The crew cut

Unfortunately the dreaded sweet itch has struck again.

I am desperate for Sofie to have lovely long blond locks but it looks like this year it is not to be :(

After she had rubbed out 3/4 of her main I felt it was time to give up and start again. So disappointing after growing it for so long - but better to cut it now and give it the winter to grow back, then continue with a half and half scraggily mane. It also means I can get to the sweet itch to treat it.

The only ray of sunshine is that I have found an excellent product - netex itch stop - that seems to have quieted it all down. Fingers crossed with a rugless winter and netex next spring we will have the long main back for 2017.

New friends

It has been a bit of a battle balancing Tonto's need for constant feeding and Sofie's need for a diet. Whilst I don't want to split them up because Tonto adores Sof, in the long term I think I will have to.

I don't really know why T adores Sof the way he does. Sofie is a terrible gf. She steals his food, bosses him around, flirts with all the other horses in front of him, is physically abusive and never puts out!

I suspect she isn't that keen on Tonto, and just tolerates him. I think Tonto might be the horse equivalent of Albert Steptoe. Sofie seems to be desperate for someone else to talk to after months of isolation with T the dirty old man. In any case Sof has had 4 months of 'quite' turn out, so it is probably safe to allow her a few more friends.

So the plan is to put Tonto and Sofie back out with the mares. Hope Tonto develops a crush on a new unsuspecting mare and then move Sofie over to 'diet camp' next door.

As I lead them to their new field, I had to walk through a field with a horse Jessie, who used to be stabled at Tonto and Sofies old yard. She immediately recognised them, and when I opened the gate to let my two through, Jessie insisted on going with them. She charged through after them and I could not catch her to get her back out. That was that then, horses had decided, Jessie was joining T and Sofie in the ladies field.

Sofie is delighted, she has a new BBF in Jessie and follows her round the field like a puppy.

Tonto is delighted - he has a harem! (He doesn't seem to notice that all of his harem try to avoid him). He thinks he is the bees knees and has been prancing about the yard whinnying and pouring at all the other geldings to prove how much of a 'man' he is.

Currently there is a bit of a school disco situation going on. Where the three original mares don't want to talk to our trio. The two group stand at opposite ends of the field and seem to blank each other when they walk past. I am hoping that in time they will merge together more.

Unfortunately Tonto still thinks Sofie is the best thing since sliced bread... so no fat camp just yet. In a way I feel bad to take her out because Sof is so happy with Jessie. In the mean time, muzzle is back on.