We've had Ulo two years now

This competition was in Uitgeest on april 17, exactly two years after we got Ulo. Jolanda and her have come a long way since then, and they both look so good. Both proefs went very well, and Jolanda earned her first two winst punten of 2011.

Water, water everywhere - a tilers tale!

Last sunday I had a great day planned, going to The Movies with a group of friends for a matinee showing of "Black Swan" followed by dinner. Jolanda was sleeping over with a friend, and they were going on to the manege later, so I was having a rare day off.
As I was enjoying a lazy morning coffee my mobile rang.
"Jane, I don't know how late you are coming to the manege today, but you had better get here soon, we've had a leak and your horse 's stall is flooded."
My lazy sunday stopped, and I pulled on my oldest clothes and drove down to find Ulo knee deep in wet, muddy sawdust (we use sawdust for bedding as its better for horses with lung problems).
I hauled her out and washed her legs, which seemed swollen, then began emptying my stall of soggy sawdust and *@!#. About an hour and a half and ten wheelbarrows later I was finished, and after a cup of coffee - brought by John who came down to offer moral support, filled the stall with nice clean sawdust and popped Ulo back in.
After cleaning myself up, I got myself off to Amsterdam, and joined my friends for the meal. I'd missed the film, but no matter.
Two days later, on Tuesday morning, I got a call: "Theres been another leak, and the stalls flooded again!"
I drove over with dread, to find Ulo tied at the saddling area, looking fed up, legs still swollen, and her stall a pool of muddy water. It was decided that we could not use the stall again until it had been raised, as our stall was the lowest point in the row, and all the water ran towards us.
Ulo got a temporary home amongst the precious grand prix horses, (she didn't like it - I think she found them a bit snobby) and I was assured the work would be organised. Later that evening, I got a text to say there was noone who could do it at short notice, and if I could organise something, that would be great.........
Since then my whole week has been spend on the internet looking for patio tiles, and tilers.
I was told to check the internet for tiles people wanted removed, as you can often get them for nothing. By thursday I found an advert for some unwanted patio tiles in the same village as the manege, which was great, and we could collect them on Saturday. Great!
Getting a tiler was a different matter, as every time they heard it was an emergency, and for a horse stall, they thought we had loads of money, and asked ridiculous amounts.
By friday I was really desperate, and saw myself laying the tiles alone, especially as John is not strong enough to do it since his last back operation.
But I am so blessed to have great people around me. A friends husband sent a text on friday evening, and said he would do the work on saturday at 5.30!
Saturday was a whirlwind of activity organising John, trailer and Jolanda all to arive at the house in Broek that had the tiles. It was a big job to get them into the trailer, but we did it and drove back to the manege.
We were busy moving sand into the stall, when Ben arrived. He's a young, strong, tall dutchman, who worked at a fantastic pace, first with the sand, and then laying the tiles. John took Jolanda off home so she could get something to eat before she went out for the evening (another story) and I stayed to help Ben.
By the time John got back, he was just in time to help us plan the most efficient way of laying the tiles, and within 3 hours the whole stall was done.
Sunday morning we were able to fill in the gaps around the edges with bricks, the new stall was ready to receive fresh sawdust, and a very relieved Ulo, who looked happy to be back home!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ben you are a great guy!

more pictures from Drenthe

Autumn colours



to prove I did ride in the woods - I'm at the back



Ulo and Jolanda

Weekend in the woods

Since we got Ulo, we have had little opportunity to get out and about with her, apart from travelling to dressage competitions, or going for a quiet hack on the roads around the stables. Two weeks ago we were able to go with a group of riders and horses from our stable, and Evelien's (Stal Oostwal) to a great manege in Drenthe Recreatiecentrum
" Rijmaaran".
There were eight horses on the trip, and about twenty five people, not all of them riders. It was a long drive for us, but Ulo was fine in the trailer, and settled in well to the great facilities. We had an indoor school to exercise in on the friday night, and then saturday and sunday we went out into the woods, exploring the trails around the riding school. It was glorious weather, and the autumn colours were lovely, the trails were broad and for the most part dry.
Those without a horse of their own could hire fjords and haflingers, and those who did not like horses could get out and about and explore Drenthe.
Like a fool I forgot my camera, but there were photos taken, and I am in the process of getting them from those with cameras!
Here's one of Ulo in the woods. The rope round her nose is to stop her sprinting off, which she had just done.... it was all a bit too exciting at times.

just when do you call in the vet?

