27.12.2022 Jan and Rebel (Rule 33)

A Guest Blog By Jan Daley

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So! Within 24 hours of the end of our road trip I felt a head cold coming on, with sneezing and runny nose. I’ve learned through experience it’s is time for a week in bed. Yes, 7 days! If I ignore the warning, I get a chest infection, spent 3 weeks+ in bed, and permanently lose lung function. I now accept the 7 days.

It takes a couple more days to get back on my feet (poo-patrol and feeding!), and a couple more days to be fit to drive.

Rebel has now been incarcerated in the paddock for about 4 weeks, and was bored and fizzy. I also sense a bit of a sulk for me not spending time with him, as I always do when he’s not in work.

I decided to risk the extremely worn hoof boots, leave the fastenings looser but use duct tape (old faithful!) to keep them secure as my supplier was having problems with the manufacturer’s courier, and my new boots hadn’t arrived yet.

Our first outing was fun for us both! Rebel skipped along, obviously delighted to be out and about, and I was delighted to be sharing it with him! I checked his pasterns carefully, and there was no damage. He was very keen for “second breakfast” (I always given him an extra ration of his balancer and speedibeet soup, with electrolytes, after work), and tolerated a sponge bath unusually well.

I know I’m nauseatingly effusive and biased about this pony, but going from full-on hard work, to 4 weeks turnout, then straight back between the shafts to do a 6.5 mile route with lots of traffic without a murmur, I think is pretty dang good!

Rule 33: Accept what you must, and do what you can!

Keep an eye out for my next book, “Harmonious Horsemanship: How to use the Ridden Horse Ethogram to Optimise Potential, Partnership, and Performance”. This ground-breaking book is co-authored with Dr Sue Dyson, and will be available summer 2023. Sign up at www.harmonioushorsemanship.co.uk to be kept up to date with new information as it comes available.

Watch a FREE 30-minute documentary on the Ridden Horse Ethogram here.

Here’s a FREE 30-minute presentation by Sue Palmer on how to be confident that your horse is comfortable.

Other books by Sue Palmer M.Sc. MCSP:

‘Horse Massage for Horse Owners’

‘Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?’