Bain de Bou

Gosh where has the time gone again?! Sorry for the recent radio silence guys work has been mental and the weather has been pretty awful. With horses living on 24/7 turnout in the rain we've been having, they have been spending a lot of time stewing in the field.

Et voila the reason why - lovely clear skies for May - NOT

That photo was taken Friday afternoon as I raced against time to haul the two muck monsters in to have a hope of getting a spin in on them before the got soaked in another shower. The weather has been mental here for the time of year - I mean it is the end of May and last Friday it was -1C when I woke up!

Wednesday 22.5.2013

The girls, have of course been taking full advantage of their field being like a pig sty - and covering every inch of themselves in mud at every opportunity. I only managed to ride Kika on Wednesday evening for a jump school and Nancy "only" got a 2 hour hack on Saturday evening. Oh, and Friday I did managed to squeeze in a spin on the pair of them - apart from that they have been spending a lot of time rolling in mud!

Muck Monster I (Nancy)

I did make a paint attempt at last week's jump school with Kika, but as it has been over a week since I rode it I am afraid that i have forgotten the courses The Guru had us string together. However Kika was awesome considering she hadn't been ridden since the Saturday, when we'd been on a 2 hour hack. Our issue during the jump school was mine in that I couldn't feel when she was on the wrong lead - but we shall work on this for the summer.

Muck Monster II (Kika)












I had two lovely spins on Friday after cleaning all that muck off the pair of them, as the skies were so threatening (see first picture) I hauled the pair of them in at the same time, cleaned them up and popped Kika on the walker for 20-25minutes while I rode Nancy in an arena. We still have our speeding issues, so I have decided that I am no longer going to ride her in an arena on my own as I still can't figure out where I am going wrong, so have asked the Guru to help me out with arena work when she can - on the upside we have no problems out hacking. Nancy is rock solid and such a joy to hack on!

Saturday 25.5.2013

Nancy then got to munch on carrots while i gave Kika a spin in an arena, she was a doll. Still threw in the odd Kika "Oh-that-corner-is-suddenly-scary", but she worked like a charm and we got all our canter leads right. Another yard friend passed as I was cantering and she stopped to kindly tell me that she was going really well - and that she wished her horse could canter as uphill as Kika was going. I hadn't realised that we looked anything special, but while I had her I asked if she would mind watching a few more minutes to be sure I was getting the correct leads - which thankfully we did.
I was so happy, I did offer her a spin on Miss Kika if she wanted as she has been so good these last few months (bar her hacking sillies - but they don't count! :p) - however I think I was too honest in talking to this friend about my previous Kika issues as she has no interest in sitting on her - woopsy! ;-)

I found the above leather headcollar in my stuff that I brought over from Ireland around the time Kika moved out here 3 years ago. I had actually forgotten i had it which is very embarrassing as a very kind person sent it to me for free from a forum pay it forward kindness thing after she'd won it and wasn't planning on using it.
It always looked a bit blocky on Kika's finer head - and I was actually apprehensive about it being too small for Nancy's monster head - but in my biased opinion, I think it loos fab on her!

Saturday was actually Kika's 9th birthday so she got a mountain of birthday carrots. Which she surprisingly shared with field-buddy D. She really has matured so much, I can honestly say i didn't think she'd consent to sharing!




Monday the farrier came and both girls got front shoes. I decided to put front shoes back on Nancy as in 3 to 4 weeks time I'll be moving them to another field off-site which will only have access to forestry hacking - and I want to look after her feet as otherwise they'll get too worn down on the trails.
Shamefully I haven't made it to the yard since Monday evening, but hope is to get there tonight and remind my girls what I look like ;-)

Saturday Stroll

Saturday was our one dry day recently, so myself and two friends took full advantage and went for a 2 hour stroll in the woods. I took Miss Kika, the Guru rode W (a horse she exercises for another livery owner) and another friend AM took the Guru's mare O - so three chestnuts & two bearded collies went out with three jockeys. :)


Kika was in classic Kika mode, and kindly reminded me that no matter how good she can be she can still be a brat when she wants to be! *roll-eyes*





Since our last bout of troubles I had been hand walking her down to the entrance of the forest and mounting off a bench just inside the woods. Slight issue with that was that I had to mount from the wrong side as if Miss Kika turned for home she would start fussing, tossing her head around and threatening to rear when I'd want her to turn around to keep going on our hack. I had originally started waiting to get to the woods to mount so that she wouldn't do her fussing on the tarmac'ed road, as god forbid she would go up and be imbalanced or whatever - I didn't want us crashing down on the road! EEK!

