KJB Pony Adventures

So that was January! Where did it go? The days have all rolled into one and not in a groundhog day sort of way but just with the speed at which they came and went. I worked so much this month which I loved. I spent everyday with Boston and despite his tummy issues and saddle problems I loved. I saw J canter on Boston for the first time. I saw J jump straight pole (or upright pole) where the jump pole goes straight across from one jump wing to the other. He did this in trot but was ecstatic with Boston's performance. Now that it was riding is all about. However it's not all been fun. J has had several struggles and next month we are having some interventional help from childrens psychologists in schools to help him with his learning difficulties. I am so fortunate that everyone understands his needs and supports him at the yard, school and within the family. He is trying so hard and making such great progress yet little things he finds so terribly difficul

Boston is so lucky he doesn't have to wear shoes. I remember running around as a child without shoes and my mum yelling at me as I ran up the street barefoot, dodging stones and twigs. They were the best days ever. I had so many adventures where my barefeet carried me to far off lands and floated me through streams of imagination. Thankfully I didn't need to trim my feet to help keep my feet healthy and balanced. Boston however needs regular trims so this week I called a different farrier whom I knew from the stables I used to work at. He praised B on how well he was standing, especially as a 6 year old - and I warned him he can be fussy with his feet. I asked how his feet looked and that I was concerned about thrush and crumbling sole due to the wet mud etc. Like any proud mumma I was chuffed to hear that B has super strong feet and that he shouldn't ever need to be shod. Before - hooves slightly splayed After All my mucky hard work has clearly p

Finally a week we have been waiting for. The vet told us the great news that there were no abnormalities in Bostons blood test results. Yipee! However his symptoms have still been raising their ugly head. Sigh! My very knowledgeable friend (aka the guru) at the yard suggested that B could be eating the kernels in his straw bedding which would be difficult to digest and therefore causing him to purge - hence the watery and consistent diarrhoea. We decided to test this theory (luckily before the vet called) and low and behold B shoved his schnoz into that straw and was totally high and loving life as he munched his way through it. I asked the vet if this could be a cause for the reaction and he agreed it may be likely but not necessarily linked. I asked about changing his bedding to shavings - which I have ever wanted to do for several reasons. 1 - the expense, 2 - I've not had much experience mucking out shavings and the ones I have been like sawdust which I disliked,

I'm fuming, I'm frustrated. I'm literally so f****ed off that nothing seems to be going well right now with B that I am eating my body weight in chorizo and drinking copious amounts of red wine - well what's left over from Christmas. Feel free to send in extra supplies! As you may have read in previous posts that B has had issues with his saddle. I have been well and truly stiffed I tell you. Firstly he come with the wrong saddle when I purchased him - as in completely different to the saddle I tried him in with different girth and totally different oversized stirrups. Which I told the vendor and nothing was done about it. Since I openly suffer from anxiety I am not one to confront others unless it's a desperate time. I shy away from conflict unless It's something I truly believe in. My CBT therapist has suggested I try to be more assertive and that it is ok to say "No" and "this is not ok with me". Well I wish I knew that bef

Happy 2 month horseiversary Boston. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. You're cute, funny, quirky and bolshy and we love you for it. You have come on a long way and we have too. We are more resilient, more determined and becoming more assertive every day. We have made new friends and deepened relationships with old friends. We have spent a fortune and are excited to save for the future. Can horses eat cake? KJB xxx A few of my favourite recent photos of Boston Blue:

Being a single parent can be difficult at times. Especially when being a single parent to a child with additional needs. It can be tiring  frustrating, hilarious, comforting, loving, emotional and that's all before 10am! I've been single now for 8 years and only had one serious relationship in the time which lasted for 2 years. I know my very own cowboy is out there somewhere - if you know him please pass on my details ;-) J is still in contact with his father and on the occasisions he goes to stay with him I get to spend some quality time alone recharging my batteries. This weekend I did just that. I spent most of my time at the stables tidying  the shed, helping a friend move into her new shed next door to mine, and most importantly spending time with B. Boston seemed excited to see me and even put his ears forward when I asked his permission to ride him. I know, daft right? It's my personal believe that we as humans are privileged to be able to ride t

Let's get this straight; The bitching stops now!!! Bitching abut one another or others children is Bullying. Plain and simple. I am devastated to learn that the equestrian world is no different and has bully's within it. Nothing specific has really happened to myself and J apart from the odd comment so this is a generalised observation post. The nasty comments and actions directed at us have been about B not going to make anything special. Or that we don't know what we are doing with B. Also that B has a sore back which is why he has played up! I mentioned in a previous post about there not being many boys at yards which has also been questioned. Well I know Im a teacher but it's not really rocket science to see. J is one of a few boys under the the age of 16 at our current yard. I've also commented on the lack of boys attire for everyday wear in that I have to purchase girls riding jodhpurs and t-shirts for him as I've noticed a lack of boys clot

Today was a strange day! Today I got asked for ID to prove I was over 25years and today we moved stable sheds. It is as simple and strange as it sounds. So much so that I thought I would take some photos and make a video of it, enjoy: Several hours after making that video, and thinking that the Sainsbury's checkout lady should have gone to Specsavers , I managed to accomplish this: Using my new electric (battery charge) drill f rom Aldi  to dismantle my shelves and hooks. Building my new free standing shelves. View from the doorway. There are two doors the left however is a little stiff. J would have been devastated if I didn't hang his pictures somewhere in the new shed. This is not ideal but I think it adds a persona touch. Using large S hooks purchased from amazon (seller id: Hoakey ) The metal is too thin to drill through. Again using the large S hooks I have displayed our saddle pads from Aldi A wonderful frien

