So it feels like forever since I really felt like me and Travis have taken a step forwards.
He is a quirky boy and has the patience of a Saint, although still isn’t quite enough to describe what is needed to progress this horse.
Same venue every week, nope still scared. Same routine every week, nope still scared. Same few movements each week, nope still can’t remember.
Same subtle commands, nope still don’t know what you mean. And then, there it is, one day the penny drops and everything you have been working on all comes together.
You sit there with that feeling of just being carried, no effort, no arguing, no nagging.
Now I can’t lie, I did think it was all a fluke, I did think this would never last. Knowing Travis the way I do it probably won’t and it most definitely won’t the minute we enter a competition.
However, for the present he has been a total pleasure and made the most gruelling winter almost bearable.
His self carriage for such a front heavy lump is never something that will come easy to this horse, and somewhere in his past a human has allowed him to know that he weighs 600kg.
This means that you do have to negotiate with him just like a mare, but for now this boy is being the best he has ever been!
I guess it’s time to see what the real judges have to say and get ourselves back in front of them!
Who else has felt the pain of this winter? It's hard to believe we are coming into spring, and yet the last of lockdown is still keeping those winter blues in place! Unfortunately due to the weather here, and the ridiculous hot headed nature of my horses, combined with no travel or arena hire allowed I haven't been able to take the boys out anywhere or ride.
Yassss! Yesss! Horaaah! Finally! I am back on a horse - horses - all of them have been off the yard! It actually feels like an eternity but the minute Boris announced the "road out of lockdown", I sat with the calendar and got filling, admittedly we had a slight hiccup as the lorry despite it's fancy repaint, apparently didn't appreciate being sat still for 4 months and my steering broke, but after many, many pestering phone calls to my mechanic daily (oops) we were back on the road within a week!
So what should you be aware of before immunising your horse? What vaccinations are available, and when should they be administered? And what do you need to know about protecting your animal’s health through insurance for horses?
Ex-racers who have already been away from the track for some retraining can be suitable for a whole range of equine disciplines. However, if you’re looking to buy a horse fresh from a racing career, then you’ll need to do some careful research into retraining. To get you started we’ve put together some guidance on how to retrain one of these sensitive and spirited animals.