Ponies out of Kites Close and back into Lisle’s Hill

They needed fresh grazing and KC needed a rest but I think it is too much  grass – I don’t usually turn out on after math. I usually feed hay all year around to these two but both my regular sources of hay are retiring so am having to change it up and risk no hay now.

Result after four weeks is both ponies gone from slightly out of condition and at right weight to over weight and fat.

KC has been sprayed for docks etc and there is some grass regrowth so can’t exactly move them back – and if I do it will do nothing for field compaction – and  I will need to reduce area again and feed hay – back to the hay issue again. Next year we may get involved with making our own somewhere here – but it depends on where the two of them spend the winter.

I haven’t done anything to recover my fitness while I sat out waiting for elbow strain to recover and knee strain to get worse or better. Elbow has got better with rest but the knee is still bulgy but not painful.

It will be a long trek back to any kind of fitness for me and them – but I am about ready now to make a start – on my fitness,  starting with exercise bike gently – on them, tack cleaning and checking – and me, trying on my jodhpurs and finding boots and hat etc and on them, saddle fitting.

If we start now we should be able to venture out Sept but if I leave it till Sept then we will just be getting confident and less sore and the dark days of winter will hit.