Introducing Henry..

I have taken Henry on loan at the riding school. He is a Warmblood Bay gelding, standing 16.2h and at a rough guess 10-12 years old. Very handsome he is too! Henry came to the school some two or three years ago and was immediately popular, probably due to his looks..possibly to his detriment. He was initially overworked and almost inevitably went lame and had a back problem. On his recovery other new shiny horses had taken the limelight and the poor lad became an also ran in popularity and he generally languished without turnout or work.
Henry the Horse! Never stands still for very long and is quite bargy...needs to get out more!

Luckily for Henry he was taken on loan last Summer by Helen. Horses thrive with good regular attention and care. So with good feed and a warm clean stable his rehabilitation from obscurity was swift. With one problem. Horses like people have different characters. Now with proper weight and potential fitness Henry started to act himself...no longer squashed with overwork. The opposite...bursting with energy...nervous energy! He is a very spooky horse...easily worried. So on his re-introduction to the school, unfortunately he managed to make a name for himself bucking riders off. Not maliciously, but as a result of nervous tension. He is not really best suited in a school. A riding school horse should be steady giving the rider confidence. Henry is the opposite. He takes confidence from the rider...he needs a steadying hand to reassure his nervous nature.
I'm about to get stepped on!

So he's now in my hands. The challenge is to try and apply the same skills learned from looking after Heather, though Henry is so much different. On a day to day basis he is dirty and wet in his stable, though he seems to be settling a little now. He is happy to be groomed and picks his feet up quite well. Though I've been told he has poor feet, they're lots better than Heathers were. He has very elegant fine legs and a big plus, no white hair or pink skin, which so often seems to be more prone to infections. He's fine haired and thin skinned, which means he's a bit sensitive to brush, but stays clean and his coat comes up shiny without much effort. He had his teeth rasped in the week which was needed but revealed no trouble and he behaved very well.
Henry's in lovely condition and just needs some more fitness to get him working nicely.

I have got my work cut out though. He has poor stable manners, which are already improving. A walk in hand across the yard is close to an epic adventure. To turn him out is close to suicide with two leading him! To fetch him in is fraught as he will not be separated. I've had to get someone else to catch another to bring in alongside. None of these things are his fault. He's just not been handled enough and had regular boundaries applied. I can understand why...he is very strong and intimidating. Taking the couple of photos of him ended up with me having what is probably a broken toe as he jumped on my foot...ouch! Ridden work is coming along and I'll write more soon.

An Invigorating trip..

I'm currently on a training course through work. So far I've done four weeks out of seven, in a classroom with no windows, supplied with foul supposedly conditioned air. Not only that, but the course is presented on computers..so for much of the day the room is dark and I'm looking at a laptop screen. To keep from falling asleep I'm drinking far too much chemical coffee and hot choc from a vending machine. I'm getting up early to study...plus doing another three hours or so at night...all on laptops! Normally my work is varied and I'm sort of free range with big bright horizons, with plenty to do. So not surprisingly I'm starting to suffer and badly needed a day out!
Spectacular view of Llyn Ogwen from the shoulder below Tryfan's North Ridge

So with an unexpected free day..grasped the opportunity and headed for the hills..after picking up a good friend, Giles, who I would guide for the day! Feels like it's been grey for weeks. Imagine the sight of blue skies across the Irish Sea in one direction and snow capped mountains their summits defined keenly against the sky in the other. I really had to concentrate on driving, as it was so tempting to admire the view!
This guy, with no gear and little idea(Giles) kept following me! Could have left him to the goats, but gave him half my hot choc instead..

The snow was a surprise and not forecast. So my plans for the day had to be adjusted accordingly. I had intended a walk to the top of Tryfan following the same route to the far South Peak via the Heather Terrace path, that I walked back in June with Liz. I had picked the Heather terrace as a loose connection to the horse I have loaned and lost this week. The path with the flower of her name is fittingly beautiful, yet as rocky and hard as the mare herself. A fitting tribute.
Tryfan's goats seem to have had a good year, with plenty of young kids..

We had the place to ourselves. As we gained height towards the North Ridge the snow became deeper. No footprints. So the snow was fresh..last nights..so not icy and a delight to crunch through. Unfortunately this made the route-finding all the more tricky and I was aware of a worsening weather forecast. Eventually we found the elusive path...well the terrace and made our way along. By the time we'd got to the South end the cloud was descending and snow was being blown in the increasing wind. No time for bravery..after attempting to make snow angels on a precarious slab and nearly falling off. We decided to get to the valley floor and head home.

My attempt at making mountain snow angels nearly ended up with me flying off the side!

Heather has been sold....gone

Someone came to try her on Monday. By the time I got to the yard on Wednesday, I'd missed her by half an hour..sold, loaded and gone. Even though I knew this might come, the reality hit hard and I can only say that I'm devasted.


What is most frustrating is that no one sought my knowledge gained daily looking after her. Heather's new owner will have to start like I did...no clues, a blank sheet. Whereas I know so much and would willingly pass on every detail to make her future that much easier. I feel very disappointed and let down by the people who should really have had her interests at heart..yet constantly put up barriers to her welfare.

My last sight of her was when I called her in at dusk on Tuesday. She came, bringing half the ponies with her. Limping lame on her fore again, I noted. It was raining and really pretty ugly, so didn't take her rug off...just let her eat her bucket of feed...gave her a scratch where she likes and turned her back out...saying goodbye, as I always do. She didn't linger by the gate with the rain.