cabbagepatch88 Posted September 23, 2010 Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 Oh no, what a shame...who pays for vettings then, the owner or the buyer? Its hard isnt it? You have to be so strict with yourself..its like when I went and saw that horse Guinness, he was totally unsuitable but the brain starts thinking "well i guess i could work on him.." Im seeing Sol first thing tomorrow morning, very excited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare Posted September 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 Oh bugger, don't suppose they are willing to drop his price as a result, just thinking you could make a sneaky offer Can't believe they wouldn't be willing to share the cost of investigations, don't sound very nice sellers / owners Ooh hope Sol turns out to be as good as he sounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatch88 Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Went to see Sol this morning (original name was CARROT ), all looks quite promising! When I arrived he was being 'beautified' and was stood nice and quietly whilst he was being pampered. Ran my hands down his legs, all were nice and clean - no splints, lumps or bumps, just a few superficial marks. Saw him being tacked up - no problem there. Saw the owner ride him in the school and pop a jump. He's got a lovely big trot, and tried his hardest at the jumping, he hasnt jumped in months so he was a bit rusty! I then got on him and he was really interesting to ride, you can basically ride him from your seat, just by altering the pressure through your seat bones. He was also very responsive to the voice, when I asked him to steady he slowed down immediately. His canter was a bit odd, when I was riding him it felt like he was throwing his head on the ground, but when I watched the video back it didnt look like it at all from the ground. I think I just needed to keep riding him a bit more upwards into the contact. He finds right canter easier than left canter but got there eventually after I knew which 'buttons' to press for him. Overall thought he was a nice, gentle, honest boy. I only had time to see him ridden in the school today but am going back tomorrow afternoon to take him out for a hack. The only things that concerned me were his legs. When he stands on the yard, he stands with one of his front legs stretched out in front of him. The owner said he's always done that ever since she's had him. Also, his back feet were slightly pointing outwards and looking from the side his back feet looked like they could be a bit more upright, but the front looked OK. Will keep you all posted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Sounds promising!! A good farrier should be able to help with his feet, could be they are a bit long if he is due his trim? Not sure what would cause him to stand like that though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare Posted September 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Sounds promising I don't want to be a scaremonger but pointing of the toe can indicate a few nasties, the one I know for sure is navicular, not saying that is the case here but just something to be aware of. Vet came out today and suprise suprise the ear rubbing is a mystery Most likley harvest mite, but normally you can see them, but we're going to treat for that and see what happens. Slightly not so good news is that I also wanted the vet to look at Loki's hind leg as for the last month or so it has been blowing up over night to varying degrees, goes down after exercise or turnout but it has been playing on my mind. Vet had a good look and felt the tendon sheath is enlarged, trotted him up and although not lame not quite right on that leg but no worse for flexion tests. So he thinks its a tendon sheath problem rather than tendon problem, he is going to drop off some potion to bandage on over night for a few weeks and other than that to carry on as we are. If it doesn't improve then probably best to scan it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Hugs to Loki!! Emailed a yard owner today about possibly moving blue on there, they have all year round turnout. 24/7 in the summer and daytime in the winter. It is half what I am paying now, they are going to build a ménage, but until that is done you can hire the ménage across the road for £5 an hour. Am going to contact my farrier to see what he thinks of the farm. They have a facebook page, it is higher counthill farm if anyone wants to have a look and see what they think!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlTRPD Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Sounds as if there's lots going on with everyone, and I can add a bit too... Doris will be coming to me on Monday or Tuesday for a fortnight's trial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatch88 Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Sounds promising I don't want to be a scaremonger but pointing of the toe can indicate a few nasties, the one I know for sure is navicular, not saying that is the case here but just something to be aware of. Yes, thats the first thing that came to my mind too. He doesnt show any other signs of navicular though...when I go and see him tomorrow i'll have a good prod of his feet and question the owner more about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare Posted September 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2010 Have a good look at his feet and if you can get some shots of his feet conformation might be helpful if you have a friendly farrier you could show them to, such a shame as he sounds lovely but that would really concern me Had a fab lesson this morning May have some video to share depending on camera mans skills Can't wait to see Doris pics, really hope she works out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlTRPD Posted September 25, 2010 Report Share Posted September 25, 2010 Glad you had a good lesson, Clare. I heard this evening that Doris is arriving on trial at about 9.30am tomorrow, instead of Monday or Tuesday! Will take my camera down to the yard. Saw her tonight at her owner's yard and, although fairly sure I'll know quickly enough if she'll suit me or not once I've been able to ride her, she will take time to get her as I'd want - especially her muscle tone and feet, which latter I may not be able to do much about until I know she'll definitely be staying. Been hunting high and low for my spare tack - especially my bit collection - but without success. All I can find is my old mare's hackamore and Merlyn's pelham and the vulcanite mullen mouth snaffle I use to exercise him in, and a mouthing bit! As she's been ridden back and forth bareback to her old field in just a halter, the hackamore will probably be the best option for now! Looking at Doris's head and mouth's conformation, she's a lot finer that Merlyn. In fact her head looks more like she's a pony X TB than a cob - at least, it does from the off-side, which is her more photogenic one! I said before that she's no oil painting... Her near-side profile's marred by her off-centre blaze and how her left eye shows quite a bit of white in the corner around the iris. Her present owner doesn't know anything about her history prior to him buying her as a brood mare a few years ago. She's thrown some very nice foals, though, but her present one seems to have also inherited his dam's off-centre blaze. He's quite a big lad, too. His sire is a very nice, dark palomino Sec. D stallion that, to me, seems very tall for a D, and can't be far off 15.3hh - 16hh! Anyway, I'll let you know