Mr T aka Mr Tuplin's Diary

**karsteine** · 25-01-2015, 20:23

So T is now back in work, slowly building up the work load as need to get topline and muscle.
Condition wise he is fine and has a lovely shiny coat, he's keeping a nice even weight which i'm really pleased with.
So over the last few weeks ive been slowly working T from the ground up, two days a week on the pessoa, two days a week free schooling and if i dont pessoa i use a lunge hoe.
This went on for the first two weeks, this week its been mainly lunge hoe and riding, T also had the Equine sport massage therapist out too just for a mot and treat.
Which he really loved and feel asleep to even with the equi massage pad on, a couple of sore point cam up but are easy fix so now working on those.
Anyway a few photos, first set are just before i started working him ( 2weeks before)

2 weeks before work

2 Weeks starting work

T having his massage

Back in the Saddle
Excuse the mucky mirror our horses like to like it etc when turned out in the school lol

**karsteine** · 11-02-2015, 22:57

T update: So T has been working really well, more forward with a nice long and low stretching. However we stopped working for a while due to shear embarrassment from my yard owner/manager, just before xmas i asked for T to be clipped ( i tend to do it myself but not having my own clippers again ) a nice blanket clip as work load needed to be increased so reduce his sweating as such.
This didn't happen until last week, after nagging for it to be done. Now i was very clear that T would only need to be twitch to have his face done everything else he's a saint for, after years of being his groom i should know.
Anyway T went to be clipped, unaware to me T wasn't clipped how i would expect. I had gone down to sort T expecting a nice clean shaved horse but that's not what i got ( photos will show ) i nearly died with what i seen, i would lung him after everyone had left the yard, i couldn't ride him as it was nothing but an eye saw.
I had this out with the yard owner and it come to light that it wasn't the her who did him it was her newly appointed head girl, who is lets say a little wet behind the ears. It also come to light that apparently T was playing up and it took 3 members of staff to clip him.
Upon which i made it clear that i should have been called to sort out, if he was that bad. Now the yard owner was going to finish him off at a later date, but after excuse after excuse i've had to spend money i technically don't have so that i could correct the mess they made.
So i finally got my clippers yesterday and as of yesterday he was made to look good again bless him and never put a foot wrong, and as of today he is ridden again.

The mess

My correction

**karsteine** · 16-02-2015, 10:25

So my last post was a bit depressing as such, so on a much lighter note my daughters birthday was on the 14th and as part of that i promised she could have a lesson on T.
To which she loved and really enjoyed herself along with Mr T too, i must admit she did very well.

I couldn't just leave it with just my daughter though, it seemed everyone wanted a lesson. So my youngest son also learnt to ride

And ofc the other half, i had been promising him for months so he has a lesson too. Out of all of them i expected him to be the hardest one to teach but was infact far easier and took everything in like a sponge.

**karsteine** · 23-02-2015, 14:25

This week has been school, school and more school. With the odd bit of teaching the kids are you guys already know of, so i'm working on a lot of bend work just to help T engage his hide quarters as i'm not get that impulsion as such.
Which will show in the videos rather than photos, i'm also booked in to have dressage lessons as ive been told i need to get out and compete again haha.
in-between ridden school work, i have also been lunging in a chambon which i'm finding rather useful at the moment.
I did try a bit of leg yielding and my first attempt is well lets just say it'll make your eyes water, but my second was a bit better.
If anyone has anything useful i could use riding wise please do say as a useful second set of eyes is always good, ive already had some tips via T's owner but anything else is always good in my eyes.

Lunging

Schooling

**karsteine** · 10-03-2015, 23:35

Well its been a little while since my last up date, all's been going well. Schooling with the odd hack out to change the pace etc, tonight was mine and T's first lesson together.
I must admit i was a little nervous, but soon relaxed. Learnt a lot as its been a while since I've had a really good instructor out.
Finally got T to bend better and engaged his hide quarters with the right inflexion, better body position, open up my hips and knees, as well as hold my hands in a much more effective way.
Which made my riding more comfortable not just for me but T also, i didn't get any photos of my lesson which is a shame but it's now booked for every two weeks so hopefully will get some on the next lesson.

