Diary of a spotty mare: 2 Year catch-up

This blog has come slightly late seeing as I've had Kyra for almost 2 years now. So I'll dedicate this first post to catching up from the day I bought her to the present day, then I can continue on a more day to day schedule.

I bought Kyra on April 23rd 2012 from Meadow Stud in Wickford for the princely sum of £550 with delivery. I had originally gone to view a Fresian X Cob but it kicked out at my friend who had come with me, So I asked if there was anything else in my price range and the seller led me to Kyra.

The information I was given was that she was an Appaloosa X, Mare, 5 years old, Lightly backed with tack on. I didn't particularly like her, I wasn't looking for a mare so I left making no promises and asked if the seller would call me if something suitable came up. I thought about Kyra for next week, and went back for a second viewing. I watched carefully as she was brought to the yard, how she reacted to standing beside the stallions on the yard and I picked up each foot as well as asking for her to be trotted up. Nothing looked amiss so I arranged a day for her to be delivered.

Kyra arrived on the yard on April 30th 2012, an hour and a half late. The seller explained that he had taken the wrong junction and ended up on Clacton seafront. She was backed off the trailer, into the field and instantly put her head down and calmly grazed. She greeted my other pony momentarily and went back to grazing. I honestly thought she had been doped, I've never seen a horse step off a trailer into a new yard, with lots of other horses calling out and simply not care. I called two of my best friends over to scrutinize her.

We led, trotted, backed up and attempted to scare her. Nothing. We touched her everywhere with hands and whips and she stood fine except she wouldn't allow anyone to touch her ears. At this point I plucked up the courage to sit on her, and was please to find out that she didn't mind at all. Brilliant.

Grazing calmly after setting foot off of the lorry

First time ever sat on her

The next few weeks were full of slow progresses and trying things out. We worked out that she could walk, trot and canter sensibly with a rider as well as pop small jumps. She was however difficult to get a bridle on and for the first few weeks it had to be dismantled and re-assembled around her head. I found a few previous owners and found that she had been passed about around 9 times that I know of! but all said it wasn't her doing that she was sold, it was usually down to change of circumstance or being too green.

One of our first rides around the field

May 2012

May saw lots of riding, mostly testing the waters with Kyra. She was certainly green but honest and she tried. All riding was done in the field, due to Kyra's green nature I was uncomfortable about hacking her out.

New Tack!

Extended trot

Ping!

Unfortunately, during a loose schooling session I pushed Kyra too far. I had been asking her to do loose jumping of around 2'3ft in height, but after a few jumps she ran past me and jumped the boundary fence. She caught her back legs on the barbed wire cut them badly. I remember seeing the jump, the twang of the wire and then the blood and I thought it was going to be over. I could imagine her torn tendons and sliced ligaments. A friend caught her and I called the vet immediately. I cold hosed her legs until the vet arrived 45 mins later. She said I was extremely lucky in that she had superficial wounds that had simply grazed the skin. She needed nothing more than being kept clean and to call the vet if they got any worse. Electric fencing was put up against the original fencing and she hasn't looked at it since.

Ouch

June 2012

In June Kyra came out into herself. It was clear she was the boss and if you weren't a firm leader, then she wasn't going to listen. Kyra did more lunging, hacking in hand with company and we bonded more.

Lunging

Hacking in hand

Get off of me!

I should mention that when I bought Kyra I wasn't looking for a horse to keep, she was under-priced and I was going to sell her on. Around June I found out my pony (Magic) was dying. He'd been being treated for bowel cancer but was not responding to any form of treatment. I got a part loan for Kyra so I could spend more time with him and as such, I never really bonded properly with Kyra, I was too busy making sure Magic lived out his final months happily.

Magic and Kyra

July & August 2012

July was a jumping month, now I wont bother you with too many photo's but heres a select few. Kyra's loan began hacking her out alone and Kyra became more settled and calm.

A small cross

Larger jump

Matchy matchy!

September, October & November

As mentioned above I spent a lot of time with Magic so Kyra was often pushed to the sidelines and her loan became her main rider. I did try to keep up my riding, but the thought of numbered days had me walked the countryside with Magic rather than Kyra.

Fat and wintered off

Jumping at the start of September

Magic was put to sleep on 09/11/2012

Goodbye my friend.

December 2012 & January 2013

It was harder than I ever thought it would be, going back to that yard without him being there. I think if it wasn't for Kyra I'd have given up horses there and then. She stood beside me for hours while I'd cry, get angry, scream and eventually tire myself out from all the emotions. I gave her the winter off and began again in March.

Dashing through the snow

Clean face

March & April 2013

I began Kyra's training again in March by getting back into riding and trying to bond with her more. Kyra had a new part loan who was a very confident rider, she got Kyra out hacking alone in open fields a few times a week. Kyra did some clicker training and de-sensitizing to traps, dogs ect.

Playing with the tarp

Eager jumping

Hacking alone

Working with dogs

May & June 2013

In May and June Kyra got back into a regular riding routine. She became very fit and spent a lot of it running around like a loony. In June I hired out a indoor arena and horsebox to do some showjumping and see how Kyra reacted to being boxed up and competed. Although we were the only ones there, she behaved amazingly during everything, loading, travelling and jumping.

Kicking her heels up

Looking beautiful

Experimenting with different jumps

Just off the lorry at Wix EC

Jumping at Wix EC

July & August 2013

In July the local horse ranger association asked if they could borrow Kyra for their own a pony week and use her in the annual display. I saw this as a opportunity for Kyra to get out in the world, work with other riders and horses in a busy riding school environment so I said yes. Kyra went for just over a week and I was told the kids loved her easy attitude and willingness. Here are a few pics from the display, the only thing I don't like it that they pulled her lovely long mane!

Doing some Quadrille at horse rangers

Working nicely with others

In August Kyra began working with my little sister, Ruby. Ruby has never had a riding lesson, but as such, has no fear around horses. She knows only the basic walk, start, stop and steer but her and Kyra will effortlessly walk in circles for hours be it on the road or in the field.

Ruby and Kyra in the field

Ruby and Kyra on the roads

September & October 2013

Kyra went out on full loan at the end of August until the end of October so I didn't see much of her. A month in to her full loan I was told she had gone lame and a vet had diagnosed laminitis. Naturally I was very worried as she had never been lame before or had lami problems. Her loan gave her back, and after a good food scrub I discovered she had thrush and a bruised foot on the foot that had been tested for lami. Kyra had until November off before coming into easy work again.

Bruised foot

Ruby giving Kyra a hug

November & December 2013

During these months Kyra was mostly hacked on the roads with a small amount of open field work. I do not like hacking in open fields and although Kyra has never done anything silly, I don't want to risk my nerves winding her up.