I had been progressively getting up sooner and more-or-less successfully hacking down the road to the forest without any issues - well until this Saturday that is, lol.
All went well with my mounting and we stayed facing the right way so headed off towards the woods without issue - until AM dropped her crop and had to get off O to collect it so we all stopped - Kika did not like this and decided she wasn't going to stand still! We were either going to back to the yard or she was going to really misbehave - stupid sod. So when i turned her around and drove her on towards, poor AM had to hand walk O to the entrance and get up off the bench as the other two times we tried to stop en route to the woods either K or W would start to act the fools! We're going to have to progressively work on working en route stopping into our hacks - she really is unbelievable!

If it isn't one thing, she'll find another way to keep me on my toes - Nancy is the complete opposite. She is only a baby but you can stop as often as you like and in fact stand still without any issue if your hacking partner needs to school some manners into her horse while you are en route home - as happened a few weeks back with the Guru & W as he recognised we were on the homeward trail and kept trying to speed up so he had to do a couple of volts/circles until he got his shiz together and behaved like a grown up. N was an angel and stood quietly out of his way waiting for him to be ready to carry on.

But apart from our inauspicious start to the hack, Kika was a star, including stopping multiple times on our hack without further complaint or issue - she just had a bee in her bonnet at the start of the hack - I don't know if W and herself were giving each other the hairy eyeball and egging the other one on or what they were playing at - but the start of the hack had me thinking it was going to be a bit of nightmare spin. Couldn't have been further from the truth however, as you can see from the photos - she didn't have a care in the world once we got going in the woods, ;-)

I guess it really is all about powering through!

Heading for home - only blue sky we saw all weekend!

L had asked if she could school Nancy after our hack, as I had to go wedding present shopping for two colleagues I was only too happy to agree. So I sorted out all my winter rugs & saddle pads to be sent off for cleaning, managed to fill 3 black bags, and this is before  have any proper rugs for Nancy, so it's mostly Kika's winter wardrobe - woopsy!!









Sunday morning was spent with another yard friend who was show jumping just across the border in Germany - I went along to play groom & general supporter & friend. I had a great time, but think we got the best of the weather in the morning. The heavens opened just as we were leaving about 3pm and by the time we got back to Lux, the Guru had text to say the horses were a washout in their field. So I haven't sat on either girl since Saturday as it's been pretty wet here so I've left well enough alone outside. I am possibly a terrible owner in that I'd rather leave them outside in the rain, then bring them in, dry them off work them and then toss them back out into the rain. I know I shouldn't attach human emotions to animals as they don't "think" in the same way as we do, but i hate getting wet, then dry then wet again - I would rather just stay wet if that's the case! But maybe I'm weird ;-)

Had hoped to get to the yard Tuesday evening, but then my friend who is getting married this coming Friday asked if a few of us could meet last night before she was off work for the rest of the week - so that combined with more rain all day sealed the girls deal in not seeing me last night either!
Shame On me! :(
Will hopefully get out to them this evening and perhaps give Kika a bit of a jump and lunge Nancy in the pessoa, as the Guru advised that i should try to work her with it at least once a week if not twice...haven't managed to do her twice a week yet, but we'll see how we go...Tomorrow evening will probably be another non-barn day as another friend has asked to go for dinner & I really don't see her often enough. Farrier is hopeful of being out either Friday or Monday - so that'll also affect who gets ridden & what we do - also have to decide whether I am going to put front shoes on Nancy ahead of our move off-site & forestry hacking for next few months...I need to discuss with the blacksmith when he comes. :D

Yikes sorry, this post is after getting mamoth-length again, apologies! I'll leave you with a funny video/song from youtube's Comedy Week that I heard them talking about on the radio this morning.

Terrific Thursday

I had another wonderful evening with my girls today. It was a bit of a race against time & storm clouds as I hurried to the barn after work as the Guru & I had planned to go for a quick hack in the woods, but it has been bucketing down with rain all week. Thankfully however we managed to get out for a quick hour sans pluie! Happy days! :)

Upside to the rain however, was that I wore my jacket which meant I had my cumbersome phone in my pocket so I could snap some pics while Nancy & I pootled along on a long rein - she really is such a GOOD GIRL! *love*

<-I love this channel "through the rocks", I was hoping for a through the ears/through the rocks shot...but when we stopped mid-stride for the photo, Nancy had to check all was well with me! ;-)

She is such a sweetheart! We mosied on, and I snapped a few more pictures which will follow - another upside to all the rain that has spilled on us this week is more growth & beautiful flowers line the trails...

