It seems that about every other blog post I write, the temperatures are scorching. I’ve previously mentioned several tips on how I look after my horses in the heat, but here are a few more!
One thing I haven’t mentioned previously: I always ensure the horses in the field have a big chunk of rock salt on the ground near the water trough. For weeks, it has been untouched. However I noticed the other day that there are definite lick marks on it. I am pleased about this as Diva and Mabel are currently living out with no supplementary feeding, and it’s nice to know they are using the lick.
One money-saving tip is to buy chips of rock salt in a sack from your local feed/farm supplier as these generally are about £5 whereas the ones with holes bored through and rope for tying them up are more like £5 each! I put chunks of salt in their mangers when in the stable so they have free access to salt at all times.
Another thing I have to watch out for is Mabel getting sunburnt where she is hogged. A fly sheet with neck would prevent the skin on her newly hogged neck from burning, but as she currently is roughed off without a fly sheet, I just make sure that I hog her only when the weather is likely to be cloudy or rainy for several days. Subsequently, due to the current heatwave she is sporting a rather long and untidy hog!
We have also had several thunderstorms in the past few days, some with accompanying torrential rain. My girls seem completely unfazed by the thunder and lightning, however, Treat isn’t quite so keen and is happy to be indoors.
Poo picking is essential and I do it daily in the summer, especially when they are out all the time. Nothing is more satisfying that seeing the paddock clear of droppings. Diva pony often inspects my work, as the photo shows. She never helps though!
Do any of your horses ‘help with stable tasks’? I would love to hear from you and see photographs.
Diva enjoying a leg stretch
Do any of your horses help out in the field?
Once again I threw Arlo in at the deep end, affiliating him purely for the Arena UK second round show, and once again he pulled it out the bag. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful little horse? We haven’t really competed this year. I don’t really compete over the winter, and also my horsebox was away for repairs up until the beginning of June, so I had no transport even if I’d wanted to.
With the dry ground we don’t seem to be having much luck with shoes, as little madam managed to pull both her front shoes off within 12 hours the other day! We entered the arena with two shoes on for a schooling session and left it with one missing (took about an hour to find it). Then that afternoon, as I went to put some hoof ointment on, I looked down and had to double take, thinking I was looking at the wrong hoof. But, no, the other shoe was missing too.
After having a long wait and some lunch at the onsite café, it was time to get ready for the Joan Wolfe Overall Supreme Shetland Pony Championship. I got changed out of my usual showing outfit into black trousers and a maroon top with white spots, as you are expected to be a bit more “bling” in the evening.
We were all set to go for our next outing, and were super excited. That was until I heard the dreaded clunk of a loose shoe! I checked it over, praying it wasn’t too loose, but, nope, it was going to need a refit.