A Few Steps Back and Spare Legs

So after Charlies' awesome behaviour its inevitable that we have gone backwards again. I mean if it were all smooth sailing it just wouldn't be Charlie!
On Good Friday we had Meg to ride Daisy. We got all the ponies ready and with Jo at Charlies' head I mounted......Nothing. Cool, relaxed, solid.  I got off. I got on again. Suddenly Wham, spun round and started bucking. While Jo held on, I again thought I could sit it. We all felt the big one building up and Jo shouted "Get Off". I just swung my leg over as the explosion happened. Rather ungraceful dismount which saw me land at Charlies' feet (AGAIN). I spent the next 5 minutes laying over his back and rubbing his off side belly....while he panicked. He really does panic. Its not naughtiness.
Anyway we all set off on a hack with me leading Charlie.  Halfway I turned back and made my way home. Charlie threw a 3 year old colt tantrum. Boy did he throw his toys out of the pram!  Rearing, snorting, spinning, hummpphing! Is that even a word? You know the noise they make when angry. We made it back!

Having read a million forems and watched a load of videos on you tube of horses quietly being backed i have decided he is just not ready. So yesterday i brought him in alone.....That in itself caused tantrums. Striking out with his foreleg and rearing. I just stood back and waited until he was quiet. Tacked up with the Western saddle and 2 bags of soil hanging off the horn, we had a lunge.  Charlie took off bucking, and the carrier bags broke!!

Remembered my dim and distant past of backing a pony as a child that had been ridden by a straw man. Went home and made a "pair of legs".  Brought Himself in today.....Quiet.  Tacked up in English saddle. Quiet. Plonked on 'spare legs'.  Quiet.  Longreined. Quiet.....Despite the half dummy being a bad rider. She kept losing a stirrup and the boot banged against Charlies' front leg. NO REACTION!!! Will keep adding weight to my 'spare legs' and maybe a body.....or I could lose 4 stone!!! Any ideas ??????

"I'm Bored"

Spare Legs

Road Closed, New RDA Ponies and a Papermill Update

Finally Bt have connected my internet so its time for a catch up. Quite a lot has been happening. First the Road Closed incident.  Due to a water leak Essex and Suffolk Water had to close the road just up the hill from the yard. It caused quite a kerfuffle I can tell you. Anyway as what is normally a busy road, was closed we took Charlie and Lu out in hand to inspect all the scary roadsigns and men in holes etc. As the road was closed I let Scrumpy follow at a discreet distance. Charlie was a star. He sniffed the drain holes suspiciously, and scared himself by standing on a somewhat bouncy cats eye. But then as we were talking to the workmen, a car appeared.......followed by another 7 !!!!  Seems they didn't believe the road was actually closed. We made our way back down the line of traffic, explaining that the road really did have a huge trench across it and giving helpful directions.  By this time I was slightly worried about Scrumpy who was mooching about among the cars with all the roadsense of a pheasant. The ponies accepted some mints from a very nice car driver and people started turning around. One woman pipped her horn several times for some reason. Charlie didn't bat an eyelid. Turns out the overnight closure was fun.....Someone ignored all the signs, moved the barriers and drove straight into the hole!!  We also heard there was a fight and the police had to be called!!!

Charlie has continued to be brilliant with the long reining so the other day, with Mark the Mechanic and part time horse whisperer, at his head, with carrots, I got on and off a couple of times....just sitting quietly for a bit each time. No drama. This time he was completely relaxed.....Charlie that is.  Not sure about Mark!!

We have had a couple of lucky finds for the Rda.  We acquired Maddie, a 13hh bay New Forest, who I rode in a lesson. Poor little thing. As my feet wouldn't fit in the stirrups, my legs just hung down almost to the ground. She didn't raise an eyebrow as we rode around stands and threw sponge dice around. We also have Molly on loan from an old friend of mine. Another bay mare, but Molly is 15.2hh Cleveland Bay x Shire and is a fantastic stamp of a mare. Having hacked her out with a disabled client, and found her to be very laidback, she has been used in a real lesson now. Over Easter we picked up Stormin' Norman who has settled in nicely.  Just need another driving pony now.

At Papermill Lane things have been happening. Three of us went on a reccy last week up to the other site attached to West Meadows Traveller site. A bit rash to get so close, but someone has to.  We found a foal discarded in the rubbish, unable to get up, and a filly with barbed wire around its hind legs. A young lad appeared and I told him I would help him remove the wire. He went to get his dad, who owns all the ponies, where again I offered to give him a hand. He was more interested in chasing us off "his" land.  Of course we phoned the RSPCA, Redwings and WHW.  Redwings are now cataloging all the ponies. In the meantime, I posted the pictures everywhere and got 17404 views! This seems to have stirred things up, with a lot of horse movement over the last week. We are not entirely sure where they have gone, but Redwings seem to be on it at last, admitting that several horses needed attention.  Not sure the owner is at all happy, as he went after 3 ladies on Friday, before hunting me down somewhere else. We vidioed each other. I posted mine on You Tube, but it was taken down for breaching harassment laws.......Funny that, as he came looking for me!!!

Charlie and Lu inspecting road signs.

Charlie Full of the joys of spring

Hacking out on Molly.

Discarded in the rubbish....Foal at West Meadows