Finally the weather perked up and we had our Easter Party. (More eggs were boiled!) Sadly some children had already gone back to school, but it may have actually been calmer with less girls!!
Eli brought over her elderly but amazing Twix, and a new loan pony called Abby, who is a tall and very stunning Welsh Sec B. I have to confess, she looked way too tall and leggy to me, for a Sec B, but she has a passport and we measured her. She was just under 13.2hh. We also measured Lily the other day, who came up at 12.3hh. As Daisy and Lu who are both only 14.2hh seem quite big to me, I can only conclude that I am shrinking with age!!
So we had a great day. The girls had a short hack, followed by a lesson. Then they learnt to lunge, rugging, and points of the pony before lunch.
After lunch we had 'Field Maintenance, Ok.... Poo Picking! It has to done blah blah. Its all part of owning a pony. The girls seemed happy!!!
Better than being indoors on The Play Station huh? When I was a child (after I had finished my breakfast of road gravel, and polished the road with my tongue) I was taught to always look after my animals first! No matter how wet, cold, tired I was, make sure the dogs/cats/ponies/goldfish were seen to first!
After all that hard work we had gymkhana games. Always a laugh. Its the one thing that makes me sad about being an (aging) adult....No more Gymkhana games. And Bills, Wrinkles, and a stiff non bouncy body.....But mostly not being able to do Gymkhana.
The eggs got battered, everyone had fun. Gymkana has a purpose! The kids are so busy trying to win, they forget fear, or to hold on with their hands etc. Its a great way of installing confidence.
And so to more serious stuff.. Charlie. If you have been following, you will know Charlie has been special. My normal attitude with horses throughout my life has been Gung-Ho to say the least. Get on, hope for the best, don't fall off. Its half wild? Never mild, just ride it. take it to the shops, jump it, hunt it.....Its nervous? What the hell, take it on a 120mile ride. Two young just cut geldings? Pony them around the village on a mare. It bucks, rears, bolts? Sit it out and laugh. But with my dodgy lungs etc, and Charlies history (ie being taken off his mother and on his way to become a Tesco meal), not to mention his half sighted eye and riggy tendencies i have tried to slow up.
Having tried to back Charlie as a 3 year old, and learning that flying lessons hurt at my age with my dodgy lungs and dicky ticker, i backed off. I have spent the last 3 years gaining his trust. I have now sat on him, and rode him briefly in the School. But, despite our good relationship, the basic building blocks are missing.....and this time round, I need a pony that will die for me. I need and want a two way relationship.
And so, I called in Bridget Colston for help. Bridget books horses for Monty Roberts, and is fully trained in Intelligent Horsemanship. We can all read the books and watch videos. But as I have said before, Horsemanship can't be taught, it is in you... or not. I watched a Monty Roberts demo in my twenties, and have studied horse language ever since. I think i have a pretty good handle on how horses think and can read most horses. But, with your own you can sometimes get lost. Not read all the signs.
And so I got Bridget in to help with the missing bits..... Yes Charlie will lunge, and long rein....but only if I get after him. If he doesn't want to do something, he will get bolshy. Is he just being naughty? Or is he scared? I am too close to see the answer. Bridget heard him immediately. Yes he is worried. She slowed things right down. Today I feel humbled. You are never too old to learn! And so, with a few more tools, Charlie and I will start again, and get it right before we move on.
I have a huge grin on my face as I am writing this.....because this week I have finally ridden Charlie (without being thrown into the next County!), but more on that later (Sorry Spoiler Alert).
So Jo bought a new tractor. Not a lawn mower...but a real Mini Tractor, a John Deere if you are a tractor fanatic. We are thrilled with it. It starts each morning...and has way more pulling power. I spent two days hankering to plough a field with it...until it rained.
We were planning a pony party on Monday just gone, but the weather scuppered our plans. There was actual snow on Saturday!! Having already hard boiled and painted the eggs for the egg and spoon race, it seemed a shame to waste them. So little Nancy who came up for a ride and Shaneece Who Helps on Saturdays (and had came to help with the Party) had a lesson from me, and learnt the art of egg and spoon racing.
Lulu may have been more interested in bullying Dora
And so to COWS!! Last week we went out with Shaneece on Daisy, Nancy on Dora and Mini in hand, for yet another 'Meet and Cow Greet'. As we approached they cavorted over. Suspecting Dora may spook, I asked Rob (Nancy's Dad) to be ready to catch the child. As predicted, Dora span, throwing Nancy safely into her Dads' arms. Couldn't have done it better if we had practised!! Mini, who has probably never seen cows before, freaked out, Daisy nonchalantly sniffed and nipped them, before grazing quietly while the little ponies sorted themselves out. It took a while, but eventually both the little 'uns dared to get close enough for a sniff and the drama was over. Trouble is the cows run over.
I was dreading Charlies encounter with them! Jo and I decided not only did we have to train the ponies to become bored with the cows, we also had to ignore the cows so they became bored with the ponies. The next day they were gone!!
Daisy... Not Bovvered
Dora.....Drama Queen
Mini..... WTF?