Anyway some hacking photo's and some condition photos too

**karsteine** · 10-05-2015, 21:11

Since the weather had been rather well up here in the North Easy me and T had been doing lots and lots of hacking rather than schooling enjoying the endless amounts of countryside views etc, on the odd day we would school but only if the weather was poor.
These last two weeks or so however have done nothing but rain, so i decided rather than school as such i would lunge and free school, which often works well with T until he decided to have an accident.
Our indoor school isnt huge, but its not tiny either but for some reason one of the supporting steal girders isnt very well covered and T decided to take it head on as a result he is sporting a love split about the eye lid.
Lucky enough it wasnt big enough for stitches but has required a lot of TLC, manuka honey and lots of cleaning along with plenty of cuddles etc.
Today we managed to ride again, after having just under a week off with injury and T rode like a dream, soft supple and light in the hand.
We are also moving yards again somewhere closer to a local comp yard so that me and T ( when he's ready ) can get out and compete again.
Anyway heres some photos

**karsteine** · 05-09-2015, 23:06

Ok, i haven't done much updating since T moved yards.
Those that haven't seen our post, we moved yard due to never ending issues for prev yard owner.
We move Further north, about 20min's drive from my home.
We also moved house too, which slowed everything down work wise with T.
This past few month T has had everything done, Saddle fitter out, physio and chiro, as T didnt feel right ridden wise.
My thought was right though that T's saddle wasn't fitting him like it should, and was causing back pain.
In turn T started to loose topline, which had my physio a little panicked. However after saddle was reflocked and adjusted he started to come good, but on the safe side i also had a chiro come out to give the once over.
They gave me the thumbs up to ride and he was A ok, and so the big work started.
We've done a bit of everything, flat work, hacking and teaching T jumping correctly as he likes to think a 2ft jumping is way over 6ft. As well as coming in way to close and leaving a leg behind.
As always there are photos and ofc, some lunging videos too.
We also acquired a new fur baby too, she is only a year and a half maine coon called baby.
Enjoy the photo.

New yard for those that didn't see

And some videos

**Soot** · 06-09-2015, 07:30

Lovely the new yard, very fancy! Glad T is going well again

**karsteine** · 02-02-2016, 14:31

Its been a while since i've done a full update on Mr T, well since my last update i ended up moving yards again.
I loved the yard me and Mr T was on and couldn't fault it at all, but livery prices were going up far more than i could afford.
So after a long talk with my other half, i went out stable hunting and come across a farm based yard 20 or so min's up the road from me.
Indoor school, american barn type stables, with small shows on sight and wasn't going to charge me the earth to be there as well as on sight staff that will help while i was in for my knee op.
So off we went, to start a new page again at the new place. T as always traveled like a pro in a trailer, to the point the girl moving him for me said you wouldn't have through he was in the trailer.
I gave T a few days to settle, not that i needed to but just something i always do.
After the 3rd day of settling i tacked him up, and went in the school. To be my last ride for the next 9 months, as the day after that i was due to head to hospital and have my anterior cruciate ligament replaced after an accident nearly 4 years ago and yes horse related too.
so after being layed up for a month or so, i have had to crack on getting my knee and leg to work again.
Lots of physio to be done, every 1hour and along with 30mins of ice packs to bring the swelling down etc.
While recovering i put out adverts to find a share to help keep T ticking over, and we met ÅSA a lovely sweddish rider who loves very close to the yard. Her and T hit it off nicely, and she spoils him rotten, she mainy does the weekends which works out will for me as i often travel to pick up my young son.
So Christmas arrived quickly, and as part of that i was heading to Nottingham to spend time with family. So T was booked in to be looked after with the help from his sharer. All was lovely and quiet until Boxing day arrived, i was heading out to the local boxing day hunt. On my way there i received a phone call from ÅSA that T had a swollen knee, a small cut and puss coming out. Que me giving all the advice i could to clean and cold hose, squeeze the puss out and use hibscrub. I left a message with my yard owner to have a look once she returned from hunting, by 4pm my yard owner rang and requested a vet. Que me no panicking, i was 150+miles from home so couldn't look at the injury to see what was really going on.
So i had to sit and wait to hear from the vet as to what really was going on, by about 8pm my mobile rang and its the vet. They had to do a joint tap, to see if his knee has becoming spetic/ if it was just an under the skin infection from something like a thorn etc getting stuck or just cellulitis . Vet was leaning to cellulitis if anything but another check in the morning will confirm, so roll on to the next day swelling had come down he wasn't really lame if anything happy in himself. Vet was happy so gave him anti b's with bute and didn't want to see him for a week or so, well that day was also my return home day. It was agreed that we would head straight to the yard rather than home so i could give my boy a good cuddle, and see how he was. After being home for a few days my yard owner rang to say she was still worried about T's leg and that it didn't looking like it was coming right, I had been walking him inhand in the school with the odd trot to see how he looked and couldn't see any lameness but my YO being as she was i agreed to a second opinion from another vet practice. So another vet out who agreed with me he was fine and didn't need touching at all and to stop panicking over it the anti b's are were doing there job and within a few days he can go out in the field. Poor T had been on 2/3 weeks box rest, how he didn't colic i'll never know but he went out in the end and was like a spring loaded gun in the field.
My sharer i can't fault at all, shes pampered T through out his box rest and he's loved it bless him.
He's now coming back into work again, slowly and has the phsio on friday to give him a check over as he's been a little tight through his back etc.

