Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Fraser's highly successful full brother
He is obviously a lot heavier than Fraser, but has similar ears! :D (Click on picture to view full size).
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Some photos taken today
Yesterday afternoon Mac, Nina and Sophie went for a hack and had quite a long canter across the stubble! Fraser has a long stride and covers the ground quite fast; Mac found it quite exhilerating. We think Fraser enjoyed himself :)
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Friday, 21 August 2009
Citin!
Just got off the phone to Fraser's breeder. Apparently, he is a full brother to Masterful, owned by Jethro, who is a very successful horse. http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews/387/264217.html
Fraser was shown as a foal, and was always placed or won. His dam is grey and his sire bay. The dam has quite a lot of warmblood and the sire is a full TB. Fraser is more thoroughbred like than his brother, who is grey. Even as a youngster he didn't have a very strong movement and was a bit short behind. I am promised some photos (can't wait!) and really hope to hear from any of his other owners.
Fraser was shown as a foal, and was always placed or won. His dam is grey and his sire bay. The dam has quite a lot of warmblood and the sire is a full TB. Fraser is more thoroughbred like than his brother, who is grey. Even as a youngster he didn't have a very strong movement and was a bit short behind. I am promised some photos (can't wait!) and really hope to hear from any of his other owners.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Schooling and hack
No yee-haaing despite the stubble, as Nina has a dodgy hat (result of a crashing fall into a jump stand on Sunday) and Fraser is not particularly fit. And he is a tad lazy. And we are still awaiting the farmer's permission. Didn't stop the wretched dog running off again though. *bang*
Is it a large turd? No, it's...
...Corbett, lying down asleep! I came home one morning and could only see two of the herd of three - Fraser standing up, and Toffee lying down. There was a small dark hump near the hedge, in the shade, which I thought was a large poo until its little head popped up! Sadly, no photo, but it was a very sweet sight - the two of them lying down together.
Do you think we should put this on Fraser's stable door...?
I love this photo, because it shows how much more confident I have become about handling such a huge beast, it shows how easy he is to handle and it shows how colour co-ordinated it is essential to be. Every horse's overreach boots should match their owner's clothing.
Do you think we should put this on Fraser's stable door...?
I love this photo, because it shows how much more confident I have become about handling such a huge beast, it shows how easy he is to handle and it shows how colour co-ordinated it is essential to be. Every horse's overreach boots should match their owner's clothing.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Friday, 14 August 2009
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Corbett news
Corbett has discovered that if he scratches his bum on the water tub, he can wash his tail and fill the tub with hair at the same time! Clever boy. On Sunday morning and last night Mac and I were putting rubber mats in the field shelter, helped by Corbett. I don’t know how we could have managed without him. At this rate this will soon be his only job, as he no longer seems to stop Fraser getting very loud and active when Toffee goes out and leaves him behind. *sigh* He is very bold though, and gave one of the old stable mats a good exploring.
Corbett was getting pretty portly, and we worried that despite being young, he would get fat and be prone to laminitis, the grass here being very rich at the moment. Nina ordered a Dinky muzzle for him (same as Toffee has), and he accepted it straight away. No problems at all!
Corbett was getting pretty portly, and we worried that despite being young, he would get fat and be prone to laminitis, the grass here being very rich at the moment. Nina ordered a Dinky muzzle for him (same as Toffee has), and he accepted it straight away. No problems at all!
Fraser news
Time for an update before Ben nags me again :p Well, Saturday was a big day for Fraser, and Sunday was a big day for Mac. Sophie rode Fraser out on a hack on Saturday with Nina and Toffee, and he was as good as gold. You would never think he hadn’t been out since 19th June! When they got back, Mac walked him round for a bit to get the feel of him again. On Sunday Mac finally hacked again, first time in over two month as he was injured previously to Fraser. What a pair… Anyway, the new saddle made a huge difference, and Mac likes the seat saver. It was a warm but dull day, even though the photos make it look like autumn!
Friday, 7 August 2009
Speed rolling
Corbett rolls at ten times the speed of the other two - it is so funny! Apart from this morning, when he was grinding a ton of wet clay into his extremely abundant mane... Will try and get some video footage. Fraser has gone out this morning without his overreach boots on. The ground is so muddy the mud was collecting inside them - yuk. Farrier coming this pm so you can guarantee Fraser will pull a shoe off - tomorrow! Hoping to get him out and about this weekend for the first time in about six weeks.
