The Oakridge Ponies

Snow!

2010-12-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Recognition at Last!

2010-11-24T11:58:00.000-08:00

I am delighted to tell the world that I am officially Highland Pony Enthusiasts Club's Personality of the Year!! I think my Mum was happier than I was on receiving the news but I am too cool to show any extreme emotion unless it involves food. Jester sadly was not eligable as he is a "boy from the valleys" but no doubt he will get to share my treats... humff!

I can go sideways!

2010-11-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

Go me!!!

2010-10-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Two in a bed!

2010-09-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

We do have a bed each but sometimes it is nice to cuddle up together! Not too sure if Jester agrees but since I am in charge and block his exit he has to tolerate my affection.

Long Reining

2010-07-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

I have been learning a new game with Mum - it is called long reining and involves Mum trying to make me go places by walking a long way behind me so I can't see her only hear her! I am not entirely sure of the reason for this game but it seems to make her very happy, especially when we weave in and out of orange cones. Jester likes to stand at her shoulder and supervise - he says he could do it with his eyes closed as he did lots of it in his driving days. I like it when I decide I misunderstand her request to "trot on" and go into mad canter taking her for a grass-ski up the field hehe!! Photos will follow of this strange human behaviour in due course but at the moment Mum says both her hands are full of reins and any photos would be of my ample bottom - I have no problems with that myself ;) Ishie x

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2010-06-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

I am 18 years old now - or so my mummy says!! She also says I must start to act like I responsible adult - em - I don't think so!!!

2010-06-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

Jester here - my mummy says she did a good thing today - she saved this wee beastie who was stuck in our fence. I didn't mind him when he was lying in the field but when she picked him up to carry him into the woods. I came to see what he was and he moved I almost leapt out of my skin!! I refused to speak to Mummy for the rest of the afternoon. However after many hours he finally managed to get back on his feet again and has moved back into the forest where he belongs. Mummy is feeling rather pleased with herself.

2010-06-04T14:51:00.001-07:00

Tash

2010-05-30T13:01:00.001-07:00

We were all calm getting ready to go for our Saturday wander through the woods and pic-nic when some random welsh mare comes into MY field!!! I was beside myself and did my damndest to break the baler twine so I could go and sort out said upstart! Jester naturally simply turned on the charm and whispered sweet nothings to the new mare in bloody welsh - traitor that he is!! Because I can only see out of one eye I had to keep spinning round and round so I could see where she was and this made mummy fall off the mounting block several times just as she was lifting her leg over! She managed to get on eventually (a carrot bribe helped for a second!) then we were off! I did my best lipitzaner display from the back of the ride but when in front I slowed down because I wanted to glare at HER! Jester who nornally says he has to stop because he is tired marched out the whole ride without stopping once - I suppose he was trying to impress her and not let her see that he is old enough to be her grandad at 27! Fortunately she went away after we got back to our field but Mum tells me to get used to her as she will be visiting fairly regularly - hmmm - we will see about that!

2010-05-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Thank you Major for giving me this Beautiful Blogger award!

Please have a look at Major's blog too -

http://highlandhooves.blogspot.com/

The Beautiful Blogger award Rules are:

1. Link back to the Horse/person who gave you the award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Pass the award to other HORSES (bloggers)

Now then, here are 7 things about ME!

Ishie:

"I am in charge, fact!"
"I may only have one eye but it doesn't distract from me knowing everything that is going on and doing everything I did before - and I am still the most beautiful mare in Nairnshire"
"I get first choice of which pile of hay I want"

Jester:

"I was once a driving cob and pulled carriages for weddings"
"I am off the best bloodlines with Llanarth Braint in my pedigree"
"I know how to wrap any human around my hoof in nano-seconds"

Mum says we are both worth our ample weights in gold!

I now pass this award to:

http://vodkadonkey.blogspot.com/
http://singing-chicken.blogspot.com/

The Annual Bath

2010-05-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

It was a really warm day - they don't happen much up her in the Scottish Highlands so Mum gave me and Jester a lovely cool bath. Jester was first - he is such a wimp - imagine being scared of a hosepipe! I was waiting for my turn - I do love fuss and attention though I pretend not to. Mum was evil because she laughed at me when the cold water trickling down my bum made my back legs collapse under me for a second - most undignified but I carried on eating regardless! Then we were so exhausted we had to have a snooze in the sun.

2010-05-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

We do like to help Mummy and Daddy by clearing all the overgrown vegetation in the drive. We are pretty fast workers too!

2010-05-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

Is Summer nearly here?

2010-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a lovely hack today - Mum on Jester and Julie on Ishie. We must be getting fitter because we went ever so far and weren't too tired on the way home. Here we are just as we set off - thanks Daddy for taking our photo! x

2010-05-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

2010-05-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

2010-05-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

We haven't posted for a while - Mum is to blame as she has been hogging the laptop.
The Spring has arrived and we have some nice grass coming through at last. Our exercise has also recommenced - the best bit is the lovely fresh green shoots we get to nibble on in the forest at the end of our hacks. We have been going out bareback too which has been fun for Mum too. Here are some photos:

2010-02-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

Snoozing in the sun!