Sorry it's a little blurry

Can you see why I wanted to learn to plait
her mane ;)

Nancy & O also had to check in with each other to make sure everything was ok with the other :-)






Another upside to all the rain is puddles everywhere & I LOVE SPLASHING through puddles on horseback - Nancy was not so sure at first and thought me mental (understandably) but she got over it quickly and was happy enough to plod through them when she realised this compulsion of mine wasn't going to go away, hahaha!

Sorry - another fuzzy action shot

Kika is an angel and I like to think enjoys splashing through the puddles with me - I really am such a ginormous kid when it comes to hacking in the woods!

I think with some more practice Nancy will also be pretty blase about puddles before the end of the summer - especially as from mid-June/early July I'll be moving them from the yard to an off-property field which will have no access to arenas without first hacking through the woods or just forgoing arena work for a few weeks and playing in the woods every night...most likely solution. Unless the Guru & I get a notion and fancy the treck back on Wednesday evenings for a jump school. The world is our oyster (or at least these woods are) and the possibilities for summer fun are endless! :-)

Fuzzier again - action shot,
 but you can sort of see how relaxed she is!

To make the evening even better, we not only managed to avoid a single drop of rain (*happy dance*), but we made good time on our stroll so I had time to quickly pelt up to the field and haul Kika in; who was such a good girl staying on her own without an iota of fuss as the haflinger D had been brought in for the night cos her blacksmith is due tomorrow. Mercifully she was clean & dry, quick body brush where saddle and bridle go and managed to get a wonderful spin in on her in the main arena!

Unlike the last few arena spins where I've really had to push her in our initial trot warm up work, Kika was just *on* this evening and got straight down to work happy out.
I concentrated on transitions once we were warm, walk/trot, trot/canter and walk/trot/halt etc.

She was a pure pet, we didn't miss one strike off in canter! Including a walk/canter transition which I am slowly starting to work more into our schooling - it was such a pleasure to work with both girls this evening!

Unfortunately I have no riding pictures of Kika, but I did snap one quick photo when we were finished just before I turned off the lights in the arena and we finished up for the night!

Shiny-Tubby-Ponio...the grass is agreeing with her methinks - LOL!

PS - yes I was a lazy bum & in an effort to save time used the same saddle pad on both girls!
Oh the Shame!

Quick Update

Will hopefully keep this brief & I have a few rewarding photos in case it gets waffly!

I played with Kika's mane last night, it's a lot shorter then Miss Nancy's & it was rubbed slightly by rugs at the base of her neck so too short to include - but plait still came out pretty IMO :)

All went well with lunging Nancy with the pessoa on Tuesday evening, we worked in the outdoor for the first time since she arrived. She was a bit more on edge than she normally would have been and didn't settle as well as she has done in the indoors, but she was, as always, a very good girl.
As I was still a little under the weather I didn't get my spin in on Kika on Tuesday evening, but I'm sure she didn't mind the extra grazing time if her belly last night was anything to go by - she thoroughly enjoyed the extra day off!

As always - please forgive my poor paint skills!

Kika and I had a jumping lesson last night, above is my poor paint attempt at re-creating the fences we jumped, we didn't necessarily jump them in the numbered order from above, but I needed a reference point. ;-)
We warmed up over the cross at 1 with a ground pole before it so we came in at trot and cantered away from it twice off each rein (the ground pole changed sides as necessary).

Our first course was navigated quite successfully by myself & Kika, if I do say so myself. We managed to remember where we were going and not have to circle in order to get our line to the correct fence - baby step improvements for us!
We came up over 1, cantered on to 2 and cantered down through the pole/ low cross bounce combination at 3,we cantered around 4 and came up over 7 before turning left handed to come down over 5 then right-handed up over 6 to finish.
The comments from the Guru after round 1 were for me to remember to sit up & steady her more between fences, not to let her build up steam, particularly going into 7, shorten my reins & as always keep my heels down.

