Cooper and Stumpy's Autumn Adventures!

[Whatanejit]

Ho hum, where do I start?

We had a great summer on field livery next to the commmon - Stumpy arrived and all was rosey until..........


I took Weds morning off to ride Stumps but when I got to the field YO came over to me and told me that he had bad news - they had sold the place to a guy who wanted to run a racing yard and that we had to be out of there within the month as the guy wanted a vacant posession.

People are always offering them money for that little spot and this guy made them an offer they couldn't refuse. I congratulated him on doing the best for his family etc but was obviously shocked at the short notice.

:shock: :shock: :shock:

CL66's horse Luke's previous owner, S, had him at the same farm in 1/2 hr away for 10 years and she is still there with her other horse. CL66 got in touch to see if we could go there as a stop gap.

We planned to see out the months notice then move until...........

Luke choked - it was awful - first time I had seen it despite reading a lot about it. It didn't pass so the vet had to come out, sedate him, antibiotics etc and he soon settled.

Now, he needed a box to stop him from eating for 6 hours and to recover from the sedation - we asked B and R and they pretty much said no - their reason being that with the building work going on for the stable foundations they didn't have the time to clear out the guinnea pigs.

:shock: :shock: :shock:

They had always promised that if there was an emergency with the animals that a box would have been available. That is the only reason we went there.

We were disappointed as you can imagine and OH, CL66 and I thought there was no way we would stay somewhere where the needs of the animal were not met.

Two phonecalls later - 1 to the transport guy and 2nd to S and we were moved and all by 1700hrs.


Getting ready to go with the patient -

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/6octmove1.png

First time for me puting on her travel boots.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/6octmove2.png


They all loaded like a dream.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/6octmove3.png

[Whatanejit]

Where are we now mum?

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/6octmove5.png

The patient feeling better.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/6octmove6.png

Whats going on?

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/6octmove7.png

Yeah there is loadsa grass here.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/6octmove8.png

Hacking in dem der hills.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/6octmove9.png

We felt a bit numb from it all as you can imagine. More disappointing horsey people :?

The main thing is the horses settled amazingly - they were both lying down on Sunday morning when we arrived at the field - stuffed full of grass. Jumped up as soon as I got the camera out of course!

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Hacking/m25hack5.png

Luke recovered really well and was turned out the following day.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Hacking/th_Lukesfirstdayout.jpg (http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Hacking/?action=view&current=Lukesfirstdayout.flv)


Phew.

[Whatanejit]

We stayed there for the month of October but with the dark nights approaching and the 30 - 40 minute commute after a 1hr 10 min commute from London we were not content. The people at the yard were great so it seemed a shame to leave.


With Cooper's diagnosis of EPSM we really wanted 24hr turnout which is hard to find near home. However, I contacted May's mum who knew a few people and we managed to find a field 5 mins from home, 4 acres that hadn't been grazed since June - loadsa grass!!

So we decided to move on the 2nd Nov.


We spent 1.5 hrs pooh picking before we left - followed by lunch.............

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/Epsommove1.png

Suited and booted with Luke doing the gustappo walk with his boots on....................

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/Epsommove2.png

Loadsa grass here.........
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/Epsommove3.png

Mmmmmmmmm.... dinner and grass.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/Epsommove4.png

Coops having dins with dad.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/Epsommove5.png

It'll all be fine hun

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/Epsommove6.png

Stumpy finds the left over blackberries.:)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Moving/Epsommove7.png

Look at the shine on that fluffy coat!!

A very calm entrance to this new home - no hoolying around.

[Whatanejit]

They are so lucky moving as an established herd - makes us feel so much better too.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Epsommovesat4.png

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Epsommovesat3.png

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/11thwalk3.png

We have been at this place for almost two weeks and it is great. Hacking is fabulous!!!

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/GuinnessDecker/Downshack2.png

Down side is we don't have a school which is a bit crap for the winter evenings.

The field is very hilly and there just isn't anywhere suitable to do real school work never mind set up a lighting system. We will fence off a bit to lunge at least to keep them ticking over.

I was really worried about Stumpy with all this moving but she has been an absolute sweetheart. Coops, Luke and Stumps have formed a nice little herd and with a constant human appearance of me or CL66 they seem to settle quite quickly wherever we take them.

Blood results for Cooper came back today and they are normal!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah!!!!! I am sooo pleased - we can just get on with life, fun and horses now!

[Skib]

Blood results for Cooper came back today and they are normal!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brilliant. So pleased for you.
But am posting OT to say Wow, you are wonderful. What life skills. How deeply impressed I am by your calm, rational coping abilities.
I would have been tearing my hair and weeping and raging. Whereas you got things sorted -
If horsey people let you down, you seem to shake it off and just get on with your life. OH and I are both filled with admiration. We should try to be more like you.

[Whatanejit]

Cheer Skib.

I think a year and a half at the first place, reading about scenarios on NR and hearing stories in my 'real' life has educated me beyond reason re not relying on anyone else in the horsey world.

