phoenix21

have put on half a stone over the festive period however this is only putting back on the half a stone i lost going to India two weeks before christmas - i recommend it for people wanting to indulge over christmas lol

am going to get back to work blues tomorrow after being off for 2 weeks just reported a horse to the RSPCA - but i think it might be too late for any help, poor thing cant walk at all

just reported a horse to the RSPCA. Am so glad i didnt get through the interview stages for the job of an inspector - was in tears just seeing this horse! Was walking phoenix yesterday and came across a coloured cob youngster lying down. Went to say hello and it got up, leaning awfully on heels. He tried to move and couldnt so lay down again. Went again this morning and the horse was lying in the same place. when he got up he tried to turn round and nearly fell over so lay down again flat out. Not sure who the horse belongs to. we know the people whose house is nearest to the field and its not theirs. There is a field further up with about 20 coloured cobs in near the road so i dont know if they have put this horse away from the road so no one will see it. It is so so lame i wouldnt be surprised if it had to be pts looks severly laminitic. poor horse. Waiting for RSPCA inspector to ring me back as i imagine they wont find the field following the rubbish directions i gave so worried with the cold weather coming in that lying down in the same place will mean it gets very cold quickly. He is a hairy cob but is unrugged which obviously isnt a problem normally but if hes not moving....

just read a positive article in a newspaper for a change! this was in the Times today December 31, 2007 Don’t blame breed, all dogs can be aggressiveInga MacKellar: Analysis The rottweiler has earned a fearsome reputation as extremely loyal and as a menacing guard dog. This image was even demonised in the horror film The Omen, where a rottweiler served as protector of the devil incarnate. Originally bred to drive cattle, the breed takes its name from the town of Rottweil in Germany and it is naturally protective and territorial. While it can make an excellent pet, as with all dogs, responsible ownership is essential. It is important that the dog is kept in an appropriate environment and that its exercise and behavioural needs are adequately met. Related Links Mother’s farewell to ‘little angel’ Dog attacks on children are particularly distressing. However, in order to understand why these have occurred, it is important to consider for what reason the breed was obtained and if the dog was adequately socialised and trained. Because of the guarding instincts of the rottweiler, some are obtained specifically as guard dogs and they are often used across Europe in police and security work. Some may be obtained for reasons of “machismo†because the breed is powerful and muscular. However, many rottweilers in the UK are kept as family pets and, contrary to popular belief and portrayal, are responsive, playful and affectionate dogs. The breed, the eleventh in the top 20 Kennel Club breed register, with 6,575 puppies registered in 2006, is strong and active and requires a high level of exercise. It is important to remember that all dogs are potentially aggressive. Aggression may occur for a variety of reasons, and the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors’ annual review of behaviour cases indicates that a lack of adequate socialisation is the most common cause. Aggression may also occur for a number of other reasons, such as a person entering the dog’s perceived territory, status-related issues, pain and, sometimes, predation. In addition, medical causes also need to be considered because these may result in behaviour changes. Obtaining a dog from a reputable breeder is essential. Rottweilers can suffer from a number of conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia, as well as hypothyroidism, which can cause aggression. Cancers, which are not uncommon in the rottweiler, such as brain tumours, can also cause a sudden and explosive change in behaviour. Therefore, when any dog attack occurs, an informed assessment of the situation needs to be made as to the potential underlying causes of the incident. Keeping a sense of proportion in these tragic attacks is essential and the breed should not be ostracised as a result. - Inga MacKellar is a certified clinical animal behaviourist and a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors times

well done pingu - very sensible discussion

so rottie owners waltz down the street when they walk them....omg shut the woman up

awesome last email!

omg its ridiculous!!! an emailer saying that rotties are like wild animals......are they just reading out the emails that agree with him?

Ooo i love fell ponies - he was a stunner

excellent! well done

hello! nice to hear peoples news - hope everyone and their horseys had good christmas. I have decided not to take tiffany on full loan - i just cant afford it. I maybe could just about at a push but then i wouldnt be able to afford any unexpected expenses like vet bills etc and i dont want to be so short of cash all the time when i still have credit cards to pay off from uni. At the moment i cant even see how i can afford to keep sharing her :-( Have been at home for a week or so and went up to stable where i used to work for a ride. So nice to see all the ponies and horses again. Took one of the ponies out for a ride. They are trying to sell him as he's very naughty with kids and either refuses to do anything or bites/kicks etc but he was so much fun out on the ride - no stopping him!