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Truly, a comedian
Corbett tipped Nina's barrow over this morning when she was poo picking. So, add sense of humour to his attributes. We turned him out without a headcollar last night as he was no problem to catch yesterday evening.
Monday, 3 August 2009
The Acid Test
He has little legs…he is very amusing…he is Scottish…he is the smallest of the three…He is Corbett!
Yesterday, Nina rode Toffee for the first time in a month. Although Corbett has only been with us for a day, we decided to see how Fraser reacted. Turned out, Nina was spot on; it wasn’t Toffee he was bothered about, it was another horse in general. He has (probably) spent every day of his life in a busy, multi-horse environment, and cannot handle being on his own. Anyway, he whinnied a bit but was a different horse from previously. Corbett was just his own, mellow little self.
I cannot believe I was scared of minis! Corbett is adorable, and also known as Barrowman. No, not because he is loud and has a fondness for taking his trousers off, but because he follows Nina round when she poo picks, and inspects the barrow at regular intervals. He is so bright! And quite a comedian… Fraser was looking over the fence this morning, and Corbett was standing next to him with his head over the lower rail. I hope he’s not too bright though, like that previous Welsh monster *gulp* He is already in a routine. On Saturday evening when we brought the others in he was not too keen to be caught, but last night he knew what was going on (picking out hooves and a groom) and stood stock still to be caught. In the mornings, he stays out and helps Nina poo pick when the others come in for their breakfast. We will have to watch his grass intake though, because it is still growing and he is quite well covered. I look forward to him feeling totally settled, and hope the next few months aren’t too traumatic for him.
Did I mention his markings are amazingly symmetrical? Even the little black spot at the top of his tail is central. So, add pretty to his list of attributes! :D
And another piece of good news: Fraser's leg has finally healed, so no more bandaging! Hurrah! Until the next time...
Click photos to enlarge.
Yesterday, Nina rode Toffee for the first time in a month. Although Corbett has only been with us for a day, we decided to see how Fraser reacted. Turned out, Nina was spot on; it wasn’t Toffee he was bothered about, it was another horse in general. He has (probably) spent every day of his life in a busy, multi-horse environment, and cannot handle being on his own. Anyway, he whinnied a bit but was a different horse from previously. Corbett was just his own, mellow little self.
I cannot believe I was scared of minis! Corbett is adorable, and also known as Barrowman. No, not because he is loud and has a fondness for taking his trousers off, but because he follows Nina round when she poo picks, and inspects the barrow at regular intervals. He is so bright! And quite a comedian… Fraser was looking over the fence this morning, and Corbett was standing next to him with his head over the lower rail. I hope he’s not too bright though, like that previous Welsh monster *gulp* He is already in a routine. On Saturday evening when we brought the others in he was not too keen to be caught, but last night he knew what was going on (picking out hooves and a groom) and stood stock still to be caught. In the mornings, he stays out and helps Nina poo pick when the others come in for their breakfast. We will have to watch his grass intake though, because it is still growing and he is quite well covered. I look forward to him feeling totally settled, and hope the next few months aren’t too traumatic for him.
Did I mention his markings are amazingly symmetrical? Even the little black spot at the top of his tail is central. So, add pretty to his list of attributes! :D
And another piece of good news: Fraser's leg has finally healed, so no more bandaging! Hurrah! Until the next time...
Click photos to enlarge.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
New Arrival!
