No update for a while and the reason for that is that I have no idea what BG has been up to since Sunday. I have been away so BG has been having a well deserved holiday where nothing is expected of her. She has been looked after but having an easy time of it.
I saw BG this morning and was so glad to see her again, I miss her when I go away. She recognises the noise of our car when we pull up but didn't notice us this morning till I called out. I was very pleased that she came in for her breakfast with no persuasion, even better the head collar went straight on - I think she must have been half asleep!
She is normally quite good with her head collar, but I do not expect anyone to do it in my absence as I can't expect them to have the time to wait if she refuses to have it on straight away. Also, she is nervous around others and they don't know her as well. For that reason I was expecting her to refuse to have it on straight away; she has had a week of food with no head collar.
On it went though, and then I gave her a nice long groom which she only once tried to move away from and then came back quite quickly. I didn't expect anymore from her. Tonight I might try a little lunge. She has put on a bit of weight in the week, surprising really as there is so little grass.
Sunday 30 May 2010
Saturday 22 May 2010
Reluctance to work
The hot weather and plenty of grass is making BG hard to work with. She isn't that tempted to come in for food and once in she is very reluctant to behave. I think it is also partly because I have been expecting her to do different things most nights and she is used to being a companion pony and having a life of leisure.
When I first met her she was very nervous of people, go in a stall with her and she would hide in the back of her stall. As you moved around she would shuffle round, keeping a wary eye on you and swinging her bottom round towards you. I was never worried she would kick out, but there isn't a lot you can do with a bottom facing you and try to push her she just makes herself more and more agitated.
She has started to revert to moving to the back of her stall (field shelter now) again. She is reluctant to come in, reluctant to have her head collar put on and reluctant to have anything done with her once she has had her food. With the grass as it is she would be happy out grazing on her own, with no interation with humans. Makes me feel loved to realise that!
Thursday I only intended to lunge her, she is happy being lunged as it is something she is used to rather than the saddle/ bridle etc. that is still relatively new.
So she stood beautifully to be groomed after she had eaten and did not move to the back of her shelter. I put her fly repellent on with no issues. Then I popped out to double check the gate was secure and prop the lunging whip outside so I could collect it easilly. She figured me leaving must mean she would be expected to do something. Having been so good she went and hid.
I spent fourty minutes just sat at the entrance to her stall. I made it clear I wanted to catch her and when she swung her hindquarters round to be stubborn I decided to out-stubborn her. Once caught I just led her out and let her go. See, I don't always expect her to work.
Last night I tried to keep things simplier for BG. So I gave her a lovely long groom and coated her in repellent again as there are still flies everywhere. Then I led her out (she was easier to catch after her food) and gave her only a five minute lunge on each rein. She was very responsive which was nice. Since she has been quite headstrong recently just being led, I decided to do some in-hand work with her, using the lunging whip to discourage her from pulling forward ahead of me. She reposnded to that quite well, although she tried to veer to the right away from the lunging whip a little.
Today she has taken a lot of persussion to come in for food. It has been so hot today, I don't do the heat very well and thought that she might be suffering a little but she actually seemed to be coping with it very well. She had a light groom tonight and then we turned her out.
BG is prone to laminitis. I check her hooves nearly everyday for heat in them and today I am glad to say they were cool, a little bit unexpected on such a hot day but good for her. We also weight taped her, she is keeping a nice even weight at the moment.
When I first met her she was very nervous of people, go in a stall with her and she would hide in the back of her stall. As you moved around she would shuffle round, keeping a wary eye on you and swinging her bottom round towards you. I was never worried she would kick out, but there isn't a lot you can do with a bottom facing you and try to push her she just makes herself more and more agitated.
She has started to revert to moving to the back of her stall (field shelter now) again. She is reluctant to come in, reluctant to have her head collar put on and reluctant to have anything done with her once she has had her food. With the grass as it is she would be happy out grazing on her own, with no interation with humans. Makes me feel loved to realise that!
Thursday I only intended to lunge her, she is happy being lunged as it is something she is used to rather than the saddle/ bridle etc. that is still relatively new.
So she stood beautifully to be groomed after she had eaten and did not move to the back of her shelter. I put her fly repellent on with no issues. Then I popped out to double check the gate was secure and prop the lunging whip outside so I could collect it easilly. She figured me leaving must mean she would be expected to do something. Having been so good she went and hid.
I spent fourty minutes just sat at the entrance to her stall. I made it clear I wanted to catch her and when she swung her hindquarters round to be stubborn I decided to out-stubborn her. Once caught I just led her out and let her go. See, I don't always expect her to work.
Last night I tried to keep things simplier for BG. So I gave her a lovely long groom and coated her in repellent again as there are still flies everywhere. Then I led her out (she was easier to catch after her food) and gave her only a five minute lunge on each rein. She was very responsive which was nice. Since she has been quite headstrong recently just being led, I decided to do some in-hand work with her, using the lunging whip to discourage her from pulling forward ahead of me. She reposnded to that quite well, although she tried to veer to the right away from the lunging whip a little.
Today she has taken a lot of persussion to come in for food. It has been so hot today, I don't do the heat very well and thought that she might be suffering a little but she actually seemed to be coping with it very well. She had a light groom tonight and then we turned her out.
BG is prone to laminitis. I check her hooves nearly everyday for heat in them and today I am glad to say they were cool, a little bit unexpected on such a hot day but good for her. We also weight taped her, she is keeping a nice even weight at the moment.
