Tag Archives: #BlindRider

Do Horses Get Charles Bonnets Syndrome?

11 Tuesday Dec 2018

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Last night we had a strange, and worrying, experience with Breeze. . Breeze is the sweetest pony, but she is extremely nervous. Last night however she surpassed herself, and gave me a few more grey hairs along the way.

Doing our usual bedtime routine, carrots for Florence, apples for Breeze, debrief on the day, hay, water, skep out, check all is well, it soon became apparent that all was not well with Breeze.

it is not unusual to find Breeze on high alert, but last night she took it to another level. I had heard her snuffing a bit, but just thought she was commenting on the dogs. However, when I went into her stable with a full haynet, only to be ignored, alarm bells began to ring. Normally I would be in for a full-scale mugging, breeze usually starts off by trying to eat out of the net as I take it in and try to hang it, and if this doesn’t work, she turns her attention to my pockets. Last night though, Breeze just stood there transfixed. Head held as high as she could get it, ears erect and straining forward, eyes bulging, nostrils flared, heart racing, and, I realised as I laid my hand on her shoulder, trembling. This poor pony was frozen to the spot with Fear! At what though? Let’s face it, what ever it was, it wasn’t bothering Florence. Yes it’s true, Florence is of a much more Sanguin disposition than Breeze, but she isn’t stupid. Had there genuinely been anything that frightening anywhere in the vicinity, Florence would definitely have mentioned it. However, despite only being in the adjoining stable, in stark contrast to her companion, Flo was the picture of relaxed contentment. It did cross my mind that she might be tying up, or have colic, but this wasn’t the stance of either a tied up horse, or a colicky one. Not only that, but Hal had just cleaned some very healthy looking poo from the stable. When it comes down to flight, fight., freeze, this was absolutely textbook freeze. She was staring up towards the house, but neither Florence, either of the dogs, Hal, nor I, where aware of anything untoward. Florence was perfectly happy and content in the nextdoor stable, The dogs have gone off down the field on their own private nose lead missions, and all I could hear was a distant owl. Absolutely nothing obvious for a horse to be scared of.

Thankfully Breeze did begin to relax after a while, but she was still unsettled by the time we left her. I find the whole situation a little worrying, and it’s made me begin to wonder about something. Is it possible that Breeze could be suffering from hallucinations?

Sadly a few months ago we discovered that Breeze is very gradually going blind. She is an old lady, at least 20 years old now, and has recently been diagnosed with age related pigmented retinopathy. Yes I know, whilst a horses eyes are different to humanise, The name of this condition, and indeed the pathology of it, are similar to retinitis pigmentosa )RP), which is the condition I myself have. However, as RP is not an age-related condition in humans, whereas age related pigmented retinopathy is and age related condition in horses, I prefer to think of Breeze as having the equine equivalent of age related macular degeneration )AMD). Basically she is a little old lady who is losing her eyesight. . There is absolutely nothing we can do about this, it’s not a treatable condition, and the vet has been very calm about the diagnosis. We have been told to carry on as normal but to be vigilant, and be led by Breeze as to what she can and cannot do. We have not even been advised to stop riding her, although I have decided that I wont ride her myself from now on. I’m actually too heavy for her anyway at the moment, but I think its better for all concerned if at least one of us has a fully functioning pair of eyes. As an aside, I recently read the headline of a research study which took place in Australia, which concluded that a high percentage of aged, defined as over 17 years old, horses have some form of eyesight problem, but this is usually not known about by their owners, and rarely has an adverse affect on the horses ability to carry out ridden activities

Until they are near total blindness. Symptoms like stumbling and spooking are invariably put down to other things. Back to Breeze though, , and I wonder if last nights strange behaviour was down to her failing eyesight. As a result of the Retinopathy, does Breeze have Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Does Breeze have what?

Charles Bonnet Syndrome is a little understood condition that causes people who are losing their sight to have visual hallucinations. These hallucinations are only visual in nature, no sound,smell, or taste, but can vary from patterns to detailed and lifelike representations of animals, people, events or places, which can be static or moving. According to the NHS there are known to be approximately 100,000 diagnosed cases of Charles Bonnet syndrome in the UK, but there could be many more undiagnosed cases. Whilst it affects people who have lost most of all of the site in both eyes, The real mechanism behind it is not fully understood. However it is believed to be down to the brain trying to make sense of, and filling in the gaps in, The incomplete message being received by the visual cortex. The macular society believe that half of people with AMD will experience symptoms of Charles Bonnet syndrome at some point. These hallucinations are only related to sight loss and have no link to mental illness or any form of dementia in any way

So, whilst there are of course differences, horses and humans are both mammals, and mammalian eyes and brains do vary from species to species, there are also a great many similarities. What I am curious about is, given that Breeze has a condition which is not unlike a condition that humans get, could she also have another condition, which is often associated with the human variation of the condition she has? In other words. Can horses get Charles Bonnet syndrome? Is the reason that only Breeze was so frightened last night, because it was only Breeze Who could see what she was so scared of? I guess we will never know, but I’d love to hear the opinions of any vets, ophthalmologists, other experts who might stumble across this post in the future

Thirty Years an Owner

04 Tuesday Dec 2018

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Thirty years ago today, a skinny 21 year old scrambled into the cab of one of the poshest horse boxes she had ever seen , and set off on a massive adventure. The journey took all day. The adventure still continues.