2010-02-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

It was sunny and almost spring like yesterday so Mum and me decided to go for a wander through the forest. We took the boys with us (Daddy and Jester) as they cannot cope without their women! Also we needed someone to carry the camera to capture the moment! I was a VERY good girl and didn't run away when we met an articulated wood lorry in the middle of the forest because Mum said I had to be a brave girl (though I must admit I did think about it). Jester is deaf so he didn't even notice it!

PS Also welcome to "Foody" I now have 2 people who follow my blog!

First hack of 2010

2010-01-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

Ooh - is this your stable Mum?

2010-01-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

Can I come in?

We know you're there!

2010-01-10T02:50:00.000-08:00

Come on Mum - that is breakfast finished - surely it is lunch time now!

The Great Escape!

2010-01-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

The snow covered the electric fence line this morning so we took full advantage of this and stepped over into 30 acres of snow!! We made for the furthest part of the fields and stood laughing at Mum as she shouted us to come home. Jester was very naughty and wouldn't be caught at all but I thought there might be some food in it for us if we went home (which of course there was - Mum is a great believer in positive reinforcement) so I allowed her to put the headcollar on and we all waded back through snow which went over mum's wellies up to her thighs and almost reached our bellies. We were full of beans as a result of our big adventure and Jester rolled and rolled in the deep snow whilst I galloped about as best I could considering the depth of the snow and my fat tummy! Mummy was cursing that she didn't have her camera to capture some of the moments. Happy 2010 everyone!

Happy New Year

2009-12-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

We are fed up of this bloomin snow - it has covered our winter grazing

for almost two weeks now and we have to scrape and dig to avoid starvation! OK so we exaggerate a little - Mum is on holiday and visits several times a day with piles of haylage but we still hanker for the grass. Jester digs and ends up on stilts of packed snow in his hooves. Me, I prefer the snow plough method using my nose but it has its hazards too - look at the snowball that built up in my forelock. Roll on the milder weather before we waste away to nothing!

2009-10-21T09:17:00.001-07:00

Riding a One-Eyed Horse

One side of his world is always missing.
You may give it a casual wave of the hand
or rub it with your shoulder as you pass,
but nothing on his blind side ever happens.

Hundreds of trees slip past him into darkness,
drifting into a hollow hemisphere
whose sounds you will have to try to explain.
Your legs will tell him not to be afraid

if you learn never to lie. Do not forget
to turn his head and let what comes come seen:
he will jump the fences he has to if you swing
toward them from the side that he can see

and hold his good eye straight. The heavy dark
will stay beside you always; let him learn
to lean against it. It will steady him
and see you safely through diminished fields.

© Henry Taylor

2009-10-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well after 4 long dreadful weeks in horspital I finally came home but sadly I had to have an operation to take the sore eye away as it wasn't going to mend and was very very painful.

I have been on "sick leave" for several weeks but today Mum, Julie, Jester and I ventured for our first ride out. My Mum says I was a VERY good girl. I didn't mind not being able to see to my right at all - I never could see much anyway with my long forelock! However I couldn't help but be a little naughty and I nipped Julie's leg when she wasn't paying attention to me. I think she had forgotten who is in charge here for a minute so I had to remind her.

Here I am looking angelic as we got ready to go.

Jester has his say!

2009-08-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hi there - Jester here - I am taking the chance to blog whilst Ishie is imprisoned at the Clinic! I have had so much fun. Firstly I was put in a paddock with more grass than I have seen all Summer. Mum was fussing about it but I am delighted. Then my old love Copper who I have known almost all my life was put in to keep me company. She made it clear that she was equally thrilled by this and despite the fact that she is 28 and I am 26 we soon started behaving in a manner our Mums said was wholly inappropriate - especially in from of small children. I may have been a gelding for 20 odd years but sometimes it just slips my mind..... In the end Copper had to be removed in case I hurt her with my horse-play. So nothing for it but to get back to the serious business of eating every blade of grass I can before I am whisked back home to sparser pastures and a grumpy Highland mare for company. I wonder when she will be allowed home? She will be so cross being stabled for days on end with needles and drops in her eyes. Oh dear - best not to think about it....I don't really do thinking much - it hurts my brain!

2009-08-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

HELP!!!!! I am imprisoned in a dark and strange stable with only the pony in the mirror for company. My eye hurts, a feel quite stoned and they wont let me out to eat grass. To add insult to injury, Jester is having an affair! He has been put in a field with that chestnut mare that he says he is in love with, Copper I think her name is. AND he has all the grass he can eat.

2009-08-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

Well Mum did call the Vet to see my eye. They almost had me fooled as said Vet dressed up in my Mum's clothes so she smelt like Mum and I did speak to her.... until she put her hand on my neck trying to sneakily find a vein to sedate me!! I HATE NEEDLES!!! Despite sedalin to make me woozy I showed them there was no way there were going to examine my sore eye. I made them keep trying unsuccessfully for a very long time in the rain until it was almost dark then they admitted defeat and gave me drops which I allowed Mum to put in. However it remained sore so it has been arranged for me to be ambulanced to horspital and lucky Jester is going for B&B with friends who have lots of grass. Needless to say when Mum came this morning she found my eye looking soooo much better on its own. Now she is worried that she is wasting lots of people's time - Vet, various friends who are coming to help us get organised etc but I suppose it is best to be sure there is nothing still stuck in my eye. I hope the food is good at horspital - maybe they will see how Mum starves me and tell her off instructing extra rations for a poor, hungry Highland mare.

