My week at the stables

This week I've been helping out at a stables. It was very eye opening because I have never really owned a horse or worked on a yard before. 

Day to day jobs

Each morning I would arrive at 8:30 am late I know! Then we would let the ponies in after putting their feed in their stables. One thing I loved about doing this was that all you had to do was open the gate and all the ponies knew exactly where they were going! Then we would let out the livery horses into the field. After that I had to muck out. Now I worked quite slowly but got a lot faster over the week. First I would give the horses their hay because it kept them out of the way. Then muck out and fill up their water. Some things I learnt, some horses are given soaked hay because it is one natural like grass, when putting on a rug the leg straps have to twist so that they don't rub on the horses legs. After mucking put there would normally be a lesson in which I would lead one of the horses. Then I would have another lesson then I would groom a few horses and go home.

Things I learnt 

* how to read the horses in their stables. Each horse was different within its stable some were nervous and would pace staying far from me. Others would be friendly and come up to me then some were aggressive I could always tell grumpy aggressive ones because their ears would go back and they would almost looked hunched.

*  when leading how to make the horse go slightly faster or slower. This was interesting to me because I had never lead before so it was a good learning curve.

* finally I learnt how to keep young children safe around horses. And also how the horses changed the behaviour of the children calmed them and made them appreciate another living beings space.

Overall it was a wonderful I really enjoyed it and am definitely going to do many more weeks in the summer.