The verdict is...

its quite a rare form of epilepsy!
One of the vets rang this morning she said all the results from the biopsies have come back clear so they've basically eliminated any physical problem which could cause these symptoms. She said they could do brain scans but that would mean another trip to Edinburgh plus lots more money.
This was one of the possibilites the vet mentioned on the initial consultation after he'd observed &examined Buster...how good was he!!
I did have a feeling he pretty much knew what was going when i picked Bust up as he seemed so convinced it was treatable but until the results were in didnt want to commit.
Ive done a very brief google for 'limbic epilepsy' and it seems spot on plus in the long term there's a good possibility he'l be able to get weaned off the meds,which the vet did mention too.
He's now on Phenobarbetone had his first tablets today and there is most definate small signs of improvement. He's been a bit perkier tonight and is more affectionate than he has been as he'd distanced himself quite alot through all this which was hard to take.
She did say it was pretty fast acting but im delighted with how fast it seems to be kicking in!
The vet school will continue to oversee his treatment from now on but via my vet so I wont have to keep travelling to Edinburgh.
There are obviously side effects to the medication he's on so ideally if he can come off them in 6months that would be great. He's had no quality of life while this has been going on, just last night he was so up &down i'd seriously considered pts so im relieved to have ANY options.
Will have a more thorough google tomorrow...

So im hoping I will have my old boy back in the next few days and i can enjoy whats left of my hols:)

He's home for Christmas!

Had another long day on the road today but im happy my boy is home:)

Im just going to type out the sheet the vet gave me of their findings it will be more accurate than me trying to do my own interpretation sorry if this is boring-
////Clinical examination revealed Buster's salivary glands to be enlarged.We have also detected a mild heart murmur(interesting as this has never been detected before vet doesnt think its linked with current illness or anything to worry about)
Blood tests revealed evidence of mild dehydration and one of the parameters relating to his liver was also increased.However,a further blood revealed no evidence of abnormal liver function(this was the test done this morning).
X-rays taken of Buster's chest releaved no evidence of significant abnormality.
Endoscopy of Buster's oesophagus,stomach and upper small intestine.Biopsies have been taken from his stomach and upper small intestine and have been sent for analysis at the lab.
Samples taken from both his salivary glands revealed no evidence of inflammation,cancerous changes or infection.(huge relief there)////

Vet wouldnt confirm a diagnosis until the other lab results are through he said he has 'some' of the symptoms of two conditions, it could be either or both.
But his is confident he'll have a firm diagnosis once these are in and a course of treatment,I get the feeling he's pretty sure what it is but doesnt want to commit himself until the results are in.We should have those by Monday or Tuesday next week.
Vet seemed really pleased and positive so im feeling much happiers and optimistic.
At the momemt the meds are treating his tum its pretty much the same as if he has ulcers!
When he brought Buster out to me vet said there are lots of disappointed people in the back as he's been are huge hit so Buster now has a Scottish branch to his fan club.
I could tell instantly he was much brighter, he's had a few more swallowing episodes when he saw me and when he saw Minx,Mouse and Ted but since he's been home ive not seen any which is brilliant as it was happening every few minutes the last few days.
I cant praise the vet and the University enough they are absolutely brilliant and have been lovely with us both throughout.My bill was at the bottom of the estimate so I managed to pay for it without hammering my credit card...granted it was still nearly £900 {gulp} but he's worth it:)

My mum is still in hospital and will be for the next few days yes Christmas in hospital!
She's on a drip with antibiotics and morphine,she's not allowed to eat or drink either the ultrasound showed she has gall stones,I think they are hoping it all settles down so they can take the gall bladder out at a later date but the doctor hasnt rules taking it out in the meantime.
Visiting is betwen 2and 8pm so we'll all be going down tomorrow afternoon to visit and open pressies!

Huge thankyou to Claire for the offer of driving today I wished there had been more time to take you up on it ive done a LOT of driving in the last two days and needed matchsticks coming home.
Jean thanks for the lovely comment yesterday it helped a lot and obviously worked!

Hope you all have lovely Christmasxxxx

Edinburgh in the morning

Had an awful night with him last night he had several 'episodes' he was heavy breathing and doing the swallowing I was convinced I was going to lose him and sat up most of the night.
Took him straight up the vets this morning its the first time the vet has seen him having one of these turns,I mentioned he sounds fluidy on his chest so after examining him he took an xray of his chest with him awake but still cant find anything abnormal.I asked if he had any ideas at all of whats going on he said he's honestly seen nothing like it before!
He chased up Edinburgh who rang me to book an appointment unbeknown to me as my mobile went straight to answer phone and I didnt get a voicemail alert,im furious as I could have had him there this afternoon.I rang the university to find out why they hadnt called and when they said they had I checked my voicemail I had FOUR voicemails that havent come through.Orange is the worst network ive ever been with,I'll ring them soon as im sorted couldnt trust myself to do it today!
So appointment is for 10am will be leaving here about 6.30 in the morning as its a good 2&half hours plus i'll hit morning rush hour up there.

Fingers crossed he has a better night and we get some answers tomorrow AND whatevers going on is treatable!

No change.

Sorry to worry you Jean he's just the same:(
Today I noticed the glands in his throat are huge and although whenever he's had his temperature taken at the vets its been normal, today when I had my hand on him he was definately hotter than the other dogs.
Im phoning my vets first thing in the morning to find out whats happening re Edinburgh I just want to get him up there as soon as possible!
Im leaving him with my mum when I have to go to the farm the other dogs need to burn off steam and he cant cope with the slightest bit of excitement or exercise without triggering an attack.

Had two lovely rides on AliG at the new yard.He's been such a good boy we've been through fields,streams and woods and he's taken it all in his stride.Today we had a hack along the lane and despite it blowing a gale he was very sensible although he did get a bit excitable when we headed home and jogged a bit:)

Will keep you posted as soon as I have news...

Im back..ish!Awful news.........

Im having a horrendous time at the minute Buster is seriously ill im absolutely terrified im going to lose him.
He's been ill for 2and a bit weeks,started with him being a bit quiet then he had a 'funny turn' when out for a walk he seemed to be struggling to breath and swallow.I rushed him to the vets and he's since had two lots of xrays,an endoscope down his throat,swabs sent away and blood tests everything has come back clear.He's extremely lethargic,has these snorting gasping episodes and over the past few days has been vomiting up a phlemy/mucus.
The one good thing is he's still got his appetite and when he's vomiting its not directly after eating.
Up to now we thought Kennel cough,foreign body 'somewhere?' problems with his laryx,he's been on antibiotics for 10days and anti inflamatory meds but nothing has made a difference.
The vet is totally baffled by it and is contacting the vet school at Edinburgh so im waiting to hear if/when he can go up.
Im so worried about all this I can hardly sleep.......

The poor neds have been moved then pretty much had flying visits from me im exhausted with stress and moving all of their stuff(8car loads and its not all moved!).They had an hour in the field with the herd then we had to move them into a field of their own.It was AliG causing the problems not Polo,he was totally looking after his old mate and wouldnt let any horse near Polo and beating anything up that so much as looked in their direction,to the point of pinning a pony down!
The field they are in is fantastic -huge,no mud,stream running through it,sheltered I couldnt ask for more and thats 'their' field from now on.They are very clingy to me when I arrive running over to me and following my every move bless them .
I feel so guilty as they are baffled by it all then im not spending more than an hour with them but ive got two days left at work then I break up for two weeks then hopefully I wont feel so torn between where I have to be ,to where I want and need to be!
Sorry if this a bit jumbled my mind is all over the places:(

Blogger break

Ive decided to take a blog break for a few weeks.
Im not finding a lot of time to get online at the moment so im already being hit and miss with the blog and im feeling guilty for not keeping track of everyone elses news!
There's the upcoming horse move,work being incredibly hectic (also been roped into a course),im not sleeping well again I cant see things improving in the short term so I reckon a break is the way to go.