2009-08-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Oh dear - I have got a sore eye and I am feeling very sorry for myself. Mum thinks I did it in the gorse bushes where I have to go as I might starve to death otherwise. It is all her fault putting me on this damn diet!! Anyway now she is in a pickle because I hate vets so much that it will be sedation by mouth to even get close to me. I can tolerate Mum bathing my sore eye but nobody else is allowed near. It hasn't put me off my food yet but I am sad so Mum is sad too. Here's hoping it is a little better in the morning or else she says she will phone the horrible vet.
Ishie

Pink Your Ride

2009-08-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Look at the state of us!!! My Mum insists on dressing me up in pink - she says it makes me look pretty. Apparently this is a fundraiser for Breast Cancer so I suppose as long as she doesn't look like this everytime we go out I can put up with it just this once! Ishie.
PS Jester was laughing at us but just wait - she might pink him up too!!

Saturday 15th August 2009

2009-08-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today the wind was wild - too wild for safe riding. The sort of day where Moo's mane would be blowing wildly as she put her back to the gale. I let Ishie and Jester sniff the tin containing her ashes to say one last goodbye, then I held them high up, scattering them all over the field that she loved, the wind carrying her with it. I like to think that she will be everywhere now and not just in one favoured spot - her spirit blowing wild and free like the wind is so often up here at the top of our hill. Then I sang our songs again with nothing and nobody exept the wind to hear me. Stay close Moo - you gave me the strength I needed to get me through the last dreadful year and I thank you for that.
All my love always, Mum xxx

Togetherness

2009-08-14T14:03:00.001-07:00

PA120027.flv video by Moonysmum - Photobucket

2009-08-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

2009-08-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c397/Moonysmum/?action=view¤t=PA120027.flv

Farewell beautiful Moonshine

2009-08-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Friday 7th August 2009 was a dark day at Oakridge. Our beloved matriarch, Moo (Daisy of Glenshiel), passed away after several weeks of poor health. Our Mum and Dad were distraught but we know she is still close to us - she would never leave here. Mum used to say that even if the gate was left wide open she could be sure that Moo would still be in the field (unless of course she went for one of her meanders around the garden) because she loved home so much!
We are doing our best to keep Mum happy but it is hard work! I (Ishie) am even coming up and asking her to scratch my belly because I know she loved to do that to Moo. I haven't lifted my back leg in the air though - that is just too undignified.
Mum will try and post some photos of us hiking out in the woods together - the best days of our lives.

Ishie 1 Vet 0

2009-04-29T11:14:00.001-07:00

The Vet came out to do our teeth today. As I am "too clever for my own good" (quote Vet), he even took his overalls off so I wouldn't read Vet on them. I am not a fool - I KNEW he was a Vet anyway!! I made a big fuss about even letting him stroke me but he did something to my top lip and for a brief moment I was disabled and he stuck his needle in me. I stomped off to the bottom of the field in annoyance and those other two sillies stood quietly whilst he stuck needles in them and made them open their mouths so he could look at their teeth. I found myself getting a bit sleepy and was just settling for wee snooze when the dratted Vet and Mum came down to see me armed with instruments of torture. I let Mum put my headcollar on but just as she slipped it off to allow the Vet to put on the dreaded mouth-opener I found a burst of energy and took off dragging both of them behind me!! Vet admitted defeat (quite rightly - he should have known he was not in charge) and they left me in peace. Mum says the Vet looked down the field at me as he left and said I was "Pretty impressive". She thought what a nice compliment but he continued with "... to have no small amount of sedative in her and still succeed in dragging both of us around the field!"

2009-04-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

2009-04-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

And there is nothing to beat a good roll in the mud when you get home!

This is what we do

2009-04-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

We are very fond of each other so one out - all out!! Moony is too old to carry a human any more so she just comes with us lose. She likes to be in the middle so she doesn't get left behind.

2009-03-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

We are Moony and Jester - we live with Ishie - in fact we were here before she was although she thinks she is the boss. Me, Moo, well I am VERY special! I have had my story published in the Highland Times and feature on the Veteral Pony website too. My Mum will attempt to attach the link to the story. Jester is the only non-Highland amongst us but we forgive him that. He is a handsome and very loving Welsh Cob. We are both getting on a bit now but love our life in the Highlands. No doubt Mum will help us tell you all about us in due course.

2009-03-18T12:32:00.001-07:00

2009-03-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

2009-03-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

My name is Ishbel or to be more formal Rest and be Thankful Ishbel. Mum says Rest and Be Thankful you are home in one piece - I have no idea what she means!! I am Mare in Charge of a small herd of three. I am not mean - just important and a bit of a control freak - I can't help it - it is just the way I am.

I am a Highland Pony just coming up for my 17th birthday.