Yes, amazingly, thirty years ago today a man called Roger Arrowsmith, who ran the local garden centre and bred show ponies as a hobby, kindly drove from Plymouth to Honiton and back,to fetch my first horse home

Thirty years! How did that happen?

OK, I soon learned, as if I didn’t really know already, that a just backed, three -year-old, wait carrying Cob, was not the ideal first horse for a seven stone, severely visually impaired, Novice, who had only ever ridden riding school horses before. Jigsaw didn’t stay with me for long, but every aventure has to start somewhere.

I well remember that feeling, when we took him off the lorry, put him in his stable, and I looked at him, my dream come true, a horse of my very own at long last, and realised for the first time, that he was totally dependent on me for his well-being, and despite years of reading, and dreaming, I hadn’t got the first clue how to look after a horse! Thirty years on, and there are still times when I am completely out of my depth! . Lot’s of horses have come and gone, and I have experienced best and the worst but the horse world can offer. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without having a horse in it, and I really don’t want to find out. They say you never stop learning when you have a horse. I for one am looking forward to the next thirty years of education.

Three Years of Joy

15 Thursday Nov 2018

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It’s Florence his third Gotcha anniversary today! It feels like she’s always been with me.

Florence came to me when I was going through an extremely stressful time. In all honesty I really should not have even been thinking of buying a horse just then. I was taking part in a clinical research trial, and sadly things have gone slightly wrong for me, and Hal and I were making the journey from North Devon to Oxford on an almost fortnightly basis, I ended up having four surgeries between September and February At the same time we were also being filmed for a television programme. An experience which I never want to repeat. I had been told earlier that summer that my beloved Magnum had a serious heart problem, and therefore could no longer be ridden, so I started window shopping for horses as a distraction. My friend Amy sent me a link to an advertisement on the website pre-loved for a 16-year-old piebald Cob mare that she thought might be eminently suitable. As the horse was not particularly far away from us we decided to go and have a look. The rest as they say is history.

Although Florence arrived in the November, because of the ongoing problems with my eyes, more surgery, an absolutely appalling weather, I didn’t actually sit on her until the beginning of March the following year. O’Boywas that leap of faith! Florence was amazing though, if you didn’t know, nothing in her behaviour would have told you she hadn’t been sat on for four months. It’s fair to say that up to that point Florence and I had not been getting along particularly well, and there had been more than one occasion when her bags had been packed and she was going back to her previous owner. However, every time Hal talked me down and convinced me to give her another chance. Poor Florence

, it must’ve been extremely difficult for her to move from her secure home of eight years, into a completely alien environment, with an owner who seem to keep disappearing and reappearing, and who must have been radiating stress, anxiety, and unhappiness like the Sun radiates light and heat. I truly believe that she could either here or smell the implant that I had in my I, and was very very aware of the problems that I was having, because she kept trying to bite my face. Believe me when you can’t see it coming, The snapping together of huge great horse teeth just millimetres away from your face is quite alarming! My theory about this was backed up by the fact that, as soon as I had the implant removed, in the middle of February, the attacks on my face stopped. Another problem we had when Florence first came to me, what’s that had not appreciated that she has extremely sensitive skin, and is extremely ticklish. She is a great big enormous hairy gypsy cob, but underneath all that black and white fur she has a thoroughbred skin I’m sure.

I’ve always believed that, Magnum, being a very old and wise horse, New that his time was coming to an end, and understood that Florence and come here to take over from him. I am quite sure that he explained the situation t her to look after me. You see, on what was probably the hardest long weekend of my entire life, we had Magnum put to sleep on the Friday, and had the implant removed on the Monday. From the moment I got home from hospital Florence and I began to build and understanding and bond. . I am so glad that Hal convince me to keeper. I trust Florence completely, I know she has boundaries, and I respect that. She does not have a nasty bone in her body, but she does not give her trust automatically. Yes she can occasionally be rude and pushy when handling her on the ground,

but when I’m sat on her back there are no limitations,? The world is ours too own. Florence is an extremely intelligent horse. She has the ability to read her rider, and adjust her way of going accordingly. This year she has carried my extremely capable writer niece Hannah, 11 year old Ven, my 87 year old Dad, Hal, and me, and been a total lady with us. She hates being on her own, and gets terrible separation anxiety. However, she has always been the bottom most ranking horse in my herd. She hates water,really hates having her legs touched, and can be a little bit girthy. Florence is completely unflappable, and extremely nosey. She is the kind of horse who would rather investigate something instdad of run away from it. She can be very impatient though, and doesn’t like standing around. Florence is quite vocal, and has an endearing way of wickering and snickering to me. Someone once connected that they thought Florence spoke to me like I was a foal. I just adore her!