Hello!!! not been on 4 ageesssss. Dont have internet (except at work) but am at parents tonight before going to Goa :-) tomorrow so thought id 'try' ehem...and catch up!! and tell you all my news. Ive been sharing tiffany for 3 months (around about) now and its going ok - ups and downs!! (literally). I had a bit of a wobbly stage where wasnt sure if it was right for me as was taking an hour toget there due to traffic at night (bit of nightmare!!) but getting used to it now. Although have only been able to ride her at weekends due to the school not being built yet. A few weeks ago, the owner text me to say Tiffany had reared with her and this had brought back all the bad memories of why she wanted to sell her in the first place so was considering putting her up for sale again. She eventually decided to advertise her share of her (owner has another horse who she concentrates on) but has so far got no response (more about that later) Tiffany hadnt reared with me and on the whole had been very good. I hacked her out the following sat and she was fine. On the sun i took her up to the nearby school and she went quite well so then took her round the block to cool down. Got half way round and she stopped as though she had seen something so pushed her on but she reared up and spun round. There was a car coming along the lane so got her tucked into the side but she swung her hindquarters out and nearly hit the car and then turned and reared got her leg caught on the dry stone wall and i fell onto the wall!! eek luckly we were both ok so i walked her for a bit then got back on and rode her home no probs. I rode her a couple of times again and she was as good as gold. Took her out last weekend and weather turned really bad as we were half way round, really cold sleety driving rain and wind. she had her head tucked in and then started messing around so trotted her all the way home but on the last section she started trying to rear downhill. She was going downhill when she reared with her owner as well. Both myself and the owner know she rears out of fright sometimes but puzzled as to why downhill. She has just had her teeth checked (after she started rearing), saddle checked and has previously had back etc checked and a behaviourist out without much help. Luckly owner is really good with things like that and just wants the best for Tiffany. She (and i) think its to do with her back or hindquarters - any ideas? I think a physio is coming out to see her in the next few weeks to shed some more light on it!! So the situation to date!!! There were several issues regarding the new yard the horses had been moved to before i started sharing Tiffany which resulted in several people leaving so Tiffanys owner is moving next weekend (when i am on holiday). Its a shame they have to move as it took tiff ages to settle in and now they had formed a nice herd. However, Tiffany is going on grass livery to a yard closer to me that has 2 schools so hopefully will be able to do more with her and i am going to take her on full loan as no one has shown interest in owner's share of her and she knows I look after her well so thats exciting so am going to go back and catch up on everyones news now! - caught a glimse of a Kane pic :-) I miss hairy cobs

Hello! another 1 not been on 4 a while and its lovely to catch up on everyones news.....obe looks lovely in that pic Ive started this week with tiffany. went up last sun and hacked out with the owner and her other horse so could get an idea of where to go etc. Then had tues off work so went up to yard and went on a longer hack with tiffany's owner, another lass at the yard and the yard owner. The farmer whose farm the livery yard is on owns up to 2000 acres (no joke!!) and so at the moment we can use any of the stubble fields to ride in and have access to the fells. We went along a cycle path then up towards the fells and had a few canters in fields then over fell and back down again was great! The school isnt going to be built until dec unfortunately but in the mean time we can use the school up the road so not too bad. Went up after work on weds. She is living out at the min until clocks change (the stables are still bing built so its only tiffany, jerry (the owners other horse), corky and polly (yard owners horse) so its dead nice. hacked out with corkys sharer. Was light when set off but half way round the rain clouds came and went really dark!! stupidly hadnt put reflective stuff on so we trotted all the way home in the pouring rain, scarey. have now ordered a reflective sheet off ebay for us. I dont think will be able to hack out after work for much longer as its getting darker earlier but i have to hack up the road to the school and although its on a quiet country road id prefer to be seen!!! probably wont be able to get on again for another couple of weeks when i am home again so am sure will have lots more news to catch up on!!!

lwow that dog was holding on for a long time!! I have a video of phoenix doing similar maybe not as extreme!.,....and she would and does let go if she wanted to phoenix

awwww phoenix has the same costume ie antennas, tshirt and wings but as a bee....shortly after i took a pic of her (in a v.similar pose to dolly!) she shook her head and 1 antenna fell off then she ran round garden and rolled until wings were all bent - i dont think she was a happy little bee!!

I think the saddle buisness would be a good area to make some money!! must cost a fortune for all those having problems at the min i guess its part of having a young horse that changes shape a lot but must be so frustrating!! Not much news on tiffany front - owner is on holiday this week and by the time she gets back the loaner will have left so will begin sharing from then. Will be 3 days a week on a weds, sun and another day but owner says she is quite flexable.. there is a school up the road can use until the new yards school is built and David Gatherer (scottish event rider) has a yard just a few doors away where can have lessons So exciting....tiffany moved up to the new yard on thurs i think it was and apparanly was reluctant to go into stable because of the scarey rubber matting but apart from that settled in well.... good to catch up on everyone news

oh wow!! she is stunning!

rode Tiffany - felt a little awkward as her current loaner who was showing her to me obviously loves her very much and would buy her if she had the money but she is going home to the cech rep soon... She was very well-behaved, lovely paces and very comfy canter - she asked me if i wanted to jump her but i havent jumped properly for a good few years and certainly didnt want to on a horse i hadnt ridden before. After riding her in the school i hacked her out up the road and she was a star - there were people blackberry picking with russling bags and she didnt bother - i thought she would be more spooky than she was. I guess the only good thing i can say about working at a trekking centre is that i have hacked out a lot of different horses young and old and although my riding might not always be the smartest, spooking doesnt bother me. I felt very safe on her and she is the most sweet-natured horse Feel v.lucky to have found a great horse to share and the owner is really nice..just need to wait for a few weeks until loaner leaves and tiffany moves up to the new yard. The new yard has just been built - has great potential and once the school is built - the local riding club has shown interest in using the yard so that would mean access to good instructors as well.

so sorry - what a tragic thing to happen - just glad everyone else got out ok

off to ride Tiffany at 5.30 today eekkk am nervous - hate people watchine me ride esp. the owner and loaner arrgghhhh - am just in internet cafe at the min cause stupid BT still havent got me connected yet but will update hopefully on mon at work if im still alive lol....will try and catch up on everyones news then as well!!! hope everyone and their horseys are ok xxxxxxx

wow anne evita is gorgeous absolutely lovely pics I have no horsey news - was supposed to ride tiffany on weds but her show on sunday was cancelled and rescheduled for weds (the only day i could do!) so we are going out on a hack next week hopefully anyway!! am working at the stables this weekend as they are very short staffed but enjoying being outdoors all day in the sun and seeing all the horseys again....

get better soon boysie - come on

aw shes lovely - congratulations

thank you for your thoughts they must have worked - i think we are turning a corner. She wasnt interested in having any scrambled eggs last night but i managed to get her out for a wee and she had a little drink after that. This morning when i came downstairs she had been sick again but let her out in the garden then a few minutes later caught her trying to get into the bin....she must be feeling a bit better! Gave her 1 eggs worth or scrambled egg which she ate up and shes been drinking more so thats good. Hopefully she will gradually get better now....i wish they'd learn though - shed go back and eat that rabbit again in a second

I know im not on here much any more but Molly is needing lots of healing thoughts sent her way.... She managed to get out of the garden on wednesday and came back with half a dead smelly rabbit. A few hours later she was sick and all the rabbit came up. She was fine on thurs but today she didnt eat her breakfast (unheard of for her) and has been constantly sick since. At 5.30 i took her to the vets...luckly got the very good vet. We were worried she had some underlying problem as she has had more frequent sickness but he couldnt feel anything untoward in her tummy. However she has a high temperature so it is likely she has an infection from the rabbit. She got a shot of antibiotics and is on 2 different types of tablets. I gave her these around six and she sicked one up.....she is still really uninterested in food and hasnt drunken anything (vet said she wasnt dehydrated luckly).. Shes now lying flat out in lounge asleep - i dont know if she is feeling slightly better and she is catching up on sleep or she is worse she isnt panting or anything just very still. Are there any things i can do to get some fluids into her? Shes 13 so not a spring chicken