News of Dee and Red

Dee and Red had been living together happily at Briwnant Riding Centre. We stopped riding Dee about a year ago as she became increasingly unpredictable. I felt I was getting too old to be on the back of such an unpredictable mare who might suddenly bolt for home, rear, spin on the spot, or any number of odd things. We decided to retire her, and Briwnant were happy to have her there on that basis. We gave them Red, and drew a line under our lives as horse riders.

Sadly this summer, Briwnant lost the use of the land they were leasing. It happened quite suddenly and it was a distressing time for them. They had to quickly find good homes for most of their horses and ponies. Red was sold to a mature rider with a companion pony sharing his field. Due to a mix up of communication, I was not informed before he departed Briwnant, and so I did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to him. I still feel sad about this. I know that he was no longer mine, and that he has gone to a good home – but I would have liked one last hug . . .

The couple who ran Briwnant moved their horses to fields near Caerphilly mountain, and most kindly took Dee with them – as she is ‘part of their family’. We see her occasionally, and this weekend was one of our visits. She came to call as soon as she saw us. At 26 years old, she is still lead mare, but now of a herd of about 12 horses, rather than of over 30. She seemed pleased to see us and looks well. I know that she is as well cared for there, as ever she was at Briwnant.

“Hurry up and get those treats out of the bag!”

High Jinx

Here as promised are a couple of short videos of Red jumping on the cross country part of the Briwnant fun ride, Bank Holiday Monday last.  He needed pushing on a little!

Times a’changing

Red enjoying the race to the hay pastures

I am pleased that my previous post was all about Red, because it has turned out to be my last post as his owner. 

I am about to start a new venture which will take up a lot of time and energy.  Things are still at the formative stage at the moment, but hopefully I will be able to announce it fairly soon on my other blog.  With this in mind I have had to rearrange some of my commitments and this has meant re-thinking my responsibilities with regard to Dee and Red.

The solution we came up with has been to give Red to the Briwnant Riding Centre and to put Dee on retirement livery.  Our primary concern has been the welfare of the horses.  They are both settled and happy at Briwnant and we did not want to move either of them unless it was absolutely unavoidable.  Dee has become increasingly relaxed over the last year and is loved for the way she has taken it upon herself to look after the weaker members of the herd.   Briwnant seems as stable (no pun intended) as any situation can be in these times of recession, and we trust them completely with regard to the horses’ care.  The new arrangement means that the horses will not have to be unsettled at all – in fact they will probably be totally unaware of any difference.

Detail of the above picture with Red in the centre

We did not buy Red as an investment and so preferred to give him to Briwnant rather than sell him and possibly lose all contact with him.  Red will  continue to be used for lessons and enjoy regular hacks.  I will still be able to see him when I want to and even ride him if I have time. 

With regard to Dee, she will now get more attention more regularly from Briwnant staff so that I do not have to worry when I am busy and finding it difficult to get up to see her. 

I do feel a little sadness that Red is no longer ours, but I think this solution is better than selling Red and not knowing about his future.  Hopefully everything will work out for the best for everyone.

Fun ride

While Dee was safely grazing in the hay pastures, Red had fun taking part in Briwnant’s fun ride.

Wonderful Red

I received a lovely message a little while ago:

“Hello, I ride up at Briwnant, and found your blog – well actually I decided to try Briwnant out based on your blog.  Red is such a lovely boy, they started me on him back in August after a 15 year break from riding.  I had a fall in December from Major which has knocked my confidence a lot as well as hurting my body too!  Yesterday I plucked up the courage to phone Briwnant up and booked a short lesson and arrived to find Red tacked up ready for my first ride back from my fall. I just wanted to tell you how wonderful he was yesterday – he was perfect for me, very responsive and looked after me really well and I can't wait to get riding again now.  Thanks for reading!  J W”

It is so good to receive such nice news of Red.  I wish I was able to ride him more often myself, but I am delighted that other people are able to enjoy him.  He seems to be a great favourite at Briwnant.

Dee makes a friend

Dee has made a friend – or perhaps more accurately: she has befriended a little horse.  His name is Goliath and he is two years old.  Dee will let him share her pile of haylage and be right up close to her.  I fed her at the gate the other day and she was quite happy for him to be by her while she fed.

