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glenatronQuite a busy weekend in parts, this latest one. As I have pictures, I may as well share those...
I had a call a couple of weeks ago from someone who keeps horses at the same yard that Cash came from and was wondering if I would be able to help with her OTT Thoroughbred, called Tim. From her description he sounded like he might be a little bit hectic to be around, but I'm typically intrigued by a challenge where horses are concerned, so I figured the least I could do would be to go over and visit.
Tim is certainly an anxious horse- he shows a lot of classic racehorse stereotypical behaviours, weaving, grinding his teeth and apparently his ability as a racehorse was limited by the fact he didn't want to run with any of the jockeys. Given the way he seems to have been treated at that time, it's not entirely surprising.
He was very gentle though - I was working quite carefully to stay in his comfort zone because there would be no benefit to scaring him at all, he's plenty anxious enough already. I just worked to get him starting to follow a feel and lead up nicely with yielding changes of direction. We did a bit of work using the flag to see where he was in terms of sensitivity, which was better than I expected, and some work on head lowering and preparing for back up. Once I had an idea where we were at, we spent some time helping his owner to get the same work happening.
I think I'm probably pointing out the angle that we need to be going in to be sure that he'll be out of the way when we get there.
Tim found it hard to turn to the left, so I spent a little while helping him to do that calmly instead of just running off.
What I found interesting about teaching this was that it really made it clear how far I've come in terms of understanding position and redirecting the horse. My timing is much better than it was even just before I went to Australia. There's still lots of room for improvement, but I have come a long way.
On the way back we stopped for food at the Half Moon pub in Newchapel. If you are ever passing through Newchapel, I wouldn't eat there. The food was shockingly bad and very expensive for what it was. Given that most pubs in this part of the country depend on food as a way of bringing in the punters, most of them are reasonably good. This was like a rubbish throwback to terrible 1970s pub food - stale, textureless white bread with that dried almost-stale edge, salad full of leaves brown at the edges. We should probably have gone elsewhere, but we ate up and left sullenly. We are English, after all.
We got back to the yard and decided it was time to try putting some boots on little Cash to see if he's ready to do some work...
He was trotting pretty nicely. You can see the halter is pulled a little to one size, that is because he tends to get stuck and then when he does move, to scamper off briskly. He'd just been doing some of that...
Running off backwards- typically what happens when he has scampered off and run into the end of the rope. One gets the feeling he has used this a bit in the past, but I just kind of wait him out and after a moment he comes back to me...
A moment later he's entirely perky and marching back over to rifle through my pockets in the hope I have treats. He hasn't yet figured out that when I do have treats I never hand them over unless he has actually done something helpful and raiding my pockets doesn't count as helpful.
Working on our hovering technique.
He's starting to really get the idea of this - he's very light and subtle to work with, but you can't take anything for granted, you need to check he's alright with each step along the way, or there will be one he's not alright with.
After his workout we thought maybe it was time to put Cash out with the boys, as they've been meeting over the fence for the last couple of weeks and it's been very uneventful. We opened up a new section of the field so they would be distracted by tasty grass and then let Cash out to meet them.
He investigated everything on the way through and went over to say hello to Zorro.
Didn't go to plan.
Zorro just screamed and double barrelled him three times before he could get out of the way. A few more times during the afternoon ( we spent most of the time tidying the field and keeping an eye on the ponies ) Cash went up to Zorro and got double barrelled for his troubles. It sounded awful and he had some pretty big bumps on him by the end of the day. Cash and Small just greeted each other like old friends- a touch of noses, some bitey games and then a bit of mutual grooming. We decided on balance that we would be smartest to leave them together overnight, that Cash would prove smart enough to keep out of Zorro's way and if we separated them again we would just have to go through it again if we ever wanted to integrate them.
Happily, on Sunday morning Cash was still standing. He looked like he might have got a couple more kicks, but he was keeping a very respectful distance from Zorro and making sure Small was between them if Zorro did look like getting close to him.
We did another morning session with Cash, who was sound and very much his usual self, then took Cob and Small out after lunchtime cake for a little trail ride on the common in the blustery wind. Zorro had a bit of life in his feet and a hint of silliness about him but Small seemed a little flat. He didn't even mind us trotting off ahead to take pictures...
Small Pony, big sky.
When we brought, a slightly early tea over, all the ponies were over at the far side. Happily Cash waited until everyone else had gone past before following them over, which is the way things need to be if he's going to get along with the grumpy cob.
Very cute.
And then I got home and found this little fellow stealing the chicken food, the chickens giving him surprisingly little hassle for it...
I had a call a couple of weeks ago from someone who keeps horses at the same yard that Cash came from and was wondering if I would be able to help with her OTT Thoroughbred, called Tim. From her description he sounded like he might be a little bit hectic to be around, but I'm typically intrigued by a challenge where horses are concerned, so I figured the least I could do would be to go over and visit.