Thursday 20 May 2010
Saddling up
After her night off on Tuesday it was time to do something with BG last night and I chose the saddle again. As before she was very good having it put on, obviously not overly happy but didn’t move away or tense up too much. I put it on her in her field shelter so, once on, we had our usual argument over walking out the door. Eventually she made her way out but once out was in a very stubborn mood, turning her neck to pull against me as she wanted to go back home. We walked it out of her. When she plants herself she will swing her hind-legs round to ensure she is facing home. With a hold on her head collar turning her head the way you want her to go (away from home) and a hand pointing at her bottom (with a nudge or a click if needed) she will then turn round and walk as she should. She is getting a little faster on her response to this now. She plants herself, you turn her head and go to point at her bottom and she is already moving forward.
Walked her round and she was being less headstrong than she has been recently. The lead rope was slack and she was behaving much better. Occasionally her ears even flicked forwards and back rather than remaining pinned right back. It takes getting over the initial stubborn mood before she will start to relax.
Unfortunately, just as I was about to call it a day something spooked her forward. I thought at once it must have been the stirrup dropping down the leather on the far side as she was trying to get away from that side, but it was still all in place so I am not totally sure what it was. She walked on nicely again, past her field shelter without pushing me trying to get back in there, and then she did the spook again (but not as violently).
I don’t know what upset her, but both times she did not try and break totally free and waited for me to move back up to her head and check her over. Either, the things she is spooky at are becoming less scary, or she is learning that nothing bad will happen and so she calms herself down quicker. I am hoping it is the latter.
Walked her round and she was being less headstrong than she has been recently. The lead rope was slack and she was behaving much better. Occasionally her ears even flicked forwards and back rather than remaining pinned right back. It takes getting over the initial stubborn mood before she will start to relax.
Unfortunately, just as I was about to call it a day something spooked her forward. I thought at once it must have been the stirrup dropping down the leather on the far side as she was trying to get away from that side, but it was still all in place so I am not totally sure what it was. She walked on nicely again, past her field shelter without pushing me trying to get back in there, and then she did the spook again (but not as violently).
I don’t know what upset her, but both times she did not try and break totally free and waited for me to move back up to her head and check her over. Either, the things she is spooky at are becoming less scary, or she is learning that nothing bad will happen and so she calms herself down quicker. I am hoping it is the latter.
Wednesday 19 May 2010
Beautiful shine
Last night I thought BG and I needed a bit of a rest from our recent battles so I decided she would just have a good groom after her tea and be turned back out again. She still has odd patches of her winter coat (it is almost June!) but most of her is a beautiful golden shine. It is so lovely once you brush all the dust off, it shimmers. Her dapples are faintly showing through too. Then I had to coat her in fly repellent as there are just swarms of flies everywhere.
Last night was their first night without hay nets this year. All three ponies had stopped hanging round expecting their hay in the evenings and happily went off grazing till I put them up. You can tell how un-fussed they’d become by hay, BG let P2 share her hay net!
Strangely, there is no boss out of the three. Over winter they shared their field with two others (say O1 and O2). O1 was the boss of P1, who was the boss of O2, who was the boss of BG who was the boss of poor little P2 (well, he is the smallest). There was a defined hierarchy which you expect with horses. Now the three ponies are on there own they seem to like chasing each other round and round in circles. P1 still bosses BG, who still bosses P2, but P2 has become the boss of P1. When they forget you put up a hay-net each and they can only find two they will just continually chase each other off.
I am glad to say that P1 isn’t really that mean to BG, sometimes a bite on her bottom but other than that she sees him coming and has the sense to move off without a fight. I think when P2 first arrived BG didn’t quite figure out this funny little thing was a pony, and now I think she just objects to him as I wouldn’t be surprised if he has pretended to be a stallion with her ( and she is a bit too old and dignified to put up with that behaviour). They were separated a couple of times when they were first put together, but if the hay net sharing is anything to go by they are now getting over their disagreements.
BG trotted in for her breakfast this morning which was lovely to see, we haven’t had that for a little while.
I tried to ring the farrier too, who is going to ring me back. They did suggest that they contact P1’s owner and see if she would be there for BG’s trim rather than trying to fit it around my work schedule. Just a slight problem with that I said, she won’t be able to catch her!
Last night was their first night without hay nets this year. All three ponies had stopped hanging round expecting their hay in the evenings and happily went off grazing till I put them up. You can tell how un-fussed they’d become by hay, BG let P2 share her hay net!
Strangely, there is no boss out of the three. Over winter they shared their field with two others (say O1 and O2). O1 was the boss of P1, who was the boss of O2, who was the boss of BG who was the boss of poor little P2 (well, he is the smallest). There was a defined hierarchy which you expect with horses. Now the three ponies are on there own they seem to like chasing each other round and round in circles. P1 still bosses BG, who still bosses P2, but P2 has become the boss of P1. When they forget you put up a hay-net each and they can only find two they will just continually chase each other off.
I am glad to say that P1 isn’t really that mean to BG, sometimes a bite on her bottom but other than that she sees him coming and has the sense to move off without a fight. I think when P2 first arrived BG didn’t quite figure out this funny little thing was a pony, and now I think she just objects to him as I wouldn’t be surprised if he has pretended to be a stallion with her ( and she is a bit too old and dignified to put up with that behaviour). They were separated a couple of times when they were first put together, but if the hay net sharing is anything to go by they are now getting over their disagreements.
BG trotted in for her breakfast this morning which was lovely to see, we haven’t had that for a little while.
