Despite starting my day by uncovering an orgy of earwigs under a gate catch (they all wriggled out, I'll admit I shrieked and piaffed, all before brekkie too!), today was horsey bliss. Once the sun was up a couple of hours it was very cosy indeed. I cleared the field, bar one barrowful, in the afternoon sun with the boys hoovering away the grass around me. Very relaxing way to work up an appetite for dinner :) I've cleaned both the dressage saddles too.
Because it was such a fine day, and because I've seen the impending weather forecast (boo!), I made the very most of the blue skies and worked both the boys. Fin accompanied me on a bijou road hack. We were only out about half an hour but I'm keen not to venture too far on my own just yet. He was, of course, great company. Just along the road there are some llamas or alpacas (I think they're the former?):
Kate had warned me they are there but said Fin is used to things like llamas since he lives with Quadi *lol* I think the second photo is easily mistaken for my Drama Llama. The head and neckset, the splayed legs...the first guy, the brown and white, marched towards us all imposing-like. I can understand why people have them around their stock, they seem very territorial!
Once back I swapped ponies in the field, Quadi stood loose on the yard as I groomed him in the sun. I wanted to take him out along the road but felt in-hand would be a little too light. However, I'm not sure he's been across the threshold yet so didn't want to ride him out and end up having a tussle on my hands. I plumped for long-reining :) He was just super! Had to steer/yield him off someone's garden (lucky he's not shod!) but he was forwards and didn't imagine any 'mawnsters' or draw and imaginary lines he could not cross, nor did he have a fit because I wouldn't let him chat to the neighbour's horses. I played a little with some light flexions/bend and asked him not to gawk and pay attention to my contact. Nothing exciting or taxing, we were only out for 10-15 minutes, but I daren't overwhelm him and give myself months of rehab/conditioning because I've pushed him into his 'No More Questions' mode. For today, he was very onward bound and obviously keen!
Because tomorrow I know there will be grey skies, I took some phone snaps this afternoon of our nudey ponies under clear skies :)
Everyone trying to groom one another, 3 is NOT a magic number:
Quadi being coarse to The Baby:
All our duckies in a row :) Coffee looking very tall, especially his back end!
And again, Quadi being a bully:
Lovely pics and fab scenery! Has Q turned over a new leaf?? longreining sounds a good plan.
ReplyDeleteLove the llamas. Talk about being at attention!
ReplyDeleteNice grooming shots too. Always interesting to see the older horses put the baby in its place.
Hmm, I daren't hold my breath Trudi *lol*
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to the baby Jean, Quadi does tend to shove him around a lot, typical Beta! In the grooming photo, he's plain grabbing onto the back of his neck (how he managed to injure the poor toot in his first week in Scotland!) and in the last photo he was bulldozing through him. Will be a very different story when Coffee is fully grown ;) Although the baby is a nippy little imp at the moment, gotta watch his mouth all the time!
ho old is coffee? a bit of a contrast against the 2 greys, LOL
ReplyDeleteCoffee was 1 year old in May :) So not even 18 months yet! His knees and hocks are higher than the other two, so reckon he should top out at 16.1-ish, but more solid than Fin's build.
ReplyDeleteHis coat has a golden sheen in the sun, very pretty :)