So here’s to the next three years – Big beautiful black and white horse

Personal Hero – Lest We Forget

09 Friday Nov 2018

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Sometimes chance has a way of shining a light on something, or indeed, someone, that you have previously been oblivious to, but , when you do discover it, or them, it has a profound effect on you.  It was just such a chance, in the shape of a couple of randomly selected Talking Books, sent to me from the RNIB’s Talking Book Library, which lead to me discovering the story of one of the most fascinating, and to me personally, inspirational, people i have come across. As we are approaching Remembrance Sunday, and this gentleman was a soldier, Who was injured during World War II, and subsequently held as a prisoner of war, I thought it might be relevant to tell his story here.

Many of you may already be familiar with his name, but until about 20 years ago, when the books ‘ Leopard, the Story of my Horse’ and ‘Soldiering On’ landed on my doormat, in the form of two Daisy Talking Books, I had never heard of Col. Sir Michael Ansell.

A career soldier and committed horseman, Mike Ansell was commissioned into the Enneskillans after passing out from Sandhurst in 1924. During The 1930s, he not only served as a cavalry officer, gaining command by 1935, but was also a successful showjumper and international polo player. . During World War II Mike Ansell became The British Army’s youngest commanding officer, when in 1940, he was given the command of the first Lothian and borders horse. Shortly after this he was awarded the DSO. Sadly though, he was injured, in what would now be called, A friendly fire incident, and was subsequently taken as a prisoner of war.

In 1943 Mike Ansell was repatriated. He went on to have an illustrious, and highly influential career in the field of equestrianism.

Shortly after his repatriation, Mike Ansell was invited to become the chair of the British Showjumping Association, and has been credited with revitalising the sport. From 1945 until 1957, not only was Mike Ansell Chair of the British Show Jumping Association,  but he also Chaired the British Horse Society.  Mike Ansell restarted the Royal International Horse Show, and initiated The Horse of the Year Show. He was also the first Chair of the British Equestrian Federation.

Away from horses, Mike Ansell became the High Sheriff of Devon, living in Bideford, not a million miles away from us here in Shebbear. He was also the president of St Dunston’s. Now, here’s the thing, the reason why I am so interested in, fascinated by, inspired by, and, frankly, in awe of this incredible man, is because Mike Ansell’s support of St Dunston’s, now Blind Veterans UK, came from a very personal place. Mike Ansell was blind. The accident which lead to him being taken prisoner, not only resulted in him losing all of the fingers on his left hand, it permanently, and totally, blinded him.

All the work which Mike Ansell did for BSJA, BHS, and BEF, as well as the work the Royal International Horse Show and Horse of the Year Show, his work as High Sheriff of Devon, and as President of St Dunston’s, was all achieved after he lost his sight. He also wrote several books, one of which was, at the time, reputed to be the definitive work on Show Jumping. All of this was done without the benefit of the technological advances which make things so much more accessible for blind and visually impaired people, like me, today. He was a truly remarkable person.

Col. Sir Michael Picton Ansell CBE, DSO, 26th March 1905 – 17th February 1994

I salute you Sir.

Day 30 – a Trip Down Memory Lane

31 Wednesday Oct 2018

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As today’s Blogtober Challenge prompt is another photographic one, I thought I would go off piste and tell you about the horses that I have owned over the years.

Jigsaw- when I first started having lessons I rode a little skewbald pony called Jacob. He was one of those steadfast classic riding school ponies, he was a difficult pony to instil a sense of urgency into, but he was completely unflustered by clumsy novice nervous children. I am absolutely sure it is because of this I have a little bit of a thing about coloured horses. So roll-on several years from when I first threw a leg over Jacobs back, and we meet my first horse, Jigsaw. Bought from a dealer in Honiton, Jigsaw was only the second horse I ever looked at, and he was totally unsuitable for me, but I had to have him! He was a heavyweight Cob, was only three, and although he was broken in, was greener than the lushestField! Whereas, I was 5ft3in , weighed 7stone wet through. Registered blind, and had only ever ridden riding school horses. . Jigsaw was skewbald though, and he looked like a bigger version of Jacob. It was not a match made in Heaven! In all honesty, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Jigsaw. He was just a young Cobb, and totally unsuitable as a first horse for a nervous novice rider. I sold him to the riding school where I learnt to ride, and kept him on livery. He was subsequently bought by a local family and went on to have an lilustrous pony club and hunting Korea.