I tried to ring the farrier too, who is going to ring me back. They did suggest that they contact P1’s owner and see if she would be there for BG’s trim rather than trying to fit it around my work schedule. Just a slight problem with that I said, she won’t be able to catch her!
Tuesday 18 May 2010
A Sunday and a Monday
You will be glad to hear that BG doesn’t seem to hate me after our bad Saturday. She is having her head collar on again in her shelter with no fuss. She is taking her time coming in for her food though, I think the spring grass and sunshine means it takes a lot of will power for her to think about leaving wherever her current patch of grass is. On Sunday morning P2 said ‘if you aren’t going to have your breakfast I will’ and him trotting past BG spurred her into action.
She isn’t so keen on interaction after she has eaten though. Sometimes when I go to groom her or put on her fly spray she will go and hide at the back of her shelter. Still, I read somewhere how happy someone was that they no longer have to tie their pony up to groom them, I have never tied her up in a stall for this and don’t intend to so I guess we are doing a little better than some others sometimes do. It is these glimmers of hope I have to hold onto sometimes when other things aren’t going so well.
BG was lunged on Sunday and then last night we went to bridle her again. This didn’t go so well. The bridle went on fine but not the bit. She just would not open her mouth and I could not persuade her to. She kept pulling back too and throwing her head up in the air. I hate this, she had become perfect at the bit and now she has reverted. I used to just hold it in front of her and say ‘In’ and in her mouth she put it. I’m not sure what has made her revert. Unfortunately you can’t let them get away with it when they are being stubborn, so I spent an hour and a half there just to put a bit in her mouth!
We led her out briefly once it was in and then let her go. She led out beautifully, not her recent headstrong self, so I guess that is a little positive to take away from the day. I just wish I knew why she didn’t want it in, she seemed very perky and back to her cheeky self once it was in so I don’t believe it can be hurting her.
In other news I am currently trying to figure out when I should next get the farrier out. Normally I would leave it for a good few weeks more, but where she had the seedy toe cut out the farrier said to have them re-trimmed when she starts to grow some toe. Unfortunately farrier visits are a little awkward due to being at work nearly all the day, it means there are only a few time slots when I can fit it in and they don’t always agree with when the farrier is free.
She isn’t so keen on interaction after she has eaten though. Sometimes when I go to groom her or put on her fly spray she will go and hide at the back of her shelter. Still, I read somewhere how happy someone was that they no longer have to tie their pony up to groom them, I have never tied her up in a stall for this and don’t intend to so I guess we are doing a little better than some others sometimes do. It is these glimmers of hope I have to hold onto sometimes when other things aren’t going so well.
BG was lunged on Sunday and then last night we went to bridle her again. This didn’t go so well. The bridle went on fine but not the bit. She just would not open her mouth and I could not persuade her to. She kept pulling back too and throwing her head up in the air. I hate this, she had become perfect at the bit and now she has reverted. I used to just hold it in front of her and say ‘In’ and in her mouth she put it. I’m not sure what has made her revert. Unfortunately you can’t let them get away with it when they are being stubborn, so I spent an hour and a half there just to put a bit in her mouth!
We led her out briefly once it was in and then let her go. She led out beautifully, not her recent headstrong self, so I guess that is a little positive to take away from the day. I just wish I knew why she didn’t want it in, she seemed very perky and back to her cheeky self once it was in so I don’t believe it can be hurting her.
In other news I am currently trying to figure out when I should next get the farrier out. Normally I would leave it for a good few weeks more, but where she had the seedy toe cut out the farrier said to have them re-trimmed when she starts to grow some toe. Unfortunately farrier visits are a little awkward due to being at work nearly all the day, it means there are only a few time slots when I can fit it in and they don’t always agree with when the farrier is free.
Saturday 15 May 2010
Not such a good day
We saddled BG on Thursday night and, after her initial stubbornness she started to straighten up and walk nicely.
Friday morning she missed her breakfast. We got up there to see them all in the top corner of the field. P1 was standing guard, BG was laying down (which we don't often get to see her do) and P2 was flat out. Ponies shouldn't lie flat out, it makes their tummies look huge. I don't know what he was dreaming about but his little legs were moving.
I got close enough to BG to hold out my hand so she could sniff it. I didn't try to get any closer as I didn't want to force her to get up. When I headed off to get her breakfast she stood up and started grazing but showed no inclination to come in for her food, so she went without as we had to vanish off to work.
This isn't us depriving her of food she needs. BG could live of just grass in the summer, in fact for most of the year. We feed her a minimal bit of Happy Hoof as a means to get contact with her and so she learns that humans can be a good thing.
Friday night I lunged her. She wasn't moving as freely in trot as she can sometimes, but she behaved herself reasonably well.
This morning we went up and she came in for her breakfast. Unfortunately, as BG put her nose in the head collar, P1 ran past the door of the field shelter and BG leapt backwards. That was it, she didn't want the head collar on after that.
This evening she was better. BG came in and had her head collar on and I put fly spray on her (there are lots of flies around at the moment). We then put the saddle on her as she waited in the field. She was very patient as we adjusted it on her back. She was back to being stubborn though when we tried to walk her on and very strong as we tried to lead her.
After leading her round she began to calm down a little. The lead rope became slack as she stopped pulling against me and she started to stop when asked, rather than me having to pull against her as she kept trying to charge forward. She was doing well until something scared her, I have no idea what but it caused her to leap forward.
Walked her round a bit more and she started to calm down again. Just as we called it a day and went to lead her back down the field something upset her again and she leapt forward. I was quite impressed she didn't break totally free, she leapt forward to the end of her lead rope and then stayed there, but I was able to keep hold of her. A bit disconcertingly I did end up stood behind her back-end as she leapt forward with the lead rope running alongside her body.
