again in the cart today, unlike Biki who she worked with who was a complete F*!@HEAD!
Abby came home threatening to kill her with her bare hands...lol
Kicks went wonderfully except for a wee gallop as the result of hurling herself over a tiny puddle with a leap that would have done a grand national entry proud. Gave me a hell of a fright and a laugh.
I'm going to bowl her along like this most days now until next Monday when I'll take her in and try her "around corners".
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
20km with the "real" racehorses
Following her exemplary behaviour yesterday I decided today that Kicks is now fit enough to go the whole distance with the qualified girls, so she managed the full 20km return trip to the Foxton surf clubrooms.
She'll be back in the cart tomorrow.
She'll be back in the cart tomorrow.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Joys of Rural Living (alternate title: Telescum Sucks!)
No updates recenty due to internet "issues", and being rather busy.
We have zero broadband availability, and our line quality is so appalling that dial up is somewhat problematic at times too.
The fact that bloody Telescum still hasn't sorted the bodgy bloody arrangement at the end of our driveway, servicing several neighbours also, doesn't help much. Now it is raining I feel sure we'll have problems again almost immediately as water gets into their dodgy wiring.
Kicks is a rather determined little witch, and has proved herself fully capable of bucking even with the hopples on and her tail tied. As a consequence I will be popping an overcheck with chinrest on. I'll leave it reasonably low, but make it just short enough that she encounters it when lowering her head to buck.
I sucked it up the other morning and got brave enough to give her a good switch with the whip each time she bucked, and she quit completely at about 2 miles in.
Must have copped the whip 5 or so times in the first mile, twice in the second, and not at all on the way home.
I was a little hesitant to wrap the whip around the arse of a horse I was sitting behind that was already taking potshots, but it was moderately effective, and I still have my head, so it can't be all bad ;)
We have zero broadband availability, and our line quality is so appalling that dial up is somewhat problematic at times too.
The fact that bloody Telescum still hasn't sorted the bodgy bloody arrangement at the end of our driveway, servicing several neighbours also, doesn't help much. Now it is raining I feel sure we'll have problems again almost immediately as water gets into their dodgy wiring.
Kicks is a rather determined little witch, and has proved herself fully capable of bucking even with the hopples on and her tail tied. As a consequence I will be popping an overcheck with chinrest on. I'll leave it reasonably low, but make it just short enough that she encounters it when lowering her head to buck.
I sucked it up the other morning and got brave enough to give her a good switch with the whip each time she bucked, and she quit completely at about 2 miles in.
Must have copped the whip 5 or so times in the first mile, twice in the second, and not at all on the way home.
I was a little hesitant to wrap the whip around the arse of a horse I was sitting behind that was already taking potshots, but it was moderately effective, and I still have my head, so it can't be all bad ;)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Kicks For Fun, Bucks For...?
I think I may have found the reason for her name, and/or bargain basement price!
The revolting little madam decided yesterday that work was not really high on her to do list for the day and was rather reluctant to go out at all.
I really had to chase her out on the beach, and she made her displeasure with this abundantly and increasingly clear by progressing from small lifts of her arse initially, to full blown bucks and kicks by the time we were on the return trip.
I was initially a smidgeon amused, but told her off anyway, and by the time she managed to get enough of a kick in to catch her off hind on the dust sheet I was far from it.
I roared at her repeatedly, and totally ignored her when we came in.
She was rather confused and put out with the lack of after-work attention. She had not worked up any kind of sweat so she got no rub or wash down, no carrots, no praise, and was looking desperately for her head scratch, but I simply kept pushing her nose away firmly, sending her away, told her I was disgusted with her behaviour, and dumped her straight back in a yard with no further interaction.
I didn't have the hopples on as we were jogging, but I'll stick to hopples on and will also tie her tail for a while and see if that helps.
While like most women I am not necessarily that thrilled with my appearance, I'm not that keen on having her adjust my face with a steel shod hoof
The revolting little madam decided yesterday that work was not really high on her to do list for the day and was rather reluctant to go out at all.
I really had to chase her out on the beach, and she made her displeasure with this abundantly and increasingly clear by progressing from small lifts of her arse initially, to full blown bucks and kicks by the time we were on the return trip.