So onto the babies (Charlie and Lil). Grin factor Alert. Jo and I had hatched a plan. While Charlie has allowed me (and a couple of kids) to sit on him, he has got stuck, and not moved forward, preferring to back up, which is the beginning of his default setting to rear. Charlie cannot be forced to do anything...that just causes a fight. So we decided as he loves his food, Jo would stand a little way in front of him with carrots, so it was his decision to move forwards, instead off up and down and exploding. It worked!!
Yesterday, we just went half way round the 'School'. All his decision. Today we walked all the way round!! I even suggested with a bit of leg pressure and a vocal command that he might like to walk on . He feels solid and sure of his balance, and calm!
Lil has had a few kids sitting on her, and Ellie rode her a circuit on Saturday. Much younger, but a sensible girl. Today I rode her a few circuits, with Jo in front of her. We did a few bending poles with open steering, and some stop starts. Although Lil is smaller and narrower than Charlie, and still feels a bit like a fawn finding its feet, she was very relaxed and seems to be happy to work.
No photos, but we have a short video (possibly). So proud of these Gypsy Cob Babies.
https://youtu.be/VPD7Grt7c1w
Oh yes its all been happening!! So first up, Charlie and i have completed the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge. For those of you that don't know, this was a Facebook Group that I somehow got invited to. The idea is a 12 week Challenge, with Mini Challenges. There were different levels. I picked Bronze with Charlie, which was a commitment to do 3 hours a week. Doesn't sound much...but doing groundwork only, is quite a bit. There was a list of Mini Challenges in several different groups, ie, Hacking, Dressage, Jumping, Groundwork, Trec etc. This is by far the best horsey group on FB i have ever joined!! Everyone was sooo supportive. There was no "I'm better than you".
The group consisted of about 1000 people from all over the world. We had old and young, experienced, novice, nervous....everyone had a personal challenge. The idea of starting in January is genius. Winter months are when we tend to say, "Its too dark, cold, wet", etc. This Challenge pushed us to work in the dark, the snow and the wind. People found ingenious ways to work with their horses, despite the weather. Everyone pushed themselves to face their fears. We urged each other on. The prize is a weeks holiday at Top Barn, but the real prize is facing fears, and having a better relationship with your horse.
I have videoed each session with Charlie.....The good and the bad!! He has acquired quite a fan club. He has also calmed down a lot, and has become interested in working with me. My goal for the 12 weeks was to be riding him. This hasn't quite happened, as around week 10, he had a spring hormonal breakdown, and became very stalliony, so I had to step back a bit....But I have sat on him a few times. He has worked hard, so is now having a week off. After that I will try and ride him away, although its going to feel weird not videoing our every move. Roll on next year!!!
In the last 3 months, we have discovered one thing.....Charlie CAN JUMP!
Meanwhile in the background, Jo and I have been working Lily. Having done a few walk outs, lunging, Bonder, and long-reining. We have also stuck various small children on her bareback for a sit. Then Shona got on with a saddle..
So at the weekend, we put Grace up, and Jo led them round the "school". What a good girl!! It was like she had been ridden before. Although younger than Charlie, Lil has been at World Horse Welfare for a couple of years, and also a girl! So is actually more advanced!
Yesterday Shanice (who helps on Saturdays) came up for her first ride since her fall. I wouldn't normally leave it that long, but the poor girl was too hurt to get straight back on, and has been busy since. So it was a nice sunny day. Daisy has been hacked out several times since, and not put a foot wrong. Jo rode Lu and I led Lily, promising Shanice that I would be by her side. Shanice was understandably a little nervous, but I told her to just relax, and tell Daisy all about college, which she did. We had a lovely walk down the lane. Everyone was calm. I was almost tempted to ride Lil back, but only had kids stirrups and no hat, so didn't. Good Call!!
The field that runs along the lane, has acquired 4 baby male cows with big horns. Jo and i went out with Charlie and Lu on foot last week to meet them, but they wouldn't come over. Yesterday they were by the gate on the way back. Much snorting from Lu and Lily. Daisy had a good look, and decided they were less than interesting. We set off down the lane. The cows followed at a gallop. Lily was absolutely terrified, spinning and rearing, eyes out on stalks. My priority, as well as hanging on to Lil, was to hold Daisys headcollar, just in case. Meanwhile Lu was doing a sideways piaff! Very impressive! I offered Shanice the chance to dismount, but she said her and Daisy were fine, which they were. Kudos to Shanice for holding her nerve! Looks like we will be back and forwards down that lane till all the horses are ok about the cows!
And so the tractor is dead!! Its only a ride on lawn mower really. Designed to cut an acre or two, on Sundays, in the summer. Ours has pulled a heavy muck trailer daily, every day for years. We have struggled with starting it this Winter. It had a new battery and starter motor. But still it objected in the morning. Finally the other day it went clatter clatter, and stopped. Jo and I thought the fan had broken....Its happened a few times. So Mark the Mechanic was summoned to replace the fan, which he did. It still wouldn't start. He replaced the plug, cleaned the carb, and ascertained that there was fuel and spark. He didn't think it had any compression, but not being a lawn mower expert, gave up. We sent it to the local Farm/Tractor/Mower place. I had a bad feeling that it was the rings that had made the clattering noise. I used to have a dodgy motorbike, that broke its piston rings 5 times, and it sounded the same. But what do I know? I'm just a girl (well a female...hardly a girl these day). Turns out I was right. So the Tractor is dead.
