How do

Well hello!

Aplogies for being a lazy blogger of recent. My camera is out of action and I've been a busy old bee.

I hope you're all managing in the snow. Cady and Rodney seem to be faring well but I do make sure I keep up with some standard checks when the weather is like this (and when it isn't).

1. They get extra rations and I pour a hot flask over their feed so it's warm and to help keep them hydrated. I also add a little sunflower oil for calories without bulk.

2. I check and change their rugs often. Cady gets colder than Rodney so I put a fleece under her outdoor rugs. It's also important to check they're not losing weight by seeing them often without their rugs. Plus, a brush and a chance to have an itch always cheers them.

3. TROUGH CHECKS! This one is really important as outdoor troughs can freeze quickly. This is always something you should check for yourself - don't assume it's ok. Dehydrated horses can colic!

Stay safe and well horsey friends x

Seasons greetings!

I hope you're all having a good Christmas, all is well here and I'll be back to full blogging in 2013.

Till then, Happy New Year!

This is a Rodney inspection, empty your pockets

Snowy ponies

Pic by the lovely boyfriend, who's just braved a blizzard to get their feed in. 

A short poem for horse owners

Happy horsey by the hay,

Stands and stuffs her face all day,

When she is full she canters round,

And lames herself on frozen ground.

Floods

It's been pretty hairy in the North East for the past couple of days but thankfully things seem to be settling down today.

I hope everyone and their horses are Ok, some parts of the country have been decimated. 

I think my low point was wading through a lake to reach the field which was just that little bit higher than my wellies. 

Needless to say, as long as the horses are safe, I don't mind a soaking.

Five tips for handling Christmas as a horse owner

1. Take stock of your feed room supplies and make sure you have enough to tide you over until after the New Year. Ditto for hay/haylage and bedding. There's enough to do without worrying about when the feed shop opens again. 

2. Being a horse owner on Christmas day is one of the times when you get your reward. When you're sick of food and relatives you can sneak off to give them a cuddle and take any frustration out on the muck heap. It's also a good opportunity to divide and conquer - if gran usually gets sidelines by noisy children, wrap her up and take her with you to the yard where you can both get some peace and catch up properly.

3. Prioritise. Horses don't care if their browband is diamante, so if money's tight, the best present you can give them is to make sure they have all the essentials, food, water, a careful check over every day, shoes etc. 

4. Make hay while the sun shines. Soon you will be surrounded by people telling you they'd really like to lose weight after too much Christmas indulgence. Get ready to smile, place a pitchfork in their hands and cheerily shove them in the direction of the stables. Their weight loss is your labour gain.

5. Ask for practical gifts. There's always someone who doesn't know what to get you so perhaps you could signpost them towards certain unsexy items that make life bearable. Think waterproof trousers, decent torches and heavy duty gloves. A scented candle won't keep you warm in bleakest January.