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.
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.
Yep, and first to the weather report, which is not news as its already happened!!! Its been Wild and Windy. First we had Storm Freya, now its Storm Gareth.....although if there was a gap between them I missed it! It was so strong yesterday it moved the tractor!!
Bad Hair Day for Charlie! And now onto the more interesting subject.....Weird Worms! So on Sunday Jo found some worms in Daisys droppings. We don't have worms. We poo pick daily, and the only time we have ever had worms is when Molly first arrived. I wasn't there, so Jo saved 3 for me to look at (like you do haha). My first thought was Earth Worms......Except they weren't red. And all 3 were a bit different. With all our years experience Jo and I have seen most horse worms....but not these! Ask Google. The nearest image comparison was Round Worms....except they are normally only found in youngsters, and at 19 Daisy is hardly young!! In the interest of science, we collected some Earth Worms from the muck heap. I wondered if Earth Worms went white when they died. So I popped them into a jar of water....mostly to stop them wriggling away, but also to see if they drowned and therefore lost their colour. You know if you chop a worm in half you just end up with 2 worms? Well they can also live in water! They must be a form of zombie!
So we put them with the dead worms from Daisys droppings and quickly photographed them, before they started eating them. Just in case you are slightly interested, we them released them into the wild, totally un-harmed! Still baffled we phoned the Vets, who asked us to email the pics through. Result? A bunch of equally baffled vets! The older Vets asked the younger Vets, who may still have some memory of Uni and an encyclopedic memory of Worms. No-one knew what they were, and we all came to the conclusion that they were indeed some Mutant Albino strain of Earth Worm! As it was raining, they had moved up into the droppings, but as at this point they were mutant zombie worms, they did not scuttle back down a hole the minute the droppings were moved. Why only Daisys Droppings? Answers on a postcard please! I think its because she has EMS, and therefore more insulin in her droppings, but the Vet suggested it was just because they were bigger, therefore warmer. Luckily for you dear Reader, I have already deleted the pics from my phone!!! Remember I entered an On-Line Horse Show last month? I didn't realise they existed, but the Top Barn Challenge has enlightened me. So I entered a pic of Charlie in The Muckiest Pony class. To my delight he came 2nd out of about 20 entries, and I am absurdly proud of his first rosette!!!
Sadly the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge is coming to an end. We are now on Week 10. Its been a brilliantly inspiring group, with the most encouraging group of horsey people I have ever come across. People have faced their fears head on, and worked in some appalling weather, to get their hours in. No one on the group will ever say again, "Its too cold, wet, dark, muddy, windy, snowy" etc. So in the spirit of the Challenge, I ignored Storm Gareth with his 50mph winds and worked Charlie with a hoop yesterday (well ok....its a piece of hose-pipe taped up). We had a blast!! Storm? Pffff!!
This may or may not be a link to the video!!!! https://youtu.be/OfJDvlz2aN0
And so to the weather report!!! Its been Hot. Yes HOT. 18c hot!! An Early spring!. (It can't last) And so we have been backing!!!! Last week I lent over Lily (no reaction), and got on Charlie (no reaction). A couple of days later, Shona came over, and sat on Lil. Again no reaction. Meanwhile i got on Charlie on the qt, no holder etc. No reaction. This is all brilliant.
Shona on Lily
Me on Charlie Then it was Saturday!!!! Sammi's Birthday Party. Before the party there was lessons. All the ponies were in, doing various things. Eli brought Twix, her very handsome bay gelding. Not sure if it was the presence of another boy, the warm weather, some spring grass or what. But the Big herd went wrong!! First up I tacked up Charlie to join in a lesson with Tia on board (small, quiet and light). He was nothing short of a GIT. He was behaving like a teenage boy, throwing his toys out of the pram. He had a serious case of FOMO. The parrot mouth was present, and he just wanted to be somewhere else. So I ended up just leading him in the lesson and on the Walk Out. When I turned him out......
Next up Daisy and Lu..... Between lessons and Party, we thought we would let Chanice Who Helps On Saturdays, and Grace (Eli's 2nd daughter), ride the mares. Lu was already tacked up, so went up to the school, while I tacked up Daisy. Jo thought I would be using the western saddle which takes a while, and as Lu was a bit full of it, went for quick ride down the lane. Meanwhile I thought she was waiting for us, so opted for quick English tack. Daisy was already agitated, so I told Chanice Who Helps On Saturdays, to take her up to school while I grabbed a drink. I meant lead her up, but Chanice had hopped up already. When we got to school I realised Jo had gone out. At this point I should have got Chanice off. Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?? EXCEPT.... Daisy may get excited.....But its never unseating! And Chanice has been riding her a long time and knows her as well as I do, and can cope with her. And so... i told Chanice to do her usual circling, cones, disengaging Daisys rear end, chill, relax etc. They understand each other. Normally. Daisy had started to relax, when she heard Lu coming up the drive. Daisy went nuts!! She must have thought she was at a rodeo!!! She went into proper bronc mode....Never thought she had it in her. Chanice did really well and sat out the broncing, until Daisy finished with a huge buck, and face planted poor Chanice. Chanice has had a few falls with us (learning process), and usually gets up and laughs. Daisy normally stops and waits. This was different. Chanice didn't get straight up...or laugh...and was pouring with blood from her nose. Daisy was galloping round wildly! We caught the pony, and helped Chanice to the tack-room, just as the Birthday Girl turned up!! All turned out Ok. Chanice went off to A&E and was just bruised. The Party Ponies behaved and Sammi had a good Birthday Party. So we concentrated on Daisys odd behaviour. We put it down to Spring Grass, but were not happy with her reaction to Lu being missing. So we have turned her out with the minis and fenced a large gap between them and Lu. Buddy sour horses not allowed! Its not something we expect, as they all get worked alone, and go off to different places. Having brought Daisy in and lunged her for 2 days, I hacked her out today with Jo and Lu. Its what she needed. Slightly "springy", but normal Daisy we were out for an Hour and a Half, in the glorious sunshine. It was really nice to be hacking along the country lanes in t-shirts!! But this is England. Expect rain or snow by next week!