Red, as usual, was not too far away from her but she would not let him any closer.  He only had to come within a few yards and she would whip her head round to stare at him, ears laid flat.  I was able to scrabble down to the fence a little way along from the gate though and called him over for a few treats, so he was not completely left out.  He always looks so forlorn but it is just a big act.

Briwnant fun ride

Yesterday was the August bank holiday fun ride at Briwnant Riding Centre.  We decided not to ride but to go along as helpers again.  Red was tacked up and ready to go when we arrived and we enjoyed making a fuss of him and meeting his rider.

The man riding Red has not been riding for long, but rode him competently and with confidence.  Red—as usual—was over-excited because it was a fun ride, which is why we don't usually join in.  We prefer our quiet rides out together, just the two of us.

We brought Dee in to groom while the ride completed the hacking part of the fun ride and then waited for the horses to return.  We then went out to the fields to act as marshals for the cross country part of the fun ride.  These tyres were the first jumps on the cross country course and most of the horses did not like them.  Red was acting very frisky and skirted them, barely jumping.

'ö-Dzin has a new fancy camera and succeeded in capturing some good action shots. If any readers of this blog were riding on this fun ride, ask Briwnant later in the week whether there is a picture of you among the set we are giving to Briwnant. 'ö-Dzin took a photograph of most of the cross country riders.

Coming to call

We had visitors from the USA staying with us recently and I took them up to Briwnant to visit the horses.  Sergio took this great little video of Red coming to call.

Horse swap

Red: That was a fun hack.

Wow!  Where did June go?  The horses are well and enjoying the warmer weather.  It took Dee a little while to pick up after the winter, but she is fully fit now.  The last time we rode out we decided to swap horses.  Red can be a little stubborn and refuse to canter for 'ö-Dzin, which can be a bit frustrating for us both.  I am a more experienced rider and know more how to deal with Red's stubbornness, so we thought we'd give swapping horses a try.  It worked a treat and we had a few good canters on the Wenallt trail.  Dee happily cantered for 'ö-Dzin following behind Red and we all had a lovely ride.

Red: No more treats?

Red jumping

We have been able to watch Red jumping with Alfie at last, and here is the promised video.  It was a really hot day when this was recorded and I don't think Red was as keen as usual.

July was really crazy for me with a trip to the US, followed by teaching Up North in Whitley Bay, and then last week I was teaching at Surya Eco Yoga Camp in Cornwall.  All events were most successful and enjoyable.  Unfortunately this has meant that riding has been impossible and I have even only seen the horses a few times.  It is wonderful knowing they are so content at Briwnant.

We went to Sunnybank Equestrian Centre one evening when the Briwnant folk took four horses for show jumping.  Red was there with Alfie.  We do not know how much jumping Red has actually done, or whether he has any experience in a show arena.  It is quite a lot for horses to cope with if they have not done it before.  The arena is large and well lit; the jumps are quite fancy with colourful fills; the tannoy is loud; and there are people wandering up and down on two sides of the arena. 

Alfie entered Red into the 2ft 9in class.  There were two other classes: 2ft 3in and 2ft 6in.  Although we know that Red can easily jump 2ft 9in, I think it would have been a good idea to have entered him in the first round as well.  It would have given him some experience of the arena and Red would not have been hanging around such a long time for his class.  He got quite upset when Saffron went into the arena to jump.  He didn't like being separated from her.  Funny he should like a horse called Saffron, when it was another mare with this name that used to be a nightmare to ride at Pontcanna and yet they would give me her week after week.

Hopefully they will be taking Red over to Sunnybank again soon and we'll go and watch again.  He should do better the second time.  Alfie did manage to get him around the course but he was eliminated with 12 faults.  He did not refuse anything though – just ploughed through a couple of them!

Red - the wonder horse

It's been a long time since I posted – and quite an eventful time.  Dee suddenly started to lose condition at the end of the winter.  This clashed coincidentally with our vehicle being off the road for five weeks.  I therefore made an arrangement with Briwnant for them to feed Dee every day for me and she quickly was back to looking better.  It is difficult to get Briwnant without transport – expensive by taxi or a long uphill walk from the nearest bus stop, so this delayed our getting back in the saddle.

