a few days late!

I wrote this on thursday,but haven't had a chance to upload OR get any current pics of the gang! Maybe next week.

Since then we've had an even harder frost but horses were all snuggled up in covers plus neckcovers with lots of hay - only the second or third time they've had neck covers on (ever, for the twins). They obviously had full tummies as were all very sleepy and contented dozing in the (cold) sunshine this morning.

First real frost today (thursday) – white ice crystals on the grass and in the shadows. Gave the horses a little bit of hay while I went to mix the feeds.
Then I fed them in the pens and let them into the front paddock. Rafiki had a bit of a canter and kind of ‘fly-buck’- just a big jump really with no heels in the air when I called her to the gate of the arena, then she led the twins off at a fast canter to the opposite paddock gate. Cameo stayed with me. They trotted around then hooned back flat out and danced around Cam and me, then off again, this time up the hill. Still Cam stayed with me – gave her a bit of old carrot I found in my pocket and we walked after them. She thought I had more carrot so politely searched my pockets while the others whizzed around – I haven’t often seen Rafiki in fast canter in control of all her legs – she looked balanced!! There was a new piece of ply at the top to stop stones falling into the paddock so they snorted a bit and approached and retreated - zig zagging towards it - again different for Rafiks as normally she trots straight up and scares herself. Heads were soon down grazing and Cam and I ambled up so she could be with them without her feeling she had ‘left’ me.
Interesting- pleased Cam stuck with me –all she did was lift her head and watch them go. Rafiki also looks quite fast – how would it feel to gallop along the beach on her…..but first we need to be comfortable walking and trotting and for me to be confident there are brakes. I haven’t seen her buck like she used to for a VERY long time – maybe a year? Hadn’t really thought about it but she always used to buck and pronk and play on the spot, often by herself almost everyday while the others grazed but now she gets her legs organised and goes for a run, and usually Merlot and often Shiraz go with her. Cam sometimes does too. She doesn’t run every day either, maybe once or twice a week? There was no sign of soreness today (but there might be tomorrow!). Also she used to go a bit rb when she went fast – as if she scared herself with her speed, but I haven’t seen that for a while either…..
Maybe she is growing up into a rideable horse….