Poor Paisley.

There was a trip to the vet, some general anaesthetic, a scalpel wielded, and a sore little boxer girl. Paisley has had her womanly bits removed. YAY!!

She was so excited to go to the vets this morning. Her tune has changed. She got home, promptly threw up on the kitchen floor and has just fallen into bed asleep. A big day for a little girl.

Poor Paisley.

a list of simples.....

The almost springing sun streaming through the leadlight of a door that once lived in a Californian bungalow but now furnishes the entrance to our strawbale house.

Three hairy fat ponies staring longingly over a fence at pasture that is screaming to be grazed, but full of springly sugars that are equine forboden.

Two sleeping boxers catching a quick nanna nap before venturing outside for the last play of the day.

Naughty chickens laying their eggs anywhere but in their laying boxes.

Fruit trees that are shaking off the last of their winter sleep before bursting into blossom.

......spring is almost here.....

Saddling Up on a Gorgeous Winter Day

Today was such a lovely day that I simply could not resist saddling up the pony and tootling around the paddocks.

Which of course, gave me the perfect opportunity to photograph Cash in all of his stepping out on the town gear. Cash is my primary riding horse. He is a 16hh hairy yeti of a Standardbred. Come late spring he will be less yeti-like.

First of all I had to go find him. He had been lying down have a siesta in the sun. Despite so much horse/ground contact he wasn´t too muddy.

The biggest issue I always have with haltering up Cash is the appaloosa that is always attached to the lead rein.

I was kind of hoping for a good over the shoulder shot. I usually have two horses following Cash and myself through the paddocks.

Firstly Cash´s ¨sneakers¨. Yes, my horse wears hoof boots with pads inside to cushion his soles and hoof frogs. Earlier this year he was diagnosed with Navicular Syndrome which was downgraded to laminitis. He may have navicular changes, but seeing as he moves freely and happily when wearing boots and pads, we will just continue to do just that. As my vet chiro said she can xray Cash´s hooves from various angles and give me a definitive diagnosis of navicular, but the management will still remain the same. So she recommended NOT xraying and just continue with boots and pads anyway and save myself alot of money along the way. Sensible woman.

I forgot to take a closeup pic of Cash´s bitless bridle. It is a Nurtural Bitless Bridle from Canada. I am still on the fence with this bitless bridle, but as my instructor says, if it works, it works. So I am still using it. Besides it matches Cash´s saddle perfectly.

This is Cash´s new saddle in all of its comfortable glory. It is a WoW saddle and although the name is a little corny, it is true. You sit in the saddle and the first word out of your mouth is ¨Wow!¨, actually I my first words were ¨OMG!¨ Deliberately, of course. I am not a trend sheep.

And check out those stirrups! My absolute favourites, they sit at a 90 degree angle to the horse so are always able to picked up by the feet easily. When you have crappy knees like mine, these stirrups are a kneesaver.

I didn´t even THINK to take some pics from the saddle and my photographer was at work. I am a pretty useless blogger!!!!

All in all it was a lovely day for tootling.