I lunged Dee when I could and managed two or three rides over that time.  She now looks fantastic – fit, shiny coat and athletic.  The herd have been in the top fields for the last few weeks.  They have to go right to the top for the best grass, but back down to the bottom for water, so she has had her strengthening exercise just by living at grass.  When I eventually was able to take her round the Wenallt horse trail, she seemed as fit as at the end of last summer.

We've had several nice rides over the last couple of weeks, and my elder son, Daniel, came out with me last Wednesday.  This was good because it gave me the opportunity to ride Red for a change.

When we first decided to put Red on working livery at Briwnant I had my concerns.  I do not think Dee's experience of working livery was very good most of the time at Pontcanna, but Red is having a great time.  As well as the lessons and treks he does for the riding school, he also gets schooled regularly and this has included some jumping.  Now some time ago I commented on my blog that I thought Red was a good horse and could potentially be a very good horse with an experienced and more capable rider than me to bring him on.  This is happening for him at Briwnant.  They have a new tutor, Alfie, who is an experienced and excellent rider, and he has been putting Red through his paces.  It turns out that Red is a bold and confident jumper and we are going to start competing him in a few weeks with Alfie riding him.  He is such an extraordinary horse.  'ö-Dzin can ride him perfectly safely and he will be quiet and well behaved.  They put beginners on him for lessons.  Yet he can also be a powerful, forward-going and adventurous horse. 

This afternoon we went back up to Briwnant to watch Red in his jumping practice.  Unfortunately there was a mix up over the time and Red had already been jumped and fed by the time we arrived.  So we watched Alfie jumping Saffron (below) and then Kalif.  He is a brilliant rider.  He told us they put the jumps up to the top notch when they are training Red.  I can't wait to see that and will definitely post some photos when we have them.

Briwnant fun ride

Today was the Briwnant fun ride.  We arrived in good time to find Red in and groomed with Dee still out in the 12 acre field.  I went over to catch her, but found her reluctant to be caught.  I gently and quietly stayed with her until she permitted me to put on her headcollar.  She was still slow to come in with me however, and clearly not entirely sound.  Dee would not be going on the fun ride.

We decided in this case that I should go on the ride with Red.  Once we were assembled at the yard, ready to go, Red and Dee began to call to one another.  Although he was obviously excited, he seemed okay at first and walked out quietly enough through the first field.  The first part of the ride was a sort of cross country through the Briwnant fields with a few small jumps along the route.  The second part was to be around the Wenallt trail.

And so I discovered two things:
1. Red can jump... really jump...
2. when he is really excited he is too much horse for me.

We jumped the first three jumps—a single log, another single log and then a stack of three logs— without incident but I was already starting to realise that I was not really managing Red in this excited state. By the time we reached the next field I found myself riding a new Red that I had never experienced before.  He pranced and bucked and was pretty wild.  Apparently he looked quite magnificent performing a perfectly athletic, collected canter sideways as I tried to check him.  I hoped he would settle down as we carried on and took the route that avoided jumps for the next couple of fields and stayed with the slower riders. 

Then we came to the last jumps.  Here the choice was: to the right and a very small jump; through the centre and no jump; or to the left and a slightly higher jump.  It was still only 18ins – 2ft high.  Nicky on the herd leader Falcon, was taking the left hand jump and I had no choice but to allow Red to follow because there was no way I was going to succeed in taking him either of the other ways.  He took the jump too fast, too close to Falcon, and at an angle which meant he did a huge leap over this small jump.  He jumped it like a show jumper and I didn't stand a chance.  My treeless saddle isn't much more than a bareback pad which is great usually and how I like to ride, but I am not a good enough rider to take such a big jump and stay on, so Red and I parted company as he landed.  Fortunately the ground is quite soft there and I fell quite well, so I have not hurt myself.  I will probably find a few bruises tomorrow and I feel a bit stiff in my left shoulder.  They tell me that Red was quite upset that I had come off. 

