Rain Scald and skin Fungal Bacteria

With all the rain, Solli and Splash got fungal on the head.  Poor Bill all over!  Paid through the nose for a meicated shampoo and washed Splash and Bill as they were together.  Took over an hour to do Bill as had  to take it gently.

  Then away working all week - camping out, and when came back, Bill looked shocking!  Got him worming pellets, and have started hard feed once a day. (mixture of boiled barley,chaff, pollard and Coolfuel) give a bit to the chooks with their food re newborn chicks! )
  I washed Splash and Bill last week, Solli on his own.  Funny, Solli got better all by himself - makes you think!
  I rubbed vege oil on Bill re scald after this phot, and most off and new hair growin in as of 3 days later.
  And worming plus feed, he is already starting to look better.

I'ts raining again!

Forecast for the next week of rain, rain,rain!  Held off enough today for 2 loads of washing to dry on the line and to mow the lawn.  had to move friend's horse and Splash in with Solli.  Solli has his nose out of joint because he is no longer boss man - friend's mare is!!

  Going to be a bit of waste of time to fix fences yet incase we have another flood.

Not much sleep

No landline phs working or even mobile network - just my pute on broardband - so am leaving on, and checking river every half hr in case rises bad again.  It rose to it's height twice last night, in under 15 minutes the 2nd time!

Flooding!

For the first time in 15mths, stayed away overnight (Had a work xmas party) and came home to find my dog loose, and Splash gone, fences washed away!
  Dog appeared as soon as I called him, Splash had been moved with friend's horse to higher ground, and my chook pen gate opened as high flooding and evacuation!

As you can see - no dividing fences anymore!

Now I have to pull out, and re build!

People ask why I live in a small town - well here is the proof - people here saved my animals while I was away!

This photo shows how high the river was (the debrie) on the far bank that is higher than the bank on my side! It is still raining, and the river has risen up again - so not much sleep tonight!

Finally a Break in the Weather!!

Finally got to take Jack for a ride on Splash!  He enjoyed himself, and did a few trots, and Splash was as good as gold!  Had just put the rug back on and it showered again!  Hoping to give Splash a good ride tomorrow morning as supposed to be fine until lunch time.

WET.WET.WET!

Have had very heavy rain, and the rivers and creeks come down - constant rain so no work with the horses.  Had to move Splash re worry of flood.  As you can see, the river is flowing well - this is Jack on the fence post of Splash's paddock at the back of my place - and the river had receded since I moved Splash.
  It is still  raining all night now, and I have had the river come up to my back yard before!

Borrowed saddle for Jack

Jack has to ride at Pony Club in a GP, but he feels more secure in my stock saddle, but I don't have a surcingle, so a friend has lent me his son's for the Christmas Camp over.
  It was dry as, and dirty (didn't think to take photo of it before I cleaned it) a real small kids saddle.

  But with all the rain, that off, maybe not even the day - may be postponed.

The saddle is after cleaning, soaking in neatsfoot oil, polishing and cleaning the brass studs.  The next phot is of the same brass fittings on the surcingle, on the right is the un polished, the left is the polished.  Don't worry, in real life it shines gold - I'm just not that a professional photo expert!

Bill coming up

Bill has come along - standing still to be caught when I have the halter - walks up to me without the halter.  I have chipped away a bit more at his front hoves, not so bad now.  But will not be doing much with Bill until my son starts school next yr.
  I have ordered 2 sets of obsolete jump stands from our Pony Club, as I have always thought Bill would be an Eventer.  Found out from a friend who used to Event, that Bill's grandsire was an International Eventer!
  May have a star in the making here!
I have moved Bill to a 1and a 1/2 acre paddock - so just brush, trim hooves, lead round town until late Jan.

fun taking photo of bill while hand on his head!

Bill 4 days after I got him, and after a grooming.  He looks depressed - just took photo at wrong moment he is relaxed compared to photo 2 days before!

been working - not much with any horses!

I have been working in the shearing sheds.  I moved Bill to a small paddock next to my place to chew down the grass, brushed him. oiled in and out hooves - third day clipped a bit of his front hooves, 4th day clipped more of his near front and filed a little of hoof shown on here.  Looks so much better!
  Cannot clip too hard as over a yrs growth, so softly softly re blood vessels.  Also don't want to fight with Bill yet!  catching him, just walk up to him now!
  Had to lock up Splash and my other horse Solli - too fat!

