The waiting game!

Well is she, isn't she?  Everyone keeps asking is she pregnant or not? "I don't know" She is certainly calmer and a little sweeter in the week of her cycle when she should be tearing my head off.. Darcie is certainly what you would call a hormonal mare! She did try and take the arm off my new jacket though the other day so perhaps not!

Anyway the next stage is to have her scanned, thats booked at Bishopton with our vet Richard next Monday 27th, so all being well we will find out then. Richard did leave us with the statement "There is no reason why she shouldn't get pregnant". Hopefully Kate Fallaize might be able to take us down in her lunch hour, especially if I offer a nice sandwich.

Darcie is really struggling without her back shoes on, she has really soft soles and can feel every atom (yes I do mean atom, well it feels like that anyway). I have to say though that she feels lighter behind and has a greater step under than she did with shoes on, maybe there is something to this barefoot lark. Think when she goes into her confinement we may persevere and not have her back shoes put on. However it would be really good to do some shows and maybe a little dressage this summer whilst she still can and we certainly can't get any work into her at the moment. So if the scan is positive we shall be calling Andrew Cox our Farrier, maybe he could put lighter shoes on the back. We can only ask.

On the plus side had a really good ride on Saturday with our good friend Kate and her horse Devon, although Darcie would not canter (sore feet you understand) we did some exploring and have found a brilliant ride with a stream to cross, great flat roadwork, plenty of gates (we like gates its one of the few things that Darcie excels at) and lots of canter fields (although filled with ewes and their new born lambs, so just trot fields at moment) Cant wait to get shoes on, then its body protector, neck strap and go, go, go.....

The Journey begins... OOOOERRRR

Well as most of you know I finished the project at the University of Leeds at Christmas and started work full time  in my physical therapy business KB Equine Therapy . Well after some nifty business planning I hope to be very busy towards the end of the year. What to do with Darcie? Now you see Darcie loves to work but I work evenings and weekends so what am I to do? Should I just try to fit her in as best I can whilst feeling guilty.. Hang on.. always wanted to try breeding.. now there's an opportunity so the idea began to form..

Now you need to understand that whilst I have a great deal of knowledge on horse care, lameness and back conditions, mud fever, nutrition, horse and rider biomechanics, etc , etc breeding is something I know nothing about. Where to start?? I roped in two of my good friends Kate Fallaize (who has done it but by AI (artificial insemination for those of you that didn't know) and Amanda Donkin (who has gone down the natural route).  Amanda immediately sent me home armed with a pile of books. Well there you go thats the support network set up!!!

Next talk to the Vet.. Now my vet Richard Sutcliffe from Bishopton vets, Ripon has known team Darcie since the beginning. He has even picked said rider up when team Darc decided to behave like an idiot at the Bogs Hall Stables adult Gymkhana. Much to the amusement of Becky (equine receptionist) I booked a cup of tea appointment to pick his brains and to see if he thought I was a total idiot.

"What are your reasons?" he asked over his tea

"Well I just want to have a go and its this year or never as Darcie has just gone 14. If it doesn't happen its fine, or if something goes wrong then it was not meant to be. If we get a horse thats got no potential once its weaned it will have a home with me.If we get a horse with potential we all know I am not the rider to bring it on to its full potential so we will find said rider, maybe at that point we might need to sell for the best for the horse. Who know's? The foal (if we get that far) will be what it will be."

"Well you're doing it for the right reasons" said he "The only thing I worry about is her temperament" Well there he is right. She has been known to flip her lid and eject her rider and if you don't keep a watchful eye on her when she is in a particular bit of her cycle you can have a great look at her teeth usually leaving their mark on your buttocks! Not funny if you are on the receiving end! "Well" said I if I were to analyse her personality then she only (No really) does have a 5% quirk. Lets swab her then..

Darcie was an absolute angel and never bothered. She then stood between us licking my hand whilst we discussed stallions.. Never had I been so glad that my mare showed her 95% loving and affectionate side of her personality.

Richard suggested Arcie (Away with the Faeries), NES Sports Horses and that we get her covered in March/April so that the foal would be born at a better warmer time of the year and Darcie could go up and be covered and then come home again less stress for her.. and so the wait began...