I did not feel up to the rest of the ride as Red was so excited and I knew he was too much for me.  I'm so glad that it was me on him and not 'ö-Dzin.  I am not the fearless rider I used to be when I was younger, but I have ridden some pretty feisty horses in my time.  'ö-Dzin has no experience of such riding and may not have been able to hold Red even for as long as I had managed. 

We walked Red in circles whilst the rest of the ride carried on to help calm him, and then led him back to the arena.  I got back on at the arena and we walked him round a couple of times.  Everyone was very kind to me.  Red continued to call and be wound up until the rest of the ride returned and then he gradually settled down.

So there we are... not quite the 'fun' ride I had been looking forward to, but I think everyone else had a good ride.

Massage

I never had my ride last Friday because I started to feel ill on Wednesday evening.  Sigh...  It has been a strange illness – never really developing but staying in my head so I feel a bit top-heavy and off balance.  I think it is probably something like a sinus infection rather than a cold.  I rested up for a few days, but it didn't really seem to help, so I'm just getting on with things as usual now and putting up with feeling a bit odd.

Today Red was booked for a massage.  I was offered this free massage demonstration after entering—but not winning—a competition to win the massage equipment.  It was difficult to decide which horse to give the free session, but decided on Red in the end.  He tends to be rather stiff in his hind quarters and he works more than Dee.

The Equissage massage was quite impressive, and the 'before' and 'after' rides were noticeably different.  Red was reluctant to stay out on the left rein during the 'before' ride and could not give me any flexion.  On the 'after' ride he was staying out without being asked and giving me a good bend.  In fact I felt quite disorientated having him staying out so well on the left rein because both he and Dee are usually hard work to achieve this.  He really enjoyed the massage and was so snuggly and affectionate during it.

The demonstrator did one side of Red's body and I gave him the treatment the other side.  Fortunately having trained as a reflexologist I understood the principles of the treatment and quickly picked up the technique.  I particularly liked that the device has a rubber attachment for working on bony areas so that it was comfortable for him on his legs.  To find out how it felt, I was also given a massage over my back and shoulders, and shown how the unit could be used on my knees.  I think the version of the equipment that is put on like a saddle and left to run automatically would be the most convenient way to regularly massage a horse, but that was nearly twice the cost of the hand-held unit.

So... did you guess... yes I bought one of their hand-held massage devices – for a frightening amount of money.  I haven't told 'ö-Dzin how much it cost!  To try and offset the cost a little I am hoping to offer my services to massage other people's horses with it once I have a little more experience, so if you are a local reader and want an Equissage massage for your horse do get in touch.

I didn't manage to take any photographs today, so I thought you might like to see these caligraphies crafted by my teacher, Ngak'chang Rinpoche.

Life is good

My heart has been feeling very full with regard to the horses this week. They are both now out with the main herd. It is magnificent to see a herd of 20 or more horses out together, none of them rugged, in varying colours and markings, just being horses. I am so grateful to have found this lovely place for them to live and to see Dee and Red looking so well and happy.

On Wednesday I rode with a couple of friends from Briwnant. I am having to get used to catching the horses again as this is something I rarely had to do while they were at Wyndham. I went into the field and called to Red. He came at a fast canter into the field I was in with the rest of the herd following him! It was quite an amazing sight. Once the herd had settled down, as always he let me halter him without fuss and plodded up the field with me. Unfortunately I could not ride for as long as my friends yesterday, so at the far end of the Wenallt I turned him and we came back on our own. He was unhappy about leaving the others, but he did not misbehave – he is such a good lad.

It felt so peaceful walking back through the woodland together. It was raining a little – a fine misty rain that barely penetrated the leaf cover, and I could feel the woodland's enjoyment of it. The bluebells are still out and the woodland smelt of wild garlic. I felt so privileged to be able to ride such a large and powerful animal and relax in the peaceful atmosphere of Coed y Wenallt. Every now and then Red would remember that he was on his own and neigh and become a little agitated, but after having his mane rubbed and a few quiet words he would settle down again. At one point we spotted two walkers with dogs ahead of us. Red slowed his pace and relaxed, happy to walk behind them. They did not hear us until we were quite close because they had their coat hoods up against the rain. I think Red would have preferred just to follow them to the end of the trail, but they stopped and stood aside to let us pass.