On the Move

In his new bed

In the new indoor

The surgery

Clips and stitches out

T's Injury

And a few random

**karsteine** · 16-07-2016, 18:22

Diary catch up, So T was out of work for sometime due to an ongoing back issue. So it left me a little unsure where things would go, both Physio and Chiro gave some ground exercises to do, just to help build his back muscle up as well as his tummy muscle.
After much thinking over things, and with how things have been handled at the yard T was stabled at it was agree'd to move closer to home. So a search was on the go, with a couple of yards on my door step things looked positive and it was.
A space had become available on a yard that was less then 5 mins from my door, and i jumped at the chance due to its location it made my life a little more easier after my OP.
Well it started out really well there, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Our stay there wasn't for long though, it soon transpired that i wasn't allowed to by my own shavings i had to by there's at the cost of £8 a bale, these weren't branded shavings either.
After another 2/3 weeks my otherhalf arrives to the yard, to the mass amount of police due to some drink driver, who had took on an ambulance head on, hit ti then turned down our drive and go straight through our summer fields, that was the last straw for me, and off i hunted for yet another yard sigh.
It wasn't to long before i was offered a place from a friend ( i use the term friend loosely ), the place is in a unusual place. 4 stables, two tack rooms and plenty of fielding that needed some tlc. £25 a week i can get my own shavings and hay etc or share the hay if i wished, plenty of off road hacking to build T up and within the beach if i wished to change the view. So i jumped at it as i new the person and it would be just me, her and her daughter. Although T would baby sit a couple of youngsters for a couple of months it was perfect, i handed in my notice and everything sorted, T got picked up and off we went to move.
The yard is about 10mins drive from me but its so nice and quiet i couldn't say no, T settled in like a pro as always and was happy to be out 24/7. I had a hacking buddy and so did T's sharer s it was a win win thing, that was until the landowner came looking for my friend.
It transpires that she hadn't paid the rent the month before i moved on and the upcoming months rent was due, my partner was down the yard when he come looking and in his bright wise self he offered to pay the upcoming months rent to save the roof over T's head. Which is a blessing, After weeks of waiting to see if she would pay her rent to the landowner i ended up having to chase and it was agree'd that i would take over the lease and pay the current months rent. The landowner would chase her for the remainder of the previous months rent as i was not on the yard at that time and it was not my responsibility to pay it, after a few more weeks of her not paying the landowner had her removed but that alone wasn't a easy thing. The first week of her eviction she left her horse and daughter loan pony to root in the field with no water, and i was near enough close to reporting her. Once the horses was removed she decided she would leave all her things locked in the top block tack room, after two weeks i decided to change the locks on both tack rooms meaning she couldn't get her things unless the landowner said so. It finally took 8 weeks for her to come and collect her things. She had to be escorted to and from the yard by an employee of the landowner, but since she has left and all things removed me and the otherhalf have worker our socked off to get the yard in a nice looking way. Once we gutted out the top tack room, hosed etc i was able to put my feed bin's, Tack, rugs etc all in. Our next job was to tackle to ever growing weeds, and in order to get those sorted we needed to hire a brush cutter, so in the space of a day and a half we did 2 fields. We still have another field to tackle yet but that will be done in good time, once the 2 of the 3 fields had been cut my next job was to order in some Graze-on pro which i did so. Once that arrived it was off to the fields again to spray the last of the weeds and docks and leave the fields standing for 7 days. In-between doing all this T has the physio out again, to which she is pleased with his progress, he now has muscle growing and a top line coming along. So its a case of keeping up the longline work with ground poles soon, which light hacking at the weekends with my sharer. Ive slightly changed some of T's Feed, he still gets ready mash for his breaky but he now gets a balancer in the evening with a treatball full of grass nuts and i must say he's looking so much better for it, i only add Myoplast and Biotin to his supplements list. Our aim is to do a dressage comp in the middle of aug, and then do a pleasure ride at the end of aug so fingers crossed.
Ah yes and in amungst all this mess, i got engaged too.
Anyway photos of his progress.