After losing Snuffie three weeks ago, I have become super sensitive to our other animals needs.
Last week Maxie the cat stopped eating, and began vomiting. After a sleepless night listening to the cat throwing up every few hours, I got her to the vets straight away.
It was the same vet who saw Snuffie, so I felt relief when he seemed very upbeat, and diagnosed her with a sensitive stomach lining, due too hair balls made worse by her shedding hair more in the hot weather. He gave her an injection, special diet food, and a paste which should work as a calming agent in her stomach and help her pass hair easily without it forming balls.
Within 24 hours she was up and hungry, and found no problem eating the diet food, which is designed to be easily digestible. She does not really like the paste, however, so we have to put it on her paws for her to lick off.
Today she had finished the diet food, and I had to give her the normal cat food. She ate some of it, but was sick later, so it looks like she will have to go back to the special diet food for a little while yet. She goes back to the vet wednesday, so we will see how she is by then.
We felt we had "fixed" Maxie, and what else could go wrong, but on thursday we went to get Ulo out of the field to find she was bleeding from a wound on her shoulder. She could hardly take a step forward, but we got her to the stall, and Jolanda put her under the shower to clean the cut and cool her off. There was no question that she was lame, so we put her in the stable with plenty of betadine on the cut, and left her overnight.
Next morning we repeated the treatment, and stepped her around; the stall owner felt that it was not so bad, and to give her a few hours more rest then try riding her. That evening we saddled up, and Jolanda began riding, but once in trot you could see she was still lame, so it was back to the shower, and the betadine, and we tucked her up in the stable again.
48 hours later, and we have had to cancel the competition Jolanda was due to ride in today. When I rang to explain the reason, they asked if a vet had seen her, as then we would not have to pay the entry fee.
It never occured to me to call a vet for a cut shoulder, especially with the experienced people we have around us at the stables, but maybe next time I will.

of trailers; tests and triumphs!

After last months post about loading Ulo into a trailer for the second time in her life, you would have thought we would steer clear of them for a while; but no - John and Jolanda went out shopping without me on Saturday and brought back a brand new trailer - to match the land rover, as Jolanda said! I should not have let them out alone, but I was back at the stables waiting for the farrier.... who is the sweetest man, and great with the horses, but is the worst time keeper in history, but thats a story for another time.

So there I was hanging around having one of those waiting sort of days, and receiving text messages every few minutes from not only Jolanda but also the farrier, which only gave me half the story every time. But it was a sunny day, and there were lots of people to talk to, so it was not really a hardship.

Eventually everyone arrived in the correct sequence, ie Jolanda and John with trailer, followed by Evelien who was there to give Jolanda a private lesson, followed by the farrier who was able to shoe three horses in less than two hours; then we all went home for tea!

The reason for the haste in buying a trailer was that Jolanda had another competition last Sunday, and we bravely decided to take the oppertunity for Ulo's first trailer training. John and I were looking opon the experience as you do a trip to the dentist! However, when we were ready to load, we got a amazing amount of help from another family at the manege, and Ulo was introduced to the trailer in a calm ordered way. Robin was an absolute star, and gave her plenty of time to sniff around and get used to the ramp then gently encouraged her to put her feet one by one on the ramp and eventually into the trailer! It was a treat to watch, and gave us confidence that she will be easy to load if we give her the time.

