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Now I'm tired....
I had a text message from the saddler this morning: she had a cancellation at lunch time, would I like the slot. I said yes, and she came over. In fact, she didn't have to do very much: adding a temporary pad (which we'll take away again when he's muscled up a bit) meant that Benny can wear Bugsy's saddle with no adjustments (which, given he's not been ridden and so has lost muscle, is probably more than Bugsy can do these days!).
Things I did before the saddler got here:
- clean lots of dust, cobwebs and swallow poo off the saddle
- find a clean pad to put under the saddle
- take the nice stirrups off GB's saddle
- clear the brambles out of the riding school
Things I did not do before the saddler got here:
- cut back the two bushes by the side of the school whose branches have grown into it over the summer.....
Still, I have now ridden Benny at home, albeit fairly briefly, and it went well: compared to when I was trying him out before we bought him, I got a steadier trot and a nicer canter transition, so we're already making progress, although the steering left a fair bit to be desired (not helped by the bushes!).
I am very glad that the saddler was able to fit us in before Friday, but I could wish that it hadn't been on a day when Mike was in London, so I had the joy of mucking out and poo picking on my own, for three horses, in the pouring rain. With an incredibly clingy pooch being under foot the whole time. Ah well, it's done now. Well, the saddler. The mucking out and poo picking will, I fear, be back again.
Things I did before the saddler got here:
- clean lots of dust, cobwebs and swallow poo off the saddle
- find a clean pad to put under the saddle
- take the nice stirrups off GB's saddle
- clear the brambles out of the riding school
Things I did not do before the saddler got here:
- cut back the two bushes by the side of the school whose branches have grown into it over the summer.....
Still, I have now ridden Benny at home, albeit fairly briefly, and it went well: compared to when I was trying him out before we bought him, I got a steadier trot and a nicer canter transition, so we're already making progress, although the steering left a fair bit to be desired (not helped by the bushes!).
I am very glad that the saddler was able to fit us in before Friday, but I could wish that it hadn't been on a day when Mike was in London, so I had the joy of mucking out and poo picking on my own, for three horses, in the pouring rain. With an incredibly clingy pooch being under foot the whole time. Ah well, it's done now. Well, the saddler. The mucking out and poo picking will, I fear, be back again.
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Are you planning on keeping 3 horses?
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Mike's in touch with a former owner of Bugsy (not the person we bought him from), and she's expressed an interest in having him back. Given that I couldn't stand my conscience if I sold him (even being open about what he's like) and he hurt someone, and/or then got sold on to a dealer who would (possibly in all honesty, as the problems are so intermittent) then sell him as a nice safe horse, we think it's better if he goes to someone who knows him. She's coming to see him some time in the next couple of weeks, and hopefully will take him. If not, we'll have him put down.
(In the longer term, we are still looking for another horse so that we can both ride at the same time, but given that this one took a year it might be a while! Either we'll look for something that Mike can ride straight away or I'll bring Benny on enough for Mike to be happy with him and look for another horse for me.)
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