How wet can a person get? I have just had to change every garment I was wearing, so I think we can safely say my Musto is no longer waterproof. Jimi/Patterson/Corbett however has no such problems, and we watched in amusement as the torrential rain just rolled off him as if he was waxed. But I am getting ahead of myself…
The day dawned bright and clear, as they were wont to say in Jill books and the like. It wasn’t to last, and was possibly the second most positive thing to happen all day. We set off to Dunstable, to the Abacus stud to collect the miniature Shetland registered as Abacus Floyd. Jill, who owns the stud, trimmed his feet for him and helped to load him into the trailer. It was a bit of a squeeze (Ifor Williams 510; 30” pony), but we succeeded in fitting him in where he was cross-tied and given a hay net. He survived the journey, and despite producing a not-very-miniature quantity of effluent, had managed to force himself to nibble lightly on some hay. One thing we found out very quickly – he does like his grub! So we get home, and decide to pop him in the front part of the paddock and shut Toffee and Fraser in the top bit. Fraser looked suitable baffled (bless), but Toffee was absolutely disgusted and was not slow to make her feelings clear. Then both the big horses put on a spectacular display of flat-out galloping, bucking, running full pelt towards the fence and swerving at the last minute… Newcomer remained ambivalent about the whole thing. Eventually things calmed down, and we showed him how to get into the paddock with the others (under the bottom bit of electric tape dividing the field). He went trotting in, and Toffee soon set about showing him who was boss. He gave as good as he got though! First horse we’ve had here who actually answered back; he is a bold little thing and does the sweetest little squeals. Eventually things reached some sort of equilibrium and they all stood and grazed. Later on we looked out of the window, and he was nose to nose with Fraser. Too cute for words!
All the hooning around inevitably resulted in The Clumsy One cutting himself – this time, on the inside of a hock. Nina was trying to bathe it with Hibiscrub when he stamped the full weight of his shod foot down onto her toes. Poor Nina! :( He wasn’t having any wound powder puffed onto it either… *sigh* We caught Jimi/Patterson/Corbett when we brought the others in and tied him in the corner of the yard. He was understandably anxious at first, but soon relaxed and we gave him a little groom.
He seems a tough little character, yet very gentle and biddable. I am beginning to like him a lot… :D We are stuck for a name. We quite like Jimi because it is a Scottish name and he looks a lot like Jimi Hendrix. We like Corbett because of the ‘I look down on him’ class sketch featuring Ronnie Corbett (also Scottish), and we like Patterson because his registered name is Floyd and Floyd Patterson was a boxer. In time I expect he will name himself, but Patterson suits him because he pitter-patters…
Anyway, am knackered and rambling. More anon.
The day dawned bright and clear, as they were wont to say in Jill books and the like. It wasn’t to last, and was possibly the second most positive thing to happen all day. We set off to Dunstable, to the Abacus stud to collect the miniature Shetland registered as Abacus Floyd. Jill, who owns the stud, trimmed his feet for him and helped to load him into the trailer. It was a bit of a squeeze (Ifor Williams 510; 30” pony), but we succeeded in fitting him in where he was cross-tied and given a hay net. He survived the journey, and despite producing a not-very-miniature quantity of effluent, had managed to force himself to nibble lightly on some hay. One thing we found out very quickly – he does like his grub! So we get home, and decide to pop him in the front part of the paddock and shut Toffee and Fraser in the top bit. Fraser looked suitable baffled (bless), but Toffee was absolutely disgusted and was not slow to make her feelings clear. Then both the big horses put on a spectacular display of flat-out galloping, bucking, running full pelt towards the fence and swerving at the last minute… Newcomer remained ambivalent about the whole thing. Eventually things calmed down, and we showed him how to get into the paddock with the others (under the bottom bit of electric tape dividing the field). He went trotting in, and Toffee soon set about showing him who was boss. He gave as good as he got though! First horse we’ve had here who actually answered back; he is a bold little thing and does the sweetest little squeals. Eventually things reached some sort of equilibrium and they all stood and grazed. Later on we looked out of the window, and he was nose to nose with Fraser. Too cute for words!
All the hooning around inevitably resulted in The Clumsy One cutting himself – this time, on the inside of a hock. Nina was trying to bathe it with Hibiscrub when he stamped the full weight of his shod foot down onto her toes. Poor Nina! :( He wasn’t having any wound powder puffed onto it either… *sigh* We caught Jimi/Patterson/Corbett when we brought the others in and tied him in the corner of the yard. He was understandably anxious at first, but soon relaxed and we gave him a little groom.
He seems a tough little character, yet very gentle and biddable. I am beginning to like him a lot… :D We are stuck for a name. We quite like Jimi because it is a Scottish name and he looks a lot like Jimi Hendrix. We like Corbett because of the ‘I look down on him’ class sketch featuring Ronnie Corbett (also Scottish), and we like Patterson because his registered name is Floyd and Floyd Patterson was a boxer. In time I expect he will name himself, but Patterson suits him because he pitter-patters…
Anyway, am knackered and rambling. More anon.
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