Apologies it's a bit dark as we were indoors without lights on

For the next course the ground pole then moved to the other side of 1, which we jumped down before turning left to come up through the line 4 & 2, continued left and came down over 5, turned right-handed and up over 7, left hand turn down through the combination at 3 over 4 and continuing left up over 6 on a bending line to get the turn back down over 2 & 4 to finish.

We were going well first time till we came down too quickly through the combination and I realised we were supposed to jump 4 as i sailed smoothly passed it - not actually a refusal as I had never presented the mare to the fence. So we came up again through 7, down through the combination at 3, over 4 and on around to 6, but i missed the Guru telling me to take 6 on an arc/circle to get the turn down through 2 and 4 so I had to come again - twice more until i got my shizz together and rode the line right.

All in all i finished up a very happy camper with both myself & Miss Kika, i wasn't sure it would go so well as when we were first warming up she was getting herself quite hett up up not really wanting to listen - but I managed to keep a lid on the exuberance...note to self less days off for Miss Kika, ;-)
But in saying that she was still very good, and listened in her own way - at no stage did i feel unsafe or her or out of my depth...12 months ago that would not have been the case.

This may not seem like it, but it is an I LOVE my PONY post!

I'll leave ye with pretty sunset from last night - colour a little lost in photo, but sky was bright pink! I'm not a pink person but it was beautiful as the Guru & I walked her dogs quickly last night before heading home.

Super Sunday

I know the Olympics had Super Saturday for Team GB & in the USA there are often sporting events deemed Super Sunday surrounding football games or baseball or something...and actually come to think of it I think I have heart soccer & rugby union marathons described in much the same manner this side of the Atlantic - while not on a sporting par with such events my Sunday yesterday was wonderful in it's own right.

I had two wonderful polework sessions with my girls - yes both of them. I made my return to Nancy's back in an arena yesterday and it was the calmest ride we've shared in an arena in what seems like ages.
The Guru has put a few rides in on her in an arena and although Nancy tries her speeding up/running thing with her too she doesn't clamp down in the way my brain seems to auto-react and so N has had some positive arena work as opposed to my negativity.
We have also come to the conclusion that her rushing can be attributed to poor balance so are upping the pessoa lunge work we are doing with her, I am hoping to squeeze 2 sessions a week with her in the pessoa. I did my first session with her last wednesday & she was wonderful - lovely calm transitions upwards and as is becoming her thing a little sticky/slow to transition back down - but we are getting there. :D

For Kika's pole work we worked in a couple flying changes over a ground pole across the middle of the arena which she performed despite my bobbing about like a muppet. I really need to sort my legs out better and makes sure they are in the right place before asking for a change as otherwise I am just confusing matters. I must also actively work on keeping my heels down - still!
When will I get the hang of that one I wonder?!
Don't panic though, I shall not be attempting flying changes without supervision - or at least not until I am in enough control of my body to know that what I am asking of Kika is the correct way to ask and that my limbs are where they should be!

I did attempt to plait Nancy's mane myself yesterday, and if i may say so myself it doesn't look half bad! Admittedly she has a handsome amount of mane which makes it easier to work with, plus she stands stock still like the angel she is!

For those that were enquiring as to how it's done it is like a French plait (like what is done in tails) but on the mane. I'll see if i can take pics next time I try it, I only got "after" photos on my phone this time - but I make no promises - as if I am plaiting i don't know if i'll have a hand to take the photos with ;-)






I had hoped to get to the barn this evening to lunge Nancy & ride Kika, but I was ill this morning and as such out of work so best i steer clear of the yard tonight, especially as it has been a pretty wet day today so I doubt the girls would be too happy to see me coming now that they are living outside 24/7!

D & Kika scratching an itch - heartwarming stuff! :)

Fantastic Fun

It was a wonderful weekend for us as the yard hosted it's 2 day  dressage competitions, we got fabulous weather for it (loads of pictures to follow in a later post), this invariably meant arena riding space was limited over the weekend which encouraged me & the girls out into the woods for some happy hacking.

Before we go any further, can I just say I LOVE my horses!









Nancy was up first with a hack on Saturday afternoon, this horse is just so marvelous. She is technically 4 as of January 1st, but wasn't born until early June - so she is still actually three and despite only being ridden once & lunged once in the two weeks prior to our hack on Saturday she didn't put a foot wrong and even took the lead on occasions on trails she had never been on before. This was only her second time hacking in the woods!
She is such a super star - i cannot repeat how much i love her!

