A long road to recovery ahead

Zano had his vet trip booked in. Before we went the vet had advised that I keep him working as normal, so that they could see what he was like in work. When we arrived at the hugely impressive and smart new equine practice, the vet, Chris, gave Zano an incredibly thorough check over. Starting at his neck, he ran his hands over each part of Zano, his legs, his back, his pelvis. Then he watched Zano walk and trot, then flexed his legs and watched him do it again. He was definitely still slightly lame when he trotted on the concrete. Then he trotted in a circle on a hard circle, before moving to the school. He was lame on the left rein then, too, when he was lunged. It was his off fore that was the problem, the one with the lump just above the fetlock.

Zano being a ‘patient’ patient during his
initial examination, good as gold (as ever).

So – next step? To nerve block the off fore fetlock. That gives a chance for a local anaesthetic to go into the joint, so that the seat of pain can be located pretty exactly. Then, if Zano became sound with the nerve block, Chris suggested that we should x-ray the joint to find out more about what was making it sore. That bit all made sense. It was kind of what I was expecting. But what he said next was a bolt from the blue, the very last thing I’d been expecting...

Chris said that Zano had a sore back when he’d examined him at the start. I said that he was often touchy about his back. Chris then said that he suspected Zano had kissing spine, given his short back and high withers. He suggested that when they x-ray Zano’s suspect foreleg, they should x-ray his back, too. I nodded, not quite knowing what to say. I’d heard about kissing spines before, where the vertebrae touch, rather than have a gap. But I’d never known any horses with it... and now Zano may have it??! I thought it was one of the worst things a horse could have, but I told myself just to wait for the results of the x-ray. My heart was beating faster already, though, and it wasn’t about to slow down...

Zano was taken into one of the treatment rooms and he had his nerve blocking done. Chris had a strong suspicion about where the problem in his fetlock lay, and he got it right first time. His nerve block made Zano nearly come sound. Then it was x-ray time. Zano was sedated, and me and Paul left the vets to it, knowing that Zano was in very trustworthy hands. Julie, one of the assistants, was so sweet with Zano, and really kind.

After waiting a while, sitting in the sun and feeling a bit stunned, the results of the x-rays were in. The diagnosis? Well, it wasn’t great news. The x-rays showed arthritic changes in his off fore fetlock joint. And his spine? It was confirmed, right there in black and white – kissing spines. There were about 4 vertebra that were very close. Once a rider was on his back they’d definitely be touching, and then there were about 4 more that were permanently touching, even without a rider on his back. This is what was causing Zano’s back pain. I felt shocked. But, as Chris explained more about the condition, everything began to fall into place. Zano’s resentment of the saddle, his stepping away from me getting on and the way he felt ready to explode for the first few minutes after I’d got into the saddle. I thought that was all to do with a memory of a bad experience, but instead, it was an everyday pain for him, and I couldn’t believe how stoic he must have been to put up with it. My heart went out to him, and it made me love him even more, if that was possible.

The next conversation Chris had with us was about treatment. The good thing was, we had options. I knew, standing there in the treatment room with a sleepy, sedated but still sweet Zano, that I’d be prepared to try anything to make him feel better, and give him the chance to hopefully lead the fulfilling life he deserved. One thing we did know: a potentially long road to recovery lay ahead of us... and we’d just taken the very first step.

Zano's Succes

Well, this has been a month of big ups and even bigger downs. But, I reckon we should start with the ups... Zano went to his second ever show as a competitor! It was a summer open show at one of the riding clubs I’ve joined, and the weather couldn’t have been better. Zano had been bathed and groomed until he sparkled, and I changed his browband from the plain leather to one with a bit of bling! He looked stunning.

We entered into two classes to begin with – the in hand foreign breeds (because he’s Spanish) and the ridden foreign breeds. The first class was a bit of a nightmare – Zano was hugely excited by all the other horses around him, and objected strongly to being followed at close quarters by a miniature pony!! His trot is so awesome I couldn’t keep up with him, and his head was in my way so I couldn’t even see where I was trying to run! Anyway, that kept my boyfriend, Paul, and best friend Fran, watching from the ringside, well entertained! In the end, it wasn’t that bad after all, and we managed a 5th! (Oh, hang on, there were only 5 of us in the ring... still, no-one needs to know that, do they??!)

In the ridden class I wasn’t sure what to expect. He’s never worked in a big open space on grass, trotting and cantering with lots of other horses. But he was awesome, and he really showed off. The judge described him as ‘drop dead gorgeous’, which I thought just about matched what he felt to ride, and how he looked and felt that day. The individual class wasn’t so hot though, and he got a bit attached to the horses around him (he didn’t want to leave them to begin with!). That meant we dropped down the order from 2nd to 4th, but I was still over the moon with our 4th placed rosette.