Oliver Twist. After selling Jigsaw, only 4 months after buying him, I set out to find myself another steed. I wasn’t going to make any stupid mistakes this time, and set out to find something older, more experienced, and smaller. After trying and rejecting several likely candidates, I bought Oliver Twist

From a man in Lanivet. I think it’s no exaggeration to say I was had! Oliver was not the Schoolmaster and ideal first pony he was advertised as. 14.2hh, bright chestnut, part bred Arab, I truly believe that he had been doped when I went to try him. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I watch him being ridden, and handled, and rode him myself, including over a bridge over the main A30, and the man he was selling him racing up behind me in a car and honking his horn.

. If you were riding in a school he was indeed a good teacher. He had obviously been very well schooled, both on the flat and jumping. However, by the time I got him at 12, something very bad must have happened to him. He had no truck with the human race whatsoever. He bit, he kicked, you couldn’t catch him in a stable, let alone a field! I took him away from the yard where I was keeping him, because he couldn’t set foot on open Moorland without bolting. Then I discovered that he was completely unreliable in traffic. I had one of the worstfalls that I have ever had when Oliver took off with me and started jumping bushes. It’s because of Oliver that I have a front tooth that is a ceramic implant. Frankly, by the time I gave up and put him up for sale, eight months after buying him, I was absolutely terrified of him.

Surprise. Beautiful little horse of my heart. Bought from a private home near Liskeard, I had no intention of buying Surprise. In fact, with my confidence crushed by my ,so far, disastrous horse buying experience, I didn’t know if I should try again. . I went to see her out of pure politeness . An acquaintance New her and thought she would be eminently suitable for me. 14:3hh, part bred Arab, chestnut mare, and only 3! In what way suitable? An unplanned, unexpected foal, by an Anglo-Arab stallion out of an Arab x Exnoor mare

. Surprise was the worst put together Horse you could meet, hi withered, ewe necked, swaybacked, slap sided, bum high, cow hocked, and lop eared. She was the kindest, gentlest, and bravest little horse. From the very first day I went to see her, kindness just oozed from her. She was a real people person, and the only horse I had ever met up till then who would actively cuddle you. I trusted her completely. We went for miles together over the moors and even had lessons with the marine instructors from the local barracks. I adored her. Sadly, I lost her to suspected black thorn poisoning when she was only 8.

Bella. . 15.1hh Palamino cob mare, Bella was a little bit of a local hero. She had originally come to the area as a very young horse, alongside a great many other equines, as part of the entourage for a film called Revolution that was being made in the local area. Apparently the film was a box office flop, but lots of local horse enthusiasts benefited from them selling off the stock at the end of filming. Bella was one of those horses who could turn her hoof to anything. She became the range keeperrs horse, responsible for clearing the ranges when the army were firing on the moorBella was ride and drive, and took many a bride to their wedding. She gave many a local teenager the first taste at pony club, and hunted regularly throughout seasons. Endurance riding, dressage, Forest clearance, moorland pony drifts, showing, The only thing that nobody ever remembered Bella doing was carrying a sidesaddle. . I was still struggling to get over the death of Surprise when I was offered Bella on loam. She was about 17 or 18 then, and I shared her with my dad, Who had started to learn to ride when I had Oliver. We had years of fun with her, and Bella and I won many rosettes in the show ring. We lost her when she was 28 to Cushing related laminitis.

Maisey.. Because Bella was very old I decided to look for a younger horse before we lost her. The result was a 10 year old, 15.1hh blue and white heavyweight Cob mare. Funnily enough Maisey came from Lanivet, same place is Oliver, but not the same yard. She was spoilt and very much the apple of her owner’s eye. This was a very reluctant sale. . . It’s fair to say Maisie could be a bit of an old bag. She could be a little bit handy with her teeth, but actually there was just something very special about her. Unfortunately, Maisie was extremely wide, and, as the result of a stupid accident I had with surprise, I had damaged my left hip, and as I began to do more and more with Macy, I found her increasingly painful to ride. My left hip became so painful that I was finding it difficult to walk, and even dress myself. I was referred to a rheumatologist, Who advised me to stop riding until they worked out what exactly the problem was. Sadly after only having her for 18 months I made the difficult decision to sell Maisie on. I’ve always regretted selling her.

Sapphire. From here on in all the horses I have had have featured in this blog since the beginning of it. Once I had been given the all clear, and had experimentally Saturn a few friends horses to see if it would hurt or not, I set out to fill the horse shaped whole in my life. The result was a 14hh 5 year old, dark bay Welsh Section D mare called Kissamie Sapphire. She came from Truro, and was being sold by the proprietor of a stud farm. The lady had bought Sapphire through Abergavenny Welsh pony sales, when she was only a two-year-old, with a view to using her as a brood mare. However, she bread much larger Section D’s, and little Sapphire just didn’t grow that big, so she sent her to a friend to be broken in and sold on. . It’s fair to say that Sapphireand I did not always have the easiest of relationships. She didn’t have a nasty bone in her body, but oh boy did she want to have everything her way, and didn’t she throw a tantrum when it didn’t happen! I’ve learnt over the years that many of sapphires quirks, are fairly typical characteristics of the breed. When Sapphire and I were working in harmony, well you couldn’t have a sweeter little horse, but, when she said and no she meant it, and when she didn’t like something everybody knew about it. My history with sapphire is well documented throughout this blog. Sadly we lost her the age of 17 last year. With been together, on and off, for 13 years.