Today was a ground-breaking day on so many levels. My beautiful and brave little pony who has been stubborn and sometimes mean allowed me, no he trusted me, to pick all 4 feet and let me pick out his feet. Huzzah!!! We have lift off. I cannot believe that after all this time B has only just let me do this without a fuss. He didn't try to bite my bottom (like usual), he didn't try to kick me (like usual), he didn't weave (like usual). He stood still. He munched his hay as he stood still. I reassured him. I rewarded him. I was overwhelmed I nearly cried. I nearly cried when I noticed warmth in B's hoof. I also noticed that B had a little white flaking around his frog  on the same foot- a sign of many things. A sign that we haven't cleaned his feet well enough and often enough (which we will from now on). A sign that the frog of his foot is too moist from the mud in the field and the dark damp conditions which could be an indication of thrush.

I have decided that B has most definitely got Bipolar. Now having anxiety which I know is a mental health illness I do not use the term lightly - disclaimer; I do not intend to offend anyone this is a light hearted post! Not only is B a moody madam but he is also a scaredy cat. Yesterday B decided to tank off from the sand paddock where I turn him out while I muck him out. I had hold of the lead rope but I was mortified since an instructor I knew was teaching in the rubber arena. B doesn't usually tank anywhere being overweight and lazy! Well I wasn't having any of mardy moodiness. I told him there and then to stop and that I was walking first. I checked him by giving a quick sharp, but not painful, tug of the leadrope. Give him his due he stopped and listened and then followed as I walked first. Anyway while hand-grazing him (see this blog post)  as I often do these days I was telling our next door stable mate what a scaredy cat B was in that he can literally

As J was rather unwell after school yesterday he has had the day off today. So while we snuggle on the sofa we imagine exotic places and watch our favourite tv shows. Around 18 months ago I found a new programme on Netflix which thanks to my fathers membership I have been able to watch all 11 seasons. Heartland follows the lives and adventures of the Bartlett family set in the beautiful setting of Alberta Canada. With local diners, western rodeo's and focussed on the main characters natural horsemanship and an equestrian retreat. Helping save the lives of horses and humans alike it is a family feel good programme for all. It's nothing new and some might find it a little tame but I have found it to be like my faithful friends whom I can always rely on to make me smile when I see them. Set in the beautiful surroundings of the Canadian backdrop of Alberta I have ignited the travel bug within me. Image courtesy of: Water Canada Imagine waking up and seeing that be

The last few days have been challenging to say the least. We have had what I call an 'ADHD Weekend'. J has been particularly hyperactive this weekend which comes across as distracted, unfocussed, bolshy, rude, and down right horrible to be around. Additional needs sometimes suck! J said he couldn't concentrate as his head was full. J was terrible towards B. Flapping, aggressive in tone and body language. I was disgusted. Sunday was breaking point. I almost cried to a dear friend while others looked on from the fence. J wasn't listening. He was, in my opinion, being unfair to B. B was unresponsive. B was backing up, refusing to go in one way or the other. I told J to get off and he couldn't ride. A trusted voice at the yard told me the saddle was still unfit for purpose which I knew deep down. I felt embarrassed. I felt lost. I considered quitting for the first time. This evening however I jumped for joy as did J. He rode B barebac

In a bid to aid B's digestion problems we have been hand grazing him on his stable days. By hand grazing I mean we literally put a head collar and lead rope on him and walk to some grass then stand with him as he munches which he can munch as much as he can in 20-30 mins. J finds this challenging for several reasons. Namely B's strength. He has almost pulled me over a few times so I can't blame him on that front. J struggles to focus at the best of times and easily becomes distracted, especially if there are other children at the yard. I find Hand grazing peaceful and a quiet time whereas J wants to laugh and call out to others and chats constantly to B and at a volume which could cause an avalanche. It's no wonder B has him grumpy ears on - he's simply blocking out the noise. This isn't something which only occurs at the yard J struggles with this at school. Only this week were the parents of his class invited in for a parents morning. I en

I rolled over bleary eyes to slam the alarm off at 6.30 this morning. It was the first day back at school, for both J and I. On this day it was B's day off and day in his stable - Limited turnout over winter to preserve the fields prevents him from being turned out every single day. During the spring/summer he will have daily turnout and even stay out over night occasionally. After finishing a fantastic and fun first day back after the holidays I prepared J for the worst. I prepared J that B may be in a foul mood. Can horses change moods I hear you ask? Oh indeed they can. Mares are typically known for their mood swings - a bit like me you may well be thinking. You're not wrong. Similar to us females the Mares often have an fluctuation of hormones when they are in season. Just like us humans Mares can also suffer from hormone imbalances which can affect their mood and behaviours. Geldings (male horses which have been castrated) are generally known for having a m

Today was amazing! J groomed B and rode him semi independently in the arena. He rode with others around him and also had a go at bareback - something he has only done once and never before tried on B. My heart melted looking at the two of them. I had a snap shot of what lay ahead in the year to come. It's a new year and there is lots to do. I have so many ideas and I don't know where to start. Perhaps I could start with something I have noticed. There is a marked lack of boys at all the yards I have been to. While I agree that some of the strongest jumpers, eventers and dressage riders have been male I feel there is a lack of encouragement for young boys. When I tell people that J likes horse riding I am often told that "Horses are just for girls". While I wont harp on about equal rights it saddens me that as we enter 2019 there is still this gender stereotype regarding riding at a young age. I have also noticed that there are a lot o