He always gets the most agitated when on his own for the short stretch of road between the end of Wenallt wood and the beginning of Briwnant track. He neighs and keeps breaking into a trot, but once we are on Briwnant's track he settles down again.

This morning I had Dee shod so that we shall be able to take her out on the trails which tend to be rather stony. At first she did not want to be caught. She was happy to have me near her but was not ready to have a halter put on. I just kept gently moving her on and talking to her, and in the end she stood and put her head out for the halter. She then walked through the field with me contentedly. She is looking particularly beautiful at the moment with dapples to her coat as she changes from her winter to her summer coat. She has a couple of marks on her from confrontations with other horses, and a patch of weatherbeat on her rump, but otherwise looks great.

After shoeing I gave her a little feed and returned her to the field. Red had clearly being looking out for her. He neighed to her and trotted over. They greeted each other, rubbing noses, and then wandered off to graze staying close together. They are always close by each other in the field – and Thomas, Red's friend, is usually nearby as well. Thomas stays near Dee when I take Red out even though she is not particularly friendly towards him. It is so lovely that Dee and Red can be together now and that they obviously like to be together – that they share a connection beyond the mere fact that they are owned by the same people.

Joining up

Red and Dee have stayed close to each other ever since Dee was turned out into the field yesterday. I wanted to bring Dee in today to check on her foot and to do a little work with her. She had other ideas however – such as that carrying on grazing was preferable. She was happy to let me stroke her, but not get anywhere near putting on a head collar. In the end I led Red down to the gate and we tempted Dee over with a few pieces of carrot, and then she consented to having her headcollar put on. Red became quite upset when I led Dee out of the field and stayed at the gate calling to her.

I groomed Dee and checked her foot. It is fine now – healing quickly. I then put her new saddle on her back, to check its fit and to get her used to the idea of tack again. In the arena I drove her away until she was ready to join up with me, which was pretty fast. Red stood above us looking over the fence rail, making sure all was well. I felt this was enough for Dee for today, so I gave her a small ‘thank you feed’ and turned her back out with Red. They wandered off together keeping close to each other. I feel touched that they demonstrate being so glad to be together again. I—of course—am ecstatic to have them both at Briwnant.

Move to Briwnant Riding Centre

(Photo 1: 'This looks interesting ...')

This morning we moved Red to Briwnant Riding Centre. 'ö-Dzin rode him over and I drove there with a car-load of rugs, tack and horsey items. We put Red into a stable for half and hour and then turned him out into a field. He is out with a few young and quiet horses who will not challenge him to start with, in the pasture next to the main herd. He will be introduced to the main herd in about a week once he has had time to get to know them. They will not work him for his first week either.

Red wandered out into the field completely relaxed and content. He had not neighed at all and seemed perfectly happy – which is quite a contrast to when we moved him to Wyndham, where he was very vocal and unsettled even though he had Dee in the stable next to him. So this bodes well. After about five minutes one of the young horses in the field noticed the new arrival and trotted over to meet Red. They greeted each other in a friendly way (photo 2). This photograph also shows the magnificent views from Briwnant – right across the Severn Estuary to England. Soon the other horses came over to check Red out. One of the mares was a bit fiesty and kicked out at him, but she has no shoes on and Red just got out of her way. It is a large field with plenty of grass, so he just wanted to graze. By the time we left he seemed to have made friends with two horses and they were grazing near one another. I have a good feeling about this place.

Another happy occurrence is that we met a lady we knew from Ridgeway at Briwnant. She had been interested in buying Red at one time, or loaning him, but decided she was not ready. She rode Dee a couple of times. She now has her own horse, a lovely mare called Star. I was so happy to meet her again, and I think we may ride together. It seems there may be more opportunity to ride with people from Briwnant.

