Preparing ponios for winter

Well after an ace sunday looking round the adamfield and castlehill dales ponies stud. It's back to the grindstone and I have to sadly say I started winter prepartions today.
Rory was clipped much to his disgust and I tried a new clip taking it down to knees and hocks yet blending it in by clipping with the hair (tip thanks to another Dales pony owner) so hopefully I won't end up with 2-tone legs when it starts moulting out. I really wanted the clip for pait as roans go weird colours when clipped but sacrificed Rory as guineapig. Rory also had his ears fully off as he can't stand then getting sweaty and is horrid to ride when he gets ratty. He does look a bit unusual as the rest of his head is still furry. :-p
After clipping was bath and rug time and I must say Rory has some amazing dapples this year so the linseed and codliver oil is doing something!
Pait came in at tea time with mud in her tail and feathers so the pig oil has also come out and she is plastered in the stuff as getting mud balls out of Dales hair is not a task I like. I do get weirdlooks though as I use a leg paste which I apply with a paint brush much to the amusement of other liveries.

2 ponios to ride now. Days off or half days this is fine but I'll need to have a bit of a think about evenings after work as we don't have lights in the arena and it's getting dark earlier now. Pait I do want to keep in decent work this winter, I need to find a hacking buddy and start getting her out. Rory really needs to be ridden as many days as poss (in the ideal world 6 days a week) due to his joints. Still only hacking with him and I had considered asking a friend to ride him a couple of times a week but I've got an issue in him and Pait share a saddle. Also he was horrid to hack on monday in company and I'd worry about anyone else being on him in that situation as you have a very fine line between not giving in to him and taking pressure off when he works himself up so much or he'd go vertical. Having been on him as a youngster and going over backwards with him I know how in tune I have to be. It's not an easy situation.
Hacked him today with the same horse and he was perfect cantered collected behind and didn't throw a strop about jogging on the way home. So I'm really torn what to do.
Rory has his third and final lot of shockwave on Thursday so fingers crossed he's finally right. I do need to clip him and tackle fitness and core strength with him this winter though.

Home again, home again

Pait is finally back home. Went to pick her up Friday morning and loadedher after a little cart ride through their village :-)
Put her back out with the main herd and poor girl got chased round, also got a hoof scrape on her bottom but luckily things seem to be calming down now. All the Dales were due for their feet doing so that was my Friday afternoon gone aswell lol.
Onto Sat and Rory and Pait both got bathed much to their disgust in preparation for our last RC show of the season the next day. It's not easy showing when you have a roan that likes to cake all her white buts in sh!te but thankfully Rory is whole black and does stay clean as he lives out!
Sunday dawned and I got to the yard to the shock that Pait still had glowingly white socks! Even though she had also undone her bandages. My day took a slight downturn as I then got bitten by another person's horse so now have a lovely black shoulder blade but both Pait and Rory decided to end the RC well with Pait coming third and Rory second.
Next year I WILL get out to more shows.
Interestingly comparing the 2 Pait looks leaner than Rory but weightapes more.

Countdown to Pait coming home is now on!!!!!!!!!
Must also organise farrier and dentist as she's desperate for the former and Rory for the latter. Rory is loving the stubble at the moment (a bit too much sometimes) but a friend had a ride on him today and he was a perfect gent.
Also I really do need to clip him as he's suddenly gained a winter coat so coming back from rides very sweaty. Only thing is his coat looks amazing very black and shiny so I don't really want to take it off :-p

Went to visit Pait today. She's doing really well and looking like she will be home very shortly now she needs a new outfit to go with her new skills. I see her being a very expensive little mare. Typically they had cleaned up for my visit and she had found a nice big green poo to lay in. I did say she's like this to show.
Rory is on and off at the moment some rides he feels amazing others not right at all. Vet is coming out on Tues to do shockwave so fingers crossed that helps. Have just had his saddle checked and although he's getting away with a 17" he could really do with a 16.5 but Im not buying a new saddle until hes 100% consistantly especially as Pait is getting new gear so horsie funds will be a little depleted.
Boys have been in a small paddock that was rested all summer eating it down (Duke looks ready to pop and Rory looks ok)

There are days that I could quite happily gift Rory to the nearest random passerby- it's a good job he usually redeems himself. Our current issue is that him and Duke are joined at the hip and removing Rory from the field for riding envolves Duke calling constantly and Rory splattering me in the stable while I "attempt" to groom him!
This is not a nice calming set up to going out hacking so to have this then can't, sharn't, won't at stabding at the side of the gate for me to open it I was not looking forward to todays hack.
Being masochistic I then decided to do the main road route by myself that Rory finds traumatising anyway. Luckily other than straw and hay bales being terrifying as we snuck onto stubble fields he behaved impecibly (for Rory).

Back home

Well Im back after a trip away to Austria. Really good time but I did miss my ponios. Pait is still away at boot camp but coming along well so full updates and pics in a few weeks.
Rory was really stiff and locking his hocks when I got back as due to him being unsound, me being unsound (shoulder) then away he hadn't been ridden in 2 months. So the project hillwork walks began. Hes good on his own but was so naughty when out babysitting M's mare. Ive added a couple of little trots and today had a very cheeky short canter so fingers crossed we are ok.
Main focus is long and low walk up the hills then collecting into a true outline working through his back. Must admit the canter felt ace as he was soft and springy and not hollowing at all.
It is making me really sit up and ride light and tall with heels down asking him for proper collected work so we may both come out of this reschooled lol.