When dreams don't come true

I rode Wolfie today.  He's only been ridden once over the last week, due to the weather and me being very unmotivated.  It was a nice day and I had planned to go along the road onto the line.  However, within minutes of getting on I realised he was way to fresh and changed my mind and headed up the hill.  He was looking at everything and leaping sideways, but he didn't back up or try and spin.  We passed a bonfire which was crackling and the wind kept changing and blowing the smoke in different directions.  He stopped a couple of times, but then walked forward when asked.  Very brave.  We went further up the hill than we've been recently.  We haven't been up there since last year and we used to canter quite a lot.  He took off with me a couple of times and when I pulled him up, he stuck his head between his knees and bucked.  I know the only answer to this is to ride him every day.  He was happy to be out.

 

Lidl had some horse stuff in last week.  I got a summer sheet, a fly rug, a set of travelling boots and a set of stable bandages for about twenty quid.  I don't know how long they will last, but seeing as Wolfie wrecks the good quality stuff he gets, it doesn't really matter.  I'm really pleased with them, particularly the travelling boots, I ended up going back and getting another set and another summer sheet.  Wolfie has never worn travelling boots before.  He was walking in them like he was on the moon.

Wolfie modelling his travelling boots

One of his summer sheets

Pretty boy

Just randomly, a picture of Wolfie's hind quarters.  He has one little patch that has stayed brown (the colour all his markings were when he was a foal).



Buttons is back on full day turn out.  We've had persistent heavy rain for the last couple of weeks which has evidently washed or leached all the sugars from the grass.  He is keen to get out but also keen to get back in and eat his soaked hay.  Wolfie is eating more at the moment than he has all winter.

I went to catch Buttons in today and he was sun bathing.

 

It's a case now of monitoring Buttons very carefully, especially with the spring grass coming through.  I'm basically taking each day as it comes with him with regards to his turn out and keeping a very close eye on him.  I'm still contemplating the grazing muzzle.  I've read that speedi beet helps to regulate the acid balance in the hind gut and can be fed to laminitics before turn out to fill them up a bit before going on the grass.  The horses are craving greenery.  I'm thinking of getting them some herbs online to add to their feed, including rosehips etc.  I'm still trawling through the ingredients on the backs of feed backs, it's amazing how much 'hidden' sugars there are.  Buttons isn't getting fed anything that hasn't been approved by the laminitis trust.