Magnum. The horse that changed everything.16.3hh, grey, ID, gelding.bought/rescued from a not particularly nice riding school on the outskirts of Plymouth. I ha d reluctantly given up horses, or so I thought. Hal is very ill, I had left work and gone back into full-time education, Sapphire was out on what I thought was permanent loan. I’ve never been so miserable in my life. So I decided to start going to a local riding school once a week or so, to try to mitigate the horse shaped emptiness inside me. The horse they put me on was Magnum, and soon as my bum touched the saddle we had a meeting of minds. Had I been looking for a horse, there is no way that I would’ve looked at anything so big. However, he came up for sale, and when I went there one date for my weekly ride, I caught them in the act of putting his saddle on top of an open, infected sore. I refused to ride, which they thought was very peculiar indeed. My dad was with me on that day, and by the time we had got back home, we had formulated a plan as to how we were going to buy him. The rest is history. He gave me five years of absolute joy. It is because of Magnum that Hal and I live where we do now, and live a wonderful lifestyle. Magnum was put to sleep on 12th February 2016, here at home. We don’t know exactly how old he was, but he was riddled with arthritis, had navicular disease, and was in heart Phalia. I hope you was happy with us. I still miss him terribly.

Leonie. 14.3hh 5year old black Irish Cob mare. Leonie actually belonged to Hal. She was his first horse, and the story is very well documented throughout this block. She was bought from a dealer at Tedburn Saint Mary near Exeter. Sadly she was put to sleep at the age of eight in March this year. She is the reason why I believe indiscriminate breeding should not be allowed, and why I would always strongly advise anybody to have a horse vetted before buying them. We like to think we gave her a good life in her last few years. However, she is the only horse that I’ve ever bought with out a prepurchase vet check, had I insisted that Howe had her vetted, it would’ve saved us both awful lot of pain and heartache.

Florence. The absolute centre of my universe.15.2hh. Heavyweight traditional, piebald, gypsy cob mare. She will officially turn 20 on the 1st of January. Bought from a private home near Launceston, I will have had her for three years on the 15th of November. She is a real character, A bit of a bossy moo when she’s being handled on the Ground but the safest, most reliable, cause when being written. I trust her implicitly, and she makes me feel as if I can take on the world. She is the most vocal, talkative horse I have ever met. I think she is also one of the most intelligent. I really hope that I can keep her sound, well and happy for a very long time into the future.

Breeze. She actually belongs to Hal. . 14.2hh black Cob mare. She is now 20, and we have recently learned that she is beginning to lose her eyesight. An ex-trekkingpony, bought from a trekking centre near Okehampton that was closing down. The only horse I have ever met who is frightened of cats! She is a sweet little soul, full of cheek, but she is extremely nervous and has a will of solid iron. We both adore her.

Day 28 – Inspiration

28 Sunday Oct 2018

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Nobody knows where my love of horses comes from. My Dad sometimes jokes that my first word was horse. It must be somewhere in my DNA though; I have a cousin who is equally horse obsessed. My cousin had a pony, and became an AI. She is a lot older than me, and grew up in Staffordshire, a long way from me in Devon. However, hand-me-down toys and books used to feed my enthusiasm. My cousins mum, and my mum, were the youngest daughters of a man called Harry Wakley. I hardly knew my grandad,as he died when I was very young, but I have been led to believe, that when he was a young man, he used to ride point to point. I have also heard a family rumour that he was in some way related to Richard Wakley, the jockey and racing pundit. I will never know if these things are true, but if they are, perhaps my DNA theory isn’t as daft as it sounds.

As a child, if toys, books and games didn’t involve horses, or possibly dogs, quite frankly I wasn’t interested. I read every book that the Pullien-Thompson sisters wrote, I practically new black beauty word for word, Learned about Australia through the eyes of the Silver Brumby, rode the range with My Friend Flicka, and read every pony care book I could lay my hands on, even before my parents gave up and let me start having riding lessons. I watched champion the wonder horse, Folly Foot, White Horses, Horses Galore, Horse In the House, and the adventures of Black Beauty. I would watch any western, be glued to the racing, and when I was 10 I wrote a letter of “complaintment” to the BBC because they kept putting showjumping on after I had to go to bed. Every Birthday, and every Christmas, I would ask for a pony. I never got one though. I did always get the black beauty Annual, The Follifoot Annual, and the Princess Tina pony book (I have absolutely no idea who princess Tina was)..

