The weather has been horribly unpredictable lately. We went from a 4 day heat wave, to torrential rain and freezing temps for about a week after. Now I'm not quite sure how to explain today's weather but apparently its supposed to clear up and reach 31 degrees, somehow I don’t think that is going to happen given the look of the sky :.

Anyhow, since the weather has been so confusing, it's been hard to really do anything practical with the horses. We were supposed to go on a ride at Kurnell beach last Saturday but Becks had to have the Chiropractor out because he has been super sore all over lately, but that's a story for Lisa to tell, it ended up storming severely for about half an hour that afternoon anyway.

Grace has grown a lump on her left mandible, we started to get quite worried about it so we had the dentists next door have a look at it (as her baby teeth have started to fall out) and we were told it was not to do with her teeth and to get a vet out to X-ray her head as it could be an ulcer or a fracture. $300 later, I have just been informed by the vet that it IS in fact her teeth and it will go away with time as her baby teeth fall out. I asked the vet if I should get the dentist out to pull the teeth that are stoping the adult ones growing through but he insisted it wouldn’t be necessary! So there you go, $300 down the drain, sort of, although we do get to keep the X-rays which will be pretty interesting!

There is a lady at the property where we keep Becks and Grace that kind of looks at us like we are idiots for not breaking Grace in already, because apparently we should break her and then spell her for a year. Kapish to her, you can tell just by looking at Grace that she is not ready to have someone on her back, she is too gangly and still a bit bum high.

Unfortunately I don’t have any recent photos of the horses, but will post some up within the next week or so. Like I said the weather has been horrible so it's hard to do much when you combine one crippled sore horse, an unbroken horse, slushy muddy ground and sheets and sheets of rain.

We have come to the realisation that a free animal will almost ALWAYS cost you more then one you have paid for (well for us anyway). We have a new kitten to add to the addition, her name is Leah, we paid for her, so no vet bills as of yet (fingers crossed).

Nat

February already!

The ponies have been good. I had some time off work last week, so was able to ride a bit and do some stuff with Gracie. She still is not 100% better from her New Years Eve escape, but she is almost there. Just some pretty hefty scabs on her leg and her eye has a small white cloudy spot that will go away with time.

We have had a saddle and bridle on her now, before the NYE escape. Didn't girth her up tight, just enough to keep the saddle from slipping. She took it in her stride, she wasn't worried about it at all. Very proud.

Beckham had pulled the wool over my eyes a little bit in the schooling department, going around pretty heavy on the forehand and not trying at all. Linda (another agister) watched me riding him and offered to help. She got on him and pretty much kicked his bum into gear. He's a different horse now. (Pictures below!)

While I was off, we went on two big trotting rides, out the back with Linda and her horse Houdini. Poor Becks had a bit of a hard time trying to figure out that if he didn't try to pull himself along with his front end and actually use his hind legs, that it was much easier for him to keep up with the massive easy floating trot of Houdini. I have 2 off-property rides coming up that I would like him to be fit enough for him to actually enjoy - one ride to Kurnell beach and a 20km social ride up at Colo.

Piccies? Ok.

Gracie's leg (about 1 and a half weeks ago)

And Gracie's feet:

Just hanging out, enjoying daylight savings and the good weather:

Linda sorting Beckham out for me:

And then (half) one good shot of me riding him after that:

Grace under saddle:



Aaaaand it's bed time.


Lese.