Kika got worked in the arena on Saturday evening and not to be outdone by the baby she was also a super star in her own way - she is still Kika after all! ;-)
Did everything that was asked of her yet tried to pretend to get upset when other horses passed arena door on their way to or from the dressage rings outside, but she settled after one skirmish sideways in trot and worked away like a dream afterwards.






Sunday was Kika's turn to hack out in the company of two other horses, she bravely lead the way down to the woods - which was a first for us in ages as in previous wood outings I had been hand walking her to the entrance and hopping up off a bench just inside the trees.
In typical Kika fashion when mounting from the ground she starts to walk as soon as your foot leaves the ground, when doing so on the way to the woods she has started turning around to look back towards the barn while I am swinging up which invariably leads to a brief discussion as to which direction we are going in, hence why she was driven off down towards the woods in front of the others ;-)

From there she didn't put a foot wrong as, the Guru on W (photo of big chestnut with white face in post from Ponies & Pooches), O was being ridden by another yard friend A-M and of course the bouncy bearded collies J & L kept us all in line! :D

The Guru then asked if she could ride Nancy, which was no problem for me at all. The more better experienced riders she gets on her back in these early days the better it will be for her in the long run.
As N's mane is after getting so long, the Guru put a lovely plait in it so that fingers wouldn't get tangled. I'll have to get her to show me how to do that, I think it looks fab!

They had a wonderful spin together, Nancy moved like a dream for her - I probably should have tried to capture some of their work on video - but I was so enraptured myself that the thought never crossed my mind. Sorry guys, next time!

N just floats across the ground. Who knows, maybe some day if i get my riding up to scratch we might partake in a few dressage competitions ourselves!

Monday evening was another occasion taken by myself & the Guru to sneak out for a late evening hack in the woods to de-stress after work. I took N & she took W, the two newbies to the forest hacking scene. Nancy was a star and lead the older, more antsy W when necessary and really did me proud only getting a little stressed herself if walking alongside W when he was stressing, but even then she just took shorter choppier strides - still not an ounce of messing out of her. We even lead up a trail neither of the horses nor myself had been on before, she really is good as gold & a one in a million mare. I have to keep pinching myself that I am lucky enough to have her in my life!

All photos were taken in Sunday!

Plan for this evening is an arena spin with Kika & some pessoa work with Nancy. :)

Equestrian Bucket list

 Every rider has a Bucket List of equestrian activities they'd like to achieve some day if possible.
Mine include but are not in anyway limited to the following:





 General goals

1. Ride side-saddle
2. Ride Western  
3. Try Polo - I really want to go back to Argentina for a week of this!
4. Ride on the beach 

• Ride my own horse(s) on a beach

Visits I'd love to achieve

1. Go to Aachen, Hickstead, Olympia, Mechelen, Badminton or Burghley and any of the big Parisienne indoor SJ Paloozas (ie: Saut Hermes or the Gucci Masters etc) ... heck any and all other horse events within traveling distance would be epic!
2. Go to Kentucky in general & particular the KHP, maybe for a Rolex weekend if I can swing it!
3. Go on a trekking and/or safari on horseback holiday 

Personal riding goals

1. Return to working on lateral work with Kika namely leg yielding, L works on it with her but I haven't done any in ages as I never felt comfortable doing it on my own so don't want to give mixed messages.
2. Do more work on flying changes and learn to ask for them without a pole over which to ask for the change (only time I've done it - thankfully she changes herself when jumping and/or the jumps we are doing low enough for the moment that if she is wrong we can still get over them)
3. Learn to turn on the haunches & forehand
4. Keep working on the basics with Nancy and develop our bond.

As with any equestrian, this list is subject to change as goals are ticked off and new ones born!





PS: All photos have been pinched c/o google images & I claim no copyright!

Ponies & Pooches - Photo Dump

I had considered borrowing KME's Wordless Wednesday idea to chronicle the first field outing of 2013 yesterday, but then I ended up very snap happy with way too many photos and by the time I'd get them uploaded to photobucket it would no longer have been Wednesday. So i tried to upload them all to photobucket, link HERE (hopefully that woks). I haven't use photobucket in ages and actually didn't manage to get them all uploaded as they have introduced a limited storage, boo!
I shall include some of my favourites in this post to hopefully entice you into nosying through the others ;-)

First up some post-grooming/pre-turnout mug shots of Kika, Nancy & the Guru's gorgeous mare O.

