My calm fingers run down the fillys soft, velvety nose. I let them wander and stroke her defined cheek. I love my work, working with horses was my life and what I believe I was born to do. I slip the rope halter on suttley while continuing to pat the chestnut filly, I tie it calmly and continue to stroke and talk to her. She was dozing, the exact response I want, I slip the halter off as if it's no big deal give her a final pat before walking slowly away and slipping through the rungs of the round yard. She's a young horse I'm halter training for, a friend of my mums. I amble into the cool, wooden barn. It has 4 stables on each side, the last ones having a yard outside. There was an office, tack room and a big roomy attic up stairs. It was cool and peaceful in the barn, the 2 horses in there were dozing and the only sounds I could hear were the birds outside and the instructors faint voice in the distance giving girls a lesson. This was my home, we had 2 arenas, paddocks that are agisted, 2 round yards a barn, a house and the horses. I didn't ride much I was more the solve problems type of girl, I love to pleasure ride but am always busy Woking with horses on the ground or exercising them. But I do treat myself to a few rides every week on a trail. I go to the first gelding in the stall Auric who is someone else's horse that I'm tending to as he has a nasty cut on his shoulder that needs cleaning twice a day, with a nice layer of tuff rock applied, I give him a nice yummy feed and tend to the second horse. Oh and I also forgot to mention we also rescue horses, abused or abandoned. We help them, sell them or put them in a retired paddock, having 154acres is handy! I let the corse chaff run through my fingers as I make up the feeds for the afternoon. We have a total of 17 horses at the moment, 7 our ours and the 10 are other people horses that are agisting on the farm. We let people hire our horses for trails and lesson so they have to be nice and quiet. I make each feed individually according to the name on the bucket for example Cookies has 2 scoops of chaff 1 scoop of pellet and that's it, but Ace a big thoroughbred has 5 scoops of chaff and supplements, but I enjoy making there feeds. As I finish making the last feed the girls come in from there lesson Alesha, Melanie and Sam they were a year older than me, 16.
They tie there horses up to the wooden tie up rails at the front of the barn.
"There you go April, there ready for there wash down and make sure you give them a good brush!" Melanie orders before looking at the girls and leaving.
I didn't mind doing there horses but they should at least spend time bonding with them then just riding. I walk up to the big red chestnut warmblood, Chester and take him to the wash bay, I put all his tack into the tack shed and begin to sponge him down, he was 17hh and his back was a good 50 cm higher than my head! I talk to him soothingly while he falls a sleep he was a nice, soft big fellow but really he was a big sook inside. As I finish clipping his Cotten rug I take him to his paddock and as I slip his halter off he walks to his rolling spot and wriggles around in the grass. I repeat the same with the other 2 as I finish with them I go into office and a grab a cool bottle of water and a packet of chips, I sit on the couch and read my routine of horses I have to work.
1. Halter breaking filly ( Matilda)
2. Exercising in saddle Emma's horse
3. Treat Aurics cut
4. Ground work with Mini Aussie
And at the bottom in scribbled writing from mum was: New rescue coming this afternoon 4:30, please be careful I will not be there and I've heard he's quite a handful xx
That was today! Yikes!
I quickly look at my watch, 4:03pm. I quickly load the quad bike with everyone's feed putting it in the little trailer behind and chucking in a biscuit of hay for everyone. I quickly feed up around the property it was easy as everyone had single paddocks.
As I get back, I start to get ready for the new horse, fresh bedding in the stall/yard, water and a biscuit of Rhodes hay, which wasn't as rich as what the other horses get. I grab my rescue remedy in hand just incase this guy was a bit over the top. I was prepared or so I thought.