tomorrow evening how things go in the morning, and post pics when I get some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 Can't wait for pics!!! Ps Blue says there is nothing wrong with an off centre blaze!!! We are still having fun and games at the farm, when I got there last night he had spent the afternoon bucking and rearing in his stable!! I think it was because there was turnout yesterday and he was doing his nut as he was kept in. I decided to pop him in the 'lurgy' field for an hour whilst I did my jobs, but asked my friends when they left to make sure he wasn't being stupid!! Anyhow about a minute after they left, their car came back down the drive and they told me to get in as he was tanking round like a loon!! When I brought him in he was absolutely soaking and really foamy where he had sweated up!!! Had to sponge him down and wait ages for him to cool off. One of the girls is going to put him out with her horse today for me (am at a flyball show today!!), so at least he won't tank around like a loon if he is out with another horse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatch88 Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 Looking forward to seeing Doris Went to hack Sol yesterday and it was...er...interesting. We went out with his field mate, Obi, and his mum. For the first 10 minutes of the hack, Sol was perfect. Obi started faffing about so I put Sol infront and he walked confidently down the road with cars whizzing past, no problems. The trouble started when we got to some roadworks signs in the road. Sol had a good look at them but walked past, but Obi started throwing an absoloute fit at them. It didnt take long for Sol to join in, and soon the two of us were battling with the both of them to walk on - as soon as one walked on the other would follow but if they stopped we'd had it. Eventually got past the roadworks, then they spotted a big builders bag full of sand. They both started up messing about again and they got so impossible I had to get off and walk them past. I got back on, and we'd just got them calmed and settled again (walking side by side down the bridlepath) and a labrador shot out of one of the bushes next to us and scared them (and us) both to death. By this point poor Sol had got himself into such a pickle he was sweating and trembling and I just couldnt do anything with him, so I got off again and we walked slowly back. I think it was the combination of the two of them mucking about together and winding each other up - I think if there had been another calm horse there they wouldve followed. Poor Sol was in such a state bless him. The lady I was riding with has been on hacks with him several times before and he's never been a problem. I explained to his owner what had happened and she said it sounded like he'd just got himself too worked up. He's not in any kind of regular work and is hardly ever hacked so I think the whole experience was a bit too much. I had a long chat with her on the phone today and I said that after id seen him be so quiet and mannerly the previous day, I knew that the hack wasnt an accurate representation of what hes really like - it was just a bad sequence of events that led to it getting like that. I said that hacking is important to me, I like to go once or twice a week. So she's agreed to try and get him worked a bit more this week and get some people to take him out hacking, and then im going back on Sunday. Im going to go out again on Sol with her and one of her other horses to see how he is then. RE the leg standing thing - I was there with him for 3 hours yesterday and he didnt do the weird standing thing at all. I approached the subject with the owner and about 3 girls on the yard who all know him and they said he's never been lame in the time he's been there (5 years) and that they think he just stands like that when hes relaxed and stretching. If his hacking is good on Sunday, I'll ask to get him vetted (to double check his legs and feet etc) and will discuss the possibility of a trial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlTRPD Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 It sounds as if both Blue and SOl have been enjoying themselves, today. Guess who picked up the old camera... broken, no batteries or card in... this morning? That's what comes of rushing around at my age. Anyway, Doris arrived with her owner riding her down to my yard bareback. She was clearly a bit stressed, having left her foal behind, and did a bit of box walking and a lot of calling. Decided to leave her with water and a haynet while I went to get more bedding and a few other bits and pieces, and also pop into a local horse fair to try and get a little Liverpool bit for Bron. That proved a waste of time, as hardly any stalls there, and only a few coloured cobs and young little ponies, plus a few chickens, ducks and rabbits. Got home to find Doris had emptied her haynet and looked much more settled and quiet. She'd made quite a mess in the box, so sorted that out and spent a little while grooming her, which she seemed to enjoy, and even had a brief moment of grooming me back. She's a friendly old girl. Let me rub her ears, handle her legs and pick up her feet with no trouble at all. She has a few lumps and bumps but nothing serious that I can find. She is like two different horses put together, though. From her shoulders back and down, she's a cob, but her neck and head are much finer. She's got quite a length of rein, too. Apart from handling her and grooming her today - oh, and feeding her, which she seems especially keen on - I didn't mess around with her. Sorting tack to fit her can wait until tomorrow, and I may just turn her out on her own in the field for an hour, rather than ride her. I can watch then how she moves, and tell a fair bit from that as to whether she'll suit me. Watched her walk into the yard this morning and, even though clearly a bit worked up having just been parted from her colt, she looked to have quite a good, long stride. Merlyn, I suspect, is sulking or jealous of the attention I gave Doris today, and was pulling very nasty, threatening faces at her over the stable wall between the boxes. She gave as good as him back. Don't think they'll be safe to turn out together for a good while, if ever! Chucked Merlyn out with Bron, and was surprised that he didn't kick hell out of the gate on seeing me this afternoon, and in his usual impatience for his feed and to come in. He still made a bee-line for his stable as soon as I opened the gate, though. I am now going to make sure I put the right camera in my jacket pocket tonight, ready for the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare Posted September 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 Hope Blue has managed to get out with friends and chilled a bit Fingers crossed for a calmer hack on Sol next time Still no Doris pics Hope she is settling well and enjoying the TLC she is no doubt getting and deserves now her mothering duties are done Hows Wanda doing PW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 Blue managed to get out yesterday and today with his enormous friend!! Put them both out this morning, and I am so glad Blue is only 14hh!! Saracen is about 16.2, and he's only 6, but he is so big!!! Just changing rugs is so much higher up!! He's such a dope, but because I don't know him as well as Blue, I didn't trust him not to squash me!!! Had to dig out his medium weight rug this morning, as the temperature has really dropped!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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