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............