The proud pair

Just before we left, we thought we might as well enter for one last class – Handsomest Gelding. That was Zano’s idea, by the way, not mine. He must have got it right though, because we left with another rosette, 4th place out of a huge class. All in all, it was a fabulous day out and he behaved himself really, really well. I didn’t over ride him at the show, getting into the saddle just to warm up and for the ridden class. I made sure he had plenty of rest (and some grass time) between the classes, too, with his saddle off. But I did notice that just before the last class he started to shift his back legs quite a bit, and it was something I was a bit worried about. But that was okay. He was booked into the vets for the following week. He’d been slightly on-off lame for a few weeks. He’d been the same the year before, since I’d first started riding him soon after I bought him. He’d seemed better over the winter, when he’d had his shoes off, but it was back again. The lameness was hardly noticeable, and my boyfriend, Paul, couldn’t see what I was worried about, but I thought a trip to the vets would put my mind at rest. But instead, what was to happen at the vets was to have the complete opposite effect...

Zano had his first trip out to see one of my best friends, Fran. She owns Pinto, who I shared for a while before I got Zano. She also owns Doug, a big bay horse, and we thought it would be nice for Zano and Doug to go for a hack together so they could be best friends, too. So, up we got into the trailer and away we went!

Zano behaved beautifully at the yard, hardly blinking at the countless ducks and chickens pecking the ground all around him. Oh, and the three dogs trotting about. He tucked into his haynet without a care in the world, and wasn’t even overly concerned when Doug appeared on the scene. Mind you, Doug’s an experienced horse, and he wasn’t going to fuss over a new horse by the stables, especially not one all dressed in purple!

There’s always a cup of tea on the go at Fran’s,
and she makes them awesomely!

We decided that we should hack up to the local JumpX competition, so that’s where we headed. Zano had never seen so many horses and so much coming and going. He got to watch the other horses jump round the course, too. I tried to whisper in his ear for him to pay attention. After all, I’m hoping that by the end of the season it’ll be us flying round there! He did watch for a little bit, but he was secretly far more interested in sampling the grass...

Hacking to JumpX, with Zano and Dougie
getting on like besties!

Zano and Doug watching the jumping....

Before Zano decided it was time to do
a bit of ‘grass inspecting’....

After this ride was such a success, we took Zano over to see the horse dentist, Leigh. Her stables are near Dunwich, with lots and lots of bridleways through the woods to ride on. Zano wasn’t flustered by the turkeys, the sheep or the many cats and dogs mooching about. The only time he got really upset was when he was left alone on the yard, when his hacking companion Harvey was turned out. But Leigh soon sorted that, and brought one of her mares in. Ruby stood quietly in the next stable to him while he had his teeth done.

Heading into the woods....

Oh, and before I forget, I’ve got to introduce you to the newest addition to our household! His name is Scooby, and he’s the most adorable 5 year old golden Labrador – here he is.... ta-daa! What do you think? Isn’t he sweet??

Scooby’s settled in really, really well.

In fact, it feels like he’s made our home complete.
I adore him, and already I can’t imagine life without him ☺

On a less happy note...

...Zano’s got a sore back again. He suffered from this last summer, and he had some treatment for it then. I always like horses to have their back checked regularly. When you think about it, they have to take a lot with a rider sitting on them, so taking care of their backs is the least we can do in return!

It wasn’t long after Zano had his new dressage saddle fitted that his back started to get sore. I noticed it first when I was tacking him up. He was starting to get agitated when he saw the saddle, which is what he was like when I first had him. Then he got touchy just being groomed over his back. So I stopped using the new saddle, and went back to my trusty synthetic GP saddle instead. It seemed a bit odd though, the saddle was well fitted but, just like the leather one I tried last year, Zano didn’t seem able to tolerate it. He’s been a bit funny to get on ever since I had him, and he always feels a bit explosive when I first get into the saddle. I put that down to his sore back when he first arrived, and the remembered pain from that time. Anyway, Steve the chiropractor came out to see him again, and worked on him for over an hour and a half. He found a sore spot behind his withers. He needed a couple of days off, and I’d have to ask Kay the saddler to come back to check his saddle, but I was hopeful that Zano was fixed once more. I was soon to find out though, that sadly this wasn’t the case...

Zano always stands beautifully when anyone
comes to see him – the farrier, dentist, saddler, back man.
I think he loves the attention!

Zano’s first experience of jumping!

There has been lots going on recently. The BIGGEST thing is that Zano’s had his first experience of jumping! We started off loose schooling him, so that he could have a canter around the school and find his own balance over the fences. It’s much easier for a horse to do this without a rider on his back, to begin with at least. We started off just leading him over a pole on the ground, at walk and trot. We put poles up leading into the ground pole, and away from it. That’s to help Zano keep straight on the approach to the fence, and to stop him ducking out. The last thing I wanted was for Zano to learn any bad habits!

