Starting Gem

[greydales]

Well since coming back from Oz I'm on a mission to get mine working again, including Gem. I bought her primarily for breeding but she has such a fab bold temperament I think she really ought to be backed, now she's rising 4. She's also 14hh 1/2" which I'm pleased about, she was so diddy I didn't think she'd make 14hh!

On Friday I bought her in for the first time away from the others - she didn't bat an eyelid while Cherry was neighing her head off and Remy was running about like a loony .

She stood quietly on the yard for ages while I gave her a thorough grooming and wasn't bothered at all. I then took her into the school and put a lunge line on her halter - I have done absolutely no training with her whatsoever apart from lead, groom and pick out her feet. I sent her off to 'walk on' which she did, asked her to trot which she did, and whoa which she did!! She doesn't even know what walk on, trot or whoa mean! - or, maybe she does . I did this on both reins for five mins and was amazed.

Yesterday I decided I would lead her out onto the lane on her own, I was a bit optimistic that she would remain donkey-like as she was not too bad going away from home but once I turned back she was shall we say 'eager' and I had a bit of a tow . But considering what she has (or rather hasn't) done she's a star!

The annoying thing is that she seemed unlevel yesterday especially when turning, I can't find signs of anything obvious but laminitis is always uppermost in my mind so will keep an eye and maybe call the vet tomorrow. Typical!

It was so sweet though as later on when I went onto the yard she started whickering at me from the field awwwwww

[SuzieP]

That all sounds great! So she'll be ready to back by the end of the week then? Will bring wine when I visit just in case a celebration is required.

I do hope you can get the unlevelness sorted out and it's nothing serious. It couldn't be a bruised sole from hoolie-ing on the hard ground could it? What are her pulses like? Fingers crossed for her....

[lucydales]

Great news re starting Gem (not about the lameness) bet you finish her before I finish mine LOL! Are you putting her in foal this year then too?

[dalesponyrider]

Well done Gill. She sounds an absolute dream. Long may it continue!

[harveydales]

Brilliant Gill, you must be thrilled with her. Really hope the lameness is nothing to worry about. As Sue says, it could easily be a bruise.

[zeldalithgow]

Brilliant what a star, she must have been watching you with the others

[greydales]

She's still very lame so will have to call the vet . I didn't get a chance to do anything horsey anyway today, my ewes have started to lamb and one mother (who has previously been really good) has rejected one twin and I am having to make sure it gets a feed every two hours. A stark reminder of the joys of early motherhood LOL!

[dalesponyrider]

Hope it's nothing serious Gill. Good luck with the lamb! Are you feeding the lamb through the night then?

[greydales]

I did feed her through the night last night with a colostrum substitute to make sure she had enough, she looks very well this morning so it must have worked! I won't be feeding through the night for much more though

[DalesLady]

I hope Gem is OK, she is showing that typical Waterside temperament with her attitude to everything too, she will be an absolute star!

[cadeby]

She's come a long way from that hairy wee wild beastie you introduced us all to

Sounds like she's a star in the making. Hope the lameness is nothing serious (and that the lamb does well without exhausting you!)

[greydales]

She's very lame today and I think it must be lami, judging by how she is moving . She doesn't stand like a laminitic but is very reluctant to move and when she does she's very pottery and more extreme than Toby was when he had low grade lami. I've stabled her and hopefully the vet can come out tomorrow, but I'm sure that all he will say is to keep her off grass. What a pain, poor girl. I've been lucky so far in that during the nearly 7 years we've been here only Toby has ever had a touch of it, despite the huge amounts of grass we used to graze them on! But apart from that one episode he's been fine.

I'm wondering if the huge amount of winter grazing they got might have been a factor - usually I get my winter field cut twice but last year it was only cut once and they did all get rather large. But at the time there was no sign of lami anywhere. When I got back from Oz Dave had moved them all onto the summer paddocks and they were looking quite slim, and it's only been in the last two or three days Gem has got progressively worse.

I suppose it was inevitable that one of them would succumb sooner or later ...

[harveydales]

Oh no, poor Gem. Is she improving now she's stabled?

[Debbie]

Such a shame her training has come to a halt for now with the lami.

It does sound like she's been watching the lessons you've done with Cherry and Remi. What a clever girl

I bet when you come back to her later, she'll pick up right where you left off.