Growing up in the hinterland between the city of Plymouth and Dartmoor there were a lot of horses around. There were always moorland ponies, no designated the Dartmoor hill pony, and I used to dream about taming one to be my own personal playmate. However a boy in my class at primary school got kicked by one, and broke his leg, so I decided to give them a slightly wider birth from then on. Lots of people in our area had horses and ponies, and I would go running enthusiastically to stand on the back fence to watch them go by every time I heard the clip clop of hooves, dreaming that one day it would be me riding past on my own horse.

Of course there were people who I was very very impressed bye. Caroline Bradley, John Whitaker. Virginia Holgate (later Leng), Mark Todd; but it was the horses I was more influenced bye. Tigre with his unusual high tail carriage, Ryan’s Son, Priceless, Charisma. Later I became influenced more by people who advocated different ways of handling horses, such as Monty Roberts, pat Pirelli, and Mark Rashid.

Today I draw my inspirationfrom people who I admire on a personal level. My friend Amy who handles horses so quietly and confidently, and who never seems to get in a flap. Are riding instructor Melissa, Who can find the positive in every situation. Young Ben whose enthusiasm and can do attitude, remind me what it was like to be 11. Hal, Who always seems to manage stay calm when the chips are down, and who is not afraid to put me in my place when he thinks I am being unfair to the horses. Florence, Who, every time I sit on her back, makes me feel like I could take on the world.

Day 27 – a Bit About Me

27 Saturday Oct 2018

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Today’sBlogtober Challenge prompt is to say a little bit about ourselves. It will come as a surprise to some, but I’m not actually very good at blowing my own trumpet. I’m actually quite shy, and despite some of the things I’ve done in recent years, i’m quite uncomfortable when it comes to being in the spotlight. Although I am a lot more confident now, right through from childhood until my 30s I was never comfortable if I felt that people were looking at me, or judging me. No I’ve hit my 50s, and have since been through quite a lot in life, if people want to look, Who am I to stop them?

Because I have a tendency to go off rambling I have decided to do this as if I was interviewing myself. So here goes.

Where were you born? I was born in Plymouth, Devon, UK.

Are you from a horsey background? No. My dad was in the Navy, and my mum worked in a newsagents in tobacconist before having my brother. We are not from a wealthy background.

What is your first horsey memory? Hmm, this is a difficult one. I do know that one of my cousins had a pony, but she lived in Staffordshire so I can have only ever seen it once. Growing up on the outskirts of Plymouth it was only a few miles to the edges of Dartmoor, and the wild maul and ponies seem to have always featured in my consciousness. The first time I remember sitting on a pony for any length of time was on the beach at Burnham on C when we were on holiday there.

When did you start learning to ride? When I was nine years old I started having weekly lessons at a local riding school

when did you get your first horse? When I was 21. I got my first job in the May, and bought my first horse in the December. He was a totally unsuitable horse for a nervous, visually impaired, novice, but I had to have him. He was a three-year-old skewbald heavyweight cob called jigsaw. I only had him for four months, and sold him to the riding school I kept him on livery . He stayed in the local area for the rest of his life, turning out to be an excellent pony club and hunting horse, he lived well into his 30s.

Do you own horses now? Yes. I have owned many horses over the years, and we currently have two cobs, Florence Who is a 15.2 heavyweight piebald traditional gypsy cob, and Breeze Who actually belongs to my husband, and is a 14.2 black traditional cob mare.

What do you do with your horses? Mostly I hack, but I enjoy having lessons, and do very occasionally take part in showing, very alone level unaffiliated dressage, and horse agility. Are used to enjoy taking part in pleasure rides, but as my eyesight has deteriorated this is no longer a straightforward as it used to be. This year I intended to take part in some online dressage competitions, but unfortunately a lot has happened away from the horses this year to prevent me from so doing.

Do you work in the equine industry? I wish! When I was a child and in my teens I wanted to be a riding instructor, but unfortunately this career path was not open to little girls who were going to go blind. Over the years I have been a civil servant and a police civilian, both careers which pay extremely well, but are mind numbingly boring. About 10 years ago I left full-time employment and went back into education, retraining as a masseuse and complementary therapist. I gained a degree in complementary health studies, as well as several qualifications in a variety of therapies. I now run a small therapies practice from home.

What do you enjoy doing other than riding horses? I am a prolific reader, I enjoy being out in the countryside, walking and I ride Stoker on the tandem. I’m interested in history, myth and legend. I like learning new things, and did start studying psychology with the open University. However, I stopped working towards my psychology degree when I put myself forward to be a research participant for a clinical trial of an electronic subretinal implant. Three years ago I took part in research project, and as a result I’ve been filmed for television and interviewed for radio and newspapers. I also do fundraising and campaigning work for Guide Dogs -.. i’m a bit of a rock chick love listening to music, although I can’t remember the last time I went to a gig.