 I also finally managed to nab a nice eyeball shot (I know I'm weird - but i like them!), for some reason i can never get one of Kika as she always manages to blink just a t the wrong time...as you'll see from the mountain of photos in the photobucket link above - i seem to have mastered the art of photographing horses as the blink! Gargh!

My poor attempt at "atry" neck shots...practice will make perfect - or so I'm told. Stay tuned I guess!

The Guru's two boys arriving - they also feature quite heavily in photobucket album dedicated to yesterday as we took them for 3 strolls during the day and had great fun snapping moments in time of them! Or at least I had fun, I think they enjoyed it too - the big posers!

Once turned out the three and other field-mate D, who longtime blog followers might recognise as a past field buddy of Kika's from 2011 (LINK to post with photos), got up to some mad running around like loopers. Although as K, N & O have received fairly continuous turnout during the winter months (Halelujah) they didn't get up to too much messing, bucking or farting. Mostly just lots of running before settling to chow down. Loads more pics in the photobucket link - lens of my camera isn't strong enough for distance shots so only going to (try to) include a select few here.

Line up! Line up!

I can attempt to look like a fancy horse ...if i want to!

Always time for some dragon snorting and tail cocking

Not to be outdone & channeling her inner Black Stallion from the films

Having had enough running - time to get down to serious chowing

O agreed

... maybe there is something to give us reason to run again ...

D wanted to keep playing as she hadn't had winter turn out

But ultimately agreed that eating was more interesting

Time to meet & greet

Not to be left out ...

Co-habiting...there is hope!

Another yard friend's OTTB, another K, who has a neighbouring field

Pooch play-time!

J

L

You're back again?!

I actually can't get over how much m ore aware Kika is of me this year, it may seem self-centered and/or selfish of me to say so. I think it has to do with my going every lunchtime to turn them out and being there every evening to feed/do stables/ sort hay etc - she watches me as i move about the grooming/tack-up area - she is considerably more human aware now then she ever was before and continually surprises me by coming to me when turned out - previously she'd turn tail and walk away if i came to bring her in - whereas now she almost leads the others in!

Another gratuitous dapple shot

Here's looking at you kid!

Shiny, healthy & hopefully happy horsey!

I spent a silly amount of time playing with my camera taking photographs of other horses around the yard, introductions shall accompany the snapshots.

R, W & D in spifffy paddock boxes - The Guru exercises W for his owner he is monster sized!

Cute P, another baby horse - he like Nancy is only 4.

Lu - although he is being sold I was told recently :(

Be - another lovely friendly young horse, i think he is 5 or 6years of age.

Lot - a lovely gentle old gal who at 22 years of age unfortunately has cushings

G - another gentle giant

and his adorable pink muzzle - he is such a sweetie and loves nothing more than licking people...couldn't snap him with his tongue out though - something to aim for perhaps! ;)

R - who lives across the aisle from Kika

Lol a baby newbie who arrived earlier this week, who owner has two other horses at the yard already

Q - another monster horse who coincidentally is also a licker

Belated apologies for the picture overload, believe it or not there are still more on the photobucket link provided above, and in fact there are more again as with the new limits on pb, i was unable to upload all the photos. Sad times! :(

I did get to ride Kika last night in the main arena and got some very nice work down by our standards, the poor girl was lathered afterwards - although i think that had more to do with humidity & threatening rainstorm (which thankfully didn't materialise) than a particularly hard workout on my part.
I had hoped to take Nancy for a hack in the woods with the Guru & O, but as it looked like spilling out of the heavens we settled on another leg stretch for the dogs and left the three girls in the winter turn out for a little longer. I know we supposedly bid it farewell on Tuesday, but we hadn't wanted the three to scoff too much fresh hay and risk upsetting their delicate tum-tums, so we left them on the summer turn out from 11 till about 3.30ish, then brought them to the shaded winter turnout area without hay so that they could move around and digest rather then standing in their stables stuffing themselves with hay.

And for my last photo before i sign off from this epic update is one of my favourites for two reasons;
(a) i have both girls together looking happy and (b) they actually came up to me in the field ensemble!

I would very much love to make it a banner photo for the top of my blog, but I am a bit of a technophobe and have no idea how to even go about doing such a thing!
If anyone can help it would be very much appreciated! :)

PS: I have done no editing of any of the images due to above mentioned technophobia (in that i have a fear of messing things up rather than actually having a fear of technology, lol)