Best few days - Ever!

After much theatrics - eye rolling, snorting, only going in reverse - from Darcy, we did it - and h LOVED it! To the extent he was soon taking one look at the dam and trotting into it. I can barely keep him out!
And after the near-death experience Alti had on the way to the dam (involving his reins getting tangled around his legs and him panicking, rearing and falling over...not nice) he was an absolute angel as soon as he'd recovered. All it took were a few calming words, a bit of a cuddle and a big, big nuzzle from him, and it was as though it never happened. I was so, so proud of him for relaxing so quickly as soon as he heard my voice - I still don't feel like we've got that connection yet that I do with Darcy, which I will know will come with time, so to know he trusted me so much was amazing. And I don't think Cam will ever let him walk with loose reins again... but look how nicely he's working for Cam now!

We did it!

October

Aside from the minor incident of Darcy getting stuck in a fence (how? why?) and doing the above to his legs, everything's going well with the boys. I moved them to another paddock as the 17hh Steeplechaser in the next field was bullying them, and they've now got a bigger area and lots of big, shady trees for the Summer months. I've been giving Cam regular lessons on Altibo, and Darcy is being lunged every second day, and walked in and around the arena and jumping paddocks to get him used to different sights and sounds when we ride out. I'm feeding them both myself now, and they're both glowing without their rugs on. Both ripped their Weatherbeeta's off, and Darcy destroyed two cotton rugs completely, along with Altibo getting through 4 pairs of over reach boots in 3 weeks.

I'm seriously considering dressing them up for Christmas, and I love this saddle pad! It's probably a good thing they already have two custom saddle blankets being made to order with their names embroidered on them, otherwise they'd have some cute (faux) dead bears on their back, to go with this...

Together at last!

Darcy & Altibo moved in together on Saturday, and were instant buddies, much to my relief.

Meeting for the first time

Darcy in his idea of heaven - knee deep grass!

Happiest girl in the world with her two boys :)

Darcy & Altibo Updates

- d a r c y -

Having a chat with his pal Cookie in the stables.
Darcy's been enjoying a spell over the past few weeks, and is coming back into work without a trace of stiffness - or sensibleness. His coat's coming through (and his Winter fur is flying out in handfuls, mostly into my mouth it seems...) and he's looking sensational. He was moved to a paddock next to a 17.2hh mare, who appeared to terrify him, but now he's got two whole paddocks and some fresh Spring grass in the laneway, as well as two overflowing buckets of hard feed a day to get some condition up.

Pretending to be a Brumby in the round yard.
We had a fun time in the round yard yesterday, and after he finally settled down he did the most perfect, lovely extended trot I've seen. I was quite unaware he could have such beautiful action after having only seen him hobble and lurch around recently.

Got racehorse?

He had a much needed bath after his work out yesterday, and even had Cameron put a 3 minute conditioning treatment through his mane and tail! He smells nicely of peaches now, which I'm sure wont last too long. He's moving to his new agistment place on the 1st, where he will be sharing a paddock with my other boy, Altibo.

Pre-bath glossiness - and that tail just keeps growing and growing!

- a l t i b o -

'Gimme that! Now!'
Altibo is certainly a character. Part giraffe, part horse, he can contort himself into the most bizarre way to get to what he suspects might be a carrot. He's nearly consumed my phone, a hoof pick and my sunglasses in several seperate attacks.

Death by horseback.
We're having weekly lessons (and I will on D Boy too, when he moves there) and I fall off after a half hour, sweating, incoherent and unable to move. I have never worked so hard in my life - Alt is the sort of horse you have to make do EVERY little thing I take for granted (i.e don't randomly turn left/halt/do some strange humping motion the second I take a tiny bit of pressure off the rein etc) but I certainly feel like I've acompished something when we're lucky enough to do a semi-decent circle at a trot together.

