It’s been all change at the yard this week, as we waved goodbye to Treat Yourself – who has completed his rehab on the horse walker – and returned him to my sister. He will have some time out in the field before he starts being trained around Christmas time.
Many horse and pony owners are concerned when the vet prescribes box rest for their charges. However, in my experience both with my own horses and when working professionally with others horses and ponies generally do well and relax into their new regime. Care needs to be taken so they don’t get too fat whilst inactive, and enriching their environment with toys and hanging up swedes or carrots for them to eat can help. If they don’t settle, trying a calming product might be useful or ask your vet for advice. With many conditions, box rest is vital to a full recovery. Treat’s scan results were very positive, and so his box rest and rehab on the horse walker at STX Sport Horses has been a success and totally worthwhile.
I was sad to see Treat go, despite him eating me out of house and home and being rather messy in his stable!
The stable, however, was not to be left empty as the Shetland pony Melland Jackson Jive has come to stay in his place. Jackson’s sire is my Diva’s (Melland Queen of Scots) grandsire. I think I feel more worried about looking after Jackson than I did Treat, as Jackson is my sister’s favourite – but don’t tell her others!
Jackson has travelled all over the country as a companion to my sister’s point to pointers and hunter chasers. He generally creates a stir when going into the stables on race courses such as Kempton. At point to points there are no stables, and so he comes off the box for a pick of grass before going back on with his hay net and carrots whilst the other horse runs.
He has also won classes at the major shows such as the Great Yorkshire Show and so is truly a versatile little pony.
At the moment, however, Diva has decided she is not fond of sharing her field with Jackson, and so I will have to do some work to get them comfortable in each other’s company. Happily, Mabel is fine about the incomer.
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.