Where we are we pay rent on the field, asked to get an extra key cut for the gate and that is it.

We are in charge of everything else so nobody can let us down now but ourselves.

A huge responsibility but I prefer it and hopefully this is all a journey in preparation for me keeping them at home one day.

I work best in an emergency and wibble about things later. I guess it is years of working in a huge Intensive Care Unit in London.

I have also learned that this horsey world is actually a small one and to fall out with people isn't a great idea as there are links and links and links between them all with the result that they interfere with your plans later on down the line.

Tis a hard lesson but some of these people don't live within the same moral and social code as us.

Most enlightening and definately worthy of further research - but not experiential I might add :)

[Lucyad]

Good news on the bloods! Your new place looks great, and it must be so much better being 5 minutes from home, especially after your long commute! They all look very settled. I know what you mean about lack of school though - I am onto weekend only riding for the winter (but am sneaking in some clear round jumping tonght!). Looks nice hacking for the weekends though!

[monique]

Wow you have had an eventful time, next time I have a crisis can I ring you:D. Glad to hear it has all worked out ok in the end and I am chuffed for you that super Cooper is back to normal and I promise I will post photos of my lot in their treeless saddles one day:o

[capalldubh]

Wow, lots of ups and downs - but they do look settled in the new place already, so fingers crossed it will work out well for you over the winter :)

I have been bemoaning the lack of a school until this week, when it occurred to me that the field gate gives on to a very quiet country lane and that I don't just have to walk out onto the lane and then head off.

So we have been riding up and down the lane, doing leg yielding side to side, shoulder ins, walk/trot transitions, turns on the forehand, that thing where you leg yield across, then turn back on yourself (basically whatever lateral move I can think of) all up and down a short stretch of road. It is open so I can see if a tractor or car is coming and then we get the chance to do leg yield on to the verge :D Jackson was a bit confused to start with - "what, you want to ride home, but we've just left?"... "hang on, we were heading home, now you want to go back out again, what's up with you today?". Then he settled down and started trying to second guess what I'd ask for next (got a lot of shoulder ins - I got excited the first time he did this and gave him an apple and I think he remembers ;)).

So have you got a lane or driveway nearby? It's not the same as a school, but miles better than the field :)

Oh, insert NR health and safety warning about riding on roads here... ;)

[Whatanejit]

Tis great hacking - we are very lucky!

Good idea Cap - there is a lane which is quite well lit, a bit hilly and used as a bit of rat run at peak times for cars even though it is access only. Not sure if I would have much of a nerve to do that on my own but maybe it is a good time for Luke and Stumps to get used to nightime hacking hivized to the eyeballs!

[joey_olop]

Great news-ponies are looking good, glad to see them all settling down :)

[Whatanejit]

Thanks Joey :)

and yes, Monique, pics please.

[Sammii]

Ooh, I begged for the update and then missed it :rolleyes:

Glad you are all settled down now, hopefully permamently for the future. Hacking looks fab! :D

Stumps, Cooper & of course Luke all look great - they're a credit to you and CL66!

:)xx

[coverblown]

Sp glad the dear boy's blood results are normal - he is such a lovely horse. What an enormous change for you all - and how happy and well you all look.

Lovely update Dee, great to hear from you.
Anne x

[NicP]

Lovely update on them all and woo hoo re the blood results!

A busy time for you all!

[Roseanne]

Loved all your pictures :) and you are so right about some people not having same moral and integrity standards that are actually necessary to keep things running smoothly in the horsey world!

I'm pretty coping and competent- in my everyday life - I've had to be, but the horse environment is on a different planet! Life skills can go completely out of the window when you are constantly meeting people who don't seem to get the point that as riders, most of us are pretty much the same in what we want. Fun, a friendly, supportive community, and mutual respect and co-operation.

I've met a lot of lovely people, but there are also those who really aught to get help in sorting out why they need to bully and dominate. Unfortunately, it's taken me some while to filter out the latter and concentrate on the former, and I'm finally feeling much happier.

Well done you, and I hope all goes well for you, Stumpy and Cooper:)

Roseanne xxxxxxx

[VickiGG]

ahhhh - I see now - got the update!!

Goodness... good for you guys....

So it's interesting that you have a mare that gets on well with Coops and Luke because I am thinking of getting a mare as a paddock mate for Garbo and my new boy.....

So many horsey people say no no don't mix them, don't they!

Mind you I am like you - don't listen to anyones 'experienced' advice really - just term it as an opinion until I know for sure and have researched

[Whatanejit]

Oh!

Hi Vicki!

I hope you are doing an update soon on your NEW hosses!

What about the NEW place too?

4 months on and Stumps and Coops get on just fine.

The fields next to us all have mares and geldings grazing together. I guess in big yards it can be a safe option to section them off but with only 2 or 3 it isn't a problem at the mo.

[VickiGG]

I think I will give it a go.

Your guys look very happy indeed.

I did a wee update last week - think you missed it :)
http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136264