Posing for carrots :)
On the ground, D and Alt are very similar ponies. They're both super alert of where I am at all times, pick their feet up the second I ask them, constantly maul me for any trace of food. I can leave them unsupervised with Cameron and I can be assured I wont return to find him, laying mangled and kicked to death from his amusing attempts at rugging/bridling etc.
I'm looking forward to having them both together and not having Livery any more, so I can spend my mornings feeding out and grooming, and, lets face it, swimming in the dam with them in Summer.

He loves the attention.
No, really.

Winter fun

"You've got the camera out? Again? Here, let me give you my best 'I am Brumby, wild and free pose..." - Darcy in his lovely new rug (not white for long, I fear...)

Darce and I have been enjoying winter the past few days, with some very easy work, light trotting and battle of wills involving walking over trotting poles (I find he enjoys launching over all three, as opposed to walk sedately and using his legs and bottom properly).A rather damp Darcy after our wait for the rain to stop didn't work so well...

There's something almost romantic about riding in the rain with no one around, simply he and I having little chats (which are, mostly, strangely one sided...) and working on diagonal aids and balancing exercises. I sometimes forget what a lovely boy he is until I ride him - sure, he's a delightful pony to work with on the ground and be around, but when we have one of those rides where we're completely in tune and it's just us two in the world, or so it seems, I'm reminded of what an obliging, happy boy he is. He constantly tries to do as I ask, and doesn't get upset when I can't quite indicate enough what I'm asking for. I love that we're both learning together, and I'm too excited for words that soon he'll be in his new paddock with his new friend Altibo Bay, and we'll be able to GO OUTSIDE THE ARENA and trot happily along for as long as we both please in all the gorgeous trail rides around.

Darcy's lameness update

So nosy!
Last Monday, I had the vet out to Darcy as he hasn't been responding to any of the other treatments he'd been receiving for his lameness. After trotting him out, lunging him and a good feel, the vet gave me the news that Darcy had a degenerative bone disease in his knee, and would - if given monthly injections - have a working life of around 12 months. I was completely devastated, and as soon as I got the chance to be alone, had a good old sob into poor Darcy's mane. The vet recommended light work, if I was keen to keep him - although the message was clear: put him down or get rid of him. I was told that, as I'd only had him a short time, I couldn't be attached enough to want to keep a horse I can't ride, but I was adamant I would never be parted from him. (Darcy, I mean, not the vet).

After ride cuddles <3

I spent a few days mulling over options with Cameron, and left it a few days before I saw him again to see what dramatic improvement Darcy had made from the medication he received. When I saw him yesterday, he was the worst I'd seen him - proppy, and practically limping as he came up from the paddock. I'd been vaguely expecting some sort of miracle, like the vet had implied the drugs would be, and was shocked to see him looking so sore. I put him in cross ties, and gave him a thorough grooming and lots of cuddles before I walked him around to see how he was. As I walked him out, he looked slightly better, and soon Matt, the guy who keeps two horses he's training at the property and is the dressage riding instructor who works there, came up for a chat. He'd heard from Gemma, the girl who works where Darcy lives, what the vet had said, and he suggested getting a second opinion as the vet is known for being somewhat fatalistic.

Getting his teeth done - he was such a good boy!

He was the 3rd person in the past week who mentioned something similar, and as I chatted to him, Matt got me to trot out Darcy - who was almost completely sound. After an hour of being up at the cross ties, fidgetting and moving around trying to play with his pal Lorenzo, and having me stretch out his legs and apply pressue to his back, he was a different horse. Matt went on to say he's seen Darcy look stiff before, and I mentioned some days he appears completely sound, happy in his work and practically bolting towards jumps, whilst other days he's sore, lazy and unappy. We talked some more, and Matt pointed out Darcy is the laziest horse on the property; never tearing around the paddock or acting up. He spends his time standing still and daydreaming, or moving very slightly whislt grazing. So while I get a vet check done on a horse I've been trialling, I'm going to work Darcy slowly at a trot and work with some trot poles to strengthen his back, and see how he responds.

Teaching Cam to free-lunge.

