Last night I went down the yard to lunge Jazz. I and Maria, Mandy’s daughter went over to the field to get Jazz whilst Mandy got her tack from the car and had a bit of a tidy up. I and Maria were discussing how Jazz would react to the ‘legs’ that we had made from long riding boots filled with hay, then with a pair of trousers over the top again filled with hay. These act as a person as they have some weight and they bounce around on the horses back, and they tend to lose the stirrups. Once I had caught Jazz we led her over the field, she was fine past the tractors and the cows, the only things that bothered her were Gwen and Fizzle in the field. Once I had got her tied up on a short length of rope I walked off and left her to encourage her to stand quietly. After Jazz had stood alone for about 5 minutes I went back over to her and fussed over her and gave her a groom which she stood quietly for. I had to try a bit harder to get her to move over but eventually she did. After I had groomed her, I went to get her saddle. I showed it to her before I put it on just to let her know what I was about to do. Once the saddle was in place I let down the girth. Unusually Jazz stood good as gold when I tightened the girth unlike Friday night when she figited. After the saddle was on I left her for a couple of minutes to move about to get used to the feel of the saddle again. I then put the bridle on. Jazz was again good and accepted the bit straight away. I then put on her lunge cavesson. Mandy led her into the school and worked with her foal about 10 minutes on both reins, doing walk to trot, trot to walk, walk to stand and stand to walk transitions. Then I took over. Jazz bucked a few times then she realised that I was fazed by her bucking so she behaved and we again did transitions on both reins. She was amazing!

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Last night I lunged Jazz. I and Mandy walked over to the field. Once we arrived there I went into the field and put on Jazz's head collar. We began walking towards the yard. Jazz is afraid of tractors so at the first one we met parked in the field I reassured Jazz that it was ok and she sniffed it and carried on walking. I was overjoyed, she didn’t spook! The next obstacle that we faced was the small herd of cows that Ted keeps, Jazz looked at them and I led her around them and she ignored them. She was more interested in Gwen! I continued to lead Jazz towards the stables. We came to the last tractor that was just next to the gate. Jazz looked at it and jumped a bit, I let the rope go as long as it would and led her up to the tractor and its attachments for her to have a look and sniff at. Once she realized that nothing could hurt her she was fine. I continued down to the yard and tied up Jazz on a long rope. We groomed her, whilst she looked at the cows. She was being disrespectful and barging us out of the way, so we shouted at her and she stood still. Next, I put on her saddle; she fidgeted when I tried to do up the girth so I waited for her to settle before I did it up. Once the saddle was on, I got the bridle. Jazz started playing up and turning out of the way every time I tried to get the bridle on. Eventually I got it on. I then got on my hat and led Jazz to the school. We walked around the perimeter of the school on each rein just to settle her. Then we began to start work. Jazz refused to lead round properly so Mandy had to hold her and walk next to her. Jazz began to play up and started bucking so Mandy started lunging Jazz. I went and got the lunge whip. Mandy worked Jazz hard and she began to listen at the end. Ted also came to watch and he said Jazz needs to go back to basics so that’s now the plan. We are gonna start from the beginning.

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On Thursday night I went down the yard and found out that the little foal had to be put down. Ted had called the vet out and he advised that Ted come out every hour and feed the foal. Ted did this but towards the end, the poor thing couldn’t even stand. So at 5 o clock on Thursday morning the vet was called again and the foal was put out of her misery. It has caused great shock to Gwen and to Ted so we aren’t talking about it down at the yard.

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The Yard

I went to the yard as usual last night to see Jazz my 14.2 welsh sec D cob and found out that Gwen the yard owner’s horse had had her foal. I was really excited and rushed into see Gwen and her baby. It was a little filly that looked exactly like Gwen. I son found out though, that Steve, the yard owner, and Sonia, a friend that also keeps horses down at the yard, were doubtful as to weather the filly would live. She was having trouble suckling and standing alone so Steve had to keep going in the stable and giving Gwen a hand, although she was trying her best to nudge the filly towards her teats. We left the new foal and her mum alone to bond some more. Myself and Sonia went to our stables and I found Jazz's wound powder and I took two slices of bread from the bag whilst Sonia made up her horses, Tia and Prides feeds. After the feeds had been made and water had been added we started walking towards the field gate. We let ourselves through and walked through the cow field, talking all the way. Once we reached the horse’s field I opened the gate and let Tia out and took her to her bucket of feed whilst Sonia grabbed Pride and took him to his bucket. Once the horses had begun eating we walked back over to Jazz and I asked for Sonia’s opinion on Jazz's sarcoid. She agreed that Jazz had probably caught it on something causing it to bleed. Between us, we managed to cover it in wound powder. After this, I got my Mane and Tail conditioner and cautiously sprayed Jazz's forelock.I was very surprised to find that she stood quiet as a lamb while I continued to spray her because before she was scared of the noise made by the bottle. I let myself out of the field and saw Pride cantering over to Tia's feed. Sonia smacked his bum with the lead rope and he bucker at her so she smacked him again. He galloped off and once he calmed down I caught him. Sonia came over and took him from me and proceeded to lead him around the field to calm him down. Once Tia had finished eating, we put both Pride and her back in the field. We said bye to the horses and walked back down to the yard. We got back down there and again went to look at the foal. It still looked ill because its legs and hips are too big for its body, and its having trouble pooing. For now though, it’s alive.

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The Car

22/7/06
Just another day with something going wrong with the car took it to the garage it has been missing when you start, they told me the HEAD gasket gone!! More money.

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