Catch Up

Penny Parker after her track work out. Well the week has been pretty busy for us, had the equine dentist come on Wednesday which was great, both Mousie and Donny's teeth were bad despite been done 6 months ago by someone less experienced. We used Regan Dunne from Invercargill and I highly recommend him. Was very good with the horses, Mousie took one look at him and had the look of "your kidding yourself if you think you are coming anywhere near me!" but Regan was very good, just stayed quietly with Mousie until he settled, and then surprised me big time by behaving himself for the rest of the time. Donny on the other hand was very naughty slamming both Greg and Regan in to the wall, and in the end had to be tied up to the young horse wall so Regan could get out the fragmants of wolf tooth out. All ended well and Greg and I were both very happy with the service we recieved.

Then on Saturday we headed to the track with Donny and Dag, was exciting as it was the first track work out of the season, both worked keenly and now its count down till our first race meeting.

Donny after his first track work out.

Today (Sunday) my brother who hasn't ridden for years hopped on Donny and did a round of the track, Donny took his job of looking after Callum very seriously and walked most of the way, never putting a foot wrong, I was so very proud of him, he just looked like an old hack!!

The next day as looking after Callum.

Another Sunny Day August 26th

Donny wishing me a happy birthday, business as usual for me. Greg was kind enough to let the horses out of the boxes before he left for work this morning so I could have a bit of a sleep in for my birthday, but after that was just a normal day.

All the horses are working very well and are on target for there first work out at the track on Saturday, should be an interesting day for both horse and rider fitness! lol.

Well we had another lovely sunny day today...sorry you lot up north that are flooding up North.

I got heaps of jobs done outside after I had a lovely lunch outside with a good friend. I got the Lawns mowed, windows washed, which isn't the easiest with the top floor of the house, and bushes tidied up with the trimmer. Yesterday I sprayed the stinging nettle and docks out of the paddocks and also hemlock in the fencelines and sprayed the drive, so it has been a productive week so far.

Both Greg and I are looking forward to our first races on the 17th Sept which we are counting down to!! Rock on season.

23rd August

Left: Nancy

Right: Mousie

Right: The young ones having a grand old time playing in the puddles with their covers off.

Left: Finishing off finding something else to do. You can see how much rain we have had prior to today.

Well we finally had a nice sunny warm day today and I had the chance to take everyones covers off. After the inital itching the young ones spent 20 mins galloping round the paddock playing. Was a great sight to watch, Greg didn't think so as much when it was time to ride Donny and Donny wanted to run too. lol.

22nd August...........remind me when summer is.

Well this weather is def getting me down. The place is very wet at the momment!! Surface water everywhere as well as mud. I can't remember what the drought was.

To the right is my luffly birthday present from Greg, they are just

define. Top marks for Provista Horse and Rider (http://www.provistariding.co.nz/) for their brillant service. Alougth my birthday isn't until Tues I had to open them up straight away. I am not that worried about putting them on a horse at the momment as they would get DIRTY! lol.

Well putting the boots on Mousie has been delayed as he has pulled up lame, I'm pretty sure it will be an absess and would burst out in time, but I will just keep an eye on it. I am really gutted as I was off showjumping on the Taieri in the indoor arena.

The horses are booked into to get their teeth done on Wednesday by a new dentist that I haven't used, but apparently is the best, and only the best will do!!

We had a busy afternoon picking up stones on the new track proper at the Winton Racecourse, was our last duty as Greg as president, the AGM is next Sunday and his 2 years is up.

17th August.......WET WET WET

Mousie leading himself into his box, this is his daily rountine, makes it easier for me, I can lead Nancy who isn't quiet as keen to go inside.

Well I thought we were wet before but nothing compares to how wet we are now. I wasn't sure what the weather was going to do, so I worked Dag first thing in the morning, we both got soaking wet but she was better behaved as the mud was bogging her down somewhat.

Took me ages to dry her off, put an extra underrug on her and let her warm up in the day box before I put her outside with Donny with a bale of hay to share.

Typical Murphy's law it was a lovely, if not a bit chilly afternoon, so I got to work Donny, he was fresh after his day off yesterday, things were going ok, until a family on bike cycled past, if that wasn't enough to look at out bounds a big barking black lab, which scared the young ones which inturn set Donny off at a full gallop, took all my strength to pull him up, not that he is dirty but wasn't really fair when the young ones in the middle of the track were racing him!! But we got over that and he settled in to work well, even his canter work was good.

