More hacking

Two photos from yesterday's hack.

See - men CAN multi-task!

On Wednesday evening Nina and Mac met up with Sophie for a hack. Not only was Mac much more relaxed, he managed to take some photos whilst riding! I know they look as if they have been taken from a low flying aircraft, but Fraser's ears are in some of them to prove that they weren't...







And some Nina took:

Spot Sophie!






He does like having his tummy brushed! :D




The Frasemark is beginning to take shape, as is Fraser. He is quite shiny now and has lost most of his winter coat. Although there still seems to be a lot of hair coming off...

Easter Holidays

Busy week for the old Spig! Vaccination and microchip on Thursday – in the most torrential rain imaginable. The lovely Clare came out to do it, and gave Fraser a local anaesthetic before inserting the chip. It is the same diameter needle as used in dogs, but in dogs the chip is inserted just under the skin. Because it can move around inside the animal, and because a horse is significantly larger than a dog, in horses it is inserted into a ligament. I didn’t know that… Anyway, he was fine with all that. Bit stiff the next morning after the vaccination, but back to normal by evening.

The other evening I was grooming Fraser, and he lifted his back leg. I thought he was going to kick, but he lifted it very high and very slowly, out to the side. He wanted a scratch! He just loves being scratched inside his thighs. He is so funny! Mac kindly obliged as I captured the moment for posterity. The first of many, it transpired.

I am starting a new lead rope tally. It currently stands at one. He gives them a lot of grief, and managed to pull back and break the clip on one. It’s never the string, is it? *sigh*

On Saturday he was Micromarked by Farmkey. This is one mark, unlike the four of a regular freezemark, and was done on his shoulder. As expected, he was fine. Although quite thin skinned, he is also quite easily distracted with food…

On Sunday evening Mac and Nina went for a hack, and the photos show just how effective hi-viz gear is – even in clear weather!

Monday evening was a bit of schooling, which was much more relaxed. Improvements are being made all around! Thanks to Sue for the suggestions of ‘gateways’

15th April 2009

Nina and Mac booked a local arena and had a lesson with Kim Darlow, who taught them both to ride before she went on to bigger and better things in the world of dressage. It was a game getting them there as Toffee has never travelled on the left of a trailer, and won’t tolerate a horse too close. Nina had visions of her savaging Fraser, or them kicking each other to ribbons under the partition, or any number of catastrophes, but in fact it wasn’t too bad. We used the rather flimsy Ifor Williams separator thingy and tied them both at the side and the front (they both tried to reach round behind it and Fraser would have got his great big head stuck), and they weren’t too bad. Toffee stomps when you stop anyway, so traffic lights etc are a pain, and one of them took a while to find their balance, but it was worth it. Kim liked Fraser, and said he was not at all what she was expecting! Much like us, really. She was expecting something like a table with hugely hairy legs.

Toffee has improved HUGELY since her last session with Kim, and Fraser was just so mellow – strange environment, relatively new rider, new instructor – just takes it all in his (quite long) stride. He doesn’t appear to have received vast amounts of schooling at any time, and next time Kim will ride him to see just what he can do. All in all, quite a successful day! :)

Photos: No teeth, teeth showing and Little and Large!

Some photos from Easter weekend 11th-13th April

Hack 10th April

Nina decided they would have a canter today - Toffee and Fraser had other ideas! Maybe it was the muggy weather, or maybe they are just lazy horses... Nice hack, msised the rain by a few minutes so good timing.

Man of Mystery

In response to requests from Fraser’s fan club (*ahem*), here is a brief update. Firstly, he appears not to have shrunk at all. Not one little bit. But I may have grown, as it no longer seems so daunting brushing him, although looking at those meaty thighs I can see why people eat horses… However, if he carries on as he is, he is safe from that particular fate for the time being.

It is strange acquiring a horse and not knowing a thing about his past, and as a result, we are groping in the dark a bit with regards to feeding, behaviour etc. As far as feeding goes, we have worked out what he likes – quantity! We have found some of his favourite places to be scratched, and worked out that he likes to be left alone when eating. Like most horses. Out of his stable he is the sweetest horse you could wish to meet; inside he pulls faces if you join him. Nothing more than that though. Hacking he has proved to be very calm, good in traffic and although there is a lot of snorting when going anywhere new, he is generally very quiet and well behaved. We have found out he knows how to lunge, and will do so without charging at you (Toffee, please take note). He was a bit wriggly with the farrier, and competed with Toffee in the ‘me me me, do me next’ stakes, but now has new shoes all round. Well, the shoes aren’t round, you know what I mean… He and Mac have done a little bit of schooling in a neighbouring flat field. First time in there, his eyes were on stalks (Fraser, not Mac); second time, he knew what it was all about and practically sighed. Anyway, here are a few new photos.

If anyone knows any history on this lovely boy, please do get in touch. :)