I will leave you all with my recent news then come back when things are more settled.
Over the past week ive rode both my boys.It was very interesting riding one after another in the school its hard to put into words how completely different they are in just about everyway.AliG is so well balanced and rhythmic he looks good without seeming to put any effort into it,he's comfortable and easy to ride.
Polo is all power but unbelievably sensitive.I cant remember the last time he's been in the school so was Mr Stress Head, lateral work always helps settle him so we did leg yielding,shoulder in,turn on forehand etc all with the slightest of aids.We had a couple of short trots, which is the first time in months and it felt like two strides and I was at the top of the school..i'd almost forgotten how hard he can be to ride:))) ..Oh and he felt totally sound!!!
Its going to be fun having a school I can use whenever I want,wish I could transfer some of Polo's sensitivity and forwardness to AliG and give Polo some of AliG's balance and common sense:))

Okay folks thats all for now i'll be back...................

Decision made!!

Well after much consideration and deliberation ive decided....to....................
MOVE!:0

Told new yard owner who is happy to accomodate my million rug boxes,rubber mats,bulk bought feed etc and is also desperately trying to persuade his wife they need a Border terrier pup:)
Told my current YO today she looked a bit shocked and made a few snide comments which I didnt react to I was as nice as I possible could be explaining the school and off road riding were the reasons for going.My friend was with me and she got a bit narked about the digs but I think because ive decided to go they really didnt bother me or get me annoyed in the slightest.
Anyway she has a months notice although i'll probably leave before the month is up.M is gutted and has been asking everyday if ive changed my mind, after the conversation I had with her today I think she's wishing she had come and put her name down for one of the part livery stables.
Jo said her little daughter is inconsolable anmd burst into tears..amazing the impact I had there considering I have no time or patience for kids isnt it!:)))

I had a lovely ride out with the new girl on Sunday her horse is spooky and nervy,didnt bother AliG in the slightest. She did a huge spook going over a wooden bridge then at some logs, he didnt react or feed off her nerves at all we then had a nice canter along the track with him leading.She was amazed at how good he was for a baby,its quite a change for me being on the sensible horse!

Today Ali had a short lunge session then I gave my friend a little riding lesson on you guessed it AliG.She's had a couple of lessons recently, I kept her on the lunge concentrating on her position and getting the feel for the movement' Ali was so good, honestly how many four year olds would you trust to put a complete novice on.She said im a good teacher and it was better than the lessons she'd paid for:)

Will have to start packing up this weekend I have LOTS of stuff!!

Decisions,decisions,decisions....

Im in a quandary!
At the beginning of the week I went on a yard hunt,not for me but for a friend who needed to move urgently,we looked at four yards within a few mile radius of where I am now.To cut a long story short I am seriously tempted by the first yard we visited which is also the one friend chose.
We moved her horses there today and I had a good look around particularly at the hacking and its amazing.They have over 160acres,streams,access to ride through ajoining woods and the roads are extremely quiet too.They are taking 10 as part livery with a further 10 grass liveries,I couldnt afford to pay for the part livery but mine only come in for a couple of hours a day anyway so they would be fine living out.The fields are huge,no mud,good fencing with lots of hedges and trees for natural shelter plus they also have a school!
I had a good chat to YO and he said im welcome to put mine in one of his stables if I want to mess on through the day as his will all be out.I mentioned the fact Polo can be riggy and Alig was late cut and he said not to worry I can have them in a field with geldings only or by themselves if they become a problem he's also happy to let me strip graze during the summer if they get to fat.The fabulous hacking and school are a huge draw.
Writing all that makes me wonder why im deliberating so much!:)))
I suppose they are so settle where we are and I hate the idea of moving them for movings sake when im not exactly unhappy where i am...although the YO can make things hard at times.
My main areas of discontenton at our yard are since the two new horses arrived there are 5big horses plus a pony in the field and it simply isnt big enough,it cant be over two acres,its already looking pretty trashed and muddy and doesnt get rested full stop.We poo pick daily because of the over grazing which isnt exactly fun when your up to your ankles in mud plus the time spend doing this I could be riding oh and the fencing is rubbish,its impossible to get the YO fix or maintain anything,no school and the lane is becoming more and more busy with traffic. I know I have permission to use the school over the road but I dont like to go in more than once a week or when other people are riding and its impossible to get in during the school holidays.
The other issue is hardly anyone rides on our yard,I quite enjoy riding on my own but sometimes its nice to have company to go for a long hack plus im more strict with myself if ive made arrangements to meet and ride:))
M has rode El about a dozen times this year,Jo rides maybe once a week,YO does but to be honest her ponys are so slow I might as well be riding by myself plus she's not my 'cup of tea' and run out of conversation after two minutes!
If this move was me moving house i'd jump at it because its not for me but the horses im thinking and dithering MUCH more,Polo does tend to react badly to a move which puts me off but he would have ALiG with him which should help.
I said i'd have a good think and get back to him within a week or so which gives my friend time to settle in a report back to me:)

Horse news ive been a good girl and rode BOTH boys this week plus had great fun in the school with Ali playing with the poles.We've not done this for ages and he was incredibly keen and forward cantering and jumping them when I was trying to get him to trot,most unusual for him but good!
Polo was pretty blumming good considering how long its been since I last rode him,we didnt go far but he seemed happy to be out.

Mmmm not sure if this is good or bad??

Firstly im full of cold had a sore throat yesterday which has become a full on seriously congested head cold gradually getting worse as the day went on:(

I nearly didnt go today as i'd not slept well but pleased I did as Buster got two third placing which is ANOTHER Crufts qualifier! Im really chuffed he's qualified four times over this year which is good going as you only qualify with certain classes at Champ shows so bloody good going if I do say so myself.I could tell she liked him, she came and lifted him just before giving her placings Peter said that was her way of saying he would have gotten a higher placing if he'd not been so heavy.I could get him a bit leaner if my OH didnt keep feeding them treats everytime my backs turned grrrr!

Well the puppy news is Peter still thinks the blue,Ted, is the 'boy' but he REALLY likes the other pup too and thinks he could do very well in the ring too so that is making things really difficult!
I know realistically I cant keep two as five dogs is simply too much,plus I couldnt show two as they'd be in the same class so ive got to be tough here.But im not prepared to put him up for sale to just anyone so at the moment im going to hang on wait and see.Peter gets lots of people ringing him for dogs so if he gets the right person wanting to show he'll put them onto me,ideally i'd like someone I know take him.
Never again!!!!

Right im off to have a hot bath and bed my nose is getting the better of me dripping all over the laptop.

Doesnt time fly when your having fun!

Barely had online time recently apologies for not keeping up with my blog and everyone else's news.
Last week I was off but caught the decorating bug so was up till early hours of the morning most of the time,my bedroom has been painted from top to bottom and my hallway has nice new wallpaper on it.This week ive been sleeping in a different residence with work and had no internet:0

The weather was pretty horrible most of last week so I didnt do a great deal with the neds,Ali had a couple of hacks and a longlining session in the school.Yes im still going in!:) I havent managed to catch the livery yard owner to find out the facts but ive seen the pony club using it and a few other people from outside having lessons so figured it should be okay unless im told otherwise.The general consensus seems to be,okay well among Jo,M and I,is he's not allowed to hire out the school for money:)
Ive pretty much done nothing this week as its rained most of the time:( Its taken ages to clip AliG his coat is an absolute nightmare so thick soft and fluffy ive done it over 3days and that was only to get a low trace clip!
He's been an absolute star though not batting an eye at me crawling around trying to clip from a million different angles:))

Pup's have had their second vaccination tonight and were microchipped they didnt make a peep though it all,vet said he'd done the other two on Wednesday and they'd screamed the place down!
Tomorrow im off to Scotland for Buster's last show of the year,taking the two pups for more opinions but im pretty certain im keeping the blue dog.Ive called him 'Ted' cos he looks like a teddy bear!:)))Having said that the thought of the other pup going is getting harder to contemplate..NOT that ive advertised him yet!
I cant keep two........I cant keep two......I cant keep two ......I cant keep two......

