I decided to start writing about me & my horse Molly.

she's a TB mare, 11 now, I aquired October 2004; I knew she had been backed in her youth and ridden away, but needed re-backing as she'd been out of work for ages and had, apparently, issues when moved on to a new home.

I'd known her since she was born, and bought her dam (Queen of Timber, that I still own but is now retired) in October 95.  Molly is just about the spit of Queenie and you have to know them to tell them apart.

So the winter was totally dire weather wise but when it was possible to do any work it became clear she wouldn't lunge right rein and wasn't overjoyed about a bit.

In march I had the saddle fitter out as I needed to see if the saddle was ok or not (happily that was fine); a Myler bit was suggested as a bit to try and overcome the contact issues.

A Myler was duly bought, and lunging that was more or less ok (a vast improvement on the standard snaffle) but ridden she became more and more resentful, had serious issues with any contact at all and wouldn't catch either in consequence.

I then found the bitless bridle and having read up about it, its method of operation and all the testimonials on the website (see link) I decided to invest.

It arrived last Friday and I put it on that night when I got home from work.  The difference was immediately apparent in that I could get on without a fight.

Saturday got some nice trot work (that was the good note to end on) and Sunday was ok as well.

Monday it was fight the bridle night, but again not nearly as badly as it had been when it was fight the bit.  We also got a lot of good photos (if not of Molly being good all the time).

Then it occurred to me that blogging about the experience and progress (of which there will be some once it stops raining again and I've organised some lessons) may be of interest ....

I won't necessarily update every day but will try to at least once a week and will try and persuade my partner or some other handy soul to take pictures regularly

this was Molly the day she arrived - come straight out of the field and travelled not too badly considering she once had a nasty accident in a horsebox.  but she polished up well

and this is her polished up

a moment of good behaviour from Monday night.

there are more photos here

took me a while to sort the url out for that (another long day ....)

My partner complains that I am forever whinging about the weather; days like this I feel as though it hasn't stopped raining and/or blowing a gale since last summer!

There is no indoor arena (although one is promised!); the horse is living out for the summer; it's rained since yesterday.  She's damp and muddy and by the time I could get her dry it would be dark and probably raining some more.  And there's no one there to help (she's still at the stage where having someone about is necessary - if only for the sake of my head - just in case ....)

It wouldn't have been so bad but 25 miles south where I work it was sunny! So here's hoping it clears for the weekend and I can see if Molly's going to play nicely for me .....

For those who don't know - if you are rebacking a horse you need to be able to get consistent work into them, at least once a day (really more, but one has to earn the livery bill!) so none of the lessons are forgotten and those that are learnt become properly established.  So weather is frustrating!  I did think about changing yards, but this one is only 1/2 mile from the house which is a major advantage!

And turns out we're lucky to still have horses - someone was caught red handed the other night stealing fenceposts out of the field!  happily not from the side that fronts the main road, but can you credit it ...  He's now in jail on remand, apparently. He's lucky not to have been injured whilst carrying out his nocturnal activites

today i found out something I hadn't known about one of the causes of laminitis. Like most people, I'd thought that laminitis was something generally affecting fat ponies (usually native breeds overfed on rich grass).

It can, it seems, be caused by cortico-steroid injections; it seems it's dose related, so one injection is fine, but after that you need to keep an eye on what the horse has had before in case you give it too much.

If anyone wants to check it out, I got the information here which is the report of a High Court case; a vet claimed for unpaid fees, and the owner counterclaimed for, it seems, the value of the horse which had had to be put down because of laminitis (there are also press reports of the case after final submissions and before judgment).  A Google search produced a load of articles such as this so we'll all have to be aware of the risks should our horses require such treatment.