Once loaded we were off to the competition, with plenty of time to spare. Jolanda rode two good proofs, and was awarded two winst punten - which was what she needed to go upto the next level, so we were thrilled with that. Whilst she rewarded herself with a packet of chips, John and I (with the help of Robin's mother, again) decided to load Ulo up to go home. this time John took her in, and she calmly walked up the ramp with a look at him as if to say,
"nice trailer boss, pleased you realised I deserved something a bit classier than that wreck last month!"



The end to this trailer story is a little less upbeat however; I was scheduled to take my trailer driving test on monday, the day after the competition, and set of in good heart to start the training at 8 a.m. After driving for six hours, with an instructor who was very able to explain every fault I made after I had made it, I went into the exam completely demoralised and exhausted. Needless to say I failed spectacularly, as the trailer almost jack knifed as I reversed around a corner! I will take the test again, but I'm changing my instructor; never spend more time than is absolutely necessary with someone who generates negative feelings!

Blisters and bandages!

Suprise - another blog about the pony! Its a bit delayed however, but for good reason. A week ago Jolanda had another competition, and we decided it was time to get more professional and use a trailer to get the venue. There were two ponies competing at the same time, so we hired a trailer from the manege and John volunteered (was persuaded) to drive.

The day of the competition came, and we were there nice and early to get the Ulo plaited up and groomed. It was a bit busy at the stables, and not very restful, so this took longer than usual, but finally she was ready and John got the trailer in position. (I won't go into what he said about the general condition of the trailer, but it has been well used, shall we say)

We wanted to load Ulo first, as the last time she was scared to go in next to the other horse. Ulo had other ideas, and although she walked into the trailer with Jolanda, she backed out again so quickly we could not get the bar shut to keep her in. The rope was pulled though Jolanda's hands and she had a very painful blister.

I took over and she walked in again, only to do the very same thing.... by then the crowd of spectators was growing, and it was getting ridiculous. I had another attempt, and was determined not to let go, but a determined 600 kilo horse is hard to hold, and again the rope ripped though my hands.

On my third attempt we got the bar across to hold her in and she calmed down. The other pony was a peice of cake to load, and we drove off to the venue after I picked up a packet of plasters to tidy up our hands.

Getting her out was easier than we had expected, and we saddled her up. Jolanda's hands were hurting really badly, but she carried on, and rode her two proofs. Whilst the other pony was still busy doing her competition we quietly started to load Ulo back into the trailer.

This time John thought he would have a go, and almost ripped a nail off as she backed away from him. I took over again, and we finally got her in with the help of a kind and calm passer by.

In need of a coffee, we set off for the cantine, and more bandages! When the results were anounced, Jolanda won an amazing first place, followed by a third, I am so proud that she could focus to do that!

It was a learning experience, and we know now we will be wearing gloves from now on, and there will be a trailer loading course in the near future for myself and John!

And the delay in posting? Its been really difficult to type with most of my fingers in bandages!

enjoy life!

Ulo thinks the weather is great - we gave her a day off yesterday so she could enjoy the sunshine!

april evening

It was a lovely evening yesterday, so I took some pictures as Jolanda rode in the sunshine!

first leaning to the left....

and now upright!

do we make our own luck?

My body can't get enough of the warmth and sunshine and its been another great weekend of horses. today we went for a pleasant hack, four kids on ponies and mums like anxious clucking hens alongside went for ice cream at Debbies
Yesterday Jolanda rode in the owners competition at the manege in Broek in Waterland. Although she only came second we were really pleased with her result, as her scores were very high and she was riding in a higher class than her official place in the KNHS system.
Before we go into a competition everyone says "ik wens je sucess" (I wish you sucess). Jolanda said the other day how strange it was that in England people wish you luck, whereas in Holland they wish you sucess. She found is strange because wishing luck implies that the preparation and the work that you put in before a competition counts for nothing, luck is all you need to win. The Dutch are more realistic, if you work at each element of a competition, you will succeed, Luck has nothing to do with it!

more horse stuff!

