Shepherd's pony

Almost certainly seen sneaking up a grass field we shouldn't of but hopefully we have made up for it but doing a bit of ewe reorientation! 

That time of year

Blustery day at Kelso for Ladies Day, once more large quantities of Pimms were consumed!

Sioux - All Change

Kayreen Jones's Exbury Ghost filly Sioux having her annual change of shade and pattern, she is out of a Dales mare.

Trail Camera - May

Been busy this week (new job!) so the cameras are quiet as they need new batteries and baited.  Before that though there was more daylight badger sightings and the other fox in daylight.  I have moved the cheap as chips camera to catch the deer, you can see from the first photo what I am aiming for but not quite getting!  Will get some batteries in the hope of cubs and fawns as the month goes on.

Chamfron Ombu - four years old

Ombu is looking fantastically well and so handsome under saddle.

Springfest

There is a thought amongst the WAY (Widowed and Young) group that the WAYWOCs (Widowed, young and no kids) spend our lives drinking and holidaying, we utterly refute these claims... some of us dance really badly too.  Viv, Fiona and I do Springfest at the Tempest Brewery yesterday, good day though that Raspberry crush pale ale looked better than it tasted.

Bluebells and Spotty pals

Swung back into Kinclaven this morning and had the woods completely to myself.  Then I popped into Karen's as she had the vet, the farrier and a broken hand to deal with.  It was a fair exchange, foal kissing in exchange for having a lovely lunch bought for me.  Gratuitous photo of Mojito just because he looks magnificent.

Beach Babes!

Jessica and Chamfron Colorado making the most of the glorious weather.

Floors Eventing

Chamfron Kukri isn't competing this year but he is in the program! 

Exploring

The plan for today had been up to the Heights to peer at the cross country jumps, however we got to the brow of the hill only to find they were being guarded by young inquisitive cattle so instead Brave Sir Spidey (and I) bravely turned and bravely fled!  It was however a glorious day and there were hoof prints leading through a gate we'd never been so we went off exploring and had a lovely hack alongside the Melrose path with the black hill in front of us.  Undoubtably a hack that could be done much faster but it does no harm for wee white fluffy people to walk up grass fields occasionally. 

So in the last seven days I have ridden five times for six hours and covered eighteen miles, we mostly walk and even when we are cantering we are not the fastest (his top speed appears to be 16mph, a career in pony racing does not beckon).  The App has encouraged me to explore, to go a little further, to tackle some very tiny demons, I will keep tracking, though probably not blogging, every hack and see where it takes us.

My horsey life now is such a weird contradiction, I am the absolute definition of the middle aged amateur, people presume he is my first pony and give me "helpful" unasked for advice on subjects such as strip grazing and yet my old life ticks away and I hear on the grapevine that one of the biggest names in polo is enquiring about one of my youngsters!

"Schooling"

Under the watchful eye of our small, fierce and shouty instructor we pootled in the arena tonight, which as you can tell from the tracker is only two thirds surfaced.  We even threw ourselves over some mahoosive obstacles...