I was initially a smidgeon amused, but told her off anyway, and by the time she managed to get enough of a kick in to catch her off hind on the dust sheet I was far from it.
I roared at her repeatedly, and totally ignored her when we came in.
She was rather confused and put out with the lack of after-work attention. She had not worked up any kind of sweat so she got no rub or wash down, no carrots, no praise, and was looking desperately for her head scratch, but I simply kept pushing her nose away firmly, sending her away, told her I was disgusted with her behaviour, and dumped her straight back in a yard with no further interaction.
I didn't have the hopples on as we were jogging, but I'll stick to hopples on and will also tie her tail for a while and see if that helps.
While like most women I am not necessarily that thrilled with my appearance, I'm not that keen on having her adjust my face with a steel shod hoof
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Cracks and crunches
Had 4 of my trotters', and a friends pacer's backs, hips, and necks corrected today. I'm not convinced it looks an awful lot prettier than the dentist to be honest.
I had him check both Kicks and Q while he was here, and they are both all good, which is great, both for them and my budget!
Writing the cheque for 5 of the buggers was painful enough...lol
All 4 manipulated today will get tomorrow off, which makes it almost a holiday for me, and means that Kicks will get almost 100% of my attention tomorrow.
It will be interesting to see whether she appreciates this or not.
I had him check both Kicks and Q while he was here, and they are both all good, which is great, both for them and my budget!
Writing the cheque for 5 of the buggers was painful enough...lol
All 4 manipulated today will get tomorrow off, which makes it almost a holiday for me, and means that Kicks will get almost 100% of my attention tomorrow.
It will be interesting to see whether she appreciates this or not.
Something wrong with this picture!....LOL
I took Kicks out on the lead this morning so that her mouth has a day or two's healing before having a bit back in it, and worked her behind Volare in the cart.
Jogging down the road to the beach Kicks is trotting along happily, and Volare, who is a trotter, with 100% trotting blood, no random pacers littering her pedigree, is slowly PACING along!
Once the speed increases Volare switches to a trot, but at low speed she always starts out pacing.
Kicks quite happily retains the trot, even as the speed increases, and actually looks to trot quite nicely, so just perhaps I have found my first 2 dual gaiters!....LOL
A friend mentioned to me yesterday that he once saw a horse line up twice on the same day, in different gaits.
I think that is VERY cool, and think I may just have to try and achieve that with something eventually :)
Jogging down the road to the beach Kicks is trotting along happily, and Volare, who is a trotter, with 100% trotting blood, no random pacers littering her pedigree, is slowly PACING along!
Once the speed increases Volare switches to a trot, but at low speed she always starts out pacing.
Kicks quite happily retains the trot, even as the speed increases, and actually looks to trot quite nicely, so just perhaps I have found my first 2 dual gaiters!....LOL
A friend mentioned to me yesterday that he once saw a horse line up twice on the same day, in different gaits.
I think that is VERY cool, and think I may just have to try and achieve that with something eventually :)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Hard as Nails!
The farrier arrived at 7am today and Kicks now has shoes on again.
She was good with the front feet but copped a bit of an attitude when he got to the hindfeet. Not too awful, but a pain for him nevertheless.
Martin, my dentist, arrived about 11ish and did three horses for me, Kicks first.
He removed wolf-teeth, floated the molars and sorted the bitseat for her, struggling somewhat with the wolf-teeth, which were quite large, well rooted, and quite difficult to budge.
Through all this, which is a relatively bloody, and lets face it probably bloody painful exercise she stood calmly, not too upset by it at all, and even he was surprised by how well she took it.
I'm rather pleased as the ability to tolerate and cope with a bit of discomfort is probably a fairly desirable trait in a racehorse.
She was good with the front feet but copped a bit of an attitude when he got to the hindfeet. Not too awful, but a pain for him nevertheless.
Martin, my dentist, arrived about 11ish and did three horses for me, Kicks first.
He removed wolf-teeth, floated the molars and sorted the bitseat for her, struggling somewhat with the wolf-teeth, which were quite large, well rooted, and quite difficult to budge.
Through all this, which is a relatively bloody, and lets face it probably bloody painful exercise she stood calmly, not too upset by it at all, and even he was surprised by how well she took it.
I'm rather pleased as the ability to tolerate and cope with a bit of discomfort is probably a fairly desirable trait in a racehorse.
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