The eyes have it.
Zippy is one of those horses whose eyes get small and piggy when he is upset. His eyes have got bigger in the last couple of days, so he's settling down again. It was one of the things that made me afraid that he was like Smartie, because his eyes did it too.
I've made the paddock twice as big and joined it to the croft, which is the same size. So now they have one 50x20m and one 30x15m area joined by a strip of rough ground, so they can feel as though they have plenty of space while actually hardly having any at all - good ruse eh?
I turned Jazz out and took Zip for a hack, knowing that this would test whether Jazz would respect the fence or follow us down the field as we went down the road. It was only later, after he had stayed inside it, that I remembered that I'd forgotten to put the power back on :-)
Zip was lovely. Our longest and hardest ride yet, with a whole new hill. He hasn't done the "plug in the hole" gurgle, followed by the "cough it clear" thing for several rides now. It really is beginning to look as if the soft palate issue is going to fade away. He is beginning to be an enjoyable hack, which is astonishing for a horse of his age. They are normally ghastly and never take the same length stride twice in a row :-) Not him, Mr Fluency :-))
I joined Cheshire Farmers' Drag Hunt, and I keep getting email invites to hunt on Saturday. I wish!!
C
posted by cptrayes @ 11:29 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Oh, I hate pig eyed looks. They kind of scrunch up their eyes and make them look hard rather than soft. Wonder if there is physical component, such as not feeling well that might contribute. Either way, I'm glad Jazz is softening up.
Great paddock arrangement. Before too long it will be full turnout again.
Glad Jazz respects the fence even without the electric on! *duh G* Good thing too!!
Zipster is turning into one nice hack. Lovely to be able to go out and have fun without worrying too much about spooks and other such all too exciting events.
It's Zippy with the eyes Jean, Jazz's eyes are huge and liquid, like a big pool of chocolate :-)
C.
OOOPS! That's what I get for reading your post while at school with 28 teenagers in the room.
Zip's eyes get all scrunched up then. Kind of Tucker when he worries a lot...Maybe, as I think on it, it's when their focus turns inside rather than outside. If they're in pain, they might be focusing on that--like PJ when he colicked.
What it may mean is that the Zipster is beginning to join and bond with his new "family" of horse and person. I think, with a young horse, sometimes this takes time. He has to learn he has a place in the world, a purpose, and meaning to his life. He's no longer just a pasture ornament but now "someone who matters."
Yes I think "inward focussed" describes it well. He can appear very mutinous when he's like that too - refusing to go where he's told, move over, that kind of thing. I'm not sure it's real defiance, more like he's so inward focussed he's not listening to anyone else. Anyway, he's all better now and he's had another day in the sunshine out in the field so he'll be chilled out tonight.
I've been working, so no news.
C
"like a big pool of chocolate :-)"
that'll do for me!
Great to hear he's made such a quick recovery
Interesting about the eyes, Rubix is like this as well.
When I first met his his face was so closed looking, with small round eyes. I though he was rather ugly. Now he walks upto me in the paddock and his whole face has softened. His eyes seem bigger and they are more open and talkative.
Lucky you with Jazz staying behind the turned off tape! Ra just picks up his little legs and steps himself over it lol.
Great that he is able to be turned out now, he seems to be making excellent progress :).
I bought the 1m 50 poles Anna - I did think there was danger he might try and limbo underneath!
Thanks Mandeigh, he's doing well.
C
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