A rant...

about my YO!!Now there are lots of good things about my yard one has always been the YO tended to keep her nose out and let us get on with things but lately she's been an absolute witch.
A while ago Ali and Polo managed to reach some of her hay bales they mainly burst a few bales but did eat some (which I didnt want as her hay makes the horses cough) I told her they'd done it and moved the hay so they couldnt reach it.Now firstly they had tons of room at the back for the new cut hay but for some reason stacked it right at the front.Bearing in mind last year her young horse was on restricted grazing in the pen and managed to get at the hay you'd think she'd have realised the horses can get at it and put it further in.Im not excusing them eating it but they did do most of the damage when i'd had to strip them off in a tiny paddock using my tall electric fence posts(mainly got the shorter one's) when she decided to bring her friends mare.
Jo told me she slagged me off about it saying she'd had to pull me about it, i'd not offered to pay for the hay and I wasnt bothered.I had all intention of giving her some money for it even though it could have been avoided by stacking it further back in the first place.I ended up clipping her horse for nothing cos she wouldnt take the money saying "oh dont be silly I dont want it":000

M had sent Ellie away to stud this summer after several attempts at AI she was in foal and came home but on her last scan the vet said there was nothing showing so she'd obviously absorbed the foal recently.M was obviously disappointed but the vet did said its been a really bad year for it and they 'think' the weather affects the hormone levels so he thinks its worth trying next year.YO's son broke his neck to come and see M and say "oh well that was a waste of money wasnt it" cheeky little so and so!But he repeats his mother so we could just imagine what she'd been saying to all insundry when she found out.
This is the woman who paid £2000 for a Welsh section foal that was lame when she went to see it and has the most crooked legs you could ever see and has been lame ever since!

A few weeks ago she was complaining to M she has to have a stable for Jo's pony even though Jo doesnt pay her for it.The farm actually belongs to YO's hubbys father who is old and found it too much to manage anyway Jo has known the family for years and pays her livery to the old man rather than our YO..this obviously rankles her hugely.Plus the 'stable' as a tiny old pig pen that isnt high enough for anything over 12hands AND he's only actually had two nights in it when we had the floods!

She's excelled herself today with her comments to M though.
It has always got her back up that we use the arena over the road as she hates the guy who owns the livery yard.He's done nothing to her she is just absolutely eaten up with jealousy because she had wanted to buy one of the fields next to the farm but he bought them all and open the livery yard.
She has put objection in after objection to the plans so was furious they went ahead apparently there have been complaints about the traffic and horse boxes on the lane (mm wonder who from) so now the arena is only allowed to be used by people who are actually based on his yard ..well this is what she told M. He never charges rental for the school and is pretty generous letting different people use the school including the kids pony club so thats all got to stop despite the fact they used to have the pony club at the top of the same lane but in a field.
Anyway M said she was positively gleeful in telling her we wouldnt be able to use the school,what an absolute cow.
Im not taking any notice as yet until ive spoken to the livery yard owner as far as im concerned I dont drive up the lane to use the school but to get to our farm and he doesnt charge anything for me going in so can anyone stop and 'friend' from using their facilities?
Im livid can you tell.The thing that gets me the most is she's complaining about the traffic, disturbance and how things arent done legitimately yet when the new girl moves onto our yard she will have 7 horses there on livery (not including her own) with 5 people coming to and fro plus they have a garage work shop on the farm,none of which is declared, PLUS her OH doesnt work but has lots of 'fiddle' jobs on the go!
The upshot of this all is im seriously considering moving the horses.I dont really want to cos the yard is close to home lots of off road riding and I can winter them out but if I cant use the arena I cant have lessons, I cant school my young horse plus im up to my back teeth of this woman at the minute.
Im not rushing in im going to have a think and see if things settle down but will put the feelers out to see whats out there.Im obviously restricted in that I cant been somewhere that does a lot of roadwork for Polo (not that i'd want to be anyway)
plus i'd be better with a field to myself due to the horny natures of my two:))

Sorry its soooo long but I just cant see why anyone has to be so bloody horrible all the time it makes me mad!


Ps No horsey news as its been blowing a gale all day haha!

Travel sickness.

Both the little fella's have terrible travel sickness I took them for a little run out a few days ago and i'd barely got to the end of the street and they were puking..lovely!It has to be hereditary Mouse was really bad for the first 6months my friends have reported the other two pups are the same,Minx has always been great as were her pups,:0
For the past few days ive been putting them in the car for short spells with the engine running feeding them ginger snap biscuits,ginger is meant to be good for sickness and it seemed to help Mouse so worth a try.

My shifts have been all over the place this week doing two days and one 'normal' night so ive not done too much other than a hack with AliG.
Its blowing a gale today so I thought i'd pass just ended up clipping the YO's pony.
My two are still unrugged but think i'll rug Polo this weekend and have a crack a clipping Ali and rugging him he's like a ball of fluff,he's never been done before as far as im aware so will have to see what he makes of it.Im dying to see what colour he'll be underneath:)

Not sure if I mentioned it but Minx is helping to bump up my vet bill again.She hurt her paw last weekend,not sure if she caught it on something or Ellie stood on her?Anyway she had a deep cut on her pad plus the vet said she may well have broken toe as it was extremely sore but because the course of action would be the same there was no point xraying.My mum and brother took her up for a dressing change yesterday while I was at work, by all accounts its looking good im taking her for a dressing change tomorrow and have booked the 'boys' in for their first injections.

Im off work now for a week and a half..hurray:)))))))))))))))

Then there was two:(

The've been gone a couple of hours and its remarkable how empty the house seems,im sad but a bit relieved too as they were becoming a handfull.
I'll make you wait at little to see who stayed cos im feeling cruel!:)

Horse news ive gone from one extreme to the other and Ali's had 4hacks this week nothing really to report as he was a good boy.He still had a ears back moment at that 'bogey' spot yesterday but with firm forward riding he hasnt done anything other than pin them for a few strides then they pop up then pin again.Still cant work out why he does it 'there'(hasnt done it anywhere else for months) but it lasted a minute tops then he was fine...strange.
Today I received a phonecall from YO to say when M had arrived at the yard this morning she found AliG charging around the yard snorting.
Well I now know for certain Ali has a decent jump in him for some reason he'd jumped the five bar gate out of the pen! At first I thought he'd done it to get to Ellie as yesterday he'd shown a bit of interest in her when she was in season but if that was the case he'd have gone round to her stable not run around the yard like a headless chicken.So I reckon he'd gone to the gate to wait, they know what time they come in so hang about around then something spooked him and he leapt the gate M said Polo was very wound up too.
I have to say im impressed its a big gate going uphill and the pens pretty small so he couldnt have gotten a run at it..Caroline fancy an Andy eventer?:))

Okay i'll put you out of your misery my cute girl and the large light dog........... went tonight:(((
Peter surprised me I was convinced he'd go for the blue dog and the large dog.He had a good look at them and watched them move then popped two in the box and said these are the two I think are the best he picked the blue dog which wasnt a surprise but he also loved the smaller dog.
His thought on the blue dog were he potentially has as good a head as Buster(high praise)he has tight smallish feet so he doesnt think he'll be as big as Buster which is good and he liked the way he moves.
The smaller pup is very different but Peter thought he had nice lines when he moved,loved his rich colour and think's his head is extremely good although different from the blue dog.
Basically he said if he had to pick a dog to take home today he'd take the blue as he's pretty certain he's the 'one' but if I can hang onto them both a bit longer he'll get the lady who showed him the ropes to take a look too.
Luckily we've got a show in two weeks in Scotland so the pups can have a trip out in the car and they can take a look then.
I'd put a advert up in Farmway at Hexham last weekend but havent advertised anywhere else so unless I get interest from there i'll wait a couple of weeks.
Peter was full of praise for the condition of them all he said I make an excellent job of it as Minx's pups were the same.I reckon looking after the mummys is the secret plus the steak, chicken,sausages and scrambled eggs Mouse had when she wouldnt eat probably didnt hurt:))
He said again he thought I should move Buster up into the next classes because Buster is such a mature well developed dog for his age this is something we'd discussed a while back.I kind of wanted him to have the allowances which are given in the younger classes but to be honest he's so brilliant in the ring he probably doesnt need it.
Anyway ive now got five dogs on the settee with me,im the one hanging off the end!