If you could have one luxury what would it be? A cleaner. I’d much rather be outside enjoying life than stuck indoors doing housework

Worst habit? I swear too much. Wow this is really difficult!

Day 21 – Mouthing the Bit 2 – Just a Happy Hacker

21 Sunday Oct 2018

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Hacking out is one of my favourite things, and I am always shocked when I meet people who say they do not enjoy it. Haven’t they missed the point of what horse riding is all about? How many times do you hear the expression “Happy Hacker” used to describe either horse or rider, as a derisive term? Oh, she’s just a happy hacker, she won’t know. He’s only good enough for hacking. This horse is too good to be wasted as a hack.

I very much beg your pardon!

You see I think that, in order for horse or rider to be a safe, confident, competent hack, they need to have a vast array of attributes and skills, many of which can be directly transferred into the competition or hunting fields. it’s not about sitting there like a sack of spuds, holding onto the buckle end of the rains, whilst your horse plods round like an automaton.oK, your horse doesn’t have to be on the bit all the time, but she does have to be responsive to hand, leg and voice; and whilst you don’t have to have the skills to do an Olympic standard dressage test, you do have to be able to control and manoeuver your horse in all sorts of circumstances.. 2 legged or 4 legged, a truly happy hacker needs to be resourceful, adaptable, quick thinking, independent and brave, with plenty of Old fashioned horse sense.

I was very lucky as a child, I grew up where Plymouth met Dartmoor. You didn’t have to travel too far in One Direction to be by the sea, and it was really only a short trip up the lane from our house and you were on open moorland. When I first started having riding lessons, at the age of nine, I very rarely rode in a school. My lessons took place on the Moor. At first on the lead rain, and always with a fully qualified instructor, but usually on the Moor, occasionally around the lanes, but hardly ever in the school. On my first ever riding lesson, we were indeed take into the school, and taught some basic skills, how to hold the reins, how to adjust the girth from the saddle, how to adjust our stirrups from the saddle, and how to fall off. I didn’t have another formal lesson in the school until I was about 14. Admittedly I’ve never been the most stylish of riders, but these early lessons taught me more than how to make a pony walk ,trot ,canter ,turn ,and stop. From the earliest I learnt that ponies are unpredictable, they will react to different situations in different ways, and are affected by their surroundings as much as we are. Without realising it I learnt to judge ground conditions, to be aware of my surroundings and what was going on around me, and toThink ahead and anticipate how my pony might react to something, and take evasive action if necessary. I learnt safe practice, and how to behave around , and how to be respectful of and considerate towards others whilst riding. Opening and shutting gates from horseback became second nature to me, and I learnt the basics of Road safety where horses are concerned. I also learned how to stay on, after all, it can be a long walk home after a fall, especially when your pony has legged it back to the yard without you.

I was absolutely horrified the other day, when I learnt that many riding schools, do not allow children to hack out off the lead rain until they are 14. Words fail me! Apparently this is due to constraints on their insurance policies. How is anybody supposed to learn? Real horsemanship isn’t only about being in the manège, It’s also about horse and rider in partnership enjoying the freedom of the countryside. It seems to me that, children like I was, Who did not come from a horsey family, are being excluded from The very real positive benefits of horseriding. It could even be said that they are being discriminated against, on the grounds of insurance and health and safety. That’s not only bad for children, but it’s bad for the future of horse riding. Total stupidity!

I think one of the real reasons why so many people dislike hacking out, is the increasing necessity to deal with traffic. Roads are becoming busier, drivers are becoming more impatient, horses are seen as a nuisance, but off road riding and decent bridleways, seem to be coming less and less accessible. The area where I currently live is a prime example. This is a small , isolated , rural community, we are basically 10 miles from anywhere. The village is surrounded by farmland, and the nearest A road is 5 miles away. There are a great many horses in this area, but there is absolutely no off-road riding! Well to be honest, there is one bridlepath. It’s about a mile and a half from here to its nearest end, it’s quite long, and goes from a to be. So if you want to use it, you either have to do A there and back route, which for me would in tail 3 miles roadwork, or a very long, several hours, Circular route, with at least 5 miles of road work in it. Now admittedly, compared to some, these are not busy roads, but they are narrow and frequented with large agricultural machinery, and huge lorries. Now to be perfectly honest, possibly because I always hack out with somebody walking on foot, I find the majority of these drivers to be patient and courteous at all times. I rarely have a problem with traffic. That isn’t everyone’s experience though sadly. Riding on the road when it’s busy is hardly relaxing. I love living in the village, and having my own land and yard is a blessing I thought would never happen, but I really miss being on the Moor, and the availability of so much accessible off road riding. Personally I think some of the landowners around here are missing a trick. I would gladly pay to be able to ride on their land. In the meantime though, whilst I’m lucky enough to have my own school, I will still be hacking out around the lanes on a regular basis. Not because my horse and I are less capable, but because both my horse and I enjoy it.

day 20 – All Wound Up

20 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by in Horses, Paddock Maintenance

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Gone 2, Oh My Word! What is wrong with Breeze today? She’s behaving like some idiot Thoroughbred, not a sweet little elderly Cob. Florence is a bit wound up too. Granted, Breeze is quite an anxious soul, but things have hit a whole new level today.

