Diva has been keeping up with her resolution to do more exercise, and last weekend we walked through North Luffenham and past the village pub.
Unfortunately, it was too early for us to pop in, so Diva remains unaware of our plans to have a drink en route. We will head to South Luffenham next week to check out the pubs there.
This week’s stormy weather meant we did not go for a walk, so she has been keeping a keen eye on the yard work.
She helps with poo picking (well, she looks after the wheelbarrow while I do it) and has even taken to inspecting the muckheap.
The muckheap is beautifully managed, I confess to being a little obsessed with keeping it tidy. I really must get out more!
We endeavour to make it up in layers so that it stays tidy and we can get more soiled bedding in the area than if we simply tipped it out.
Of my three equines, Diva is the easiest to muck out—and not simply because she is the smallest. She never digs up her bed, etc., as she never lies down on it.
She is a tiny pony in a large stable and the bedding is down over half the floor area. However, she only ever lies down on the bare rubber matting at the front of the stable and uses the rest purely for her ablutions! Silly pony.
Florence is the hardest to muck out as she tends to move around and bury the droppings. I am looking forward to the summer when they are out every day and for longer.
Already I am noticing a difference in the evenings being lighter for longer, so things will soon feel easier down at the yard.
Nothing like finishing the horses in the daylight for making you feel good.
It’ll soon be summer!
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.