Zano closely inspecting the poles!

Next we put the fence up, and asked him to trot into it.
He was a bit unsure to begin with, as you can see in this piccie...

... but he soon got the knack and pricked his ears!

Then, after we’d loose schooled a couple of times, it was time for me to get on board. This is only a small fence, but he still looks like he’s enjoying himself. It felt like he wasn’t that bothered by the small fences, and he didn’t really put much effort in until the fences got a bit bigger. My hands are a bit high in this pic of him jumping a smaller fence, but the time before he’d clonked a pole and had nose dived a bit, so I was being a bit cautious! Anyway, it was a real thrill to get him jumping, and I think he’d make good jumping horse, being able to turn on a sixpence like he can. I’ve been looking through the fixtures and there are lots of jumping clinics and small shows coming up – oooh, so much to look forward to this summer!  

Mud baths in the melted snow!

Well, the snow melted here today and Zano had a whale of a time, literally! Now, this is a horse who will normally go out of his way to avoid the smallest of puddles in his path. He’s been led through some on the lanes during hacks, but in general he’s always been far from impressed by anything murky and puddle like. But today, he decided that water is good – in fact, he decided that water is AWESOME!

There were lots of puddles on the way to the paddock too. Maybe I should have been warned when he paused, uncharacteristically, to stomp in one. I moved him on then let him loose in his paddock. There was a melted snow mini-lake in the middle of it. I went back into the stables, only to be told by Nicky that Zano was ‘taking a bath’. I headed out to see Zano rolling over and over in the huge puddle. I stood next to him as he proceeded to paw the ground, while lying down! Water was splashing all over the place. He then scrambled up, only to vigorously stomp about, sending water flying everywhere. He turned round a bit, then repeated the exercise until he’d sput a full circle. He clearly then decided that there was yet more fun to be had getting back down for another roll, and another paw from his horizontal position.

At the end of ten minutes water play I had one drenched, heavyweight rug but one very, very pleased with himself and ecstatic horse. It was worth it just to see the delight on his face. The only downside? I didn’t have my camera!!!

I lunged him soon afterwards (he hasn’t been ridden for nearly 3 weeks because of the snow and ice!). When I took his rug off he was soaked and grey / brown with mud from half way up his chest all the way along to his rump. Looks like I’ll have lots of grooming to do later!

The snow puts a halt to any riding and I start preparing for Spring

Winter really set in a few weeks after Christmas. It started with the frost, which looked so pretty, but made the lanes around us too dangerously slippery to ride or lead Zano out on. Zano tried his super warm rug for the first time – I think he looked pretty handsome in it, don’t you?

After the frost, came the snow – and it fell really hard! Even the school surface froze. Zano only had one day when he went a bit doo-lally; I think he felt the need to let off a bit of steam and whizzed up and down at full pelt, slipping all over the place! Luckily he stayed upright – just!

A Winter Wonderland - but not much good for
riding in the school to the left of the photo!

While temperatures plummeted it was really important that Zano had plenty of fuel to keep him warm. That meant making sure he always had loads of hay to eat – whether he was in his paddock or in his stable, and lots of fibre in his feed.

Zano having a morning snack - he was topped up as soon as he finished while he
was out in the snow!

Even though we’re still in the depths of winter, surrounded by snow, it’s already time to start thinking about the springtime. That’s because I’ve got to be fully prepared for the return of the midges! Last year I discovered half way into summer that Zano had sweet itch. He was driven mad by the midges which hovered in clouds over him all through the summer. It’s important to start the battle of the midges early – if you wait until your pony starts itching, it’s too late! Well, this year I’m determined that he won’t suffer in the way he did last year. He rubbed his mane against anything and everything, and he lost most of the bottom half of it. It’s growing back, slowly, but I don’t want him to lose any more this year. So, I’ve come up with a robust plan!

Back in November I started to feed him a herbal mix from Hilton Herbs called Bye Bye Itch. This was to boost his immune system and get his skin in really good condition ready for spring time. I’ve also just bought a new ‘bug rug’, which is silver so it reflects all the sun’s rays. This way, even though Zano’s wearing a rug while it’s hot, he will hopefully keep as cool as possible. This rug’s got fly repellent soaked into it, so hopefully the bugs will bypass Zano while he’s wearing it! I’m taking every precaution this year, so midges beware!

Cracker’s arrival & the school of hard knocks

Cracker arrived today! He was one of three kittens from a litter born at the dairy farm just up the road (where Marlee’s granddad works!). They were a bit of a surprise, so no-one was sure what their fate was going to be. But June stepped in to take on one, a tiny ginger bundle of fur, while Marlee’s granddad took another and Debbie across the road took on a tortoiseshell. The ginger and tortie both got seasonal names – Cracker and Sprout! Marlee called hers Buster.