I have promised myself I am going to build up my blog posts and become more social media savvy, but at the moment I only post when Jolanda does something to shout about!
Sunday was the monthly trip to the official dressage competition along the road at Stal Baco in Broek in Waterland - we had a really early start, as we had to be there for 9 a.m. and I had been worried as Janette was riding in an international event in Germany and I don't really like being at the manege on my own. I need not have worried, as within minutes of our arriving to get Ulo ready the place was buzzing with other people getting their horses ready for competition as well.
We got off on time, and only had one serious mishap on the way. I will never walk to a competition again; next month I am getting a trailer. We got there in good time, and Jolanda rode two really good proefs, with excellent scores. She came first in the second proef, and got two winst punten to add to her tally. John was able to come along this time, and filmed her, which was great, and its now on youtube for all to see. Ulo and Jolanda at Baco
(you might want to watch it with the sound down as it was very windy!)

On Cloud nine

Sunday was Jolanda and Ulo's second dressage competition. She did not have to start until lunchtime, which meant we could have a lie in, but we did not have the use of a trailer this time, so we had to walk down the road.

Ulo thought that was very scary, so we went sideways almost the whole way, (it must be two kilometers)

Once she got the the competition venue she settled down however, and Jolanda rode very well. It was cold, so after she had finished, I took a very tired Ulo home, whilst Jolanda waited for her results.

She rang me to say she had won two first prizes, with a score of 199, and 202 - four points towards the next level! Shes been on cloud nine ever since, and we have two cups and two rosettes!

What do you know, its snowing (again)!

The temperature went above freezing this week, and we were lulled into a false sense that the winter was moving into a new pre-spring phase - yesterday morning as we drove to Volendam Jolanda and I felt the air to be warmer, and there was a hint of sunshine peeping between the clouds.

Half an hour later a snow encrusted car passed us heading south, and we wondered where he had come from. Five minutes after that the blizzard hit, and we battled along the slippery roads towards the stables, knowing that the Land Rover would have been a more appropriate vehicle for the job.

heres a picture to remind me that snow is pretty - BUT I'M SICK TO DEATH OF IT!

First official dressage competition

No I was not hiberating; I guess the mid winter blues are one of the reasons I have not posted to the blog in the whole of 2010, but also because we have had a few setbacks this year, and its easier to post the "fun stuff" than trying to be cheerful about illness, car repairs that cost way too much money, or central heating that breaks down in the middle of the coldest winter for - how many years?

Today Jolanda took part in her first official dressage competition, at a venue close to our home stall. Ulo was great, really performed well at the strange place, Jolanda rode both proefjes well, and we came home with her 1st winstpunt!

To explain, Each rider rides two five minute excercises (proefs). There is a set format to each excercise and you are judged on each element of the excercise. The maximum you can score is 300 points, but if you score over 180 you get an official placing (winstpunt). for the first excercise Jolanda and Ulo scored 186, and for the second they score 176. Good for 1 official place and a great start to her competition career.

We had loads of help from our friends at our stable, getting a lift in someones trailer (Ulo did not score well on loading and unloading!) having someone else read the first proef for me, so I could video (and stay calm), then having another friend video the second proef whilst I read the instructions. We also had masses of help from the woman who gives Jolanda private lessons, especially Saturday evening, when she gave Jolanda such a boost in confidence.

As you can see from the photo, the only thing working against us was the weather, as it was snowing hard, and although the excercises took place indoors, Jolanda had to wait her turn in the snow!

Numero uno for Ulo!

Jolanda and Ulo competed for the first time on Sunday, and came first in their class! Jolanda had a mega score of 194 (which is brilliant). We were so pleased, and also for those who were the runners up in the owners competition as they all worked really hard and deserved their ribbons too.