Calmed her down, led her down the field and took the saddle off. When we put the evening hay nets up I went to give her a good night hug and she moved away from me. She doesn't normally do that, I hope she isn't loosing trust in me :o(
So I say today wasn't a good day. This morning I couldn't win. I wasn't going to be able to get the head collar on her (and we had an appointment to make) so didn't really want to give her her breakfast as it would teach her she could have it without having the head collar on. At the same time she did come in for her food, so I did want to reward that, the last thing I want is her to stop coming in for her food.
Then tonight with whatever it was that scared her with the saddle I think she may have lost some faith in me. That is the last thing I want. I can only hope tomorrow goes better.
Friday morning she missed her breakfast. We got up there to see them all in the top corner of the field. P1 was standing guard, BG was laying down (which we don't often get to see her do) and P2 was flat out. Ponies shouldn't lie flat out, it makes their tummies look huge. I don't know what he was dreaming about but his little legs were moving.
I got close enough to BG to hold out my hand so she could sniff it. I didn't try to get any closer as I didn't want to force her to get up. When I headed off to get her breakfast she stood up and started grazing but showed no inclination to come in for her food, so she went without as we had to vanish off to work.
This isn't us depriving her of food she needs. BG could live of just grass in the summer, in fact for most of the year. We feed her a minimal bit of Happy Hoof as a means to get contact with her and so she learns that humans can be a good thing.
Friday night I lunged her. She wasn't moving as freely in trot as she can sometimes, but she behaved herself reasonably well.
This morning we went up and she came in for her breakfast. Unfortunately, as BG put her nose in the head collar, P1 ran past the door of the field shelter and BG leapt backwards. That was it, she didn't want the head collar on after that.
This evening she was better. BG came in and had her head collar on and I put fly spray on her (there are lots of flies around at the moment). We then put the saddle on her as she waited in the field. She was very patient as we adjusted it on her back. She was back to being stubborn though when we tried to walk her on and very strong as we tried to lead her.
After leading her round she began to calm down a little. The lead rope became slack as she stopped pulling against me and she started to stop when asked, rather than me having to pull against her as she kept trying to charge forward. She was doing well until something scared her, I have no idea what but it caused her to leap forward.
Walked her round a bit more and she started to calm down again. Just as we called it a day and went to lead her back down the field something upset her again and she leapt forward. I was quite impressed she didn't break totally free, she leapt forward to the end of her lead rope and then stayed there, but I was able to keep hold of her. A bit disconcertingly I did end up stood behind her back-end as she leapt forward with the lead rope running alongside her body.
Calmed her down, led her down the field and took the saddle off. When we put the evening hay nets up I went to give her a good night hug and she moved away from me. She doesn't normally do that, I hope she isn't loosing trust in me :o(
So I say today wasn't a good day. This morning I couldn't win. I wasn't going to be able to get the head collar on her (and we had an appointment to make) so didn't really want to give her her breakfast as it would teach her she could have it without having the head collar on. At the same time she did come in for her food, so I did want to reward that, the last thing I want is her to stop coming in for her food.
Then tonight with whatever it was that scared her with the saddle I think she may have lost some faith in me. That is the last thing I want. I can only hope tomorrow goes better.
Thursday 13 May 2010
On her terms
BG is getting better about being caught further out in the field. Okay, it is still at meal times and she knows I have the food there, but for us it is a great improvement and a small step to hopefully having a catchable horse in the field. Yesterday morning for breakfast I put the head collar on her a few metres away from her field shelter, said well done and then lead her in for her food.
Last night was lovely. We got up there and BG was running round the field on her own, tossing her head and trotting beautifully along whilst P1 was being ridden in the fenced off ‘school’. Once I had got BG’s tea P1 was using the field shelter so I attempted to head collar BG alongside it. No, she eyed the head collar with distrust and backed away. I gave it a little while as she headed off to find some grazing. The lure of tea was enough to bring her back and I moved further along the edge of the field away from the other ponies. I still didn’t think I stood a chance but she was as good as gold. She seemed a little like she was ready to leap back and run off at any moment but she didn’t actually pull back.
Head collar on and she ate her tea. Unfortunately I had nothing on me to tie her up with so as soon as she finished she wandered off and it wasn’t until I went to get the hay nets that she came back and we were able to take it off.
BG is a funny girl. You have to get her at the right time and then she will be perfect. To take it off I caught hold and undid it as you would for any horse, but with BG you have to read her moods, if she wasn’t of the mind set to let me she could quite easily have pulled back and hurt my hand if she felt any pressure on her head collar as I caught her.
My husband said she does things on her terms. It is true in a way but I prefer to think we do things on mutual terms. BG won’t get fed unless she has her head collar on, and I have been known to spend hours with her trying to get this point across. They say you should tell a horse who the boss is, and with other horses I give as good as I get; if they push me I push back. With other horses I tell them what I want, with BG I ask, she is my soft spot. Whether that makes me the best owner for her I don’t know, but it is certainly very rewarding when you achieve something from mutual trust.
Last night was lovely. We got up there and BG was running round the field on her own, tossing her head and trotting beautifully along whilst P1 was being ridden in the fenced off ‘school’. Once I had got BG’s tea P1 was using the field shelter so I attempted to head collar BG alongside it. No, she eyed the head collar with distrust and backed away. I gave it a little while as she headed off to find some grazing. The lure of tea was enough to bring her back and I moved further along the edge of the field away from the other ponies. I still didn’t think I stood a chance but she was as good as gold. She seemed a little like she was ready to leap back and run off at any moment but she didn’t actually pull back.