Holidays are coming...

and its a good job im so busy at the minute.Break up on Friday,well sort of.Im going to be working one night as its assessment week for new students up to now we only have two coming into residence so if it stays like this i'll only have to work one night and im off all of the following week too!:))

I actually rode a few times last week shocking but true:))
Alig had a session in the longreins in the school which he was a good as ever.
I also did a short lunge session then rode last Friday.I was really pleased he hasnt gone backwards despite not having a lot of work under saddle recently it proves the work on the longlines is effective and doing the job.
Yesterday we went out for hack he was very sensible leading past a tractor,he did have a very short spell when he pinned his ears I just rode him firmly and he snapped out of it and was fine for the rest of the time.It does seem like he gets to a point then decides he's done enough but it was more like a token protest and he didnt for one minute feel like he was going to escalate it and go up.We had a fab canter along the verge heading home very bouncy and forward it is a nice feeling to ride a horse that you 'know' isnt going to drop a shoulder and spook.:)

Its decision day for the pups on Saturday breeder is coming down for a show so will come and give me his opinion im pretty certain he'll love the blue dog but half of me is hoping he goes for the girl..she is far too cute and cuddly.
However it would mean disappointing friends who have their heart set on her.Thats the one saving grace here I know where she's going and will be able to see her,still tough though..im so not cut out for this breeding malarky!

Just call me lucky.

What is it with me at the mintue if there's the possibility of something going wrong it will and is.
My saddle eventually arrived so sent off to ride Ali on Sunday wasnt till I got on the saddle I thought something's missing here..knee rolls! I had a feeling there was something missing when I unpacked the saddle but the penny didnt drop till I sat on it, some are on the way.

Ali was very good on the hack but incredibly lazy he's definitely a horse that needs to be kept semi fit to have any oomph ive never encountered this before certainly not with Polo.
I took Polo for a short hack to see how he was doing its hard to explain but he felt a bit stilted to begin with but then loosened up and felt freer.He was pretty good in that hurried manic way of his after a lay off they realy are like chalk and cheese.Although AliG is more trainable,sane and safe sometimes im not sure if he's for me I find it hard work riding a horse that isnt forward and for all of Polo's hang ups and unpredictability he is very forward.
Hopefully i'll be able to get more time in the saddle and resume our lessons with D it definitely was making a difference but at the minute it wouldnt be fair to expect him to work hard for an hour when he's unfit.

Today i'd planned of longlining AliG in the school but when I got there I noticed he had a swollen hot area on his chest/lower neck area-GREAT!
Not sure if ive mentioned it on the blog but he's had a few of these hot lumps on his bum sporadically over the past few months after a few days it goes back to normal then the hair falls off.I thought after the last time it was the fly spray but ive not used anything lately,they are itchy too.Ive washed it and thickened it in Aloe vera gel, this is what I did to the others lumps,will see what its like tomorrow then decided whether the vet needs to come out.It looked less swollen this afternoon from the morning so hopefully it'l be fine but it might need further exploration if it keeps happening to see whats causing it?!

Show report :)

It poured down all the way to the show and back luckily it was an indoor venue but it did take much longer to get there than i'd thought because of the wet roads.
Buster got fourth which I was pleased about as I always struggle to get placed at the breed club shows he was very good again, think he really has this showing malarky sussed!
I still find it hard to get my head around how several members of the committee can abandon their particular role to show their dogs,I find it baffling,suprisingly (not) they were all 'well' placed:))
There was a lady who'd judged us a few weeks or so ago showing one of her pups in minor puppy,poor thing was terrified eyes bulging in a total panic meanwhile she was determindly trying to make it stand up which involved holding its backend up by the tail!
I felt really sorry for it and was getting seriously annoyed with her.The pup looked like it had never been anywhere before and had seen nothing,none of my dogs have ever acted like that its always been a case of controlling their boisterousness in the beginning.Not a good example of how to show and handle you dog never mind her being a judge a surely supposed to set and example.

I was much later getting back than i'd thought due to the weather but doubt i'd have entertained doing anything with the boys so they got fed and turned back out.The good news is despite my lack of doing anything with them they are slimming down slowly but surely ive not rugged them up to now and am going to hang on a bit longer yet.

Hopefully ive outwitted the pups by heightening the box tonight this time with wood ........

What next!

I'll make it quick as I need to go to bed cos ive got a show tomorrow so an early start.
Had get the blumming vet out on Monday as when I got to the farm AliG's eye was completely closed,no idea what he'd done but I didnt want to risk it.
Vet was worried about uveitis,which had been my first thought,as it looked like he'd walloped it on something,pressure building up and a knock can start this off so he had to have two lots of eye drops 4times a day.
Luckily its back to normal and he's fine and dandy.

Ive done bog all with them this week due to the eye...weather(wet/windy/cold)..and pure tiredness on my part,I need to get myself kick started again soon!

Puppies are doing great they are all now escaping from the box my dad made and my attempts to make it higher have been destroyed:0
They've just had their supper and been outside to do their 'business' so hopefully will settle down soon so I can go to bed!!

25hour day?

Thats what I seem to need right now there arent enough hours in the day and im struggling to fit everything in!
The puppies are more and more demanding I honestly dont think they are far off needing to go and get some one to one attention.However until the breeder has been to see them in a couple of weeks im reluctant to make a decision on who or even if I should keep one its a shame he lives so far away!
Luckily the weather has been lovely so they've been getting out in the back for lots of plays and running around they are hilarious to watch although at times determind to give me a heart attack.Today alone I had to scoop a sweeping brush bristle out of one pups mouth as he obviously been chewing and got one stuck and pick one up who'd fell the two foot from the decking!
My heart is going for the little girl,she's the cuddliest pup ive ever known, but I think two of the dogs are going to be a bit special so I need an objective opinion.

Horse news- Polo looks a tad lame again:( Im sure the original problem was tendon now and because he spent the week galloping around being crazy over the mare I reckon he's niggled it again.Im really cheesed off he was looking brill up to this and I was going to start gently (ahem) hacking him again.
Im going to get Jo to trot him up inhand tomorrow to get a better idea then if that the case rest again, it seemed to be doing the job until the mare threw the spanner in the works!
I turfed out his stable as ive not had time to do it since it was flooded so I scrubbed and lifted the mats hosed it all out and tried to concrete the area that lets the water in,hopefully it'l work although the only way to tell is if it rains and we've had more than our fair share.

Ive done two longreining sessions in the school with AliG this week and went for a hack yesterday.Im pleased to report his behaviour doesnt seem to get affected in the slightest by not being in regular work.He was lovely in the longlines,im not always sure what im doing is correct but it looks good to me and his behaviour is impeccable time and time again.Hacked out with Jo and her daughter on yesterday we just walked as he's not done much lately plus Jo's daughter has lost a bit of confidence after falling off the pony last weekend.He led there and back without putting a foot wrong,although he has is moments I often forget how young his is because he's SO sensible.
This bodes well for the winter as I usually give Polo a month or two off when the weather is really bad and im getting stressed and pushed for time.
Im now saddleless for AliG until the Fhoenix arrives M has taken her's back as she needs it mine 'should' be here this week fingers crossed..good job Ali likes longreining!


I was a terrier/lurcher show today Buster won best over all terrier we got a rather nice trophy too! Minx got a 2nd in her class then I got 2nd for her and Buster in the brace.Dont get me wrong it wasnt a top level show but the judges definitely knew what they were doing so I was pleased as punch.
They also has terrier racing on afterwards so I put Buster and Minx in for a go,they've not done it before, honestly ive never laughed so much in ages they were in an absolutely frenzy!
The dogs get put in a trap like box,there were four in each heat then a fox tail is waved around infront of them to entice them.The tail is attached to a long rope with a pulley type of wheel the person at the wheel starts winding it in and the dogs are released.Buster and Minx needed no practice they were off and running Buster won his heat with his old mum hot on his heels they were barking all the way.I ran to collect them they were bouncing up and down trying to get at the tail with the man at the wheel holding it up as high as he could.
After their heat they were manic every heat sent them loopy screaming and pulling its incredible the strength two small dogs have when they are hyped up.
Buster should have won the final as he was way in the lead but something distracted him for a second and he hesitated so he lost his position,it might have been me walking up to the finish bit with Minx as she was squeeling:))
It was a really fun day out.

Its not my fault this time.