Cracker might be absolutely tiny, but he’s already proving that he’s got an enormous attitude! He made it clear that he did NOT enjoy being put in a cat cage over night when he first arrived. It was for his own safety, but his protesting yowls could be heard from the yard gate! After a few nights he was allowed out and he’s become the first to greet you as soon as he hears the gate swing open! He loves nothing more than climbing up your leg, and he loves Paul, my boyfriend. Paul managed to do all the pooh picking in the field the other day with Cracker directing operations from his shoulder.

But it hasn’t all been fun and games for Cracker. He’s taken to nipping into Zano’s stable – he’s decided that it’s the nicest toilet at the yard. After he’s done what he needs to, he doesn’t disappear but loiters for a while. He has a wander round, hangs off Zano’s tail and pounces on stray hay strands hiding in the shavings. Zano’s very curious about him. But Cracker’s taken a while to realise that Zano’s interest is based on whether Cracker’s edible or not. Cracker’s managed to bob out of the way most of the time, but the other day he was a bit slow. He was springing about by the hay bar, then wandered across the front of the open stable door. Zano followed his every move, muzzle close to the ground to get a good sniff. The next second Zano’s mouth opened and his teeth closed around Cracker’s teeny (but apparently appetising) tail. A pitiful wail broke the stable’s peace. It took me less than a second to persuade Zano to release his prize. I think he realised at the same moment that Cracker’s ginger tail wasn’t a mobile carrot after all! Cracker’s tail was damp, but otherwise undamaged – nothing that a big cuddle and a lick of a chocolate biscuit didn’t cure, anyway.

He’s also learnt that snow is f-f-f-reezing on teeny pink puds and that Eric’s too old to play tag with!

Megan, Cracker and Zano in the snow

Oh, and we’ve just found out that Cracker may, in fact, be a little girl! The first at the stables! Either way, she’s the most delightful little playmate and a wonderful addition to an already perfect yard.

New Year resolutions!

It’s been 9 months now since I bought Zano, but for one reason or another, we haven’t really got going yet. First of all there was his saddle not fitting, then his back was sore, and then it turned out that maybe he wasn’t as experienced as I thought! And not long into a gentle return to work he tripped over and was out for another 3 months with a seriously grazed knee!

Riding in the (almost!) dark...

So, my resolution for this year is to get Zano up to full fitness and off to shows. I’m going to get serious with Zano’s training (and my riding!) and get him ready for his first ever competition! I want to introduce him to shows very slowly, so that he learns to have fun when he leaves the yard.

Well, part of getting Zano fit has involved me riding him in the dark after work. This is to make sure I carry on the schooling that Jo, my riding instructor, teaches me in our lessons! There are a couple of big lights over the school, but it’s still a bit spooky! I can’t wait for the evenings to get lighter again!

First time in the trailer, having his carrot reward!

Apart from the schooling, the first step for preparing Zano for shows is to get him out and about in the trailer. Whenever he’s been loaded before he’s moved home, so to begin it was important for him to realise that getting into a trailer doesn’t equal upheaval. So, first time up I loaded him, gave him some carrots, then led him straight off again without taking him anywhere. I realised two things that day. One was that he could virtually load himself he’s so good. Two was that – once he’s loaded (and finished his carrots) – he doesn’t like to hang around! He paws and paws the ground impatiently!

So, a few days later we were ready for our first trip out of the yard. So Zano didn’t have to hang around once he was loaded, my boyfriend did the trailer checks to make sure all the lights were working. Then we loaded him up again. This time we jumped in the 4x4 as soon as he was safely in and we were off. For his second time in the trailer with us, we just took him round the block and straight back to the stables, not stopping anywhere in between. He was quite surprised but very happy to be back, calling out to all his friends!

A week later, we were back in the trailer again. This time, the destination was Zano’s first ever show! It wasn’t to compete, but just so that he could soak up the experience of being around so many horses. They were coming and going to the warm up arena and lorry park, so he had lots to look at. He grew to at least 18hh as soon as he stepped off the trailer and remained like it for the whole time we were there! Considering it was his very first experience of a show I was really proud about how he took it. He was curious and excited, but not unmanageable. In fact, when I unloaded him he felt like he wanted to burst from the trailer and leap from the top of the ramp. But he kept listening to me. He may have walked down like a bouncing bunny, but at least he didn’t jump!

We arrive at our very first showground together!

Next time we go out I’m going to work him at the show ground. Somehow I think that might be a bit hairier! I’ll definitely be wearing my back protector, because I suspect I might get a few of Zano’s speciality high bucks! I’ll put a green ribbon in his tail to warn other riders that he’s still a novice, especially when it comes to riding with other horses and ponies in the same ring.