Jack & Splash

Jack is nearly 5yrs and Splash is 3yrs.  They are my front page.
  I had a TB I had re trained from the track going well, but not enough time  or money to spend with him, so swopped him for a "3yr".  Knew she was only a yearling , weedy skinny thing- she had been broken in, got her anyway because I could train her the way I wanted, and didn't want her to be bought by someone that would ride her young, and she broken down by 6yrs old!
  She like a Paint X Welsh, and my Jack then  3yr old, named her Splash (she looks like she has been splashed with white paint from underneath - but also loves splashing herself on hot days in the water trough!)
  Jack was just old enough to work the paddock gate, and I would find him with Splash either sitting while she grazed, or him walking around the paddock and Splash following him like a dog!
  I did ground work with her for another 18mths, put Jack on for a ride (she now about 13hh plus) and as I am only light, she is big enough for me to train and work slightly (don't want her too fit for a Led Rider), but IF Jack keeps riding, they will have a lot of years together!
  Was going to post a phot of J & S but google won;t let me!

Jack & Splash's 1st pony Club Rally

  Silly me forgot bring a Camera to take a photo - but when you are lugging a saddle, bridle, grooming kit and walking half a km -  you don't think about a camera!  (I have never got a Driver's licience, and live close to the Pony Club grounds).   I lunged Splash when she got excited seeing the other horses turn up.  (we are a country PC so most come from propeties)  Then tied her up near the horses and she was fine.
  Got a bit excited when starting, walking very fast, and did a bit of a jump when others started trotting ( as Splash is only 3yrs, and Jack led rider, and 1st time for both surrounded by horses - only at a walk). But Jack stayed the jump well!
  Before the kids started cantering - got Jack off to stay by Instructor (a friend of mine) while I led Splash around.
  And didn't she go off!!   Rearing and bucking and carrying on!  But I played the lead, let her get over it, and stayed calm and calmed her.
  She settled, and 20 mins later was as good as gold for Jack - even their first Flag Practice!  And they did a bit of trotting too!
  Instructor and I think Splash did well her first time out - and so did Jack!

Europe/British Old School training

You cannot deny that the Europe and Britain countries do well in the Olympics, the colder country's Gerrmany,Austria especially do brilliantly in Dressage, the warmer countries like Spanish and France in Show Jumping, the Brits in Eventing.
  It seems that these countries adapted their horses to their ability and the weather.  UK has both.  So does New Zealand -( - Mark Todd on  ,Charisma  12yrs & 16yrs Double Olympics), yet the Kiwis were all vetted out at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
  Why?  Perhaps they got too lazy re preparing for the heat (It was hot in Los Angeleas and r Charisma) as they thought it is such a short trip over?
  I don't know.
  But what is obvious is that they did not prepare there horses properly for the event.
  However, it seemed the above did their respected events very well.

 that's all good - the horses got to the ultimate goal - but how many of those horses do you think are happy?  Some of the owner/riders perhaps give them a spell in a paddock/massage/chrio but us normal people can't afford that.

  So if you compete full time with your horse, and you just can't get that extra bit out of him/her, whether In-Hand Showing to Eventing - take time out to take your co-worker for a pick on green grass for half an hr at least 3 times a week.
  Or just go for a 30 min hack.
 That way you are giving back instead of taking!
 Mark Todd did it with Charisma.
 

And you may be amazed how working as a team makes all the difference!

Day 2 with Bill

I had to work, and freezing cold, but after work went to Bill and walk of about 1 minute before haltering him.
  just wrapped rope around post and he was very good while I gave him a good groom! Quite sooky really.
  Then turned him into Roundyard for a feed.  Later took my near 5yr son to meet him.  No worries catching him, but when saw my son went into  "what the hell?" squat!  But kept coming back to sniff my son, and son got to stroke him on the muzzle & shoulder.
  Later put him back in small yard with trough & hay.

Bill next day

The day Bill arrived I let him settle 4 30 mins, and after quietly walking with him, could run my hands over him and pick up all his feet.  The owners had done a lot re getting him not so nervy.  Here is a phot of one of his hooves.

Bill's History

He is a high strung fellow - made worse by rough broken - and rough treated.  Now I have to make him safe to ride.  I have ridden him before re having to ride him from one property to another.

This blog is mostly about me rehabilitating a horse with poteintial.  But also anyone who has stories or ideas to help others.

  I myself was doing the Pat Parelli thing yrs before he was thought of, and the so called Horse QWhisper - I think Horse Listener!!

 I did the yard work taking Billy from one Property to another - but without follow up - it is no good!
  After months, now have Billy finally. 
 But I am going to "re break" him old fashioned way, right from the start - but still treat him like a mate/me alpha!

 This is why I have started this blog.  To show my lows more than highs with Bill, and others to share their experiences as well!

  No one is Right - No one is Wrong - just share experiences, but 2 rules :  1:  NO ONE to post a cruelty post!

 NO ONE is to abuse another post because of what they do with a HORSE (UNLESS REFERS TO RULE 1)

All  REALHorespersons alway want to learn  MORE!

There are many different ways of training a horse - BUT for me - FEAR or FORCE is NVER a Factor for me.

A page where we can give experiences about horses