I am sad to leave Wyndham. We have been happy there and Sally has been very kind to us. However I feel confident that Briwnant will be a good move for us – certainly Red seems relaxed there already. I shall telephone later this evening—after the time he is used to coming in for a feed and to be stabled for the night—to see how he is. They will feed him in the evening until he is used to the Briwnant routine, and will bring him in and stable him if he is distressed – but I think this is unlikely. I think he will be quite content to stay out in such a large field with plenty of grass.

Winter ride

I realised that I had not posted any pictures of the horses for quite a while, and so have decided to rectify this today. This photograph was taken on December 30th during one of our excursions into Coed y Wenallt. We have had a few nice outings with 'ö-Dzin and I taking it in turns to walk and ride. Red seems to enjoy having one of us walking with him and has been quite good at standing still for us to change riders. He is also happy to be taken ahead on his own for a canter.

Thanks to a ride out with J and her horse Sandy during the Christmas period, we have discovered a part of the wood that is ideal for a canter. We had not traveled that part of the trail in this direction before, having usually turned for home a little before there.

I have not been up to see Red today, but Sally tells me he seems to be better. The swelling has reduced, and has moved down the leg towards his knee. She has suggested we exercise him lightly tomorrow to see how he is, so we shall be going up there in the morning.

Frosty New Year

It is very cold here in Cardiff. I know it is not cold like the weather in North America, but it is colder than we are used to. In recent years our winters have been quite mild, with only the occasional frosty morning, but this year frozen ponds and buckets of water stay frozen throughout the day.

The photographs were taken on New Year's Day. Unfortunately our camera does not have the capacity to capture the startling beauty of that morning. Just above the level of Wyndham's fields the whole of Wenallt hill and woodland was frosty white, and sparkling in the sunshine. Much as I often do not relish leaving my warm fire to see to Red, my efforts have been rewarded with the sharp directness of my experience of the elements in this winter season. The warmth of camaraderie at the yard over the Christmas and New Year season compensated for our coldness. I know I am alive having to be out in this weather and appreciate our woodstove even more when I return home chilled. I'm sure I am a more cheerful and appreciative person than I would be if I could just stay cosily at home, insulated from the reality of winter weather.

Reports of Dee tell me she is fine. I miss her quiet presence in the stable, where it always seemed she could sense when I needed her to step aside. I miss her sense of humour and her little habits. I definitely miss her common sense at gates – Red is not at all easy at gates and today managed to graze my knee as we entered the arena. Dee was already adept at managing gates when I first owned her, so I am not clear as to how to educate Red in this (any suggestions gratefully received). He knows that something needs to happen, but always seems to rush at it rather than standing, so that we end up in the wrong position.

Red has changed quite a bit over the last few weeks – or is it me that has changed now that he has my full attention? He is generally becoming more co-operative and relaxed in the stable, so that I can easily move him over when I need to. Picking his feet out is no longer something I dread and has become a pleasure. Yesterday I had him clipped and he was a perfect gentleman. I think we are finally developing a relationship.

And still pondering

It is strange only having occasional access to a computer. I currently have a backlog of 106 blog pages to read from my regular list on Google Reader, so I hope all my blog friends out there are well – I'll get to read your pages eventually.

This has been a busy week. Our retreat ended on Monday after five delightful days in the company of our splendid students. Yesterday we had a multifuel stove installed in our lounge. It is wonderful and I am enjoying being warm with less effort and greater convenience. As you can see the cats approve. The hearth used to be higher in the previous arrangement, so at the moment the tiles surrounding the fireplace do not go right down to the floor – another little job for us …

Last night was our Christmas meal with Wyndham Livery. Seventeen of us celebrated the festive season at a local hotel, with good food, good wine, and musical entertainment. 'ö-Dzin was the only man who joined in and he thoroughly enjoyed the company of so many ladies. Sally—the yard proprietor—is unfortunately suffering from an injured leg at the moment, having been trampled at the weekend by a horse who decided to jump off the horsebox ramp taking her with him. She was in good spirits nevertheless and danced as enthusiastically and magnificently from her seat as any of us on the dance floor.