Both horses had to cross the streams and canter through all the surface water, I think Donny really enjoyed it, put his head down and powered through it, if the water is still there tomorrow I am going to set some hay bales up on the other side to get mousie used to jumping in and out of water.....should be interesting as he hasn't been worked since Jill on Thursday due to the weather.

15th August

Today started very slowly for me as I was very sore after my lesson with Jill Ullrich yesterday. Mousie is feeling very well and spent the first 1/2 hour trying to plant me, I was not impressed, but in typical Jill fashion we just carried on and mostly ignored his tantys that he was throwing. He did nearly get me at one stage, I had shortened my stirrups as he reared, then kicked out, twisting his body and I lost one stirrup and was over one shoulder, thought I was a gonner but he didn't do anymore once he realised I was in a spot of bother. lol.

I just love Jill, she has such a fantastic way of teaching and giving both horse and rider confidence, Mousie hadn't jumped from the last time we had a lesson due to the weather but I have to make more of an effort to get him out and about. At this stage we are not going to do doubles but just trot past them and hopefully the judge will let me carry on. He really needs and out to be out seeing different jumps in different places to get his nerve up.

Things are ticking along here with the racehorses, Greg and I are counting down the days till our first race of the season. Penny Parker has been a handful and is firing so hopefully she can blot out her bad performances at the end of the season with some good races before she heads off to stud.

Dependable Donny is loving been in work and was most annoyed that Mousie got to go out without him.

Today the weather was 4 seasons in one day, started off with a frost, then nice and breezy, then got very warm, then wind, then rain a bit of hail and it seems to have calmed down now.

Computer Problems Suck!!

Well after numerous days of just a little bit of online time before I was promptly kicked off, well hopefully it is sorted now.

Nothing much else has happened since the last time I posted, all the horses are working well and on target for the first race on the 17th Sept when Penny Parker will have one of her 4 starts before heading off to stud. Peter Porter will start his capagin in Oct.

Ozzie is enjoying been turned out and Nancy has settled, had a bit of a mission to get a cover to fit her, but all is sorted now. Her first few days with Mousie were interesting as she was in season and mousie thought she was disgusting. She is on NZ Minerals and Alliviate so her hormones have settled along with her nerves. She is now settling into the routine of the other horses which is good.

Mousie has started on EquiJewel and after a few glitches of how much to feed, now have it sorted and hopefully the weight will come on him aswell as Ozzie, who I am sure has put on weight already.

This was mousie today after his first ride in his new extra wide dressage saddle, it was great, he strode out much better and even felt good enough to have a few bucks to make sure I was concerntrating. We are off to Jill Ullrich on Thursday which will be good, hopefully the weather will hold out. We have had some really grotty weather this month, the last couple of days have been very very frosty in the mornings but have turned out to be nice afternoons.

On sunday I am also hoping to go to Dressage lessons, depending on if I can get a babysitter.

The season is looming and I am hoping that Mousie continues to gain weight.

Had our first bill for Scruffy at Volksraad for grazing today which is $12 a day. So pleased we don't pay grazing for all our horses, we haven't had one yet for Piggy at Keeper, be interesting if the price is similar.

The Otago/Southland racing awards are at the beginning of October, so my weight loss plan def has to go to plan!! lol.

2nd August

Well my day started early, well not as early as Greg as he was working, but i wanted to be up early to get the horses out of the stables and settled before I had a the big change around with Ozz and Nancy.

Mousie couldn't have cared less when I took Ozz out of the paddock and put him in the weaning yard. Then I caught Nancy who had come to the gate after I called her, popped her in the paddock with Mousie and put Ozzie out with the young ones. I couldn't have asked for a better swap around. But Nancy didn't settle all day, either did her mates across the track.

I just left them to sort if out. Was interesting to watch Mousie and Nancy as they are full brother and sister, and to see just how similar they are.

All the horses had the day off today as planned.

When I went to put Mousie and Nancy in, Mouise took charge and headed for his stable by himself, he's a bit like a dog really, but he had to go through another wee paddock, round a corner, past the hay shed round another corner to the stables, and in his box he went. Actually worked out great as it ment I could led Nancy behind him, she was pretty good but didn't really know what was going on. We started to break her in before the winter but it just got too wet, so we turned her out. I will start on her again tomorrow, hopefully she will remember what the deal was. She is still unsettled in the box, but she has a nice feed full of minerals and alliviate c which should help her settle in to things.

Nancy looking unsettled in her box. I brought her a new rug, and will put it on in the morning after I have scraped some of the mud off.