The next place I’m taking him to is a dressage training day. I’m going to enter the novice section with my local riding club. This will give me a chance to introduce Zano to being ridden with other horses somewhere new, all in preparation for the first time he competes. Fingers crossed, that might be in early March! I’m not expecting much first time out, but as long as we both have fun I’ll be one very happy, and enormously proud owner!

Pet fact file #2 Scampi!

Introducing: Scampi!

Scampi is very handsome!

Full Name: Rowfantina Prize Scamp

Age: 15 years

Breed: Welsh Section B

Colour: Grey

Sex: Gelding

Chico and Megan keeping Scampi and Marlee company!

Loves: Marlee, being at Black Cat Stables with the mares, working!

Dislikes: Cabbages!

Owner: Marlee and her granddad, David

Owned since: March 2012 – he arrived at Black Cat Stables just 2 days after Zano!

Best friend in the yard: Mahri

Marlee loves Scampi and Scampi loves Marlee!

You’ll never guess what...? Scampi has been to the Horse of the Year Show when he was younger. And he’s a bit of a Houdini – he’s got a habit of escaping under the electric fencing if there’s a tasty bit of grass on offer the other side! And Scampi’s the noisiest pony on the yard – he’s always whickering, especially when it’s feed time, or even when you just walk past his stable. He’s a real sweetie and loves all the attention and fuss that Marlee gives him – he can’t get enough!

Scampi and Marlee at their first show together

Pet Fact File

Welcome to a new feature on the blog: Pet Fact Files! 

Belinda and her friends will be drawing up fact files on all the pets (not just ponies!) at the yard. 

First up: Chico! 

Full Name: Lancgree Chico

Age: 15 years

Breed: Irish (Connemara x Irish Draught)

Colour: Grey now (but he was speckled blue roan when he was a foal!)

Sex: Gelding


Loves: his food! Jumping, especially cross country, although sometimes he can be silly and bolt between fences! He loves hacking out, too, and going fast – he loves his work and always wants to get on with it! He’s got bags of stamina, too.

Dislikes: scary birds flapping out of bushes on hacks, tractors (not good in the country!)

Owner: Megan and Nicky. Megan competes Chico and jumps him, Mum Nicky hacks him out (she was Zano’s main babysitter when he first started hacking!). He’s normally well behaved with Nicky, and saves up all his cheekiness for Megan!

Best friend in the yard: Chico is definitely Zano’s fave on the yard – when Zano had to stay in overnight after hurting his knee, it was Chico he missed most!

You’ll never guess what...? Chico’s temperament changes in the winter – he can get really territorial in his field and sometimes he charges at you if you’re not watching! But he can be soft and soppy when he wants to be, too.

If you'd like your pet profile to be featured on the site, send us in information about your pet, a photo and your name and age to marketing@templarco.co.uk. Under 13's must ask permission from a parent or guardian first.

7 weeks later...

Well, it’s 7 weeks to the day since Zano’s fall. It’s been a rollercoaster of recovery and setbacks. The dressage competition we were planning to go to is in 2 weeks time and I’m still not back on board. But, the good news is, we’re just about ready to start work again – hip hip hurray! The pressure sore on the back of Zano’s knee is healing nicely, the heat has left it (you could fry an egg on it a week ago!) and the swelling’s gone down. It looks like the hair may not grow back on Zano’s knee, but that’s the last of my worries. As long as his movement is okay (I’ve seen him trot in the field and it’s still awesome!) I’m happy. I don’t have any plans to sell him, so it’s only me who’ll have to put up with that!

Now, I’ve got to know Zano pretty well over the last 8 months and I know that, once I could start working him again, we need to go right back to the beginning. So, yesterday I led him into the school in his head collar and we walked over the poles, just like Jo the Physio had taught us. This is Zano’s foundation and it’s something that he’s confident doing and he remembered it hoof perfectly! Today, I repeated the same exercises, only this time I added the saddle. Well – that was fun! He launched himself in the school and spent the first five minutes bunny hopping and bucking on the end of the lead rope. I led him over the poles, ignoring his antics, waiting for him to settle. A couple of times he was sideways, but he managed to sort himself out. I halted him, asked him to step back a few strides, and then move sideways from me. After that we walked on again over the poles. After about five minutes he suddenly relaxed and walked round like an old hand. PHEW!

Tonight I led him over the poles with his saddle on again, and he was so well behaved that I couldn’t resist seeing what he’d be like with the mounting block. So, I stood him next to it. He didn’t dance away, so I just leant over the saddle to see what would happen. He stood like a rock – awesome! He did have a quick peek round to see if any sugar cubes were forthcoming. They weren’t but that didn’t seem to bother him. He had three huge carrots chopped up when he got back into the stable, so I think that made up for it! I was so happy I couldn’t stop smiling! Yay! Just the thought of getting back on board properly is soooooooo exciting. I can’t wait and I’ll tell you all about it! Fingers crossed we’ve had our fair share of setbacks now – no more please! I’m hoping that it’s onwards and upwards from here. If all goes well he’ll be loaded in the trailer in the next couple of weeks, then taken for a couple of short trips. The aim is still to get to our first competition (Zano’s first competition ever!) this winter.