The delay in show report etc is all Minx's fault!
Ive just got home after having a dramatic few hours involving a mad dash to the vets with Minx.I was at the farm sorting the boys out was all done so called for the dogs to put them in the car Minx came staggering over her head was waving from side to side and he legs were all over the place.
I ran and picked her up and put her on the back seat covering her head with my coat as it looked like a fit of some kind her head was bouncing from side to side and her eyes were rolling around,I also had blood all over my hands from somewhere.After a few minutes she was still the same so I put her on the front seat phoned the vet all while reversing and holding onto Minx by the scruff to stop her from falling off the seat,it was very violent and she was panting heavily!
Im not a panicky person usually and used to work at a vets many moons ago so have seen it all but i'll admit to seriously panicking how I didnt crash I dont know. The surgery is about 25mins away but I think it took me 15 mins.I use the same vet practice that I use for the horses as they still have that country vet feel rather than the money grabbing business of most,but it does have its drawbacks at times like these.
A few minutes out from the vet's she started to come out of it ...huge relief!

The vet gave her a good look over checking her responses,heart,eyes,reflexes and everything seemed to be back to normal,the blood was from a tiny nick on her ear which she probably did thrashing around.
The other thing was she absolutely stunk and had obviously been eating something seriously nasty.The farm was an old pig farm and it still has a huge metal drum that they used to put the slurry in so I reckon its been leaking out,probably with all the rain we've had,and Minx decided to eat some of it-gross eh.
Had good chat about it as Minx has had a couple of these 'turns' in the past ,this was definitely the worst by a mile though.The last time was about two years ago when she was stung by a wasp so Angus reckons she has a low threshold which sends her body into a type of shock.
He decided it would be best to make her vomit to bring it all up so she had some lovely salty water and brought up the most disgusing looking and smelling crap ive ever seen.
I mentioned Buster was with her so after smelling his 'delightful' breath he also had a salty drink and brought up even more of the stuff than Minx!
Mouse must have sighed with relief that she isnt into such disgusting behaviour she did however tuck into my Foxes Mints while left in the car so her breath was lovely:)
Angus said he has to make his Border sick at least once a month for eating things it shouldnt and told me how to make them sick for the future oh the joy of terriers...I may have failed to mention they have this not so pleasant side.
Anyway they are all sitting next to me on the settee after their baths seeming okay.

Back to yesterday if i'd realised how far away was I doubt i'd have gone it was near Blackpool so meant to be 2.5/3hours,took me a bit over two, all the driving of the past few weeks has really worn me out plus im going to get 'done' for speeding if I havent already be caught!:0
He didnt get placed which after talking to Peter (breeder)im not suprised about.The judge prefers smaller fine boned types she definitely wasnt placing 'faces' so thats fair enough as far as im concerned.
It was really funny she was spaning the dogs then lifting them off the table when she did Buster she said to me "oh my he's a heavy boy" I grinned and said its all muscle:)
Peter did very well his puppy dog got placed as did one of his older bitches but his puppy bitch got a first in a huge class beating some big names so that was excellent.
Had a good chat to Peter outside he said I had to get Buster stripped as his coat was finished plus all that excess coat is making him look much bulkier and heavier framed than he is.He reckons because Buster is top end size and already has a correct head nothing needs to be exaggerated with him so I probably wont be able to get away with showing him in 'full jacket' as they call it.
I'd been hanging on incase stripping now would mean it wasnt right for Crufts but as Peter pointed out Crufts is still 6months away (you really do have to think that far in advance) and as we've still got a few Champ shows to go it would be a shame not to show him at his best.
Peter did his head there and then and some of his neck,his undercoat is through so he was obviously ready to be done he gave me some chalk to help grip.
Peter also said he could drop a touch of weight even half a pound could make all the difference,the pics up are from the early shows when he was in puppy classes so he has filled out more since then and is probably carrying more weight.
To be honest I think ive gotten a bit lazy and not been on the ball as I was with the girls probably because he was doing so well without really trying.With the cost and time travelling,entry fees etc its stupid not to put the effort in beforehand to make sure he's at his best so wrist slapped it wont happen again.
I spent ten minutes today stripping him the chalk makes a HUGE difference still have his legs and chest to do he looks very different although I love them with a bit of coat he does look more ready for the ring, will get some posh pant pics up when ive finished him.
I was approached by a couple of different people at the show about him one lady admired him and said how devoted to me he was I had to admit its mostly due to the food in my pocket:)Another guy said he was looking for a Border and Buster was his 'type'. I mentioned I had pups and thought he was going to come back to me after he went back to talk to his wife but I didnt hang around much longer as I wanted to get home for the pups.
Anyway ive probably worn you all out with dog talk:)

I was straight out on the town last night with my friends so havent done much horsewise other than the basics.Thankfully the mare went today and before the Minx saga I managed to extend the boy's paddock so fingers crossed things should be settling down and I can get back to my routines and crack on with them a bit more... famous last words!

Yippy:))

The horse is going tomorrow so normal service should be resumed soon!
Ive been bringing the boys in overnight as the fence was down again Thursday.
The novelty seems to have died off for Polo anyway he's not looking that interested now and they were both standing waiting at the gate for me this evening,amazing how quickly they slot into a new routine.
I longreined AliG in the school today,I thought that would give me a better idea of his soundness.He was a very good boy again and looked pretty sound so I was pleased.

Im at a show tomorrow so its an early start im not expecting anything as its a lady judge unless she has freakily large hands she wont be able to span Buster which wont help matters.Its a shame he's such a lump as I 'think' he's a good example of the breed otherwise I checked the weight guidelines from the breed standard and he's waaaay over think its was upto 14lbs he's 22lbs and not fat!
Will get some new puppy pics up over the weekend,the little girl is making the idea of not keeping a bitch very difficult she's so cute and has more guts than all the boys put together.

Furious!

YO casually dropped into conversation on Sat her colleague's wife had bought a horse and it 'might' be coming to our yard on a short term basis until they found something closer to home.It all seemed undecided and vague so you can imagine my suprise to find it at the yard Sunday morning and it was going on the inside of the track ive stripped off for my two.
Now I know its a livery yard and you are at the mercy of YO's but I knew this would cause problems primarily because the horse is a mare and the temptation would be too much.I was polite and chatted to the owners but said I was worried my two would go through the electric fencing and into the middle bit with the mare as the grass is very long.
I arrive Monday morning to find the fence all down and the horse's in together and mine munching on the long grass..I was furious to say the least the YO didnt even ring me to let me know!
Aside from mine being on the lush grass the mare is a failed racehorse, sounds like someone bought it then turns it out to chill out for few weeks then sells them on for a small profit,anyway they dont know its history has it been wormed it could be carrying anything if its gone through sales etc.
Then to top it off Polo's going loopy with the hormones and excitement of it all!
YO knew I was seriously mad,I didnt attempt to hide it.She said she'd put the fence back up so I snapped well there's no point they are just going to go through it again.Ive ended up making a small strip for them using just the tall posts ,I mainly have the short ones, so basically mine are on grazing the size of a postage stamp to make was for a temporary livery,who's there on the cheap cos they wont pay for a stable and when it goes i'll then have to go a clear a field full of poo's!

And breath.......
After i'd sorted all that I managed to take Alig in the school for a quick longrein session and he was excellent.His hormones are obviously gone as he was totally chilled out about it all unlike Polo.
Im going up now hopefully to ride both depending on the rain and whether Polo is safe:))

Ive got some lovely pics of Buster and Minx playing with the pups they are fantastic with them although Buster sometimes get a bit carried away,im sure Mouse is relieved to hand them over for a while.

A few show pics for Muriel

Mouse at Crufts





Buster strutting his stuff..

The trouble with.........

puppies and two horses means I dont hardly have any computer time so other that checking up on folks I cant seem to find the time to post.Sorry I will try to do better!:))

To be honest with the floods over last weekend and the continuing rain this week ive done very little horsey stuff. I squeezed in half and hour in the school Tuesday with Ali on the longlines.He was absolutely fabulous the ground work with D and lessons are obviously paying off he was balanced,responsive and forward I couldnt have asked for more really.
Today we had a longish hack with YO did most of it on the main road coming home,I thought I take advantage of the fact we were with her bombproof plod as we've not done too much road work recently..he was fine of course!
The only thing he looked at was when we passed someone in a wheelchair who was kicking off with his carer and lashing out...AliG obviously doesnt realise what mummy does for a living:))
I had a real blitz today I lifted Ali's bedding to let the stable air,tried to do something about the flooding problem in Polo's and then did their feet.

