Happy New Year

Rowan has continued to amaze me this week. The little scared pony that arrived almost two months ago is almost gone and has been replaced with a confident little pony. He is letting me touch him pretty much all over now though he does take some persuading to be fussed anywhere other than his itchy spot at times. Today when picking something up off the floor I touched just below his shoulder by accident. Rowan did not move so i continued to touch his leg then his other foreleg. we didnt get quite as far as his back feet not because he wouldnt let me but because he was trying to see what i was doing (hes a nosy little bugger) and so kept turning round. 

we are still having a few problems with the headcollar but he is getting much better with me bringing scary things into his stable. 

So from Rowan, Oska and Myself have a Happy New Year and good luck for 2012

Merry Christmas

Well as Christmas presents go having your foal come up to you and press his nose into your hand wanting a rub for the first time is pretty good! He is going from strength to strength at the moment. He has become so confident in the past few days getting more and more curious every day. He has been (literally) poking his nose into everything. He is still a little panicked when i have a headcollar in my hands but today has been much more willing to let me touch him with it. We have had to instill a few more ground rules today as he is beginning to explore things with his teeth but he seems to be learning quickly what is and isn't allowed.

I have been walking around with a grin stuck to my face for the past 24hrs and am still not quite sure that I believe how well he has come on in the past couple of days. We still have a long way to go but he really has made my Christmas this year. 

Hope you all have had as good a Christmas as we have 

Helen, Rowan and Oskubuska

Rowan has been a star this week. I have had to take a bit of time off from the yard having got flu i then also managed to get an eye infection too which had the result of me not being able to drive and with the yard a good 15 miles away my good mate took charge for a few days in my absence. I was a bit worried about how Rowan would be as he has not really had anyone else going in and out of his stable and whilst Jane is more than capable of looking after him he has been a little nervous of her as she can be quite loud. He has however coped really well and is now far more confident with her although he still runs to his 'safe' corner each time she enters his stable. 

He also now has a new stable as his was needed so I could bring Oska in for the night. He followed me (and his feed bucket) from one stable to the other without a problem and quickly settled in his new box. If the weather improves a little we may let him out next week into the paddock behind the stable block probably with the company of Hector as the two of them seem to be getting along very well at the moment. Hopefully will have a headcollar on him really soon too. I took his off the other day without a problem and he almost certainly would have had it back on the next day had I not become ill. 

Not much progress to report atm im afraid. ive gone and gotten flu and haven't been well enough to do much more than check both horses and do the basics. Rowan seems as confident as ever calling me as soon as i get out of the car and is just such a pleasure to be around. He is much more accepting of my mate Jane who keeps her Iceys on the same yard. Up until this week Jane hasn't really done much more than just chat to him over his door occasionally going in and sitting with him for a while when she has had some time. With me being ill however she offered to check on him for me so I didn't have to make so many trips out. Now that the two of them have been around each other a little more Rowan is now much happier when Jane is in his stable and is coming up to her at the door which he wouldn't have done a few days ago.

My little man is doing really really well at the moment. He seems happier and more confident every day. He is happy with me touching him right up as far as his ears now and looks rather put out if I dare go into his stable and don't give him a rub.

 He has met the vet for the first time today and he is very pleased with how Rowan is getting on. He looked at his feet and thought that we were right to be concerned about the rings on his feet but he thinks that they are just as a result of his change in diet but wants us to monitor it over the next few weeks.

He has really taken to his new ball (the type that you put feed in and as they roll around the feet falls out). He wasn't sure at first when it rattled but now that he knows what it does he practically knocks it out of my hands when i take it to him. 

Panic over

We have now decided that we overreacted the other day worrying about laminitus. We have spoken with both vets and neither are concerned he will however be seem by the vet next week he is coming to the yard anyway. I think he is looking good now he is putting on weight nicely and is filling out a bit. A friend who met Rowan just after he arrived 3 weeks ago thinks that he looks taller but i'm not convinced but then I see him everyday so may not see the changes as dramatically as she does. 

