Today it was Lilja’s turn to do something.

Daisy has been consistently working with her – putting on her bridle, wearing a saddle, in-hand commands, recognising voice commands, standing still, lungeing…..

Although, I am always around when Lilja is being ridden – for safety and I am the one leading.

As Lilja is still getting used to wearing a bit in her mouth, Daisy decided to ride Lilja today in just a fitted headcollar.

Again, me on lead-rope. It’s my job. I see myself as the anchor!

Lilja is getting much better at standing still while the stirrups are adjusted and the girth done up.  All good practice.  I insist all horses should stand still. I hate wandering around.  Grrrr.

With Daisy aboard, I led Lilja around the school.  It is now a fine balance of asking Lilja to listen to Daisy’s aids while following my body language.  My job is to give a small reward for Daisy’s instructions.  Lilja is not allowed to ask for reimbursement either!

I must say, so far, Lilja has been an absolute dream.  She accepts everything we ask and just gets on with it.  She stands still when mounted, walks nicely beside me, she listens to Daisy’s aids, she halts and sets off in walk calmly.  At the moment that is all we are asking for.

And she loves being told what a clever girl she is.

Lilja has grown up so fast.

Where did those 4 years go?

*** sniff ***.

We have to do exercises.  Well, my horses, that is.

Obviously the young ladies don’t but they are always first up offering to participate (read, annoy!)

Klaengur, with his recent injury, has his shoes off and is not being ridden. The exercises are therefore to keep him mobile.  He has to walk backwards every day.

We started on the flat and now he has moved up to walking backwards up a slight incline.  While he is happy to work in his field, the others do laugh and point so there is much bribery involved with these exercises.  He also has abdominal crunches (core exercises) which he really struggles with (falls over).

Haakon and Iacs or the Kray twins (Ronnie and Reggie Kray were English criminals and twins responsible for organised crime in the East End of London from the late 1950s to 1967) as I like to call them.

Haakon hates working in his field (we had an argument yesterday) so he goes into the school (but today I did carrot stretches outside). Haakon’s stifles are not brilliant so he walks backwards too.  I am trying to strengthen him as there is definite muscle mass loss.  Having said that, Haakon is very good at his core exercises.  He can find a carrot anywhere.

When I did carrot stretches with Klaengur, I had Sóley poking her nose in, offering her services.

I know I won’t ride Haakon again but I can make him feel less achey and old.  Meanwhile, I fully intend (farrier and equine physio permitting) to get back on Klaengur again, though he is not very impressed with the exercises to be perfectly honest.

It is always interesting to watch and photograph Daisy training her horses.  I learn training techniques as well.

Today, Daisy brought Taktur into the school for some work.  He went very nicely and was looking good.

Trot

Tölt

Canter

Then it was Efstur’s turn.  This is his everyday-is-new face!

Today Daisy was working on his tölt.  It is coming along nicely and is far more balanced.  Efstur has just begun learning.

Walk

Tölt

Last up was Kappi.  He was being free-lunged.  I stood in the middle while Kappi did his work.  He always turns to look at the camera!  It’s his thing.

For me, watching Daisy training and being around the horses is almost as good as riding. Her horses go very well for her but this is due to the dedication, hours and hard work they all put in.

Everyday, I have decided that I am going to brush one Minion!

Today’s first contender was Storm.

He was close by and so, with my brush in hand, I gave him a nice grooming. He didn’t seem very impressed.

But I told Storm just how handsome he was and how much he would appreciate this later.

He sort of believed me, stood still (no headcollar) and I worked my magic turning the scruffy urchin into a slightly more brushed scruffy urchin!

So handsome now.

I gave out two carrots each and then bathed Fivla’s eye’s and gave Vitamin her mouthwash – the daily Minion ministrations.

Little Newt was following me around so he is tomorrow’s victim, sorry, volunteer!

He did ask very nicely, including a beautiful Winning Smile.

And this afternoon, I let the ducky-wuckies out of their field.

Now if they see me, they come racing over.

Muscovy ducks don’t quack – (I know!) – totally silent apart from little whistles and squeaks of enthusiasm).

They are growing bigger and more mature every day. Definite feathers now.

On my way to my shed, I glanced over to check on the ducklings only to see that they had all vanished! Oh, the instant worry, slight panic and dread.

I turned around to see them all walking towards me with great enthusiam. They had learned how to get through a wire fence and had gone walkabout with their Mum.

They were extremely pleased with themselves.

So I opened the gate to their little paddock and shed and told them to go in and think about their behaviour, worrying me like that.  It’s not a ruddy hotel.

The pond has also been discovered.  So far it has just been paddling depth to check the ducklings can clamber in and out successfully. I was told that they can drown if they can’t get out (cue more worry, panic and constant checking for dead drowned ducklings).

This morning Daisy added some more water and they were all in the pond like a shot having a lovely time.

Our ladders have proved very successful too.

They all have learned how to swim.

There has also been lots of washing and preening.

They love all water very much.

I could watch them for hours.  They are very happy now they have a pond.  We will fill it a bit deeper tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the horses are all well though they are not half as fun as watching ducklings learning to swim.