A memorial hunt

I hope you all had a good Christmas with all the presents you wanted and enough turkey, or the vegetarian equivalent, to satisfy the most jaded palate. Our sister site www.ancestrees.org.uk launched it's Christmas advertising campaign at the start of the month and, it has to be said, I was disappointed with the lack of response. I commented on this to H who told me that she was not in the least bit surprised. I had linked the page to all our contacts on facebook and when she showed me how it appeared, well I could understand the luke warm take-up. This is approximately how it looked; thank you fb for automatically choosing the picture to go with my caption (and well done me for not checking)

                                          The Ideal Christmas Gift for Friends and Family.

Horses are even more creatures of habit than I am as Kavi proved a couple of days ago. As you may have noticed it has been a bit wet recently so we have had to tailor our riding to when it is least wet. We normally head out after breakfast and Kavi is happy with this. However on this day it was nicer in the afternoon so we decided to ride then. After fetching them in.

                                                      "I think it's brightening up "

Kavi clearly thought that it was time for an early tea but when the tack appeared and he had his feet picked out and I got mounted a tantrum was well and truly thrown, there were equine toys everywhere,

 What fun we had alternately sulking and shying at blades of grass as we grimly went through Narnia via Stoat Corner past pitying glances from the locals. Still I stayed on and that was a bonus.

Many thanks to those of you who sent kind messages about DJ. As you can imagine Ari has been very subdued so much so that Housemate has moved him indoors, here he is in his new lair;

                          
We were worried that he had lost his mojo but on Boxing day he showed a glimmer of his old self. It was the big hunting day and as a special treat Cruella's daughter the Vowelstrangler was riding. Now she has previous experience with the hounds, in the summer she had come down to ride and had been confronted by DJ who bounded over woofing in her normal friendly manner "Eeek Mummy that doggy smells howwid" she squeaked beating a hasty retreat from our fragrant friend who thought that this was a fine game and chased her round the yard, one squealing, one barking.

She arrived in her full fox bothering kit as (the muzzled) Ari emerged from the tack room. He almost jumped for joy at seeing someone to chase and snarling happily he made the hunter the hunted, his view being to see how she liked being chased by dogs. I managed to grab him before anything drastic happened. He grinned and I'm sure he looked up saying "That one was for you DJ".

Gone but never forgotten

A sad sad day here at Barns Cottage as I have to tell you that our Romping chum DJ is no longer with us. She had been a bit below par for a couple of weeks now, but still got out a couple of times a day to potter around the yard and upturn any buckets that may have needed examination. She will be sorely missed by all of us but especially by her Kennel Mate Ari who came and stood morosely by us when we found her.

You would have needed to have a heart of stone not to laugh when she romped across the yard with her ears flapping in the wind, she even gave to people with visual impairment as her "perfume" meant that she could be appreciated by all.

She was buried behind the house next to the paddock with full doggy honours, and a few tears.

                                     
                                                RIP DJ, tonight she romps in a better place

Cheesey Bees

It was the time of year when we at Km decamp down south for the annual family Christmas and Birthday celebration weekend. This year Reading was the venue and H & I found our hotel in plenty of time to go into town for a couple of liveners before the family event started. We asked the nice receptionist for directions into town; "You turn left out of the Hotel and go past the Garage where you will see the main road. Cross it, when it is safe to do so " I could sense a certain horse nodding in agreement.

                                                 "What an intelligent lady she sounds"

Anyway after a quick half or two we all convened at the poor restaurant that had been chosen to have the ensemble alight there. There is always at least one of the family who will ask for something that is not on the menu. Saturday was no exception, one of them (and you know who you are) decided that four separate menus were not enough. "Can I have a small portion of pasta with a cheese and tomato sauce please ?" "I'll just go and ask chef" said the, shortly to become long suffering waitress. She returns "Yes that will be fine " "Thank you so much, so just a small portion... and I don't want any tomatoes in the sauce Thank You" "So pasta with cheese and tomato sauce without the tomatoes ??" "That would be lovely thank you"

So a fine night was had by all, sadly the next day it was time to take our leave and head for home. We usually travel the same route and have always been intrigued by the sign near Hartpury that advertises one of the seven wonders of Gloucestershire; the Bee Shelter. We had the time so we followed the thronging crowd down the side road agog with what it might be. H opined that it would be like a drop in centre for bees who were down on their luck, a sort of nectar kitchen, if you will. I erred towards it being where the bees stood waiting for the number 36 Bee bus.

                                      A day's entertainment for all the family

No, I'm none the wiser either.

Mens Sana in thingumy doo-dah

To get the perfect physique some people go to the gym, some run marathons, others maintain a strict diet, me, I muck out barns and stables. Yes, you can keep all your fancy cross-trainers, expensive training shoes and lycra. All I need is a wheelbarrow, a pair of wellies and a bobble hat.

My morning domain is the big barn where Rooster and Kavi spend the night, obviously I have to ensure that alll the paperwork and permits are in place before I can go into Rooster's part so I normally wait until he is out in the field. However this morning I was in a bit of a rush and while Kavi was trudging round the horsewalker I went in to do the work. At first he just ignored me as I laboured away picking up the poohs and loading up the wheelbarrow ready to take the contents to the muck heap.  I was making good progress until I heard a thump behind me.

                              "Unguarded trip hazard there mate, I've sorted it now"

So I had an especially long and thorough work out this morning, tomorrow he is so out of the way before I start. Kavi came over afterwards and sighed, I knew how he felt.