And his future home of 2000 acres in the country is looking like it will be put off even longer; whether I buy another horse to compete with eventually or not, I'm going to move Darcy to a new home (which will be cheaper by $75 a week) where he can play with other horses, swim in the dam and work in the floodlit arena year round, until he either gets better from his stiffness, I locate the actual problem, or he gets progressively too bad to ride any more. If that's the case, he will go into semi retirement close by so Cam and I can go for gentle hacks out together, and I can still go and play with him every day. The future's actually not looking as bad as I once thought.

Cam's first lesson!

In other news, I've been getting Cam up on D-Boy and giving him lessons on the weekends. He's getting more and more relaxed, and better and better each time, and Darcy couldn't be a better horse to teach someone on - he's like a little lamb. He's by no means lazy, he just refuses to do anything Cam asks for unless he really asks him - trotting, for example. As soon as I hopped on Darcy to show Cam what I meant by keeping leg on, his ears go up, his hocks come under him and I can practically hear him say 'To the jumping paddock!' and gets somewhat annoyed that I don't take him from the round yard. He pretended to be scared by Hal, another girls horse, leaning over the fence pulling faces at him when Cam was riding, and did a lovely bouncey jump to the left, which Cam wasn't expecting. As soon as he realized Cam was a little unbalanced, he calmly stopped and waited for him to give him directions.

Lunging is made somwhat difficult by the fact he constantly wants pats!

Also, when I took off his rugs yesterday, Gemma said how lovely he was looking - I'm far too critical and think he looks too much like a common garden pony rugged up, with his shaggy mane flapping in the wind and his legs and head covered in mud, so to hear someone say he looks nice puts the biggest grin on my face. I've been using show-shine on his mane and tail, which looks lovely, and now his paddock's not as muddy he's not constantly hiding under 2 inches of bog. I've been told he's not only the nicest horse people have met, but also the cleanest (they clearly haven't looked under his mane/back fetlocks when I run out of time to groom AND ride) and he keeps his paddock spotless. When Matt, who I have a bit of a crush on professionally as he's the best rider I've ever seen, said that Darcy was well put together and a lovely boy, I had to wipe away a single tear of happiness. When he's standing next to a 16.3hh, $50,000 Warmblood with the prettiest face I've ever seen, and someone says he's not bad, it makes me all warm and fuzzy. I know he's not exactly a show horse, or worth more than the entire contents of my house, but to me he's absolutely beautiful.

Smooches!

Lunging Fun

Update

Although he's starting to put a little weight on, and get a nice shine on his coat (thanks to hours of grooming and baths), he's still having terrible trouble with his stiff and sore legs. The physio came out again this morning, as she's doing each week, to work on him, and there was some improvement today. He's loosened up a little in his hamstrings, but is still very sore in his off shoulder. After she'd worked on him, I gave him a good trot up and down, and he was much more free and happy, which I hope continues.

He's got the dentist coming out in an hour to do his teeth, as he's not exactly managing to eat a lot of his (ridiculously expensive) feed. Hopefully now he'll stack on some weight, and have a bit more energy to build up some muscle tone. I am finding he's getting a bit buck-happy at the moment, which I'd like to think is because he's feeling better, and not because he doesn't want to canter.

I had a spectacular fall off him a few weeks ago, which resulted in some very attractive gravel rash up my arms, a sliced open forehead and a rather sore hip. We were quite happily cantering around the sand arena for the first time, pretending to be doing dressage, and horror of horrors, the owner of the property walked past with a piece of tin. Darcy shied left, I was grinning in victory due to staying on, then he put in a lovely buck to the right, twisted around and nearly came down, and off I flew (or, as Cameron put it - hit the ground like a sack of shit) and ended up with half the sand in the arena in my mouth. Very elegant. I hopped back on straight away, walked him around twice then retired to the pub to drown my sorrows.

When he's been feeling better, we've been loving jumping - none of the big ones, just the nice little cross rails and trotting grids as I'm trying to work on getting a straight line and a perfect take off. It's certainly been interesting, and some days I feel like I have to practically haul him around to make him straighten up, whilst others I can barely hold him once he sees the jumps.

