Halloween dog...

Dog is home though doing his best Frankenstein impression with a cracking scar and truly mortified to be wearing a lampshade.

He is also struggling with a bit of a complex as the vet nurse and receptionist thought he was a girl... I suspect as soon as he got in the kennel he had a sneaky peek to check he hadn't caught anything "important" in the fence!!

He thanks everyone for the well wishes and says he is struggling on and managing to make do with scrambled egg and steak...

Dog doesn't do thrifty...

Been out picking sloes today, obviously some will find their way into a gin bottle but as its such a bumper crop I'm going to try some other recipes as well.  

Had to pick our way around the ladybirds which were also plentiful.

Silks was doing sterling job as "head whippet in charge of sloes"

Wifor on the other hand was off on his own hedgerow harvesting mission... unfortunately it seems a fence has got in his way and this was the sad and somewhat wobbit whippet that returned.

We quickly packaged him off to the vets for stitching, rather worryingly as we left they said they hoped to fit him in this afternoon...

Caught on Camera...

I like the photos Caroline takes of me, I look busy and hardworking and the camera covers my face!!  I think milk crates are probably like stilettos, they give the optical illusion of lengthening the leg!  

Impulse Purchase!!

OK there is no excuse for what you are about to see but I would like to try and justify it...!!

Both Pitufa and Toby were in cheap rugs which are OK if they are just out for a few hours a day but with the weather we get here and them living out they needed better.  Not least because Pitufa's was a pink tutu with strange elasticated back leg straps that got longer and longer and longer - useless!  So with the weather forecast looking a bit grim I panic shopped and got them two new combo rugs. Pitufa was no bother but there was only one colour left in a seven foot. 

Pitufa head to toe in navy, nice and cosy.

Right off to get Toby's and Mark meets Quin on route, well Quin is very polite "my that looks warm" he sniggers.

Then Pitufa catches sight " ha I used to round up cows in Argentina, it will be like home from home"  (she is also very grateful she is short!)

After a small tussle the rug is on Toby, though Stela and Cherry are trying to "save" him!

And now in it's full glory...

Poor, poor pony!!

*Just to add, I've just noticed it is the "Derby House Daisy Moo Medium Combo" - you know just incase anyone else wanted one!!*

"Cumbria Like Minded Riders"

Photographing in the cold and drizzle today at Low Farm near Aspatria today.  A nice relaxed dressage competition organised by the "Cumbria Likeminded Riders".

All photos here - CLR Dressage

Caught up with Caroline who was doing her first ever dressage test on Ella.

There was a lovely mix of horses, Ella wasn't the only spotty and then there was this lovely Clydesdale 

A very successful first competition for the club.

Shoot me now...

I am about to mention the *Christmas* word.  I am now super organised for this year as Mark's pressie has been purchased, a new (to him) shotgun mostly for pest control and a hopefully a little bit of walked up shooting.  As you can see in the background we have the sort of neurotic worried horses that are terrified by loud bangs (not!)

I tried to murder a feed bucket at about twenty yards and even failed at that so I don't think I'll be filling up the larder anytime soon.  Mark put it out of its misery.

The Leeches...

Well with a severe weather warning across Scotland it was a relief to wake up to the blue sky and no rain.  For this part of the country we have been surprisingly dry this last few weeks and unusually the trees have changed colour before going bald in the high winds!!

The majority of the old horses in the back field are now rugged for winter and that leads to the question - why so many old horses, as a commercial stud it makes absolutely no sense to keep horses that do not pay their way... or does it?  For us it works, we run young horses out in a mixed herd, they learn manners and grow up sane happy horses.  The oldies don't worry about quads, jet planes and escapee marauding cows so neither do the youngsters.  The herd lives in big fields, with slopes, natural shelter and running water, they stay naturally fit and sound.

The boss of the back field is Cheeko our unofficial teaser through the breeding season.

The mixed herd is not just mares and geldings, we have have long and short ears too!

Quin, I steel myself for a one way trip to the kennels every year, with navicular, kissing spine and the most horrible flat feet known to man he can't go on forever but he adores the foals and youngsters.  I have no doubt if we ever needed a nanny to an orphan foal he would do the job.  He is with Stela (Chamfron Compostella) in this photo, she'll come in to the barn for the winter in the next month or so.

Well if the others are here to be a good example, Toby is definitely a stark warning, despite being over 17.2 and bred as a staying National Hunt horse he was in training in Newmarket as a two year old.  Somewhere on the gallops he lost his mind and he is clearly a sandwich short of the full picnic.  A tough sound horse who is an amazingly good doer but he is acquiring some very odd lumps around him.  After leaving him in a cheap rug for the last two winters as I thought the lumps would do him in I am now about to buy him an all singing all dancing heavyweight combo at great expense... now that's guaranteed to be the kiss of death!

Liz I adore, the last two seasons she has got in foal and reabsorbed (though obviously I am waiting on a miracle "surprise" foal in March!!) so she's made her point and won't be covered again.  Liz is sponsored by my mum and as a result is modeling the latest regal purple heavyweight rug for geriatric horses.

Ned on the other hand is wearing last season's reduced in the sale "dear god that's bright" rug, he wants to know why cheap rugs are ALWAYS shocking pink?  

Erica is waiting for her new rug to arrive in the post, in foal to Arrayan and due the very end of March.  She is massive already and laughs in the face of the athletic, slim figure she once had.

Hector, the big man of the back paddock, a complete gentleman who's only fault these days is that he sleeps so soundly that I give us both heart attacks once a week or so by poking him firmly while he's snoozing.  

Photos of the others later!  (Oh yes, there's more!)

Bring me my camel....

Muriel and Peter are back from Tunisia laden down with gifts including this natty little outfit...

Who says you don't need to be mad to live here...?

Odd bits of News!

Arrayan's breeder Numa Mangado now has a website which can be viewed in Spanish and English - Las Moras 

(Spot Arrayan!)

Mark's polo handicap went up to Zero at the end of the season.

Sian and Sebastian's little boy, Lucas, was Baptised (and Mark didn't spontaneously combust on entering the House of God!)  Photo taken on Mark's mobile, apologies for quality!

Pro photos from Equithon.

The pro photos from Cheshire Endurance Groups "Equithon" ride.  

Pitufa crossing the bridge (I'm carefully not looking down!)

Pitufa and Upa.

Mark on Charua.

The foal formally known as Gordon!!

Photo with kind permission from Jim (www.jimcrichton.com) 

Rebecca took Chamfron By Dand for his first outing to the Scottish Appaloosa Show and despite being up well before dawn she managed to take the scenic route to the show and miss her first class!  (I'm not taking the p*ss, my complete lack of a sense of direction is legendary!!)

They did make it into the next class though and he was placed second in the yearling class and as a result qualified for The Royal London Show 2010.   Owen (or Gordon as he was known then) was very ill as a four month old foal and Mark spent a lot of nights up in the barn with him so we do have a very soft spot for this little horse.

He got some very positive comments from the judge about his manners ("very well behaved"), temperament ("sweetest nature"), conformation ("lovely limbs and a front to die for") and movement with the only real negative being how immature he was.   Now if we can just get some of the other Nico foals into the show ring...!!!

Foals October - Chipita

Such a nice filly, looks and temperament wise!

Chipita - errr posing!!

"What do you mean not a flattering look"

Foals October - Malambo

Sporting a full winter coat, photos don't do this foal justice he is a really lovely mover, he's just too laid back to bother moving while I have the camera!!

Foals October - Viscacha

The hounds were in full cry on the hill behind so I thought I might get some action shots... Not a chance!!

Foals October - JR

JR is getting darker and larger by the day!!