Head collar on and she ate her tea. Unfortunately I had nothing on me to tie her up with so as soon as she finished she wandered off and it wasn’t until I went to get the hay nets that she came back and we were able to take it off.
BG is a funny girl. You have to get her at the right time and then she will be perfect. To take it off I caught hold and undid it as you would for any horse, but with BG you have to read her moods, if she wasn’t of the mind set to let me she could quite easily have pulled back and hurt my hand if she felt any pressure on her head collar as I caught her.
My husband said she does things on her terms. It is true in a way but I prefer to think we do things on mutual terms. BG won’t get fed unless she has her head collar on, and I have been known to spend hours with her trying to get this point across. They say you should tell a horse who the boss is, and with other horses I give as good as I get; if they push me I push back. With other horses I tell them what I want, with BG I ask, she is my soft spot. Whether that makes me the best owner for her I don’t know, but it is certainly very rewarding when you achieve something from mutual trust.
Wednesday 12 May 2010
Up on her back
I mentioned that I had got on BG’s back last week. It was the first time in a while so I was a little unsure how she’d be. So far she has been very sensible, which I am grateful for. You can tell she is a little unsure about it but she behaves herself.
I only got on her briefly last week. I am getting on her bareback and don’t want to leap on as it would scare her (try jumping up and down next to BG and she looks as though she has just seen the most terrible monster ever and cowers away), but without the stirrup and a tall enough mounting block it is a little bit ungraceful. I put my leg over her back, wait until she is happy with that then use my husbands shoulder to push myself up and across her back. I put my leg across last week and she pulled back and sideways. I am not the most confident person so needless to say that made me nervous. Round she was led again and second time I got on with no issues.
I only stayed up there for a brief walk around. She isn’t used to so much weight on her back.
Sunday I got on a bit more easily. You can feel every one of her muscles tense beneath you bareback and tell when she is going to try turning, or move on, before she does it. She is still very tense with me up there but she jig-jogged along on Sunday so must be a little happier. We had the bridle on her too, for the first time she refused to open her mouth to put the bit in so we had a little bit of an argument over that.
My husband led her like usual, she is still being headstrong walking her away from her shelter, she will go so far up the field then swing round to say I am heading home now. It is a little bit disconcerting being on her back when she does this, I don’t have the best balance. However, with her unexpected jig-jog, a couple of tight swing rounds and a bit of a jump when some birds flew up in the air behind her, I think I can certainly say my balance is better than it was when I first got on her last summer and for that I am grateful. BG is quite sensitive to any weight movement on her back as she doesn’t know what it means so the stiller I can be the happier she will be.
So last night I got up on her briefly again. We didn’t have the bridle on us so she was just being led round in her head collar. There was a little bit of wind which had her on her toes a bit, it took a few tries before she would stand still enough for me to get on her. Once on she felt like a bundle of energy beneath me, almost like she was going to leap forward at any moment. We only did a little bit of walking round, then she saw something in the hedge and pulled back a little like she was thinking of rearing. I think this got us both a little nervous but I didn’t want that to be the last thing we did otherwise she would remember that as a get out. So we walked her on just a little more before I got off. I was glad to get off. Something had upset her, my husband led her round a bit more and there was something in the hedge she was watching and refusing to go near. I think if we’d tried to keep going with me on her back it would have ended in an accident, better to leave it on a good note.
BG will have a night off tonight. Even though we aren’t working her hard I think she should have a minimum of one-day off a week.
I only got on her briefly last week. I am getting on her bareback and don’t want to leap on as it would scare her (try jumping up and down next to BG and she looks as though she has just seen the most terrible monster ever and cowers away), but without the stirrup and a tall enough mounting block it is a little bit ungraceful. I put my leg over her back, wait until she is happy with that then use my husbands shoulder to push myself up and across her back. I put my leg across last week and she pulled back and sideways. I am not the most confident person so needless to say that made me nervous. Round she was led again and second time I got on with no issues.
I only stayed up there for a brief walk around. She isn’t used to so much weight on her back.
Sunday I got on a bit more easily. You can feel every one of her muscles tense beneath you bareback and tell when she is going to try turning, or move on, before she does it. She is still very tense with me up there but she jig-jogged along on Sunday so must be a little happier. We had the bridle on her too, for the first time she refused to open her mouth to put the bit in so we had a little bit of an argument over that.
My husband led her like usual, she is still being headstrong walking her away from her shelter, she will go so far up the field then swing round to say I am heading home now. It is a little bit disconcerting being on her back when she does this, I don’t have the best balance. However, with her unexpected jig-jog, a couple of tight swing rounds and a bit of a jump when some birds flew up in the air behind her, I think I can certainly say my balance is better than it was when I first got on her last summer and for that I am grateful. BG is quite sensitive to any weight movement on her back as she doesn’t know what it means so the stiller I can be the happier she will be.
So last night I got up on her briefly again. We didn’t have the bridle on us so she was just being led round in her head collar. There was a little bit of wind which had her on her toes a bit, it took a few tries before she would stand still enough for me to get on her. Once on she felt like a bundle of energy beneath me, almost like she was going to leap forward at any moment. We only did a little bit of walking round, then she saw something in the hedge and pulled back a little like she was thinking of rearing. I think this got us both a little nervous but I didn’t want that to be the last thing we did otherwise she would remember that as a get out. So we walked her on just a little more before I got off. I was glad to get off. Something had upset her, my husband led her round a bit more and there was something in the hedge she was watching and refusing to go near. I think if we’d tried to keep going with me on her back it would have ended in an accident, better to leave it on a good note.
