles. 

Next week's blog will be about the front leg!

Did you see this week's video 'December - My Weekend'  on my You Tube channel.   
Horse Life and Love.   Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo