phoenix21

I think i know what i am going to do but just thought id ask peoples opinions on here... My mum is beginning the west highland way a week on monday....originally i had planned to join her on one of the days with phoenix...I have been walking her 1/2hr in mornings and 1-2hrs (offlead mainly) in evenings initially and this week she has been 2-2 1/2 hrs in evenings mostly onlead. I give her glucosamine in the evening wth her tea after her walk so she doesnt get stiff and she has been fine. However, i dont think i can get the day off work for the day that i planned to do and am thinking of doing the last day with my mum now which is 14 miles from Kinlochleven to fort william..... I know phoenix would absolutely love it but i guess my gut instinct is that with her spondylosis it will do her no good at all......shes 6 and loves running round, going on long walks etc but she can get stiff at night, and occasionally her back seems to go into spasm and she gets sort of twisted, lifting her front right paw up and then stretching her back left leg out . I dont know if she would manage it anyway - i might see if there are any other days i can get off work where the days are shorter in milage.... do you think she would manage 8 miles on lead? i mean 2 - 2 1/2 miles walking at the mo must be around 5 miles? any advice appreciated, thanks.

oo claire just gone back to catch up and seen new loki pics - hes so lovely

oooo how exciting Jayne......am sure there will be a horse out there somewhere....no harm in looking eh? Anne - herbert looks amazing as does your riding....very jealous I have had to put off going to ride Tiffany as mad panic to finish dissertation for next friday!! arrrghhh...its going to be the best feeling when i had the stupid thing in then can concentrate on horseys!!! went out for a ride last sun (cant remember if i posted or not...) - went up to old work with friend (who is now their vet!) and sneakly asked to borrow a couple of horses that hadnt done much work to go out. I took Timmy who used to be quite naughty (he got sold before i started there for jumping out of the school with a client on) but he came back a couple of years ago and has been pretty much push button since. Any how we took them on a new route and as soon as we turned off the usual track their ears pricked up and both were marching along. Went into the farmers field again where i took bud and said we would have a canter along the side....well as soon as i asked timmy to canter he was off!!!! havent been so fast in ages!!!! and was slightly worried we werent going to stop Certainly blew away a few cobwebs!! I managed to get him under control (hes only 14.1 ish and normally so easy to stop!!) and he was doing half rears wanting to gallop back - i decided this wasnt a good idea as no gate on the field at the end and didnt want to to a 90 degree turn back to the stables!! so we jogged back onto the track....was so nice that he had a bit of his old spirit back... we went exploring at a more sedate pace then had a good canter back followed by a few laps of the school to cool down!!! Was lots of fun - i love going for rides when you know the horses are really enjoying it as well.

are border collies a recognised breed? cause we have all shapes and sizes on the farms round here - people say they arent crossed but you get wirey haired longer legged ones (like my grandmas poppy), then stockier, fluffier ones (like one at farm down road), then ones with pricked up ears others not etc then obviously the merle ones........i know all breeds you get diff varieties like longer legged staffies etc but the collies round here are really different to each other....

Is it just my fat calves or do chaps come in really small sizes? I wanted to get some new ones so i look semi smarter now as my current ones are cheapy shire ones which tbh are a bit manky and stinky Anyway i measured my calves and according to robinsons and derby house website i am a large (and not even just a large either ) Now im 5ft 8 and 9 1/2 stone.........am quite concerned that i take a large size chaps!! my old ones were a large but i got them when i was 2 stone heavier and they annoy me now cause they are too baggy and twist round. Should i just go for a medium or trust the size charts and go with a large? (even better i should just go down to tack shop and try some on but dont like our local place its over priced with v.unhelpful people)

Good luck with Abby!!! I was really nervous going to see Tiffany (i know its not a great name is it ) and doubly nervous going to ride her next week - i hate people watching me ride. So thought id go up to stables today and have a hack out just so i have actually ridden before i ride tiffany. Rang up old manager and she said it was fine to go out (they are closed on fridays) so went up, got Bud from field and plodded out for a ride. Went exporing in woods. He can be a big baby and spook a lot esp new places so we did have a few stops for no apparant reason but i was in no hurry so just left him to work out that it was ok to go forward at the bottom of one track was an open farmers field that had just been cut so had a sneaky canter through there there, he threw himself across the field when went past a big stone....they are major scarey dont you know....then on way back i let him to what he wanted so plodded up hill then had a trot and canter along a grassy stretch and then plodded home. Was nice to be out ridding again still ridding a 16hh cob isnt going to prepare me very well for 15.2 warmblood (except for spookyness aparantly tiffany does a lot of it) good excuse to go out though. Lovely pics anne - what a fab field as well! lucky horseys argh it wont let me edit my post - i meant to add well done alison!! bet its a huge relief to actually have done it now....hope you manage to find a yard - easier said than done i guess vickyx

hello! hope u get farrier sorted jackie! went to see Tiffany last sunday (poss horse share) it was pouring with rain, really not nice. We went to stables where they are being moved to first, the stables are just being built at the mo but its in really good area for hacking although slightly further away. Then we went to where she is being kept at the moment. Gave her a groom and she seemed very nice natured wanting cuddles and nuzzling me as i picked her feet. I then led her out to field - not im quite used to letting the cobs at work out and they just plod along etc. Turned her towards me, took her head collar off and she spun round and galloped off! anyway heres a pic.... am going to ride her hopefully next fri when her current sharer is back off hol....

ooo thank you thats ok i can buy them now How are your horseys alison?

also - sorry it wont let me edit other post now am buying jods from robinsons as my faithful ones i have had since i was 13 are getting holes in and are pecularly too big However - the colour of the ones i want to buy say navy/camb and the pic doesnt specify what colour option it illustrates....any one shed any light on what colour camb. might resemble?

aw bless well done wanda in your dressage I worked today as lots of people were off at Lowther show so said i would as a favour. 10 of the horses also went to lowther to supply the farriers with horses for the shoeing competition - they all have lovely properly done shoes now as the farriers in the compeition have 2 hours to make the shoes and put on a full set - they needed a range of different horses to do so we gave them - bailey - the horse with the worst sway back, conformation, moustache you name it - even his teeth are wonky bless...we did joke that maybe lorenzo would see him and want him as one of his stunt horses lol am sure he loved it though, he wont ever have been to anything like that in his life - in fact when we sent him to Lady Lowthers place for a holiday she sent him back because he was too ugly hes beautiful in side though - mickey 5/6 yr old I.draught was the only naughty one but hes still acts like a baby and quite dumb and dopey - riding him is an experience - his trot feels like you are on a see-saw when you get the bumps and then a few normal lovely ones in the mix (ice, ginger and digby) and others that just needed shoeing! They definately got a good range of horses lol

lovely pics - however that little boy is sooo cute! love that pic!

So sorry Wendy - at lease she had the best home she could have ever wished for with you with someone who loved her as much as you did run free pops

Oh no!! am so sorry Wendy - poor Pops Am trying to do my dissertation as have to have a draft in at the end of next week (eeekkk) only the cats are so pleased to be home from the cattery (my parents have been away and i have been up working in glasgow) that they are following me around everywhere, sitting on all my papers or the keyboard. At one point i had both billy and abbey on my lap and phoenix sitting under the desk asking me to throw her ball for her!! animals are so demandind Then i kept switching from the main computer to my laptop and kept forgetting billy was on the chair and i sat on him about three times - hes going to be even more brain damaged now!

aw bless the little foals sounds really good fun jacky!! there are a few big farmers fields round us at work just crying out for a good gallop along - oo but cantering downhill.....eek i hate going faster than a walk as well. At work we used to have a belgium ardennes. I had to catch up with a trek one time and quickly had to jump (haha - seen the size of these things) onto helga and go down the field with v steep muddy hill. I wanted to walk...helga could see the trek and wanted to trot....if you have ever been on an ardennes its like riding a rhino - wasnt the best experience!! she has since been sold to be a surrogate mum for throughbreds

gentle squidges for pops lots and lots of healing thoughts for her

Molly would choose a calm river where she could spend most of the time in the water and pootle about or a beach walk where she can have fun dunking the, not so confident in the water, phoenix underneath. Phoenix would choose a wood with lots of rabbits and squirrels to chase in and out of the bracken and trees (in fact the walk i take them on when i am here and where she frequently disappears for ages chasing stuff) Phoenix would not be allowed to choice a beach walk due to the fact she drinks the salt water - consequences are really not pleasant...

meee - my little phoeneypooo (aka phoenix) - love the dexter one with stuff on his nose - bless.

oh no! poor loki. Am going to see the potential share horse on sunday - have to remember questions to ask.... insurance routine (eg. do i need to go up there for feeding etc) days i will have her obviously stuff about her - whats her little quirks etc contract? erm......what else should i ask - i know i'll forget half of it! am not riding her when i go up as the current sharer is away and she wants me to try her when sharer is back mid august. luckly her current sharer doesnt leave till sept so have a month to get things organised etc IF it does all come together. Am a little concerned that it takes about 25 min to get there but once there it is the most beautiful countryside for such a short distance out of glasgow and not far from beach. Turns out the owner lives in the same area i do and goes up after work so am hoping we could share lifts or something. when i first started at the stables we used diluted dettol - just poured a bit in a bucket and filled the bucket up with luke warm water.

good boy rolo! hope your boss has done well anne

i know it shouldnt bother me its just so annoying and she does one-to-one walks as well so its not as though she would have to be with other dogs anyway and I am yet to meet a staffie thats aggressive towards people - not that i would want anyone who doesnt like staffies walking my dog anyway..her loss.

good luck you'll be fine doesnt stop the nerves thou does it - i went through it a couple o months ago. Just think though you've got past the first interview so they obviously like you... I am all down that nasty potential dog walker wont take phoenix because she is an agressive type dog.....after i was so pleased with her for being such a good girl with other dogs recently and since moving up to glasgow so many people stop and talk to her and say what a crackin dog she is.. (i am a little defensive about my little fleepee can u tell lol...) I really need to get ready to go out but cant seem to drag myself away from the computer.....

omg has it been a year? she looks so so much better - HAPPY GOTCHA DAY VENA!!! XXXXX

I have been struggling to find a dog walker for Phoenix for when i work full time in september. I have emailed a few people who havent replied or have said they are full. I emailed a lady yesterday who has a dog walking company and asked her if she had any spaces. her reply was....sorry due to bad experiences i dont accept bull terriers or any aggressive type dogs... I feel really upset that she would just categorise staffies and phoenix as being aggressive in any way i know its her company and her choice but i now think maybe others havent replyed because of her breed. Wondering if i'll ever find anyone....

wow fantastic pic! hope you had a good day x

These are all things i need to discuss - ideally it would be sat, sun and fri but we would have to see. She is giving me a call in the next few days. My £20 a week doesnt include vet bills. thanks for reminding me about insurance will ask her about it. The lass has another horse she is bringing on so i think she would be flexible about when i look after the mare. She works p/t at the stables as she is at uni which is quite good - and the sharer currently isnt moving until sept which is ideal for me as this is when i start full time work so will have more money coming in. Am hoping to organise to go up and see her soon. Had my dressage test today in my lesson - i remembered it all shock horror!! its really hard concentrating on where you are going AND on the horse AND on you Connie - the horse i ride is going to pony club all next week so dont have a lesson but the one after that we are starting on lateral work which should be interesting. my instructor is taking solo (Coloured dopey traditional cob who you would never think could do dressage) to some dressage national championships in Warwickshire next week so wishing her lots of luck!