Oooh, and I’ve got some even more exciting news to share with you, too (besides Zano getting better!). There are two brand new Pony Detective stories coming out next year! Yipeee! I can’t wait to get back to Blackberry Farm and see what the girls and their ponies get up to next – hope you’re all excited too!

The vet visits again...

Alice came three days in a row to repeat her antibiotic injections. In the end Zano got fed up and bucked when she jabbed the needle into his bottom! But apart from that he was very well behaved really. The only thing he hated was being cooped up in his stable. And he moved around so much that keeping his bandage up and covering his wound proved really tricky. Still, we managed to keep it really clean and it started to heal well. He had big Swedes hung up in his stable to play with and munch and he learnt how to demolish them very quickly!

Zano looking incredibly scruffy after making
the most of his time out in the field. The farrier took
all Zano's shoes off just after this. He might as well
have a break from the nails going in while he's off work!

Alice came back weekly and was happy with the progress the wound was making. But after three weeks there was a new concern. Zano was producing too much tissue, and this was going to make it difficult for the skin to grow over the tissue. A new cream was prescribed and his grazing was cut down to a tiny paddock to restrict his movement. If that didn’t work, he’d have to have a minor operation to remove the excess tissue (proud flesh). I waited for another week and a half, applying the cream, before Alice returned and pronounced herself happy. The aim was to continue bandaging the wound to keep it clean and help it heal.

But, as was the pattern – all did not run smooth. Keeping a bandage on so long created its own problem – pressure sores. Zano’s point of knee (the knobbly bit that pokes out the back!), where the bandage slipped over, began to get sore and when I went to lead him out, he was lame. The wound at the back had become infected, and another course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories were prescribed. Now we had no option but to keep the bandage off, and just hope that he wound on the front could take him getting up and down on it (horses go down on their knees first to roll, or lie down for a rest). His comeback was put on hold, again.

November update - The vet arrives

The first thing I did after Zano’s accident was ring the vet. We were still about 20 minutes from home, but as I rang I knew that I had to get him home. His knee was bleeding, but there were no major blood vessels around there, so I knew it would be safe for him to walk on it. The blood flow stopped as we walked. Zano seemed surprised at the fall, and a bit shocked, but as we walked back he didn’t seem very bothered – maybe that was the adrenalin kicking in. Anyway, the vet said to cold hose him when we got to the yard until she could get there.

The vet – Alice – arrived within the hour. While my boyfriend held Zano and the hose, I untacked Zano and put a light weight rug over him to keep him warm. His near fore brushing boot was lacerated almost right through. If he hadn’t been wearing that his leg would have been even more damaged.

The vet examined Zano carefully. The wound, thankfully, was clean – flushed by the cold hosing. Alice then flushed it herself with a syringe and then she gave Zano antibiotics straight into his jugular (intravenous) and into his hind quarters (intramuscular). He was bandaged up, given anti-inflammatories and granule antibiotics for his feed, and led to his stable. Zano, unsure what all the fuss was about, protested about being kept in. He wanted to be out in the field next to Chico and told us in no uncertain terms!

The vet told us to keep him in. The next 24 – 36 hours would be critical. If Zano’s knee joint had been damaged in the fall, fighting the infection in the joint would be difficult. It would be a very long road to recovery. I went home, exhausted and worried, keeping everything crossed that his joint capsule was still intact. Alice said she’d be back the next day.

After almost no sleep, the next day I rushed to the yard first thing. Zano had obviously had an unsettled night too – his shavings bed was a mess, with his dropping swirled everywhere. All I could do was give him plenty of hay, a groom and lots of fuss as I waited anxiously for Alice to arrive. A minute felt like an hour. I watched the time tick by, with Zano pacing restlessly in his stable. When her car pulled up I led Zano out and I held my breath while she examined the wound closely.

“I think we’ve just about got away with it.” Those words are etched into my memory! I was over the moon. When she thought I might be back on in a week, I was even more happy. But, on her visit the next day, she’d revised that estimate to 2-3 weeks. Still, it didn’t seem much in the scheme of things.

Zano looking fed up and grumpy in his stable

November update - Disaster strikes (again!)

Well, I’ve been very busy over the last couple of months, that’s why it’s all been a bit quiet recently on my blog. And what’s been keeping me so busy – or should I say who? It could only be one thing – yup, you’ve guessed it – Zano!