BG will have a night off tonight. Even though we aren’t working her hard I think she should have a minimum of one-day off a week.
Tuesday 11 May 2010
One small step forward and twenty back....
There must be something in the air subduing the horses this morning. BG let me put the head collar on her in the field (okay – I did have her food bowl on me but that doesn’t normally make any difference) which is unheard of. She didn’t even attempt to pull back when it went over her nose or anything. Then P1 and P2, who had escaped into the fenced off bit of the field last night (a common occurrence), were stood in the corner waiting for me to open the gap to allow them through. They walked sedately through nodding a thank you as they went past.
BG was lunged last night. She is behaving on both reins again now after I did a bit more work the other night, even involving a pole on the circle which is something she still eyes with distrust. She didn’t seem overly active – choosing to look at me when I asked her to walk on before deciding she might manage to put one hoof in-front of the other.
This is a bit of a contrast to last week when all three seemed on their toes (see my last entry). Last week we put the saddle on BG one evening, me on her another evening, and I popped on her back on Sunday too.
The saddle is still a learning curve for her and I. We borrowed one last year to see what she was like with a bit of weight on her back. We didn’t have a girth at the time so just rested it there and did a little bit of walk with me holding it. Then someone popped their saddle on her back with a girth. BG wasn’t so keen, especially when this stranger asked her to walk nicely with her. BG freaked, took off and went charging round the field, the saddle-cloth went one way, the stirrups another and she ended up with the saddle under her belly as she stood there blowing.
The intention was to get her used to the saddle so we could get a saddle fitter out and ensure we get one that fits and won’t cause her any issues. I know nothing about what size saddle she would need and, as I have never known her to have one, I don’t even have any guidance on size from that.
The saddle fitter was superb when she did come out, really patient considering BG did her turning round and round in her field shelter so we couldn’t catch her even with her head collar already on. At least, not letting us catch her for a little while.
Once caught BG stood quite patiently out in the open field whilst the saddle fitter tried on several saddles, came up with the one she thought was the best fit and asked me to lead her round in it. BG at this stage doesn’t like turning with a saddle on and looks over her right shoulder at where the last saddle slipped under her. She didn’t want to move with the saddle on, scared herself, charged for the safety of her field shelter almost running the saddle fitter over in the process and almost hitting her head on the back of the shelter.
I would really recommend Bridlepath International as saddle fitters though, considering BG can be a nervous wreck the saddle fitter was superb with her.
So the saddle has been a bit of a work in progress. BG hated having it put on and tensed up, would refuse to walk in a straight line (always looking over her right shoulder). Gradually she straightened up a little and we have had her on the lunge with the saddle so she is starting to bend with it on too. She would bunny hop going into trot as if she were ready to freak and break free at any moment. Now she happily breaks into a jig-jog beside us as we lead her so the feel of it on her back is obviously not an issue so much any more.
I even got on her with the saddle. But the saddle slipped as I got on, off I got to straighten it up and either the stirrup touched her side, the wind freaked her, or something happened as she took off again and my husband couldn’t hold her. Off she went, throwing in a buck, heading straight for the three foot electric fence between her and the field shelter and other ponies. She’ll turn and run round this bit of field we thought (she is petrified of fencing). Then we saw she wasn’t planning on stopping and that’s when I started to panic and think she is going to attempt to jump it and will get her legs caught up in it and it’ll be one huge disaster.
She cleared it! I never knew she could jump! And the saddle, numnah and stirrups all remained attached which must be a good sign.
So we are back to leading her with just the saddle, getting her to straighten up and not be afraid of it on her back. I put it on her last week and tied her up to do so. I think I could have put it on without tying her up, she has obviously got over her fear of that part. Probably because her new trick is to stubbornly plant herself and refuse to walk out of her field shelter with it on so she intends to avoid it that way. This has resulted in twenty minute arguments (I do not want to use a whip to force her out of the door out of fear) where the only way to get her to move is to make her do tight turns and try to edge her out the door that way. I don’t really remember seeing her stubborn side before, I guess because she has never had a lot done with her before. She is getting better out in the field with it on though and doesn’t plant herself out there. With BG it is one small step forward and twenty back.
BG was lunged last night. She is behaving on both reins again now after I did a bit more work the other night, even involving a pole on the circle which is something she still eyes with distrust. She didn’t seem overly active – choosing to look at me when I asked her to walk on before deciding she might manage to put one hoof in-front of the other.
This is a bit of a contrast to last week when all three seemed on their toes (see my last entry). Last week we put the saddle on BG one evening, me on her another evening, and I popped on her back on Sunday too.
The saddle is still a learning curve for her and I. We borrowed one last year to see what she was like with a bit of weight on her back. We didn’t have a girth at the time so just rested it there and did a little bit of walk with me holding it. Then someone popped their saddle on her back with a girth. BG wasn’t so keen, especially when this stranger asked her to walk nicely with her. BG freaked, took off and went charging round the field, the saddle-cloth went one way, the stirrups another and she ended up with the saddle under her belly as she stood there blowing.
The intention was to get her used to the saddle so we could get a saddle fitter out and ensure we get one that fits and won’t cause her any issues. I know nothing about what size saddle she would need and, as I have never known her to have one, I don’t even have any guidance on size from that.
The saddle fitter was superb when she did come out, really patient considering BG did her turning round and round in her field shelter so we couldn’t catch her even with her head collar already on. At least, not letting us catch her for a little while.
