Country Life, No Idea!

November 2017 My approach to fostering ponies is similar to that of life. Adopt a flexible approach, be open to different ways of thinking but most importantly surround yourself with people who are willing to share their experiences and mistakes, so you can learn from them. So I'm super excited to introduce two more Oracles: Lydia and Rosanna.  Lydia Pink I met Lydia at my son's nursery. Little did I know this chance meeting would be instrumental in pushing forward my understanding of handling horses. Lydia's love of animals and her knowledge of training horses was music to my ears. I had high hopes that we would become friends and I looked forward to her visiting me.  Profile   Started riding : At 11 years old, when she went to pony camp. Owned horse/ponies : Lydia bought her first pony a week after pony camp. She has owned horses and ponies throughout her life. Training :  As an adult Lydia went to Texas twice and worked at a cowboy ranch breaking

October 2017 It's a bittersweet day. Troy one of our foster rescue ponies has been adopted. He came to us with a head collar on permanently because he wasn't keen on being caught. He was head shy, skittish and wouldn't allow us to get near him. I was drawn to him because of his stand offish manner. I made it my mission to get him to trust me so that putting on a head collar would not be any issue and he would enjoy our company. Nearly one year on and the head collar is off. He has learnt to trust people and is always the first one to come and say hello. He has taught me so much. He has taught me to be patient, to slow things down and live in the moment. I think his leaving will always be the most painful as he was the one with the biggest trust issue and he has been the first to go.

August 2017 My dream has turned into our family's dream. Well the reality is that it's still really my dream but my lovely husband and kids support me and are happy to join in around 80% of the time, so I can't complain. Let me introduce you to my dream team: PHIL  (Husband) aka The Operative Skills - He's good at chopping and cutting things down. He can fix and repair anything electric. Phil  is great at turning stuff we have lying around into something useful. He's my sounding board and continues to support me even if he thinks I'm nuts. Interests - Loves rugby, using power tools and  F1 (sometimes I think more than me). He loves doing anything apart from listening to me talk about horses in the field. Horse experience - None but he has managed in the past to coax escapee ponies back into the field, don't ask me how he did it. NATHAN  (Eldest son) aka Powerhouse Skills - Great at lifting and pulling anything heav

July 2017 Phil (husband): "This post isn't particularly up beat, is it?" Me: "No it isn't but I wanted to write an honest account, warts and all." I've been solely responsible for the ponies for over three months now. Initially high on adrenaline I felt fearless and confident. I had worked out a routine that fitted around my home life and all seemed to be ticking along nicely.  There were a few teething problems, for example, a bit of nudging, barging, and encroaching on my personal space but I put these issues down to my inexperience and the ponies and I getting to know one another. These minor niggles, however, started to occur more frequently and I began to get anxious each time I went to the field.  I knew I'd be faced with the ponies either jostling for my attention or their breakfast, or getting ready to try and escape as I entered the paddock. I tried various strategies, for example, waving my hands to move them on, using a

April 2017 We're seven months into fostering. Kim has done a sterling job in settling the ponies and helping me  section off the field.  She has shown me how to bring the ponies in, groom and check them. Over the last few months I've started to take on more of the day to day jobs. Kim's increasingly busy life has meant she has less spare time so the moment I've tried to avoid has arrived. I have to step up and take responsibility of the ponies.  This is what I had been working towards, part of me was excited but I was also petrified. I knew I could go to Kim if I got myself into a pickle but I was determined to show her, my family and friends and most importantly to prove to myself that I could do it and I wouldn't buckle under the pressure.

March 2017 The muddy swamp that is the field has finally dried up, so work begins on repairing the sacrificed paddock and learning from what went wrong over winter. You might be thinking I'm nuts, wanting to prepare for next winter even before summer has arrived but I really don't want a repeat of last winter. Just to recap. I spent most of it trawling through the mud with my wheelbarrow poo picking, while others had accepted they couldn't poo pick any longer, I kept going. I think this is when I realised my obsession with horse poo. I have devoted a whole post to it and affectionately named it BROWN GOLD. I'm sure you're (not) going to be excited to read it. I admit I wasn't in the best physical shape with 2 under twos and I'd never done this kind of work before so every part of my body was either in constant pain or screaming in agony. I spent many hours wishing someone would concrete the whole damn field so I wouldn't have to drag my