Puppies are doing great they've been out for a run around in the kitchen today.Buster is lovely with them he licks them to death and is so gentle around them Minx is almost too excited around them verging on obsessive so I keep a close eye on her.I dont think she'd hurt them deliberately but i'd rather not risk it, wonder if its something to do with the memory of having pups?she could just be jealous of course!
I went to see my friend today who's Jack Russell had pups few days after mine.She had to hand rear them as the dog was severely anemic what a difference in their development they are very skinny and underdeveloped,about the size mine were at a few days old.

Yesterday I was at a big show in Darlington with Buster he was a really good boy he's totally got the idea of what he has to do.A friend who came with me said how controlled and focused he was at the last few shows which is most unlike him as he's usually OTT he obviously realises its 'show time':).
He got 3rd which I was pleased about the judge clearly liked him a lot he kept coming back to him spanning him over and over again.Buster's a good sized Border and a solid lump of a dog he's probably over the weight guidelines so if anything is going against him its that.
I chatted to an older lady we've gotten to know she said when she judges she gives priority to the head as this is what sets them apart from the other terriers so needs to be retained then movement,she reckons Buster's pretty good on all fronts so she'd not be too concerned about the fact he's well built.So we just need to show under lots of judges like her or ones with big hands:))
Im finding people are starting to notice and chat to us now, its a very close knit sort of community and its taken quite some time but I get the impression many of them like Buster.One lady who has lots of Champs came and gave me some tips on tidying up his coat which was nice,in fairness he is a bit raggy at the moment but im hanging off stripping him until the last few shows are over.
Anyway our run of placings at the big shows continue so he's qualified for Crufts three times over this year which is pretty good going.

On a brighter note.

Puppy pics follow.

The water levels on the lane have dropped right down but it was still a bit too deep to drive through so I parked up and walked along the verges the rest of the way to the farm.The have been more showers today but also sunny spells I could have actually ridden but hadnt taking my tack as didnt know what to expect.Polo was waiting at the gate from me(think he hears me whistling for the dogs) with AliG right behind him.So they came in for the day to have a break from the mud and have a snooze.

Its very hard to get decent pics as the either wont stay still of when your ready they fall asleep but here are a few I like ..........playing





Lets wreck the joint




Meals on wheels





Cute little girly






This big boy reminds me of Buster


Love this picture






Im needing names for them so I can get them registered.Im absolutely hopeless at thinking up names..I need four show names and 'pet' names any suggestions folks?
Im thinking of Tinkerbell for the girl as she's so dainty and cute could shorten it to Tink or Bell so something to go along with that might be good?
Black and tan pup looks a bit like a panda with his light bits around the eyes so I was thinking of Bear?..doesnt have to be anything related really.
Then there's the Buster clone :) and the chocolatey coloured pup.........its very difficult!
Some names from their bloodlines if that helps...
Brockhole Bubbles at Quatford.Ground Control.Scots Guardsman.Pilling Pepper.Durham REd Clipstone.Bolt from the Blue of Brockhole.Border Mist.Westby Crystal Gem.Sirenside Turbo.Holmstone Freelancer.Petite Pip

Anyone got a boat?

Its has continued to rain all night and all of today so getting up to see to the horses has proved rather risky.
YO rang this morning to say the bottom of the lane was flooded she'd put my two in their stables and could see to them if I couldnt make it up.It was very nice of her but I knew i'd feel happier if I could get up and sort them myself I text Jo and she said she'd meet me on the lane and we'd see if her jeep could get through which luckily it did!
Polo's stable was flooded along the front as expected so I put a couple of bags of shavings down to soak it up.We mucked out and filled haynets so they were sorted for the day.M then rang to say the stud where Ellie's been staying had phoned her to say they were bringing her back as all their fields were flooded and they needed every spare stable for their own horses.No sooner had I sorted her stable they arrived to drop her off so she was deposited in her stable much to Polo's delight who had a smooch over the wall.
Jobs all done so we set back off now we'd been at the farm about an hour and during that time the flooded road had risen more I had my doubts we'd get through to be honest.We got most of the way along but when we hit the corner and it seemed to go REALLY deep Jo panicked a bit and put her foot down and the jeep sounded pretty iffy and I thought for one moment it was going to tip over the water was that high but we got through.

Tonight M picked me up as she's also got a jeep but we werent expecting things to have gotten so much worse the water was along the lane where i'd parked my car earlier and had been clear apparently it was chest high a the deepest part!
Thankfully our hero,YO from over the road(the one that lets us use his school) was ferrying people back and forwards in his tractor so we waited our turn and got dropped off at the farm gates.
Sorted the horses I put my two out with lots of hay in the shed,I figured they've got shelter and if I cant get there tomorrow YO only has to put hay out for them and they'l be fine,I put Polo's sheet on as he's older but im resolved in being tough with Ali.Our field isnt too bad as its on a hill but the yard below us is one much flatter ground and their fields are now lakes.
Tony then took us back to the car in his tractor...pics of what used to be a road



this is the part that had no water on it when I was there this morning..our lift turing around






couple of kids from the livery yard deciding to wade through it











The view from the back of the tractor







The lane which is most heavily flooded on the left is a field which usually has horses in you can see the water is at the top of the fence

Puppie pics tomorrow as it looks like im going to have alot of time on my hands.

I'll make it quick

...im just about to give puppies their last feed of the night then go to bed.

Well what can I say its rained all last night and today, HEAVY, its the beginning of September and I had to wear several layers and put the dog's coats on its been that bad ive had to knock my heating low too!
It doesnt seem to be bothering the boys too much I put some hay in the shed for them to eat if they go in for shelter overnight.
AliG has had two hacks this week and a session in the school.
Interestingly he had two small strops on each hack,literally a bit of head tossing and jogging, he responded well to being checked and was foot perfect after that.Anyway he's also been a bit footy over stones recently so what is the interesting bit you ask...well I ran out of magnesium approx two week and thought i'd see how they went without it.It may well be a totally coincidence lets be honest with all the rain i'd not be surprised if that was causing the footiness but it could be the lack of magnesium?Ive ordered some more.

Puppies are doing great, eating for England and taking up much more of my time i'll try and get some updated pics up over the weekend.I warn you they are even cuter:))) speaking of which they're now shouting for their supper............

BooHoo back to the grind stone.:(

Started back at work this week,full week of training which has felt incredibly long and monotonous so ive not really had the will to do too much else its amazing how boredom can make you feel tired isnt it!
AliG's had two longreing sessions this week basically cos it was quick to do he seemed to enjoyed himself as we've not done much of it recently not alot else to report on this as its pretty straightforward and uneventfull:)
Tonight we had another lesson.D worked him inhand again first and he did really well he'd obviously remembered and studied hard from last week as he picked straight up where we'd left off and just got better.His stride is lengthening and the bend and flexibility in his neck is improving with each session.He's definitely a smart cookie and has figured out very quickly life is so much easier if he tries and works with you.
The negative was he coughed quite a bit and has been over the past two days.Im not particularly worried yet as they've managed to steal some hay from the barn next to their shed!Its the YO's hay which isnt good quality and tends to be dusty (hence why I always buy hay elsewhere)Polo was coughing a few days ago so im sure thats all it is.
Ive moved all of the bales that were within reach so 'hopefully' they shouldnt be able to get anymore and the coughing will clear up.

On the puppy front they are thriving and starting to become proper little dogs with personalities.They are staying awake for longer spells playing and are almost walking.
The large lighter dog is very cheeky and growls a lot,the little girl is very active,feisty and tends to wake them all up!The black pup is pretty chilled out, steady and determind,finally the smaller dog has almost caught the other two boys up and although is probably the quietest he's by no means shy or nervous.

Didnt get a look-in!