He is generally much more confident coming up to us in the stable and investigating what we are doing. He has been a bit jumpy at points this week but it has been so windy here all of the horses seem to be a bit on edge and when it has been calmer he is definitely more relaxed and happy for us to be around. We are taking it all nice and slowly and we will get there in time.

Rowan is continuing to do well. I sat with him yesterday while he had his feed the bucket was next to me and he had no problems coming and eating right beside me. Occasionally he paused eating to investigate my feet and legs. He also started to take haylage from my hands. We seem to have got past his reluctance to be touched and everyday he comes further and further away from his corner while im with him. He has found a great way of amusing himself in the stable he has taken to chasing mice! We spent a good half an hour watching him over the door as he followed the poor mouse round and round the stable snorting and jumping everytime it changed direction and came towards him.
We are a little concerned about the white lines which have appeared around his hind hooves immediately  fearing lami but he seems fine in himself and not in any discomfort or pain. The vet is supposed to be calling me back but has of yet failed to do so. We suspect that we are overworrying about this as my mate lost her beloved first Icelandic to Lami less than 2 years ago and ever since we have become very very paranoid about it. In addition Rowan is the first youngster that either of us have had responsibility for in a few years so we are all on a bit of a learning curve at the moment. He has had ad-lib haylage since his arrival as he initially turned his nose up at the hay we had (which isn't of brilliant quality) we now think this was a mistake and he will be having soaked hay from now onwards. Any thoughts will be gratefully received as we tend to turn into a bunch of worriers when it comes to this type of thing

Going Well at the moment

Rowan is doing better everyday. Getting very very curious and is keen to know exactly what is going on and who is around. Hasn't really progressed with touching this week as he went backwards quite a bit after we cleaned his eyes last weekend but he is definitely getting much more confident everyday. Yesterday he was fully mucked out and was very interested in what I was doing sticking his nose in the wheelbarrow coming right up to investigate the holes in his bed. He is slowly meeting all the horses on the yard and seems to have taken a shine to Hector my mates Icelandic gelding. My mare continues to be horrid to him she is rather jealous of the amount of time I spend with him we are hoping this will improve as plan a is to turn the pair out together soon. Rowan is putting on weight well he has been wormed again and we are soon to do a worm count on all of our horses to see where we go from here. His eye infection seems to have cleared up and he is now looking much healthier and happier than he was a couple of weeks ago (can't believe he has been here almost 3 weeks already). Will try to remember to take some new photos of him too soon.

too damn cute

This is how i was greeted this morning

 This is now how I am greeted every morning by little man. His little ears come up over the door and as soon as he is sure it is me his nose comes over too. He gets bolder and cuter by the day. None of us get anything done up at the yard anymore we all just stand at the door talking to him. He is loving the attention coming right up to the door but not quite close enough to be touched over it but he so wants to.

Busy few days
I need not have worried bout going backwards with Rowan the next morning he was awaiting my arrival as usual his little nose sticking up over the top of the door. He has continued to get more and more curious over the week coming closer every day in fact he is now so close he could touch me with little effort but is still not keen on me touching him apart from when we are in his corner. I sat with him on Friday morning and he came up and was sniffing my boots and my legs quite happily and probably would have continued to do so had he not been spooked by my darling mare sticking her head over the door having untied herself and decided it was time I take her back to the field!
Unfortunately on Saturday the eye infection had just gotten over on his arrival looked like it was making a comeback and we had no choice today but to clean his eyes. I tried to get close enough to his head with advance and retreat but he was not having any of it so we were left with little option but to grab hold of him and do it as quickly and quietly as possible. He didn't like it and made a bit of noise about it while we were doing it but he then discovered he actually quite liked having his neck rubbed and stayed with us even once we had let him go. He settled quickly and then when I returned to his box about half an hour later he was fine letting me touch him again and did not seem overly panicked by what we had done to him.
Today his eyes looked miles better with much less gunk in them so we have left well alone. He was a little more unsure today but seems to be alright. It took longer for him to allow me in today but by the time I left he seemed pretty ok again.

