Post by helen1983 on Oct 11, 2016 15:11:37 GMT
I’ve been wanting to do a photo story for ages! This one reminds me of something that happened at my yard ages ago and seeing as I had a spare vet hanging around, it fitted in nicely!
The two new arrivals, Luna and Artemis, had settled in nicely at Elm Grove Stables. They were both stunning horses and there were plenty of offers from the girls to help out; as they were both youngsters and hadn't been broken to ride yet, there was little to do other than teach the pair good stable manners.
Charlotte had just taken Taffy's tack off after a long hack, and the horse lipped her fingers in the hope that there were treats there.
'Taff, honestly!' laughed Charlotte. She turned to her friend Claire, who was looking gloomily at Bear.
'You alright, Clairey?'
Claire sighed. 'Bear isn't his usual self. Look, he's just standing there, he won't even come to me for a carrot.'
'Crikey, he must be unwell,' said Charlotte. 'Maybe ask Sally, she might know.'
'Might know what?' Sally appeared from the tack room.
Claire explained how Bear hadn't been his usual self for a few days, very dull at exercise, standing morosely in his stable, and Sally frowned.
'I'd always say get him checked out, you know what I'm like on that. It's out of character for him.'
So arrangements were made for the vet to see Bear that afternoon. She arrived, an efficient woman in her forties, and listened to Claire's concerns.
'Okay, so you've checked his temperature, no discharge from the eyes or nostrils, no tremors...let's trot him up and see what we've got.'
Claire took him out of his stable whereupon he stood, the same morose attitude as he yawned unconcernedly.
'Come on, Bear!' she urged, tugging at the stallion's leadrope. Bear launched forwards into a languid trot, the vet watching him closely.
'If you can turn him and trot him the other way, Claire,' said the vet.
Claire turned, and Bear suddenly broke into his usual Andalusian trot, tossing his head and whinnying at the top of his voice! Claire had to run to keep up with him, until he broke free, and cantered the length of the yard!
'Bear! Holy mother!' shouted Claire, then stopped at the sight before her.
Bear had skidded to a halt near Luna's stable and was whickering softly to the mare!
'Well I think we have our answer as to what is wrong with Bear,' said the vet, her eyes twinkling. 'He's got lovesick-itis! And a very bad case by the look of it!'
Luna squealed as Bear pushed his head over the door, and the vet laughed.
'I think someone needs to learn how to treat a lady!'
'So what shall I do with them?' asked Claire. 'I can't keep having him moping around.'
'I don't see the harm in them being stabled next to each other, though...' the vet took a quick look, 'he is a stallion, so you'll need to make sure they don't break free, otherwise you'll be asking Sally for another stable!'
And so Bear, much to his pleasure, was moved to the stable next to Luna, whereupon many evenings were spent, their noses touching over their stable doors.
*warm squishyness* so the idea came from when I loaned a horse at a small yard, and we had a beautiful new arrival called Harriet, 5yo chestnut mare, sire a grade A show jumper, beautiful leggy thing, and of course all of our boys were chasing her, but she only had eyes for little George the 12hh pony pushing 30 years old! They played up merry hell if they weren’t near each other and would often just stand with their heads touching either side of the walkway (their stables were opposite). Our boys were very put out, haha.
The two new arrivals, Luna and Artemis, had settled in nicely at Elm Grove Stables. They were both stunning horses and there were plenty of offers from the girls to help out; as they were both youngsters and hadn't been broken to ride yet, there was little to do other than teach the pair good stable manners.
Charlotte had just taken Taffy's tack off after a long hack, and the horse lipped her fingers in the hope that there were treats there.
'Taff, honestly!' laughed Charlotte. She turned to her friend Claire, who was looking gloomily at Bear.
'You alright, Clairey?'
Claire sighed. 'Bear isn't his usual self. Look, he's just standing there, he won't even come to me for a carrot.'
'Crikey, he must be unwell,' said Charlotte. 'Maybe ask Sally, she might know.'
'Might know what?' Sally appeared from the tack room.
Claire explained how Bear hadn't been his usual self for a few days, very dull at exercise, standing morosely in his stable, and Sally frowned.
'I'd always say get him checked out, you know what I'm like on that. It's out of character for him.'
So arrangements were made for the vet to see Bear that afternoon. She arrived, an efficient woman in her forties, and listened to Claire's concerns.
'Okay, so you've checked his temperature, no discharge from the eyes or nostrils, no tremors...let's trot him up and see what we've got.'
Claire took him out of his stable whereupon he stood, the same morose attitude as he yawned unconcernedly.
'Come on, Bear!' she urged, tugging at the stallion's leadrope. Bear launched forwards into a languid trot, the vet watching him closely.
'If you can turn him and trot him the other way, Claire,' said the vet.
Claire turned, and Bear suddenly broke into his usual Andalusian trot, tossing his head and whinnying at the top of his voice! Claire had to run to keep up with him, until he broke free, and cantered the length of the yard!
'Bear! Holy mother!' shouted Claire, then stopped at the sight before her.
Bear had skidded to a halt near Luna's stable and was whickering softly to the mare!
'Well I think we have our answer as to what is wrong with Bear,' said the vet, her eyes twinkling. 'He's got lovesick-itis! And a very bad case by the look of it!'
Luna squealed as Bear pushed his head over the door, and the vet laughed.
'I think someone needs to learn how to treat a lady!'
'So what shall I do with them?' asked Claire. 'I can't keep having him moping around.'
'I don't see the harm in them being stabled next to each other, though...' the vet took a quick look, 'he is a stallion, so you'll need to make sure they don't break free, otherwise you'll be asking Sally for another stable!'
And so Bear, much to his pleasure, was moved to the stable next to Luna, whereupon many evenings were spent, their noses touching over their stable doors.
*warm squishyness* so the idea came from when I loaned a horse at a small yard, and we had a beautiful new arrival called Harriet, 5yo chestnut mare, sire a grade A show jumper, beautiful leggy thing, and of course all of our boys were chasing her, but she only had eyes for little George the 12hh pony pushing 30 years old! They played up merry hell if they weren’t near each other and would often just stand with their heads touching either side of the walkway (their stables were opposite). Our boys were very put out, haha.