Once caught BG stood quite patiently out in the open field whilst the saddle fitter tried on several saddles, came up with the one she thought was the best fit and asked me to lead her round in it. BG at this stage doesn’t like turning with a saddle on and looks over her right shoulder at where the last saddle slipped under her. She didn’t want to move with the saddle on, scared herself, charged for the safety of her field shelter almost running the saddle fitter over in the process and almost hitting her head on the back of the shelter.
I would really recommend Bridlepath International as saddle fitters though, considering BG can be a nervous wreck the saddle fitter was superb with her.
So the saddle has been a bit of a work in progress. BG hated having it put on and tensed up, would refuse to walk in a straight line (always looking over her right shoulder). Gradually she straightened up a little and we have had her on the lunge with the saddle so she is starting to bend with it on too. She would bunny hop going into trot as if she were ready to freak and break free at any moment. Now she happily breaks into a jig-jog beside us as we lead her so the feel of it on her back is obviously not an issue so much any more.
I even got on her with the saddle. But the saddle slipped as I got on, off I got to straighten it up and either the stirrup touched her side, the wind freaked her, or something happened as she took off again and my husband couldn’t hold her. Off she went, throwing in a buck, heading straight for the three foot electric fence between her and the field shelter and other ponies. She’ll turn and run round this bit of field we thought (she is petrified of fencing). Then we saw she wasn’t planning on stopping and that’s when I started to panic and think she is going to attempt to jump it and will get her legs caught up in it and it’ll be one huge disaster.
She cleared it! I never knew she could jump! And the saddle, numnah and stirrups all remained attached which must be a good sign.
So we are back to leading her with just the saddle, getting her to straighten up and not be afraid of it on her back. I put it on her last week and tied her up to do so. I think I could have put it on without tying her up, she has obviously got over her fear of that part. Probably because her new trick is to stubbornly plant herself and refuse to walk out of her field shelter with it on so she intends to avoid it that way. This has resulted in twenty minute arguments (I do not want to use a whip to force her out of the door out of fear) where the only way to get her to move is to make her do tight turns and try to edge her out the door that way. I don’t really remember seeing her stubborn side before, I guess because she has never had a lot done with her before. She is getting better out in the field with it on though and doesn’t plant herself out there. With BG it is one small step forward and twenty back.
Monday 10 May 2010
Changing everyday
BG is changing every day at the moment as she moves from winter coat to summer coat. Patches of her look really dark, like a long black coat under her neck, whilst other bits are her light summer coat colour, it won’t be long till her sides will start to look dappled too. I think she looks stunning at this time of year with the light and dark contrast, especially as the dark bits are in areas she doesn’t normally have any significant details. The dark on her neck compliments her black socks beautifully too. The only downside is her brand mark shows up more in the summer; but I guess that is a positive too, to deter potential thieves.
The spring grass seems to have all three ponies on their toes, they are spotting everything that moves at the moment and watching it eagle eyed to see if it is a good excuse to take off and charge around the field. I’ve got no complaints, I love to see BG running round and having fun, especially as it is all exercise for her too. She has such a beautiful free movement and tosses her head round saying look at me.
The spring grass seems to have all three ponies on their toes, they are spotting everything that moves at the moment and watching it eagle eyed to see if it is a good excuse to take off and charge around the field. I’ve got no complaints, I love to see BG running round and having fun, especially as it is all exercise for her too. She has such a beautiful free movement and tosses her head round saying look at me.
Friday 7 May 2010
Lunging - a bad rein
When you own a pony or a horse or have had some part of taking care of them there are moments when you think of them and you swell with pride. They may not have done anything special, they may in fact have been a right pain, but you love them, which is why you put in the time and effort with them. When you get one of those moments, when you think how lovely they are, everything else is worth it.
BG has not been perfect this week, horses and ponies barely ever are, but we have been doing plenty with her in the evenings.
She did eventually eat her wormer with a lot of persuasion and her turning her nose up at the smell of it.
I think the spring grass must be coming through (belatedly) now we have had some rain. She will happily meander down the field to come in for her breakfast but asking her to come in for her tea is an effort. The grass must be yummy, and the meagre handful of Happy Hoof not enough of an incentive to risk having to do some sort of work for. Once she has had her tea and the evening hay nets go up (there still isn’t that much grass) you would think the three ponies were starving the way their eyes light up! I guess the hay net doesn’t carry the risk of work.
BG has been lunged twice this week. When she first came to live with me she wouldn’t lunge. She wanted to be stuck by your side not out at a distance on her own. I didn’t want to use a whip to push her out on the circle due to her fears, but we did eventually get there … on the left rein. The right rein was even more of a challenge! After all, you generally don’t lead horses on their right so BG, being the lovely pony she is who aims to please, helpfully tried to ensure she was always on the correct side of me at all times.
I was shown how to get her to turn around me whilst I always ensured I stayed at her shoulder to stop her turning right round. I was told she would eventually move out on that rein and stop hugging so closely to me. No, BG thought she would be a ballerina and turn on as tight a circle as she could every time so she didn’t have to leave my side.
Eventually I decided to play on her fear of strange objects and borrowed some poles and tyres. I laid these out in a big circle and led her around them with me on the inside. She learnt she had to walk around the outside of the obstacles, meanwhile I could move more to the centre of the circle and establish the distance. This was the way I taught BG to lunge on the right rein as the method I was told she didn’t respond fully to. I guess with horses you find the method that works for your horse. Read books for ideas but always bear in mind your horse is an individual and not a text-book horse, they might need something a little different.