Tim is certainly an anxious horse- he shows a lot of classic racehorse stereotypical behaviours, weaving, grinding his teeth and apparently his ability as a racehorse was limited by the fact he didn't want to run with any of the jockeys. Given the way he seems to have been treated at that time, it's not entirely surprising.
He was very gentle though - I was working quite carefully to stay in his comfort zone because there would be no benefit to scaring him at all, he's plenty anxious enough already. I just worked to get him starting to follow a feel and lead up nicely with yielding changes of direction. We did a bit of work using the flag to see where he was in terms of sensitivity, which was better than I expected, and some work on head lowering and preparing for back up. Once I had an idea where we were at, we spent some time helping his owner to get the same work happening.
I think I'm probably pointing out the angle that we need to be going in to be sure that he'll be out of the way when we get there.
Tim found it hard to turn to the left, so I spent a little while helping him to do that calmly instead of just running off.
What I found interesting about teaching this was that it really made it clear how far I've come in terms of understanding position and redirecting the horse. My timing is much better than it was even just before I went to Australia. There's still lots of room for improvement, but I have come a long way.
On the way back we stopped for food at the Half Moon pub in Newchapel. If you are ever passing through Newchapel, I wouldn't eat there. The food was shockingly bad and very expensive for what it was. Given that most pubs in this part of the country depend on food as a way of bringing in the punters, most of them are reasonably good. This was like a rubbish throwback to terrible 1970s pub food - stale, textureless white bread with that dried almost-stale edge, salad full of leaves brown at the edges. We should probably have gone elsewhere, but we ate up and left sullenly. We are English, after all.
We got back to the yard and decided it was time to try putting some boots on little Cash to see if he's ready to do some work...
He was trotting pretty nicely. You can see the halter is pulled a little to one size, that is because he tends to get stuck and then when he does move, to scamper off briskly. He'd just been doing some of that...
Running off backwards- typically what happens when he has scampered off and run into the end of the rope. One gets the feeling he has used this a bit in the past, but I just kind of wait him out and after a moment he comes back to me...
A moment later he's entirely perky and marching back over to rifle through my pockets in the hope I have treats. He hasn't yet figured out that when I do have treats I never hand them over unless he has actually done something helpful and raiding my pockets doesn't count as helpful.
Working on our hovering technique.
He's starting to really get the idea of this - he's very light and subtle to work with, but you can't take anything for granted, you need to check he's alright with each step along the way, or there will be one he's not alright with.
After his workout we thought maybe it was time to put Cash out with the boys, as they've been meeting over the fence for the last couple of weeks and it's been very uneventful. We opened up a new section of the field so they would be distracted by tasty grass and then let Cash out to meet them.
He investigated everything on the way through and went over to say hello to Zorro.
Didn't go to plan.
Zorro just screamed and double barrelled him three times before he could get out of the way. A few more times during the afternoon ( we spent most of the time tidying the field and keeping an eye on the ponies ) Cash went up to Zorro and got double barrelled for his troubles. It sounded awful and he had some pretty big bumps on him by the end of the day. Cash and Small just greeted each other like old friends- a touch of noses, some bitey games and then a bit of mutual grooming. We decided on balance that we would be smartest to leave them together overnight, that Cash would prove smart enough to keep out of Zorro's way and if we separated them again we would just have to go through it again if we ever wanted to integrate them.
Happily, on Sunday morning Cash was still standing. He looked like he might have got a couple more kicks, but he was keeping a very respectful distance from Zorro and making sure Small was between them if Zorro did look like getting close to him.
We did another morning session with Cash, who was sound and very much his usual self, then took Cob and Small out after lunchtime cake for a little trail ride on the common in the blustery wind. Zorro had a bit of life in his feet and a hint of silliness about him but Small seemed a little flat. He didn't even mind us trotting off ahead to take pictures...
Small Pony, big sky.
When we brought, a slightly early tea over, all the ponies were over at the far side. Happily Cash waited until everyone else had gone past before following them over, which is the way things need to be if he's going to get along with the grumpy cob.
Very cute.
And then I got home and found this little fellow stealing the chicken food, the chickens giving him surprisingly little hassle for it...
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no subject
Date: 23 May 2011 16:03 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2011 19:43 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2011 16:41 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2011 19:47 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2011 18:45 (UTC)And I still really love that picture of Zorro, even if he is being extremely bad.
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Date: 23 May 2011 19:51 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2011 22:39 (UTC)Zorro is very convincing in his position as Head Cob.
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Date: 24 May 2011 06:57 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2011 22:51 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2011 06:58 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 May 2011 23:45 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2011 06:58 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2011 12:29 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2011 13:04 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2011 14:09 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 May 2011 19:55 (UTC)