Just a quickie...... Welcome back to the weather Channel!! After a very mild Winter, we finally got Snow....for a day. But that was followed by Storm Eric. Three days of 20-30mph winds, gusting up to 50mph. Now my dodgy lungs and dicky ticker just cannot cope with wind. It literally leaves me gasping for breath, so I had to take my Holiday Week in the Top Barn 12 week Challenge. Just in case you are slightly interested, today dawned calm and sunny, with a high of 9c!! Work with Charlie began again (well actually, we had a play, while i drunk my coffee).
And a sort of review.........Last year at a pop up tack shop at a show, I bought a SoloRake, made by SoloComb. I always liked SoloCombs, so I thought the rake would help me with the thick dreads that is Charlies mane. Having chopped it all off last Summer, to help him stay cool, it has grown again. So last week I took to him with the SoloRake. Maybe its only meant for coats?? The blade is good and strong, so I started raking his mane. To my surprise, it broke. The handle is made of plastic (a weak point), and i was literally left holding the handle, while the rake was in Charlies mane. I have emailed SoloComb, so watch this space for their reply.
Finally as part of the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge, I have entered an On-line show. I had never heard of On-line shows before..... Back in the day we took the horse to a show-ground, having got up at stupid-o-clock, to bath, plait etc. We then had to hope the bugger wouldn't get too excited, and behave itself! Having spent all day in inevitable blazing heat, dressed up to the nines in thick woollen show jackets, we then spent 3 hours loading the bugger to come home (or was that only me?), with a sunburnt neck (from the hairnetted hair), to finally arrive home at midnight, then having to unload the lorry and bed the horse down before finally falling into bed clutching a 6th place rosette. So, does anyone know of any good On-line showing sites? The one i found had a class for the dirtiest pony!!!!!! I entered this.....
So as you all know, Molly was an odd rescue case!! Loaned to the Rda from a friend of mine (the lovely Rachel), Molly had become very grumpy and unhappy. So Jo and I took her in for a while to 'fix' her, before she went home. She settled in well with the herd, but objected to being tacked up. Initially she wolfed her food, but then refused it. She refused to wear a rug, and although ok with me, laid her ears back every time Jo touched her. Oh yes a challenge. She was a bit lean, tucked up from stress and full of thread worms. So we wormed her, and let her be. Jo made a point of spending time with her. After a few weeks, I took her out for a ride with the other big mares (see previous blog). Still not a happy girl. As she was trying to kick me while I slowly girthed her up, we decided she looked like a girl with ulcers. This was NOT the Molly I knew. So we put her on a daily feed of warm bran mash, with Ulcer Guard, Liquorice and Camomile....which she lapped up. Jo brought her out for her feed every day, so she could bond with her. Within a week the change was astounding. At last we had a happy horse! Unless we took Lily out of the field. Despite the others being there, and hay on offer, Molly still cleared the 5ft fencing to try and find Lil. We have always said, nothing over 14.2hh as we are set up for ponies. We put up a double fence 'Molly Baffler'. Landlord NOT happy!! The time was right for Molly to go home. Looking at the pictures when she arrived, compared to recent pics, the change was amazing. I always felt Molly was missing Rachel. Even when she seemed happy, there was sometimes a wistful look about her, like she wished she could go home. So Rachel came to collect her. She has settled in at home, like she had never been away, and has a new friend to hack her out, so its all turned out well. I miss her, peering over the fence, waiting for breakfast, but am happy to have returned a physically fixed horse to her owner.
Molly the day after she arrived.
Molly 3 months later. And so it snowed. Thankfully a tiny amount compared to last year!! We have been soo lucky. Kent (just across the Thames Estuary), Wales and the West Country seem to have suffered big time. We have been really lucky!
I have continued to work Charlie for the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge. We have had some fun...and some progress. I have discovered I have a Comedy Pony, who is very popular on the Top Barn site. Check out my You Tube Channel (as I am incapable of posting the vids on here!!). Anyway today showed the meaning of the Handler Lowering their energy. You may have heard this saying, and not understood it. Todays video (if you can find it) shows what it means.. Charlie got out of the wrong side of bed this morning. Maybe I did too. Anyway he started being pushy...which pushes my buttons...I start becoming less patient (my energy levels rise), he feels it as a challenge....and we have conflict. Some trainers relish conflict as a chance to exert their dominance. However I would rather have a partnership.....with mutual trust. I do not want to dominate my pony. I want us to work as a team. So time to walk away, take deep breaths, have a break. I chose to change what we were doing. As a friend had arrived, I was chatting away, as I tacked Charlie up. No pressure, my energy levels dropped.....and so Charlie relaxed and stood, loose, while I saddled and bridled him. And thats what trainers mean when they say Drop your Energy Level.