Well the show was eventfull to say the least:0
Had about 3hours sleep but was up and on the road by 6am,arrived in excellent time as there was hardly any traffic on the roads so got my number,catalogue etc and settled ourselves down right on ringside waiting for things to start.
Little while later we heard growls,howling and screams, two dogs were obviously having a fight over the far side of the hall and it was a bad one.There were lots of people trying to seperate the dogs which felt like it took forever,I couldnt face going over to see but eventually they must have gotten them apart.I saw a man covered in blood(his I think!) apparently it was a Staffy and a Afghan hound,both dogs were hurt!:( There were lots of show officials taking statements im not sure what the course of action would be whether the offending dog will get banned/owner have to pay the vet bills?You do see some dogs taking a dislike to each other and having a growl and snap at each other but its the first real fight ive been around at a show it was horrible to hear!

The show got underway and my breed 'mentor' was in the ring first with his puppy dog now I was certain the pup was a sure thing he honestlly,well in my opinion, knocked spots off the other pups so when the judge placed him fifth I leant over to my mum and said "we havent got a chance here."
The lady who got first just happened to be one of the club's secretaries and a few of the other higher placings I recognised as big name breeders/members...I knew it was going to be one of those shows where you can spot the placings by the people without looking at the dogs!
Buster was in the third class which was pretty big,he was an absolute star didnt put a foot wrong but as expected we didnt get placed.
I had a chat with Peter outside the ring he was absolutely fumming he said the dog that won is a very nice dog who's winning up and down the country so if he'd been judging he might have beaten Buster but other than that we should have been in the top two without a doubt.
He said the judge was giving out CC's for the first time and was clearly making sure it wasnt for the last time by giving them to the people that matter.The thing was the dog she placed third was a very different dog from the two she'd placed first and second so if she had a 'type' why then go away from that unless of course the owner just happens to be a judge/breeder and treasurer of one of the clubs........
Peter said it was just going to be one of those shows where you might as well turn up without a dog for all anyone would notice:))
Another lady who we chat to and gives me advice(shes bred and judged for years)came up and said "well where's you red ticket I missed the class?" when I said we got nothing she couldnt believe it.
It's just one of those things, Peter says you have to accept it and keep trying as you do get judges who go on the dog alone or give up!

The next excitement was the firealarms went off so everyone had to troop outside.
I wanted to get back for Mouse and the pups so we had a wander around the shops where I bought some bits and pieces for the dogs and a big sheet of vetbed for the puppies then left.
The final insult was my mum's friend who came for the day took the vetbed to carry but left it outside the car and I drove off without it...what a day!:(

Oh im wrong there was one more disaster I gave Ali a quick lunge in the field when I got back.For speed instead of taking the reins off the bridle I twisted them and looped them through the throatlash.Well didnt he put his head down to steal some grass somehow got his leg through and snap the reins:000

Today we had a great lesson!
D started with some ground work/lunge to see if she could get him to bend I have to say she is very good and he was looking great after a while.
I then got back on with D keeping us on the lunge to help bend and keep him going if I was struggling,we had some spells where he was really flexing and reaching for the contact it was almost like a sweeping motion felt fabulous.His trot was much better too for the first time he felt like a horse and not a pony.
D said because of his breeding there is alot going on at the frontend with lots of high leg action but nothing happening behind so our focus has to be on getting him to track up and be active from behind.
I was really pleased with things at the end as was D, she didnt think we'd be where we were 'at'towards the end quite yet.

...puppies eyes are open today:)

Sooo tired!

Think ive lost the ability to sleep its always the same when im stressed or unsettled,I was watching the 10km marathon swim at 4am this morning..THATS how bad it was!Actually they are remarkable athletes to swim pretty much flat out for nearly 2hours the poor English lad led all the way but went off course near the end so was pipped for the gold,he had to be rushed off for treatment by the paramedics at the end he was so exhausted and the guy who won the gold had leukemia 5years ago.See im an expert now!:)

The pups are doing great getting bigger by the day and Mouse's appetite has returned at last so she back to eating anything and everything.

The weather hasnt helped me achieve much on the horse front this week but have managed to lunge Ali once,did his rope circling yesterday and had a short hack tonight.It wasnt going to be a short hack but going along one of the tracks which run off the lane I spotted a little rabbit looking rather ill.It had wound on its back legs which were covering in flies and had red myxomatosis type eyes.It didnt look like it had long to live but I couldnt leave it there suffering,the one time when it would have been good to have the dogs to finish it off quickly(athough not sure i'd have liked them to touch it with the state it was in) I phoned YO's hubby and asked him if he'd come along and put it out its misery. Time I waited around for him to come and set off again it was getting on so we just went to the end of the track and back.Ali did react a bit as we passed the field we sometimes longrein through as it heads home ,I gave him a sharp smack and told him to get on. He was a bit unsettled for maybe a dozen strides,tossing his head,jogging but then snapped out of it and settled down so I was pretty pleased.
He was fine the rest of the hack although we didnt go much further, we passed a field with a combine harvester and tractor rattling around in and he didnt bat and eye at it.
Waiting for our Indian takeway to be delivered then im hoping for an early night and SLEEP.

Puppy pics..prepare for a cuteness overload!

The first two are when they are a day old the last few from today so they are four days.My niece came to see them today,she wanted to kiss and cuddle them all but she was fine when I told her Mouse would get upset so she had a quick hold of one and a pic.














This is the little girl and the large lighter pup





















The large dark pup and his smaller brother

Sorry Caroline .....yes we have puppies!

Just havent had the time to get online had so much going on.

Mouse had the puppies on Wednesday,it wasnt straight forward OBVIOUSLY but im am now the proud granny of three boys and one girl:)
I knew the night before she was on her way as she was so restless and digging in her bed she was clinging to me all morning so I literally spent the day sitting on the floor with her surrounded by towels with a cage set up.The contractions started around 3in the afternoon then she started pushing hard a little before 5,I saw a tiny paw popping out so knew pup was coming backwards which isnt unusual or too troublesome in dogs.Took her a little while to get the pup out I was worrying the bag was burst and it would be struggling for oxygen so I helped with a few little pulls intime with her pushing.A boy and a decent size I hard to really rub and work on him to get him going to start with but along with lots of licking from Mouse he started to gasp for air then breath properly.She had a bit of a rest then the next two came quite close together,girl then boy both much smaller she just popped them out oh forgot to mention this was all happening on my knee sitting on the floor,she was determind to involve me completely!:)
She then had a long rest cuddled up with her babies at first I wasnt too worried as she'd had the two in quick succession but after an hour and still nothing I rang the vet then took her up.I knew there was at least one more as I could easily feel it sticking out her side so the vet scanned her and gave her and injection to stimulate the contractions.The injection was given 45mins to work but still nothing was happening the vet recommended not to hang around as the pup was still alive so she had a cesarean section.I was pretty gutted as she'd done so well having the three but when the pup came out he was a huge black dog so I very much doubt she could have gotten him out.
Once she woke up I headed home armed with powdered milk and bottle kit just incase she wasnt up to feeding them that night,it was 10pm,torrential rain bouncing down and I was panicking cos I didnt have alot of fuel left in the car.The surgery is half and hour away and I didnt want to stop on the way there but luckily we made it home.
Both of us had very little sleep that night as they puppies were pretty noisy and demanding,obviously Mouse wasnt feeling great but she fed them all night if getting a bit stressy at times.
Last night they were much quieter and I got a little bit more sleep.
My only concern it she's not eating a well as i'd like im having to hand feed her little and often she wont touch dog food so has been having scrambled eggs,toast and chicken breasts.She also panting quite alot it might just be she's a bit anxious?She's on antibiotics but is going for a check-up in the morning so i'll mention it all.
Puppies are very active and wriggly its amazing how quickly they can move around the cage,will get some pics up when I get some time!
Anyway I definitely wont be doing this again I cant handle the stress and worrying fingers crossed Buster will continue to do well showing so he can have a bit of stud work much more straight forward.Although his coat is a mess,I have a show next weekend so its too late to strip him and ive done no practicing with him:0

Ive been running up and down to see to neds as I dont want to leave Mouse too long at the minute so they'll be having a few days of doing not very much.Plus both had their teeth dont yesterday and dentist recommended a few days off,particularly AliG as he was working on him for nearly 45mins.Its the first time ive used this guy and I was very impressed he was extremely through and the good thing is if Polo needs more drilling in the future he's completely qualified to do this.He said Ali has a good mouth its just a case he has new teeth erupting etc,he loved him and commented how well he did as he did have to work on him longer than the norm.
Polo obviously fought and although didnt need a great deal done made it take twice as long as should have done!