Yesterday H took his Roosterishness to a dressage competition with her chum J who had journeyed from North Wales to call out her test. For the uninitiated this is the only occasion when someone can tell H what to do without getting into trouble, as she says obscure things such as "20 metre serpentine A to K". No, I've no idea either.

 Anyway, shall we say that it was not entirely successful, a crestfallen H was discussing what went wrong with J "I wish that I could get inside his head" H sadly said. "There's plenty of room there" J bravely rejoined. Nice one.

The film version of Great Expectations has been released and, as we at BC, love a Dickens (settle down now) we can't wait until late summer 2015 when it will be showing at Ludlow's  multiplex, the Assembly Rooms. Although the cinematic experience has been a bit spoiled in the past. Last time we went you could barely hear the soundtrack for the sound of people eating canapes and uncorking bottles of champagne.

Thanks to Victoria Wood for the title.

The Eye Of The Tiger

As the weather has been pretty awful for the last few weeks we have been keeping most of our equine chums in their barn and stables overnight. As they are free roaming creatures I was a bit concerned that they might be bored. I need not have worried. I went out last night quite late on to check that they were ok, as I left the house I could hear the thump thump thump of some heavy dub-step coming from nearby. I rounded the corner and made my way to the barn but my way was barred by a pair of Door-Cats.

                                          "I'm sorry Sir, it's members only tonight"

Over Sharkey's shoulder all I could see was flashing lights and was that DJ DJ slamming the platters on the decks ? Surely not.

                                  Making sure everyone is sorted for E's and Whizz

I have to say that I was a little surprised to see the Sharkmeister on the door as she is only a small cat however this morning I caught her in one of her sparring sessions with the aptly named Rocky.

  What happens is that Sharkey sits on the fencepost, Rocky strolls over and nudges her, she then turns round and goes back on her haunches and punches him in the face. One day we will capture it on video and make a fortune.

                               "Do that one more time and you'll get a thump"

And they're off

Carly is a very friendly and indeed popular horse, at least with people who don't know him. He loves to go out on adventures, providing that they are not too adventurous of course. He has been out most weekends to various rides and hacks and is usually greeted by lots of people and new equine friends most of whom say how lovely he is. This is, to him, a good thing.

                                                   Who is a lovely boy then ?

Today H loaded him into the trailer, or Carly's conveyance as it is known, to go off for a ride around Nordy Bank Iron age Hillfort, which is about five miles from here. With a nice net of haylage to keep him occupied on his journey he was looking forward to another fun day out. When they arrived he dismounted and looked around to see who had come to see him and go and have fun. No one, nada, not a soul. he couldn't believe it. As he later said to Rocky, "There is only one Billy No mates and it isn't me"

Although his breeding was for showing we did think about racing him once. "Pah ha ha ha ". Sorry, that was Kavi showing his thoughts on that idea. As much as I love racing I'm not sure that it would be ideal for our equines. Carly would enjoy going around the parade ring whilst everyone said how lovely he was. When his jockey was up he would do his lovely extended trot down to the start before standing stock still watching all the other horses tearing off saying "Well done, good show, now where are my polo mints?" before cantering grandly back to his stable for a hard earned snack whilst congratulating himself on another job well done .

This would be seen as a great success compared with what would happen if, God forbid, Rooster was entered. First off he would have the crowd lined up in straight lines. He would be wringing his head and getting in a right state. When he went to see the first fence that would be it. He would have it coned off straight away as a trip hazard, he would herd all the horses behind the starting line until he was happy for them to leave , which would only be when all the hazards had been removed

                                  Exhausted by a long and complicated risk assessment

Finally tomorrow is the Betfair chase at Haydock, I don't know who will win but one thing's for sure none of them will be able to hold a candle to King Kauto.

                                                             Nearly as fast as Kavi

Horses and more horses first !

Aaarghh a blank page and a blog to write. how long has it been ? Oh goodness I'm sorry. Actually I'm lucky to be here at all. H and I had a day out today and got back after dark. The four horses of the apocalypse are currently occupying the NLND's field. This field is turning into an infirmary, Rooster is recovering from a poorly leg, Rocky impaled himself on a blackthorn (ooohhh), Kavi is looking sad so there must be something wrong with him too.

                                    "Baffled Veterinary science I have "

So anyway we went to collect them from the field, I put the headcollar on Kavi and led him to the gate while H assured me that she would guard the gate while I extracted the Worcester three mile chase winner. "No, Carly" were nearly the last words  I heard as the small blonde one was pushed aside and Rooster and Carly barged out bumping into me and K who reacted in a calm and measured manner for about two seconds before leaping into the air and throwing the most immense buck, I still have the burns on my hand from gripping the rope too hard. Rooster and Carly , now that they were free, trotted calmly off to the barn to await tea. I suppose that it was no good saying "I told you that this would happen".

I have become addicted to the Game of Thrones books recently, I know, I know, but one gets sooo bored with reading A la recherce du temps perdu in the original French, and lets be honest nothing much happens for about 200 pages of most Kafka novels .Anyway I have been espousing them so much that Darcy Dawg has started reading them too
Here he is explaining the plot to me.

                                     "I like the bits about the Wolves"

Ari has been busy too, this chap appeared in the barn, but sadly the Hound has no Gagnam Style and what the photo does not show is Ari attached to the guy's bottom.

                              "Sexy Sexy dogggeee ....owwwww"


I suppose that a trip to Korea is out of the question then