Unfortunately, with a little bit of wind BG decided turning round on the right rein to face the other way is the way to behave again. Luckily she had a key spot on the circle where she does this, so pushing her out on the rest of the circle and then making her trot past the spot so she doesn’t have time to think about it seemed to do the trick. After a few trots past she would begin to happily walk past it again.
Lets hope she has got over the silly idea of turning round again and we will be back to the stage where I struggle to remember which rein it was she wouldn’t lunge on, as she did become perfect on both.
BG has not been perfect this week, horses and ponies barely ever are, but we have been doing plenty with her in the evenings.
She did eventually eat her wormer with a lot of persuasion and her turning her nose up at the smell of it.
I think the spring grass must be coming through (belatedly) now we have had some rain. She will happily meander down the field to come in for her breakfast but asking her to come in for her tea is an effort. The grass must be yummy, and the meagre handful of Happy Hoof not enough of an incentive to risk having to do some sort of work for. Once she has had her tea and the evening hay nets go up (there still isn’t that much grass) you would think the three ponies were starving the way their eyes light up! I guess the hay net doesn’t carry the risk of work.
BG has been lunged twice this week. When she first came to live with me she wouldn’t lunge. She wanted to be stuck by your side not out at a distance on her own. I didn’t want to use a whip to push her out on the circle due to her fears, but we did eventually get there … on the left rein. The right rein was even more of a challenge! After all, you generally don’t lead horses on their right so BG, being the lovely pony she is who aims to please, helpfully tried to ensure she was always on the correct side of me at all times.
I was shown how to get her to turn around me whilst I always ensured I stayed at her shoulder to stop her turning right round. I was told she would eventually move out on that rein and stop hugging so closely to me. No, BG thought she would be a ballerina and turn on as tight a circle as she could every time so she didn’t have to leave my side.
Eventually I decided to play on her fear of strange objects and borrowed some poles and tyres. I laid these out in a big circle and led her around them with me on the inside. She learnt she had to walk around the outside of the obstacles, meanwhile I could move more to the centre of the circle and establish the distance. This was the way I taught BG to lunge on the right rein as the method I was told she didn’t respond fully to. I guess with horses you find the method that works for your horse. Read books for ideas but always bear in mind your horse is an individual and not a text-book horse, they might need something a little different.
Unfortunately, with a little bit of wind BG decided turning round on the right rein to face the other way is the way to behave again. Luckily she had a key spot on the circle where she does this, so pushing her out on the rest of the circle and then making her trot past the spot so she doesn’t have time to think about it seemed to do the trick. After a few trots past she would begin to happily walk past it again.
Lets hope she has got over the silly idea of turning round again and we will be back to the stage where I struggle to remember which rein it was she wouldn’t lunge on, as she did become perfect on both.
Saturday 1 May 2010
The joys of having a pony - wormer night
It was wormer time tonight. BG is on the Equest/ Equest Pramox wormer which means every 13 weeks she needs to have her wormer. It was one of the things when I got her that I had never had to organize before. I had been there when she had it in her food but not when having to choose the right one. Luckily our local tack shop has a very helpful lady that talks you through them and tells you the options. It is cheaper to order them online if you know what you are doing, but I like the comfort of someone else advising me whilst I still know so little about it.
BG has always had her wormer in her food. It seems the Equest/ Equest Pramox tastes and smells foul though. She has never been that keen on it so she gets an extra large tea when she is due it. She always gets there in the end with a bit of persuasion though.
She is getting stubborn in her old age.
When she came into her field shelter I think she smelt the wormer straight away. She wouldn't have her head collar on. So that took twenty minutes to achieve. If she won't have it on straight away I get on with something else and ignore her, eventually she decides having the head collar on so she can have her tea is a good idea. Try and force it on her and she'll whip round, put her bottom towards you and stand in the corner nervously.
So that was the first hurdle, the headcollar. Second was trying to persuade her to eat her food. BG took one sniff, turned her nose up at it and went to look out the field shelter entrance.
Most people syringe wormer down their horses throats. With BG and her fear of everything we have never done this - I think next time we might have to give it a go.
I think in total I was up there two hours. The saddle and lunge rope I took up got no use tonight, it was all about her tea and the wormer.
You just wish you could tell them it is for their own good. It upsets me to think BG will hate me or not trust me because of this. I wonder if she will come in for her breakfast in the morning...
BG has always had her wormer in her food. It seems the Equest/ Equest Pramox tastes and smells foul though. She has never been that keen on it so she gets an extra large tea when she is due it. She always gets there in the end with a bit of persuasion though.
She is getting stubborn in her old age.
When she came into her field shelter I think she smelt the wormer straight away. She wouldn't have her head collar on. So that took twenty minutes to achieve. If she won't have it on straight away I get on with something else and ignore her, eventually she decides having the head collar on so she can have her tea is a good idea. Try and force it on her and she'll whip round, put her bottom towards you and stand in the corner nervously.
So that was the first hurdle, the headcollar. Second was trying to persuade her to eat her food. BG took one sniff, turned her nose up at it and went to look out the field shelter entrance.
Most people syringe wormer down their horses throats. With BG and her fear of everything we have never done this - I think next time we might have to give it a go.
I think in total I was up there two hours. The saddle and lunge rope I took up got no use tonight, it was all about her tea and the wormer.
You just wish you could tell them it is for their own good. It upsets me to think BG will hate me or not trust me because of this. I wonder if she will come in for her breakfast in the morning...
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