Quick catch up had a lesson on Sunday and it was MUCH improved AliG did attempt two rears.He's going forward better now but didnt want to do this into a contact I stopped him just before it turned into a full rear and he behaved well afterwards we had some great canter towards to end and for the first time he got into a nice rhythm and didnt feel like he was going to stop at every opportunity.
Had a long hack on Tuesday he didnt put a foot wrong ,got caught in a heavy shower coming home.

Off to eat my cremated dinner that I forgot was in the oven..Mouse is eating better than me!

A waiting game.

Still no puppies it MUST be soon she looks ready to pop!

Yesterday I longlined Ali in the school its was going to be an opportunity to try the flexion work on the ground but some of the kids from the yard were riding in the field which is right next to the school.They were having a hoolie around galloping up and down the field and over a few jumps it was impossible to do anything sensible with Ali as he was very excited about it all bursting into canter,passage and snorting. I didnt mind he was forward and lathered by the end (his own making) so it turned into a fat burning exercise instead which isnt a bad thing:))

Today I went for a swim in the morning..I did the 40lengths:)
Brother and I then took the dogs down the beach I was going to leave Mouse with my mum but she was determinded not to be left so she came.We didnt walk too far because of Mouse but the others all had good run and swim chasing sticks,Mouse seemed to enjoy the trip out anyway.
This evening I went for a hack on AliG he was a bit slow and looky going out but once he got going he was fine.We had a trot along one of the tracks then a canter coming home up the hill he was pooped at the top but the fitness is steadily improving we were out a good hour and a half..I WILL get some weight off him if it kills me!:))

Lunge,hack,school

That about sums the past few days up really!:)

A friend came to visit and we went for a little hack along the lane and back,I rode Polo and she rode AliG..well I figured the four year old would be the safer option than the sixteen year old:)))
Polo actually felt pretty good(?) so I dont think the odd short hack will do him any harm but i'll play it by ear.AliG as expected behaved perfectly and led Polo past the barking dogs rattling the fence at the riding school,they spooked him on the way out so he was flapping about having to pass them again no such worries from Ali!
Today I took him in the school and half wish I hadnt,it just wasnt good. I 'think' the problem was the last lesson finished without a clear breakthrough and I couldnt get the feeling establish of what I was aiming for.Today I just HAD to go and TRY to work on things and it just basically wasnt happening,once I know what I should be feeling im usually okay otherwise I struggle.
I was getting frustrated, AliG was setting his neck on the left rein and getting behind the leg again I hope I havent set us back to square one:(
Tomorrow we are going to have a 'fun' longreining session out and about.

Oh and I eventually found time to go swimming it was brill I havent swam for well over 12months, going again Friday,did 34lengths will go for 40 next time.

Picture mad....

thats me at the minute!
Was working today looking after one of the girls from the college so her parents could go out for a meal for their wedding anniversary so didnt really have time or energy to do much horsey stuff they came in this morning then got put back out tea time WITH muzzles...well for how long they'll stay on!
The dogs needed a good run when I got home so took them all off to the beach with my brother,pics as promised Muriel:)



Pregnant little Mousey




Buster determind to get the stick(tree) from Zak



Minx and Sky both bringing the stick back








There arent any of my mum's other border Crag,he's on the lead tied round my waist cos he's a sod and tries to fight every dog he sees!

Pheww

Had a lesson tonight and boy it was tough I was lathered by then end.
We were working on getting AliG's neck softer and more flexible, because of his build and thick muscled neck he's rather fixed it in(thats the best way I can describe it).We did lots of flexions alternating to the outside and inside on the left and right rein its was driving me mad cos I just couldnt seem to coordinate my hands and legs tonight.D did lots on the ground alongside us taking the reins to work us both through it we were getting there by the end but I was frustrating myself more than anything else.
Ive arranged one for next week to see if we are any better I think we were both a bit tired from the long hack yesterday i'll make sure I do some gentle work the day before the lesson next week see if this makes a difference.
They are tag teaming each other getting the muzzles off last night Ali kept his on and Polo got his off it was the reverse the day before!

The best ever:)

AliG excelled himself today went out for a hack with Jo and her littl'in and its was the best hack ive had on him EVER. He led all the way and didnt put a foot wrong not even a moment where I thought he was reluctant to go further,plus I barely had to ask him on at all!
We went down the steps and along the track then instead of turning and doing a loop back up the road we turned down onto the lower tracks I thought if anything would cause a strop this would as we turned in the opposite direction to home but no he was quite happy.He hesistated as we approached the little wooden bridge over the street(not sure if he's been over this before?),ive learnt with him if I give him a minute to look he will think about it then cant resist the urge to have a close look this is totally different from Polo who worries the more he looks so you have to take the lead and ride him past whatevers spooking him.
We rode up though a small racing yard and he had a little spook as some cows were hiding behind the hedge and there was a tractor rattling around at too,I say a spook its a little wobble on the spot really:),then rode back towards the track he knows.He was creamcrackered by the time he got to the top of the hills so I led him along the lane home...it wasnt all for his benefit my hips and knees were killing me at this point probably cos he's soooo wide!

Tonight I rode Polo with the YO he was very well behave led all the way,as usual, he still doesnt feel 'right' but when he's trotting and cantering around the field you can barely tell anything's wrong with him?!?!
Im in a quandary of do I just forget this summer totally leave him till Autumn see how he is or do I keep going for gentle hacks a couple of times a week to see how he copes with improved fitness.Dont get me wrong he's not hopping lame but the best way to describe it is that he's lost the freeness to his movement (if that makes sense) he seemed to be throughly enjoying himself but I dont want to make matters worse.
I dont want to put him though a whole load of tests as he hates it and gets distressed but I might speak to the vet again and see what the options are for some less invasive explorations?She mentioned scanning his tendons and xrays...
YO just couldnt get her head round why I wouldnt trot or canter him!Her older ned is virtually crippled with his feet and makes a donkey look fast so I suppose if she's happy to ride him then she must think im neurotic for being so cautious.
Few weeks ago she'd asked for a sit on Polo as she's never rode a big horse before so I was cruel and put her on the spot at the bottom of the lane and asked her if she wanted to ride him the rest of the way.She spluttered a bit(she not a very confident rider but a bit of a know-it-all) but then couldnt think of an excuse not to so I gave her a leg up,she obviously gave him a kick and nearly papped herself as he shot forward I told her he's super sensitive and a squeeze is all you need,she couldnt believe how big he moves but said he was extremely comfortable.I however was not so comfortable on her pone,saddle was rock hard,horse was dead to the leg and just felt like putting one leg infront of the other was a huge effort!
Pleased with my day but pretty tired now.

Blogger may die..pic overload!

Had a fab day today my friend/workmate was emptying the flat she's been renting up here taking her things home for the summer,her boyfriend borrowed his dad's horse trailer for the move and they took me to the beach with AliG!:)
There was a bit of a sea fret to start with which lifted after we'd been there a little while its was still very warm the sea felt great.
I didnt want to risk damaging M's saddle,ive been borrowing while Ellie's away at stud,so it was basically a trip out but it was great fun.AliG was a bit blown away by it all dont think he could get his head round it all but seemed to enjoy himself.He would only go in the sea at first following me and nearly knocked me over at one point when a large wave came at him..obviously the spot I was standing in was the safest place to be but other than that he was excellent.
My brother met us down there with his GSD and Buster,I thought it was a bit much for Mouse as she's getting big now so she and Minx stayed with my Mum.Buster had a great time too he's into the swimming now and followed me and AliG in some deep water when we headed back.Didnt get that on the pics as my mate knocked the camera on my phone to video towards the end and for some reason they dont load on my laptop properly?
Anyway pic overload...........