From left to right, 4th was Kelly on Buster, 3rd Dunia on Lester and 2nd Kiki on Sharda, and Jolanda on the end with her cup.

John was great as cameraman and editor and made this film for everyone to see!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aooPF2Ntv0

One last thing - Jolanda was the only entrant who groomed, plaited and saddled up without the aid of a parent! Said parent just got the honour of mucking out the stall!

J is for "just to let you know I'm still here"

Its been hectic during the past few weeks, and I've been busy with other things, but its time reveal one activity that keeps me away from the computer. Of course we are at the stables each day, with either myself or Jolanda riding, but its not the riding that takes the time - or the grooming - or mucking out the stables. In fact, at this time of the year we don't have to muck out the stables because the horses are all in the pasture (weiland) day and night.


You would think that would make things easier, and the horses definitely like the freedom, but the one drawback to keeping them out, is getting them in!
Ulo is a sweetie, and no problem to catch, so why do I complain?

This is what faces us most evenings!

There they are!

Getting closer!

Shes Seen Us!

Still time for another bite

One last Mouthful

I want to be in the Picture!

Off to Work

F is for field friendships

There is enough grass now for the horses and ponies to stay out day and night in the field, and we are seeing the way they relate to each other, and how the pecking order begins to develop.



Ulo is the protector of two year old Starlight.



Melissa is the head of the herd, because Unique, who was the most dominant of the group, is injured and being treated in a horse clinic in Utrecht.



Busters been having trouble with Lester so is happy Lester is not there at the moment.



Ulo is easy to catch but her sidekick Starlight does literally side kick if we try to take her away from the field - so getting our horse in can be an exciting experience!

E is for Equestrian

I'm finding a conflict between blogging and daily trips to the stables; Its not easy to find time to write, but the relationship between Ulo and Jolanda is getting stronger every day.

We've now got the confidence to go on easy hacks, which are fun, as there are other kids with new ponies too, and we are all more or less at the same level.

Sunday was our second outing, and I took the camera to try and get some nice shots. The interesting out of focus effect is a thumb print on the lens!

Ice cream stop at the organic farm "zorg borderij ons verlangen" on our route. They make their own ice cream, as well as selling organic fruit and vegetables, and very high quality meat.

Swan families are a real hazard at this time of the year, as the fathers are aggressively protective, and will attack cars - so ponies need to be very careful! They still look lovely though!

After our sedate hack, Ulo and Jolanda cantered once we got back home! Next week, we mothers may have enough courage to allow them to do this outside!

Tack-full!

Its been two weeks now, and having a horse is almost a full time occupation it seems! Jolanda is getting to know Ulo, and we are working with her every day. Its a pleasure looking after her, and she is quite used to us now, and pleased to see us when we arrive!

Working with her is not really a problem, but as I said before, we had no tack before she arrived, so the last two weeks have been spent gathering "stuff" and recognising the mistakes we have made!

first the bridle:

We dashed out to Midden Beemster to get a bridle and bit on the first morning, and brought it back to fit on the horse. We realised immediately the Cob size bridle was to small, but the bit was good (ever tried to fit a bit in a horses mouth without it being attached to the bridle? Ulo thought we were mad!) I dashed back to the shop, and swapped the bridle over, so that we could saddle her up and Jolanda could have her first ride on her.

Then the Martingale:

I went back here on Tuesday as we really needed a martingale. That made a big difference to riding her on the bit.

Next the saddle:

We made do with a borrowed saddle as I took the advise of everyone and started trawling the internet for a second hand Kieffer general purpose saddle, because "they fit every horse".

By wednesday I had found a couple, and put bids in, and one bid was accepted. Friday night John and I took a trip out through the blooming bulbfields of noord Holland to pick it up. It seemed fine, I tested the tree, which was strong and straight. Included with the saddle were two martingales, and a saddle blanket. But there were no stirrups, and the girth was only 115cm, and we knew we needed 130cm.