Things seemed perfectly normal when I went down to check them first thing. Yes, they were both all over me like a rash, but this is not necessarily unusual behaviour. It was another one of those lovely silent mornings, just me the horses and a solitary owl in the whole wide world. It was a bit cool and clammy, foggy in fact, which is something that doesn’t really exist in my world, but there didn’t seem to be anything unusual going on. So what had changed by 11 o’clock this morning when we came to catch them in?

There was nothing untoward going on whilst sorting the stables out. So perhaps it was my fault for asking Hal and Ben to catch them in by themselves, while I went back to the house to use the loo. Whatever it was, by the time I got back down to the yard all hell had broken loose. Florence was dripping with sweat, and Breeze was behaving like a complete tit. Apparently Breeze had gone into one while Ben was leading her up. Then Florence decides to play silly buggers when Hal tried to get her in quick so he could take over from Ben. I had planned to hack out with Helen, Benz mum, this afternoon, and the idea was that Ben and I would get the horses clean and ready to tack up, while Hal worked with Steve, Who was coming to do more tree pruning. Yeah right. We couldn’t groom either of the horses, Florence was absolutely dripping, and Breeze was barging and stamping all over the place. Every time somebody opened her stable door she would try to barge out through them. I tied her up outside with a hey net, as she much prefers this, but no, that wasn’t good enough either. We gave up and put the kettle on at this point as I didn’t want Ben getting squashed

Steve didn’t get to us until, which cramped our style somewhat. So while he and Hal tackled the Blackthorn, I tackled the grooming. Florence was a bit shamefaced at her earlier behaviour. However, although not being so silly and rude, Breeze was still very much on high alert. So, as time was marching on Helen took Madam into the school, and they did some really nice work.

It’s on days like this that I wish I could speak fluent horse.

Day 18 – ‘Ere! Who are You Calling a Pumpkim? 😈

18 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Fitness, Horses, vet care

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It’s fair to say that I have never carved a pumpkin In my life…i don’t even remember doing it at school. Mind you, , growing up in Plymouth, it would have been a turnip anyway.

Now I live in a village which has the dubious responsibility of ensuring that the devil does not walk this earth anymore,, and the whole business of Halloween and the subsequent turning of the devils stone, which takes place on the 5th of November, is taken very seriously indeed. Trick or treatingis a very serious thing in these parts. However, even the most ardent sugar addict will not knock on a door that doesn’t display a lit pumpkin. For the first few years we lived here we scrounged pumpkins of people, but last year we got our own. Well actually we got a pumpkin shaped lamp, but it sends out the same signal. Treats available here!

Actually it’s been pumpkin shaped things that have been worrying me lately. I’ve alluded several times over the month to Florence is excessive weight. I haven’t been very well, nasty cough, and post viral fatigue, so Florence has had more or less six weeks off. Hardly ideal. During this time she has had her blood taken to test her ACTH levels. Something I have done every six months as Florence has Cushing’s and is medicated. This time though, my vet was so horrified by the size of her she also took blood to test her insulin levels. Thankfully every thing came back within normal parameters. However when I did try to get on Florence roughly 10 days ago, she felt really wrong. Not lame, but as though it was as much as she could do to put 1 foot in front of the other. No heat in her feet, I couldn’t feel a radial pulse, mind you, I doubt I would find a radial pulse even if it was sending out a Cyran tone , vibrating ,,and shouting I’m over here, no strange stance. Eating, drinking, wee, poo, all normal for Florence. She definitely wasn’t herself though. I decided to take her for A walk in hand, and if she was still struggling the vet was going to be coming. Struggling! She walks off full of her usual enthusiasm, down to the Village Square, , A quick look at the devils stone, and then back up the hill to home, Hal guiding me, me leading Florence. There is nothing wrong with this horse! She is huge though. have had to dig out one Magnum’s Girth’s for her. Magnum was a 16 three Irish draft horse, Florence is a 15.2 Cob.

It started today. I actually woke up feeling much better this morning. My farrier has been, and unprompted by me, declared quite loudly how good Florence’s feet are looking. When I told him how relieved I was to hear that, and explained how worried I was about her getting laminitis, he couldn’t have been more reassuring. After he’d gone I scrambled of bored and went for a short. Florence was back to her old self, and practically skipped along with a great big smile on her face. Phew!

Mind you, when it comes to needing to lose weight I have no axe to grind, i’m pretty dam huge myself at the moment. It’s a good job that Florence is it chestnut, and I no longer have my orange fluorescent coat, or from behind we look like a pair of pumpkins stacked on top of each other.