trailer making...

Ben has been busy making a car trailer...

A horse float (trailer) is next!! Lissy

chief is home...

Chief is home…he got back Monday afternoon…he now loads on the float with a tap and Mike also practised tying him up without Chief pulling back…

Poor Chief had colic while he was there and had to be drenched and did not eat for 4 days.He went looking like he was a QH in disguise….

But being a thoroughbred this has meant he has lost weight. His rump looks all scrawny. So now I am onto getting some condition back on him!

It is nice to have him home and hear him calling out to me! I got him a new winter rug...

Tuesday was a day for all of them to settle back in and get reacquainted with each other after 3 weeks apart.

Chief is still boss but he is a benevolent leader…he lets the ponies steal food out of his tub while he is eating…it is quite funny to see two faces squished in there…Trumby is very cheeky pulling the tub away from Chief!

 And he is so good with the kids...

  

 And Trumby is too...

I am trying to edit holiday photos...I was just going to post a few but have decided that since this is my online diary I will do a lot so when I look back I will have all our memories recorded...

Ben is out at sea...he was supposed to be home tomorrow....but won't be home for several days yet...

On Monday Evangeline goes into hospital to have a tonsillectomy...she has large tonsils and gets tonsillitis but mainly because she has sleep apnoea....I am not really looking forward to dealing with it all by myself. Fortunately mum is around to look after Morganne...hopefully all will go well....Lissy

todays antics...

We have been having some rain which is good...and the weather is finally a little cooler...Trumby made the most of it...

This morning Morganne snuck out to the paddock to see Trumby...

So then we gave him some carrots...

And she had a "ride"...

And then spent ages walking around with him...


She was so thrilled...

And E played with Bella..

Then Morganne managed to climb up too high in the fairy tree and had to be rescued by Daddy!

Evangeline wanted to ride and these days wants mostly to ride solo and not on a lead...so off she went and did very well..

Then she decided to trot...
And over did it a bit! A good example of why "kick to go and pull to stop" is not the best method!

And off Bella went...amazingly fast for a fat pony with more whoa than go...

E managed to hang on all the way back past the gate to the other end of the paddock...and fell of in the pile of dirt where the horses roll..mainly because the saddle then slipped and she only had one stirrup...

But no harm done!

And so I explained that she should get back on and finish on a positive note...

And no love is lost!

I showed her the photos later...which I had no idea I had...and explained that her signals needed to be a little more subtle! "Kick to go and pull to stop" from riding school is not really very good! I need to teach her more natural horsemanship!

She is a bit disappointed that Bella doesn't jump like Trumby so we will work on that one!
And she gave Trumby a cuddle too..

Also this week was my nephew Ike's birthday...he is now 8...we had an outing to Fremantle...

Over Easter we have been away on a ten day break to Lorne...along the Great Ocean Road...it was fabulous...I have lots of photos to sort out! We are all a bit out of whack with the time difference...a 4a.m. start yesterday...

Chief has been away on holidays too with our fabulous farrier Mike...learning how to load on a float and how to tie up with out pulling back...he gets home tomorrow...I have missed him...he is always looking in the kitchen window in the mornings when the light comes on...and calls out every time I go outside...I have a lot of work to do with him and need to build my confidence but we are becoming pals...

Ben has been working on the trailer he is building and is off to work for a week on Saturday...Lissy

he jumps...

Little Trumby might have short legs and might look like a miniature shire horse...but he sure can jump...I have learnt from the lady who bred him, Janet at Anfield Pinto Stud that he can actually jump a 44 gallon drum! Even Ben who is completely non horsey is having fun with him and taking Morganne out to visit him in the paddock...

We have started teaching Trumby the 7 games...Evangeline is joining in too...

Other horsey news...Evangeline's friend Jess had a long ride on Bella today...Evangeline was busy showing off her horsemanship skills teaching Jess how to groom Bella and how to mount safely...I even heard her talking about the power position ( a parelli riding term for pushing your self into the saddle)...the girls had a lot of fun. Bella is perfect for this as she is quite happy just to walk!!

 
 
More horsey stuff...On Sunday afternoon we were out in the paddock as E was riding Bella...and what pulled up down our road...a  lovely shire horse and carriage...destined for a wedding at Caversham House! So Bella was abandoned and we headed down our drive to say hello...his name is Bob and he is 18.2 hh...seven years old and just lovely...

Evangeline stood on the side of the float to watch him being prepared...I think Ben liked him too! Evangeline would now like a cart for the ponies!! Out equines were watching at the gate and then followed him down the road!

Chief has gone on holidays...our farrier / horse breaker Mike has taken him for two weeks while we are away on holidays...Chief has a habit of pulling back and I cannot get him to load in the float. Mike has a very natural way with horses so is going to spend some time with him and work on these issues for me and then give me some lessons in float loading too! My friend Shauna is baby sitting the ponies while we are away on holidays......it is our first real family holiday so we are all rather excited...a plane flight and we are heading for Lorne,Victoria...mum is coming too...see you in a couple of weeks...Lissy