West Riding Group
Endurance GB

H was very angry today. Stupid grey thing kept getting in front of him, so cue much angry piaffing. Then the minute I got him in front again he was sweetness and light. Dosey old fool

Spud doesn't show any signs of getting thinner - he looks about 10 months gone. He's managing more trot on the lunge now without telling me that I'm trying to kill him, so we must be getting somewhere, and although the backside is still huge it no longer wobbles. Have pulled him from Major Oak though as we're embarrased to have him out in public at the moment. Might manage Wooton possibly.

His mother F3 is a very good do-er and he seems to be really taking after her at the moment. I was just looking back at the pics we took of a very rotund F3 when we were at Delyth's in the summer and you can really see the resemblance.

Have cut down his feed and he's now on no mix at all, just a bit of Happy Hoof. This does not make Spud happy. He had a real flouncy tantrum the other day, a proper bronking teddies out of the cot 'this feed is sh*t' rampage. But it's tough.

At least it's now light enough to do stuff before and after work now.

Felix seems to have caught up with himself again weight wise though. He seems to be the opposite of Wolf - when Wolf has a growing spurt he'll look fat for a couple of weeks beforehand but Felix seems to go skinny instead. After this latest growing spurt he's gone a bit croup high again - his back legs are sooooo long Gave him and Wolf a bit of a de-hairing today which they quite enjoyed.

Took H and Spud for a trial run in the Yona-box tonight. They were ever such good boys and it drives like a dream. Spud got a bit confused initially but once he'd figured out that he had to move forwards and over and stick his head over the breast bar, it all clicked into place. Then as I was fastening the partition I turned round and realised that H had pretty much followed me in. And then they travelled like rocks.

However, they were not particularly impressed when their journey took them one junction along the motorway and back before parking outside their field again. Why are we back here? Why are we not at a party?

I am very very relieved. Love the boys

First bit of big news: We bought a little box. It's a 3 counties one so has got the max payload possible for a 3.5 tonner, and its got a tow bar already if we ever do need to take more stuff than the internal payload allows. It's back at 3 counties at the moment having a service and a few bits and pieces done (dismantle-able breast bar fitting, etc). Fingers crossed Spud likes it - he can be a bit funny about 'things that are wrong'. With a side ramp it will be easier to load and unload at the winter field too.

Then we need to find a home for the landy and trailer (hopefully have a home lined up for the trailer ), then buy a new (smaller) car, then find a home for the van. So if anyone knows anyone who wants a C reg land rover 90, diesel, non turbo but steady and reliable and regularly serviced, or a 2005 Renault Kangoo van (with or without fitted dog cages), let us know. Once all that's happened we'll be officially downsized.

Spud is fat and doesn't seem to want to get any less fat. He is embracing his inner crabbet and looks in beautiful show condition but no good for a pone who needs to do some work for a living, particularly one with a dodgy ticker. Besides, if we need to travel light, Spud carrying an extra 50kgs round his mid-riff isn't going to help is it. Will try and get him out again tonight.

Decided to take Spud out for a run today, to kill two birds with one stone.

First Spud said 'Does not compute'. Then we met a cob mare on the track across from the field, so Spud grew to about 17 hands and reminded me that once he was a stallyon Then he was off on one for pretty much the whole run, which was accompanied by snorts and much flicky-toed poncy ayrab-ness. But it did at least mean that he put some effort in. And I was able to jog most of the way pretty comfortably so that was good too. He may be a dancing fool, but he's a very pretty dancing fool

Oh and Felix can ruddy shift. The field is about a mile long and he'd reached the end and doubled back half way down the field before the others had caught up with him And that was without putting any effort in whatsoever.

The field has dried out enough at one end to do a little bit of lunging in, which gives us a bit more opportunity to do something with him after work. Not that Spud was very impressed with that idea of course....

Managed to get Spud out again properly yesterday. Did more trotting. He was a very random ride - felt like an unexploded bomb being carried in a shopping trolley with wonky wheels intent on going in all directions. Once we'd come to an agreement that I didn't want sideways, I didn't want 'leaping in the air', I didn't want 'snort and flounce', I did't want tranter, and I didn't want to turn right, he realised that I actually wanted forwards. Did some fairly nice bits of leg yield and shoulder in on the way home, in both directions, and he felt quite soft.

A month left to get 10 miles fit.....

Today Spud moved on to trotting. Oh yes. This was accompanied by much snorting and flouncing. We generally start off with 'scouts pace' - a bit of walk, a bit of trot, a bit of walk, a bit of trot. First transition was 'raaaaahhhhhhhh/flounce/snort/bounce', second trot transition was 'rah' and the third was lovely. Feet clip clopping along too, which I was pleased about as with it being so wet and him not being shod they had got a bit soft. We went round the canter field across the road, but in scouts pace. Apparently this was wrong and he should have been doing cantering. Yes. Kept telling him he's really not fit. So we did walky trotty snorting all the way round the field and all the way home.

I've managed to take a day off a week for all of Feb, which will hopefully mean we can get him out for a bit longer at least 3 times a week, and by March the mornings/evenings should be light enough to ride in.

That pony just makes me smile

Rain stopped play most of this last week, and I was getting a little concerned about being on floodwatch at the babypony field. But the flood defences did their job and the river level is down again now.

Only got the boys out twice, and they were both favouring the soft ground so I think their feet have got a bit soggy with all the rain. Still, we had a couple of nice little trundles round the estate and I think it did them some good to get out of the mud for a while.

Hopefully it's meant to dry up this week...

Spud does have a touch of the 'Father Dougal' about him sometimes.

Off we trundled for a wander round the local estates.... Both pones are feeling right up for it at the moment which is nice. Feet very clippy cloppy on the roads too

Anyhows, a dog walker appears from behind a fence and a dog runs under H's legs. H was very good, just looked a bit alarmed and carefully moved his legs not to tread on the dog. Spud doesn't notice....until the dog had gone and we'd walked a few metres further and then he went thinking about what had just happened. Sigh..... Anyhows, very well sat from Kezza, or very well caught from Spud. Kezza ended up with daylight between her and Spud as he span round, but then he span back again and caught her. Got back just before the rain hit so very well timed.

We're up to about 45 mins walking now, mainly roadwork.

Right. Here we go again. New season(ish), new fitness regime.

Have started a bit earlier this year with the intention of getting them ready for some early season rides....oh my sides....who am I kidding, we've never got to an early season ride yet. But we can try.

So to that end, the boys have been out twice this week for a half hour poddle round the block in walk. Both perky and well up for it.

We've been to our weekly exercise class (salsa this week) and then did two hours of our annual charity dance in the Light shopping centre ( http://www.justgivin...ndyatthelight11 ). Hopefully that will cancel out some of the many xmas dinners I have booked through December.

Tonight we went to Zumba class.

In an effort to lose the Christmas weight and get fit for the season Kez decided it might be a bit of a laugh to go to a class.

So, we chose one where we could make fools of ourselves and not be recognised and dipped our toe into organised exercise. 

Do you know what though, it was a great laugh, we could do it (lindy dancing has totally paid off there) and we were made to sweat for 45 minutes.

We're going again next Monday.