Of course I am still thinking and thinking and thinking about what to do with the horses. I have not heard from SB at Liege Manor, and consequently my thinking has been going off in different directions with the extra time to ponder this week. Victoria wisely commented that I should not make a hasty decision, and I also thank LJB for suggesting that a third option may suggest itself and make the situation more fluid. And indeed a third possiblity has arisen. This is to retire Dee to an inexpensive grass livery and to keep Red where he is at Wyndham.

I have been remembering how Dee never really felt like my horse while she was on working livery, and I feel the same would happen to Red if we moved him to Liege Manor. It took Red a long time to settle at Wyndham as it was his second move in six months. I feel that we are now discovering the 'real' Red – the Red who feels safe, content, relaxed and happy with his life. This Red is a fine fellow – friendly, communicative, easy to ride, cooperative (mostly!) and entertaining. Everyone at the yard who has to deal with him has said how much easier he is. Do I really want to unsettle him again and jeopardise this by moving him – and to a yard where he would be ridden by different people everyday and be parted from the environment he has come to rely upon? I feel any chance of continuing with my natural horsemanship work would be lost if he were on working livery, and I am sure they would want to put him back in a bitted bridle.

Red becomes attached to horses and people, once he is settled and relaxed. He is becoming attached to us, which is reflected in his changed and lovely attitude to us now. He is certainly attached to some of the geldings. The other morning after our ride 'ö-Dzin turned Red out. Arriving in the field much later than the other geldings because of our ride, Red stood and called. After a few moments eight geldings came charging down the field to Red at full pelt, and then they all wandered back up to the top field together – the gang were back in town! He so often reminds me of an adolescent: playful and energetic, but occasionally a bit belligerent, and not always fully in control of where his feet are. I want to keep this Red.

Dee does not form attachments. She does not like to be on her own in the fields near the motorway, but she does not care which other horse is with her, and has not really made friends with any of the mares. She seemed to quite like being with Ash at Ridgway, but has shown no sign of missing this mare, and does not acknowledge her when we meet out on a ride. I guess she does recognise me as her ally, but do not feel she misses me at times I have to be away from her. Her priorities are most definitely comfort and food and if these are provided she is content. I do not share Victoria's confidence that I will one day get her to hack out alone, and I am not sure that I have the time or conducive circumstances available to me to be able to put in the sort of consistent effort of working with her to achieve this. So my musing are generally taking me in the direction of feeling that if Dee was moved to somewhere where she was well looked after and had no demands made upon her, she would be content.

We can both ride Red, we cannot both ride Dee. Red will hack out alone, Dee will not. Red will take a while to settle if we move him again, Dee is likely to settle more quickly. Red is becoming attached to us and to Wyndham, Dee is just Dee wherever she is. Good grief it is hard to make such choices.

Still pondering

Thank you very much to my blog friend at Nuzzling Muzzles for sending me this bunch of flowers. It has brightened up my day.

We are still agonising over how to resolve the conflict of wanting to own horses but not really having the time or resources. The lady from Liege Manor is coming to look at Red next week. If we are able to move Red there, this will solve part of our difficulties. I talked to the proprietor about the possibility of also moving Dee if she is happy with Red, and she said this may also be possible. I feel strange about even thinking about this as a possibility. I have always said that I would never put Dee through having to cope with lots of different people working with her again. To contemplate moving her to a working livery feels like a betrayal of the commitment I made to her when I bought her.

It is true to say that Liege Manor is a very different establishment to Pontcanna stables. Liege Manor has an excellent reputation for tuition and care. I believe the horses' work is more varied and more interesting, and if we did move Dee there, she definitely would not be spending up to eighteen hours a day in a stable. But still it feels like a betrayal. I can't think about it anymore today. There is nothing that can be done until the lady has seen Red and said whether she'll take him, so I'll stop trying to live in the confusion and worry of 'what might be' and live in the present – nothing is going to happen or needs to be decided until next week. So I can relax into the moment and enjoy the horses for the next few days.

I pass on the blog friend bouquet to David at Approaching Aro for his interesting articles about our Lineage;
to Cilla at Frontshoesonly where I so enjoy hearing about her journey with her mare Lizzie,
and to my oldest blogging friend whom I hope to meet one day – Victoria at Teachings of the Horse.