Willing Horse...

The horses have been moved back to the bottom field. The advantages are that the field is on the yard and visible. However it is low lying, poor to drain and the grass has not had a chance to recover sufficiently. On the plus side again, some damaged bales of haylage have been left and the horses have constant access...so Heather has quickly chosen her own bale and started tunnelling through with gusto! On the downside, this means she doesn't have to forage and has well and truly parked herself...fat mare even sleeps next to it!
The worst of a few cuts and grazes on her hind legs, which caused some lame-ness.

Bordering the bottom field to the left is a golf course. The contrast between the horses scrapping for food in the mud and the immaculate fairways and greens next door could not be more stark! So perhaps it's really no surprise to find Heather with an number of cuts and grazes from the barbed wire fence separating. The temptation must be immense because the grass definitely is greener next door! She managed to cut both hind legs and the minor infection filled both legs and she was lame to some degree. In the general scheme of things a minor annoyance....
Astonishing new hoof growth, can it all be down to Cornucrescine?

Heather's poor feet have been a constant battle for me. Before I knew her, she'd obviously suffered some neglect here. However I've picked out, cleaned, dressed and nourished her feet for more than two years....daily! That with regular attention from the farrier, I think I was starting to become resigned to her feet being a conformational fault. I had being using Effol a hoof moisturiser for quite a while, without any real difference. So last visit from the farrier, I asked his opinion. So for the last six weeks, I've been using Cornucrescine. Perhaps it's a coincidence with increased Summer growth from the brief spell of good grass. But since I've been regularly massaging Cornucrescine into her feet, particularly into the Coronet band, where hoof meets flesh, the results have been astonishing. The new growth is all too apparent...hope this continues!
This horse appears to be developing a round back end..!! At last...

When I first met Heather, she'd not long returned from a long stint living out. She's never really slotted into the riding school and had no tack or saddle. She is an odd shape and it was difficult trying to borrow a saddle from another horse who might need it for a lesson...let alone it fitting her. So I searched and found an old, beautiful English GP saddle, that fitted her...but it's very heavy. I've been told it is a copy of an old Police or Military saddle. An amazing piece of work and so comfortable to ride in. For a while though I suspected the deep knee rolls might be interfering with her shoulders. Possibly compounding her long standing canter lead problems. So I'd been looking around for something different.
Measuring up for a new saddle..

Didn't take long for me to narrow my search down to the Thorowgood T4 Hi-Wither. This is a synthetic saddle with changeable gullets to alter width and removable fish to adjust height. I'd decided another second hand leather saddle might take ages to locate. So splashed out at Robinsons! I followed the fitting guide carefully. That with plenty of reading up elsewhere and I think we ended up with a reasonable, well, good fit.
Part of the saddle fitting guide, which s easy to follow and use.

It's comfortable to ride in and best of all I'm sure Heather really appreciates it. Since her injury, on the few times I've asked, she's picked up correct canter lead on her stiff right side. The new saddle seems to help and she's not put a foot wrong so far. In fact left unchecked she willingly continues into a gallop! With all this recent improvement, I'm also wondering if the Top Spec Feed Balancer is helping things along, she's been fed this now since February. I'm sure she's gradually muscling up and her hind quarters no longer look flat and weak! She's developing a rounded full back-end!
Initial fit looks promising...

So now she's sound and with a new saddle that she likes. Time to step up the work and try and get her fit and more difficult, supple. As usual I'm up for the challenge and to be perfectly honest I enjoy every moment in this horses company..

Fitted and ready to go..!!