We were just getting going with our schooling and he was starting to move awesomely. He was really relaxing in his jaw and swinging through his back. His canter was coming along beautifully, too – he’s like an armchair to sit on! In fact, Zano was going so well that me and Jo, my riding instructor, planned his first outing to a dressage competition. It was in 9 weeks time, which would give us plenty of time to get him up into the trailer and taken to a few shows just to soak up the atmosphere, and be led round. And he’d finally stopped dancing away from me when I got on. Normally, even if I was going for a hack, I’d have to get on in the school so I could move the mounting block round as he moved. But, for the first time ever, he’d stood still enough for me to get on him out the front of the yard, ready for our hack. I was so proud of him and so pleased with life in general – it felt like we were finally on our way!

Zano in his lesson - his neck's huge!

But then, on that hack, disaster struck! It had been a busy ride. Zano and Chico, his best buddie, had met ponies and traps and cyclists and lots of cars. When we were three quarters of the way home we headed down our usual lane. It’s a bit of a slope, but nothing too dramatic. Another cyclist was hovering behind us and I think that’s what distracted Zano. He turned his head just a bit and, in true Zano fashion, got a bit caught up with his hooves. He slipped and before I knew what was happening he went down on his knees, then fell right over onto his side!

It all happened so slowly I almost stepped off, but as Zano got back up to his hooves, I saw at once that he was injured, seriously. His near fore knee was glistening white – he’d taken all the skin off down to the bone. The hole was about 3cm in diameter and, as he stood there, it started to spurt blood. Blood started to trickle from his other knee, too, and from his near stifle and fetlock. Standing there, looking at my beautiful, stricken horse, it felt like the end of the world.

9th August - Olympic excitement!

I’ve had so much to do this last couple of weeks but I’ve been hugely distracted – by the Olympic Games!

I can’t get enough of it and the equestrian competitions have been AWESOME! I didn’t think it could get any more exciting after I watched the Eventing, where we won team silver. But the show jumping was AMAZING and, not to be bettered, so was the dressage, with both GB teams winning GOLD – so, so, so incredible. There was an Andalusian stallion in the Spanish dressage team, called Fuego, and watching his dressage to music (‘Kur’) test was so inspirational, I can’t wait to get schooling Zano and see how far we can get in the dressage arena! I definitely want to try riding to music, the horses can pick up on the rhythm in the music and a lot of them really enjoy it. The really exciting thing is that Zano has the most beautiful paces – his walk is incredible – which will mean, hopefully, that he’s got lots of potential to do well in dressage tests. I know I’ve got to be patient, because he needs to be brought on slowly, but I’m so so excited about what lies ahead for me and Zano. I just can’t help it! Ooooh, and I’ve been distracted again writing this – watching Laura B, Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin in the dressage final and Charlotte’s just won GOLD with a breathtakingly supreme dressage test – her horse, Valegro, is out of this world and so exciting to watch. Phew!

Back to earth again! And back to Zano. Jo, my riding instructor, suggested that I take Zano on lots of hacks so that he goes forward and doesn’t do too much in the school too soon. It’s easy for horses to get bored, and I really want Zano to enjoy himself in all his work, so we’ve been heading out with Nicky and Chico, and my partner Paul’s been coming with us on his bike. So far Zano’s been very relaxed and he’s proving to be totally bombproof. Today he even walked past a cement mixer with dust puffing out without blinking, he’s a real star! And I still can’t quite believe our journey so far – only a few weeks ago I was leading Zano round on the ground, watching the other riders hacking out without us. Now it’s us going out on hacks in the sunshine – I’m so happy and pleased with Zano that I could almost burst!

All smiles as Zano and Chico hack out - cool as a cucumber!

Oh, and how can I forget? Puzzle: The Runaway Pony and Phantom: One Last Chance are now, officially, on sale! Yey!! Take a look at the dedication in Phantom, there’s a mention of a certain dapple grey horse in there!!

You can buy your copy here

30th July - Birthday celebrations

It was my birthday this week and everyone at the yard was amazing – I got cards, cakes and pressies, even though I’d tried to keep it quiet! Just after my birthday Jo came to give me and Zano our first lesson and she taught Megan on the lovely Chico, too. Jo came with me when I tried Zano, and she hasn’t seen him since, so it was lovely to see her reaction when we went to see him in the field before I brought him in. He’s such a handsome chap and he loves having attention! Here he is, soaking up all the admiration! Who wouldn’t be impressed?

Jo started off by watching me lunge Zano, giving me loads of really helpful pointers, and then I had a fifteen minute lesson. Jo’s advice is to ride Zano ‘long and low’ to begin with to make sure that he develops all his muscles along his ‘top line’ (from his poll all the way along his back to his tail!) in the right way. He behaved himself very nicely and we’ve booked our next lesson already!

