Blossoms Rescue Centre

I hope a few people have watched the video of Charlie (real name Sparky) by now, and have seen what a lovely pony he is.  He is sweet, affectionate, cheeky, trusting, nosy, and funny.  Not to mention he has fantastic conformation and stunning paces.  If if wasn't for http://www.blossomsrescue.co.uk/, he wouldn't even be alive.  Please check out the website.  This isn't a huge rescue centre like ILPH or Redwings.......but a small concern run by one dynamic lady called Sara Higgins.  They also rescue dogs, cats, chickens.....if it is in need of rescue, rest assured Sara will be on it. With a a few voluntary helpers, Sara looks after all the rescue animals herself....on a shoestring.  Trust me if I lived closer I would be helping. 
So if you can help in anyway please do......If you check out the site, you can donate......or if you live nearby, maybe take on a rescue pony or dog.
Believe me it is way more rewarding to see an animal that has had a bad start in life develop into something special.
Does this look like a rescue pony??????

What A Good Boy

I am so pleased with Charlie......that probably means something will go wrong. But so far all is good.  He seems to be really enjoying his 'work'.  I don't really like using a cavesson....I find them heavy and unnecessary, so I am just working him off a head collar.  The last 2 days he has been wearing a poly pad on his back with a surcingle. It hasn't been a problem at all.  He has got the hang of 'lunging' very loosely. As in he's picked up the going round in circles.  At the moment we only have trot and whoa.....but the other pace commands will come in time.  We have been carrying on with the 'follow me' games, and getting used to the mounting block.  He is happy to stand next to it, while I lean over him.  Soooo tempting to slide a leg over.  But not yet.
Today I lead him up to a pallet that was laying around.  He sniffed it, then walked over it.  Family Pony here we come..............

Proud in grown up clothes.

Hunt the Poo, and Charlie starts Work

This week we have mostly been playing Hunt the Poo.  It looks the same as the beech leaves that are covering the minis field. Its like one of those hidden object games.  And I'm not complaining about the sun, but having it shining in your eyes does not help. New Years Day was a particular challenge, having had no sleep!!!

And so today Charlie officially started his training. I am not planning on rushing anything.  It will take as long as it takes. There is no time limit, and I don't want to skip a bit.  Also I have no set plan.  We'll see how it all goes.
Today I simply got him out, tied him up the gate (Yes Yes, before you all start shouting....I did use baler twine), fitted him with a lunging cavesson and spent 15 minutes in my 'school' asking him to move out and around me.  Which he did beautifully.   Then we finished off with a little "Follow Me".  I walk, he follows, I stop, he stops, I change direction, yes you guessed it. The object is to keep him glued to me. Finished off of course with much petting and a parsnip!

10 Steps Back

After being so good for the farrier, Charlie has taken a naughty pill.  It was forecast for rain and wind last night, so yesterday we rugged back up.  At least Daisy and Lulu were rugged.  Charlie wouldn't have any of it.  In fact he wouldn't let Jo or I near him.  We tried sending him away, but its a bit hard in 2 acres!!!!!  A couple of times I got a rope round his neck, but he's a chunky boy, and I just couldn't hang on.
So Jo took the girls away.....much to their delight they were turned loose in the 3 acre field, which has been resting since the summer, and is full of lush grass.
Needless to say, any mothering tendencies went out of the window, and they firmly ignored Charlie's rather hysterical neighs.  Someone answered down the road somewhere, but no-one he knew.
I rather thought that without his mummies, he would come to me.  Not a chance!!  He had gone feral.  So I left him to literally sweat it out, while we poo picked the minis.
I don't like using food as bribery, but my main objective at that point was just contact, so I took a bucket of nuts and apples out to him.. At least he came over and ate, and then followed me every time I walked off.  As he was, at this point foamed up in a lather, rugging was out of the question anyway.  So the mares came back, and we left.  I spent the whole night fretting, as it did indeed rain and blow a hoolie.  I felt so bad I got him a bag of carrots.
Much to my relief, this morning, the sun was shining, and he was happily having a love in with Daisy, who inexplicably seems to be in season again. 
Without much hope, I took his rug and a pocketful of carrots out to the field, to be greeted by happy, curious Charlie, who munched on carrots and calmly stood to be rugged. 
 Either I have a schizophrenic pony or something had upset him.
The farm had had a large trailer delivered to the next field earlier yesterday morning, and had had a lot of problems which had resulted in the road being closed for quite a while. My only theory is that it reminded him of being removed from his mum with several other colts.  Maybe he associates very large trailers with being caught and bad stuff????
I'm just relieved to have the Charlie I know and love back today.

Todays Ponies

So, history lesson over, and on to the ponies in my life today.
The Shetlands:

This is Sweet Pea, who Jo found at Watton Horse sales.  She was starving and covered in lice.  She also had pneumonia, and it was touch and go.....But here she is, as cute as a button.  Unless you want to bath or muzzle her.  Then she becomes the ginger bitch from hell. I've never seen something so small rear so high as this one.

And this is Jasmin.  She has had a much better life, spending most of it with Jo.  She is the most loving pony ever, and daily comes over for a chin scratch and a kiss. 

This beautiful creature is Lulu, a 9 year old Halfinger of very good breeding. And doesn't she know it!  She is very much aware that she is the Queen Bee, the number one. She has been with Jo since she was a yearling, and is the most well mannered, yet playful pony ever.  Her intelligence is quite scary!

Daisy-May.  I adore Daisy. She is sweet and gentle, and so laid back she is almost horizontal.  Except for bath time, or fly spray time, or chin trimming time.  Then she simply uses her size and leaves the vicinity at high speed.
Jo got her a year ago, mostly because she couldn,t bear to leave her in a home where she lived alone, with a terrified owner.
And god only knows what happened to her before that. We know she has had several foals, and has several fears.

This is Bee, a welsh sec A, (and judging by those knees and her high actioned fast trot, maybe part Hackney!!).
Bee has only been with us about 3 weeks and is owned by Roz.  Poor Roz bought her as a non-rideable companion for her Icelandic Pony, but sadly lost him.  We are not sure why she is un-ridable.  Any brave children out there???? Or extremely small adults?

This is Polly....Princess Polly.  She was simply abandoned on the yard, when she became lame.  Jo took her on, and nursed her better.  She went out on loan and was returned when she became lame again.  After months of care, and money and walking around on memory foam pads in her boots, she is sound again and enjoying life.

And finally Charlie....my new boy.  He is 3 years old, and was bottle fed as a baby, then turned away in a herd of other colts, to be, well, horses.
He is very funny, very clever and very cheeky.  He is also quite coltish still and is pushing the boundaries a little when it comes to being handled.
The mares are fairly sorting him out, the poor little sod is always is trouble with one or the other.