We've certainly been having fun together, and hopefully he soon feels better and gets over his stiffness and we can start working on bigger jumps and longer rides. I'm going to start lunging him this week, and trying to supple him, and I'm starting lessons with a guy that has been training horses in Germany, who seems very good and appears interested in trying to teach me how to get Darcy going better. We shall soon see!

..finally!

I'm back online! News and photos will be up shortly.

One Week

...and we had the best day ever. After warming him up, I decided it was time to tackle a few jumps - and found Darcy simply stepping over the jumps he'd been enjoying leaping over a few days ago. He was absolutely raring to go - I had quite a job holding him in, and trying to settle him. I put up the rails another hole, and let Ashleigh take him over to see if she'd live through it - and boy, did he jump! We soon put it up another hole, and I took him over at 3ft which he cleared with ease.

Showing Darcy what we were about to take on.

Even after I decided he'd had enough after only a short time, he was still pulling at the bit to trot over the other jumps when I walked him around on a loose rein. I took him back to the cross ties, washed him down and then sat by his feet and let him nibble and chew on my feet. He really is the sweetest natured horse, and soon I was teaching myself to vault onto his back, and trotting him around bareback holding onto his mane. He seems to have as much fun as I do, and even when Cam put his rug on back to front the other day, he simply dozes off as he adores the attention. And really, the tail flap didn't look too bad as his neck rug...

My first jump at 3 ft :)

Day 6

After having another great day jumping yesterday, Darcy and I were both feeling a little stiff today, so instead of giving him a work out I decided it was time he had his bath. I got slightly carried away, and ended up having a good giggle with Ashleigh as we soaped him up and made his mane into spikes, and drew pretty pictures in the suds on his back. He seems quite content having two girls fuss over him for hours on end.

Whenever I go to see him - which is currently twice a day, even though he gets fed and rugged by the staff at the property - I seem to end up staying for hours, walking him around and grooming him, and watching him fall asleep when I scratch under his ears. I'd like to think he's starting to like me a bit more - he follows me around the paddock and comes up when I call him, even though I'm not the one who feeds him, and he loves standing in the cross-ties as I fuss over him and have chats with him.

And even though he was a little stiff today, I could barely get him out of the jumping paddock last night. Even when I cool him down and walk him on a loose rein, he makes a bee-line straight for the jumps and tries to break into a trot when we go near the trotting grids. I'm having more and more fun with him every day, and he's looking more and more handsome. On Friday when the farrier comes to do his feet and he gets his teeth done after that, he'll be looking even better - if he hasn't gone and undone all the good work I put in today by rolling in his paddock.

Day 4

...and isn't he looking good?

After giving Darcy a very easy start to let him settle in (and due to some pretty feral weather over the weekend) we got into the swing of things on Sunday evening.
I took him out into the jumping paddock, and gave him a bit of a warm up, and to see if his stiffness had abated at all.



Today, I took him for his first proper session - and we had a great time, doing trotting poles and grids and, after a few minutes of trying to steady him, taking him over some jumps. The girl that works at the place he's agisted at came out with me, and we were soon giggling and taking videos of each other as we took it in turns to do a circuit. Darcy and I started off small, then had a go at a few of the bigger poles after I learned to steady him and get his take-off right. We had a great time, and had quite a good workout - we were both absolutely knackered and covered in sweat by the time we'd finished. I had one of the best days ever!


P.S... how cute is this foal?! She's only 5 months,and is going to be a bit of a superstar - and currently loves devouring my coat when I sneak in to give her a cuddle.

Day One

After waiting over 20 years for the day I had my own horse - that day has finally come! Mr Darcy came home today. He's being agisted at a place not far from me, where he has 7 mares to whinny to during the day and lots of lovely grass and food to consume whilst he's pigging out - which seems to be almost constantly. After he had his worming treatment, he was rugged up in his lovely new rug and had a few carrots, before being left to settle in for the night.