Then the girth:

I found a kieffer girth on the internet too, so bid for that, and went to pick that up, (again though the bulbfields) then next morning.

Saturday afternoon we fitted the saddle, to be told that it would need refilling (although it would do for now) and the girth was designed for a dressage saddle, and was still too short. Amazingly the girth we had got with the saddle did fit, so that was sorted.

finally the stirrups:

We were working with borrowed stirrups now, but everything else was ours, hurrah! Monday we went shopping with another mother who was showing us how to get to the closest tack shop. It was in a block of flats in Amsterdam Noord and gave me the feeling we were entering a drugs den as we rang on the doorbell for admittance and followed the signs upstairs. We were shown one pair of stirrups and one sort of stirrup leather, but I felt too intimidated to ask to see anything else, so just paid the money and left.

as extra:

Last night we went back out to Midden Beemster, to get the pretty saddle blanket Jolanda had seen on our first trip, and a pair of leg protectors.

I think we are done shopping for a while, thank goodness, as we have everything we need and more.

We now have to get rid of two martingales which we don't need and a Keiffer girth that does not fit. I need to get the courage to take the first halter we bought back to the shop (a different shop) to complain, as it broke in the trailer, and the horse escaped!

I take comfort from knowing I am not the only one who makes these mistakes, one mother was sold a full lunging girth set when she only needed a lunging rope and whip, and another mother bought a summer turning out rug which should have been 185cm, did not see the shop had sent her the wrong size, and after unpacking it found it was 215cm!

How to buy a Horse in Holland - We did it!

On friday we brought Ulo home to our manege!
After months of searching (in Jolanda's case years of wishing) once we made the decision to buy Ulo it all went very fast. I contacted the owners on Easter Monday to say we were really interested in her, and within hours we had exchanged email contracts, and paid a deposit to confirm our commitment.
The deal was conditional on a vets report (klinische keuring). I had researched this, and found a really good article (in Dutch) written by a vet explaining what he would do, and what was the value of the report. Amazingly, the vet who wrote the article was in fact the vet who attended the stables where Ulo was kept.
The owner of Ulo was able to get an appointment for friday for the keuring. The usual procedure is that the horse is checked, and if it is sound you can take it immediately. John was able to take the day off, and we arranged to borrow a horse trailer. The appointment was at 11 o'clock in Noord Brabant, so Jolanda and John set off at 7.30 a.m. (Jolanda was able to get the day off school). I stayed at home, so I could make sure that everything was sorted our for their arrival at the stables.
There was a slight problem in that the trailer did not attach correctly to John's new Land Rover, so they "stole" another one from another person at our manege, (thanks Robin). The journey down was fine (even though it was on the A2 all the way - the busiest motorway in the Netherlands). They got there early, and were able to have coffee and a chat whilst waiting for the vet. The vet took about half an hour to run the checks, and sign the report, then all that remained was to hand over the money and load Ulo into the trailer.
In the meantime, I went over the the stables, where several people helped me sort out the stable, cleaning the waterdish, and feedtray, as well as mucking it out and putting down new bedding.
We were not quite finished when the trailer arrived! There was a slight hitch getting Ulo out, which resulted in John being hit on the head with a safety bar. (the safety of the horse was not compromised, but John bled quite convincingly)
Janette asked if she could lunge her, and found her very relaxed, and not a bit stressed by the journey or the strange surroundings. In fact we are all impressed by how calm and gentle she is -
She's very friendly, and loves being around people and other horses. Within a half an hour of being put in her stall she was making friends with her neighbour. Thankfully we were given an old horse blanket by the owners, so we could rug her up for the night in that, as the temperatures were dropping.
We've had her a day and two nights now, and its still very new, but Jolanda is on seventh heaven, and John and I are catching our breath, and making sure we have all the "stuff"you need for a horse. More on that later