I’m sure that Zano is quite bright. He seems to know when I’m about to come and bring him in from the field, because he always decides to have a lie down two minutes before I appear with the headcollar! I’m a complete softie and I don’t like disturbing his beauty sleep. Instead I tend to wait and have a cup of tea until he’s ready to wake up! But yesterday I went to see him and sat next to him for a while, stroking his face and ears as he rested his chin on the grass and snored. It was a very peaceful and calming five minutes!

I’m still taking Zano over his poles to make sure that he’s using himself well and to keep him relaxed in the school. He’s so funny over them now though, he’s a real show off and hardly needs me next to him because he knows the routine so well. Jo, his physiotherapist, would be proud. She’s volunteering at the Olympic Games with the equestrian team for the next couple of weeks. She’s amazing at her job, so all I can say is that any horses who are worked on by her are very, very lucky! Good luck & have fun, Jo!

23rd July - Mixed fortunes

This has been a week of mixed fortunes, although happily, it ended on a high note!

It started off, though, with Zano deciding that he didn’t want to do any more work. He was quite tricky to try to get up onto from the mounting block. When I did get into the saddle he was really a bit cross about the whole thing, swishing his tail and behaving like he might have a few bucks as we set off around the school. Hmm, time to have a think - after all, we’ve been here before!

Well, that day I was heading off to watch a Jumpcross competition near where I live. I knew that Jo, my riding instructor, would be there and I thought it was time for a little chat. She gave me a pep talk and pointed out that Zano had been through every check he could have had. We knew he was sound and not in any pain. Now it sounded like he was just being a little bit naughty. After all, he’s had over two years not doing much, and maybe he was wondering if he really wanted to start work.

We arranged a lesson, which I’m really excited about! Then I relaxed and enjoyed watching the rest of the competition. I rode there last year on my friend Fran’s horse, Pinto, who I was sharing. They have a nervous and novice day and it’s my aim to take Zano there next year to do the novice classes! It’s always good to have a plan to work towards!

This is me competing Pinto last year at Jumpcross – he’s 17hh and always jumped big!

Jo’s advice is proving very worthwhile! I’ve been lunging him before I get on him and that’s worked well. As has June’s bit of advice (June’s the yard owner). She suggested that someone stands by Zano’s head as I get on to give him some pony nuts. He’s such a greedy horse that he doesn’t care what I’m doing in the saddle now, as long as he gets a mouthful of treats at the same time! Problem solved, thanks June!

16th July - Getting back on Zano

Well, I’ve started riding Zano again! It feels amazing to be back in the saddle, even if it’s only really to sit up there for a few minutes at a time until he gets a bit stronger and confident with me being back on top, rather than next to his head!

I did try to ride him over some straight poles – for some reason that caused Zano great excitement and I think he felt a bit confused hearing my voice coming from up somewhere on high. I think he found it quite difficult to adjust to carrying me over the poles; that’s something that will get easier for him the stronger he gets. I didn’t want to do too much riding before Kay the saddler came back to check him. He’s got so much bigger that I needed to be sure that the saddle wasn’t pinching him at all.

Also, Jo Spear the physiotherapist suggested that I get a ‘prolite’. This is a really thick pad that goes under the saddle. It can have extra padding at the front or back, and it makes sure that the horse is comfy with his saddle. Kay was amazed at Zano’s transformation. Last time she saw him he still had quite a visible spine, but now that’s all covered up as he’s put on weight. In fact, his girth has got bigger by a huge 6cms!

Kay watched me riding him in the saddle without a numnah first then decided that his prolite should have extra pads at the back. This is because Zano’s got quite high withers, so padding in the back helps to make sure the saddle stays level, rather than tips back. All I needed to do next was get a new numnah to go underneath and I chose team Zano colours – purple!

9th July - Ready to get back on board!

Yay! Good news! Jo’s just been to the yard and is really happy with Zano’s progress – she said that he seems much more together, more confident and definite with his movements. Just the news I was hoping for! Jo was really impressed with his pole work – he’s such a clever boy. When she first showed us how to do it he was tripping over them left, right and centre – he even stood on them a few times and rolled off them again! But today he strode over them like an old hand who really understood what was being asked of him. He was a star, and I was so proud of him and pleased for us both!

Zano looking handsome, and very much heavier than when he first arrived

Next step – getting back on board! Well, I’ve got the saddle, now it’s just a question of building up the riding work really slowly. Jo said that he’s ready to start as if he was a 4 year old, with the basics in place. So, it’ll be a question of riding him for about 10 minutes every other day for the first week, going over the poles the alternate day. I’m even going to ride him over the poles, too, because he’s really confident doing them. Then I can start to build it up to about 30 minutes every other day, with walking in hand too, in about 3-4 weeks time.

I’m so excited!!! We’ve got the summer ahead of us – the adventure starts here! Not only that, books 3 & 4 – Puzzle: The Runaway Pony and Phantom: One Last Chance hit the shops in August – yippee!