two steps forward one back

Today was not so good. Rowan was very reluctant to come to the front of the stable this morning. Took his feed into him and most mornings he hears me coming and meets me at the door this morning he hid at the back of the box until i had turned round to leave the stable. Wasn't keen on being touched at all today went right back to the start with him though and within 10 minutes he was letting me touch him not quite up as far as his withers but not too far off. Left him for a while before coming back to him and he gradually let me in. Unfortunately it coincided with my birthday and the busiest day of the month at work so I couldn't get a third session in with him today. Hopefully he will be a bit more relaxed tomorrow. He is looking much brighter in himself every day though. Maybe mucking out was a step too far yesterday but then it has too be done.

Days Six and Seven

Things have gone well with Rowan the past couple of days. He has been much more confident being touched and has allowed me to approach him and touch him from both sides facing either his head or his bottom. He is still not keen on me touching him above his withers but is quite happy with the feather duster. Was so relaxed that i have now been able to muck out the front half of his stable without any dramas even coming up to investigate the wheelbarrow. He looks brighter every day and has met me at the stable door for the last three mornings. He will not take food directly from my hand yet however he is quite happy eating from the bucket when it is in my hand. 

not quite sure what to make of the wheelbarrow

Time to investigate.

 Loving his dinner!

Oska meets Rowan not too impressed that he has nice haylage and she doesn't.

Day Five

Rowan has been a very brave today and has let me touch him with and without the feather duster on one side. Has coped remarkably well with the noise in the yard and the children on the yard running around. He is happily eating his feed and is approaching the bucket before it has even been put on the floor. He is getting more and more curious and is getting closer and closer to us when we go into the stable. When we are in the yard he is coming right up to the door and more than once i have got to check on him only to spot two little ears over the door.

Rowans First Few Days

Day one: Rowan arrives at lunchtime settled down pretty quickly and wasn't too distressed when his mates on the lorry left him. I stayed up at the yard with him for a couple of hours to make sure he was settling well. before heading home and leaving him too it. He was briefly introduced to Tina the yard owner before i left and  she is going to check him again later for me. 

Day two: arrived at the yard this morning Rowan very settled appears to have had a good night and nobody tells me otherwise. give him some hay and haylage. Didn't touch his hard feed i gave him today sniffed at the bucket a few times but as far as i know he hasn't eaten any yet. Haven't tried to do anything with him today beyond being around popping in and out giving him food and water. Haven't been able to find a feather duster yet and have been to 3 different supermarkets so far! Have to leave him a lunchtime today as i'm working so Jack is going to check him later.

This is how i found Rowan when i came back after feeding Oska.

Day three: Rowan has met Jane this morning. He still seems pretty content still not touched any of his hard feed but is getting more interested in it. Seems to be eating his hay quite happily though so not to concerned. finally found / made a feather duster last night could only find a really short one so have used parcel tape to attach it to a broom handle seems to be working quite well at the moment. Rowan has been much braver today not moving away when i come into the stable to bring him food and water. Rowan was not too keen for me to get very close to him today when I went in to have a session with him but was soon happily accepting the feather duster. Coped very well when the Icelandic's came in and caused chaos.   Again i had to leave at lunchtime because i was working tonight.

Day four: Rowan has done very well today. Was quite happy to let me approach him with the feather duster and again coped very well when the other horses were causing trouble. He has now decided that the food in the bucket is actually quite nice and so this morning i was greeted with an empty bowl. Sat in his stable with him for a bit too today and he was quite happy coming up to me and eating the haylage around me (there was plenty at the opposite side of the box so he did have the choice).