Continued...

Ok so that post was getting a bit long so thought I'd add another in...

And because no photos are so boring...here are some random ones that I just found. This was Harry in winter (about 6 months ago) meeting his first rugged pony lol. He was very wary at firsts, and tried to get back into his stable!!! Then he decided the pony was ok..and they became best buddies. Its only looking at these photos that I now realise how poorly he looked when he first got here! He's fat and shiny now, and I want him broken in fast so I can start riding him to keep him from getting obese! lol.

Right..back to work....

After a quick snack stop..we had a scratch up round the ears..then down the neck! Yes, we stroked him right down the near side of his neck and over his scar (war wound). It feels quite knarly but not as hard as what I thought it would. He quite likes being scratched on the crest of his neck, and cant' decide if he should rub me or be scared of me. He decides to be a bit of both.

After another treat...we get back to this leading business. We have the idea of yielding to pressure sorted, so now its time to try a few forward steps. Ummm...how easy can this be. I put pressure on, he steps forward, I release. Just like that. No drama, just does it.

Did someone come in the night and break into my barn and train my pony?

So we try again, this time I get 4 forward steps and we walk half way across the stable. Hmm. This is all too easy. Now what? Ive only been there 10mins, and we've achieved both the things I set out to achieve lol!!!

Meanwhile my wayward husband is nowhere to be seen. Can't get good photograhers these days! Says he's off at the gym...but he only came out of hospital a week ago so I'd like to be a fly on the wall at the gym!!!

Anyway, I did a few more forward steps, a few more sideways, some neck rubbing, and then unclipped him and left him in the stable while I made up a tiny dinner for him - just a few handfuls of chaff.

He enthusiastically followed me out of the stable and into the paddock to have his breakfast, and he will have lesson two tomorrow. Hopefully Mr Photographer will be there to capture the moments! Once I have him leading happily around inside the stable, I'll venture out into the roundpen and do it out there.

Thurs 30 Jan...harry leads!

So..harry has not had a finger on him since the day I put the halter on. What with the clinic, then doing my mare, and working lots in my day job...and then my husband having an accident (damn mountainbike bucked him off!)...Harry has been left to his own devices.

Until this morning!

I brought him into the stable yesterday and he spent the night inside away from his mate. To keep his mind on me not Jazzy.

I was greeted this morning with a loud neigh when he saw me, and his expectant eyes waited for hay. Not likely! Work before breakfast my friend!

I went into the stable, leaving the door ajar in case i needed to make a quick exit (unlikely, but you never know right!). I stood quietly talking to him, and slowly was able to inch up to him and attach the lunge line to the clip on his halter. Took less than 5 mins of slow quiet work. He did get a fright immediately following me clipping it on, and spun round very quickly but my reactions thankfully were just as quick and I was able to catch him and turn his head towards me before his butt hit my line of fire!

He very quickly smelt some grain in my pocket, and was just about in my face like a *real* pony lol, stretching out and sniffing out for treats. Now this is a first!!!

At the end of our last session he took one handful of nuts, but that was it. Now he's actively seeking it out. Don't want to teach him to nip or anything, but its handy for rewards right now.

Ok..enough chit chat. So I decided that today I had two aims. One is to teach him the beginnings of leading/yielding to pressure on the halter. The other was to touch him on the neck (so far on lhy his face has been a comfort zone).

So I figure that common sense says that if I turn his head his feet will follow, and then he knows what I want. Voila. Accomplished first try. Ok, so we go back the other way, voila, does it again. He is very happy to yield to me turning his head and his feet follow. Im quick to praise him when he moves and the second his front feet move, I release the pressure on the lead and he knows he's done good.

After 2-3 mins of this, I decide to stop for a break and give him treats. He decides this is all good, and lets me scratch up between his ears and play with his forelock. I wind it into a bun and imagine him all plaited up lol. I think he will look quite smart..maybe I'll tell everyone he's my new German Riding Pony stallion..freshly imported....

Im back!!!

Right...so last night I created another blog about my OTTB mare who is learning to become a sporthorse! Its linked to this one somehow, Im sure those out there who are more internet savvy than me can work out how to find it lol!!

Further updates to come this week!

Sorry all, no updates since last week as Ive been busy with organising a cinic with Vaughan Jefferis. Had a ball, and my young horse rocks. Thankfully I didn't end up doing what Leanne, another of the riders did...here is photographic evidence poor girl lol! Hopefully Harry will be doing one of these clinics this year - and of course photos will be posted! This week we will teach Harry about leading and having me approach him and touch him all over.

It's DONE!

The lunge line has been slipped off....and the halter is on. He is officially haltered! Yay.

Now to give him some feed from the hand - he's never eaten out of the hand before other than to grab handfuls of hay or grass. He didn't quite know how to eat (and was very wary) but eventually got the hang of it. He does need to learn how to eat the nuts and not my hands though..he kept grabbing my fingers.

So....well I never thought that I'd have this on in 10mins on day two. Wow. Im absolutely amazed. It definitely was made a LOT easier by all the work that Chris did in the roundpen in October. Im sure that made him a lot more receptive to people.

Now.....we've got a clinic with Vaughn Jefferis tomorrow and Saturday so Harry will possibly not get any work till Sunday now. Leading will be the next lessonI presume, and then from there its onwards and upwards to getting him handled, broken in, and out and about!

There is light at the end of the tunnel, and its NOT a train!

Halter is ON

How exciting! Finally the halter is on....barely 10 minutes into today's school session. Im rapt.

But that presents a new problem...hmm..how do I get the lungeline off from round his neck.... Will have to thread it back. That could be fun...

Noseband!

Doing up the noseband!!!

Doing up the halter!

Doing up the halter! Slowly slowly slowly!!! Silently Im freaking out inside lol...hoping he doesn't freak and spin..but no, he stood rock solid while I did it up.

I did leave the lunge line hanging - not really recommended!!! But he didn't seem to mind, and I didnt have a spare hand with which to hold it.

I kept it on him in case he swung away from me - don't need his butt heading in my direction at this point in time!

Halter up the face...

Wow.....halter up the side of the cheek and he is comfortable for me to have the headstrap up behind his ears!!!! We're getting somewhere!

Day Two Continues...

Ok...so now I introduce the halter again. This time up to his face and rub it all over his nose etc. He also was happy to allow me to rub my hands over him - thats a first as normally he wanted only the lunge whip to rub him.

Not any more! He's decided in the past 24 hours that Im ok..and will let me run the halter up his head.

Day Two Begins!

So.... major breakthroughs..... I was able to loop the lunge line around Harry's nose today using my hands - yesterday he would allow it only if i used the lunge line to kind of hook it over his nose - ie keeping my hands well away.

Today he was very happy for me to just loop it round like a halter. The whole time he stood still but a little on edge. Didnt freak out or anything, just flicked his ears around.

PROGRESS!

Scratching head

Forgot to put this photo in...and now can't work out how to add it in the middle..so here it is...out of order....

The End.....for now...

All over and waiting for a small feed.

Notice the big lumpy scar on his neck. Hate to think what it looked like when it first happened.

Removing the restraints...

School is over for today....removing the rope from round his neck. He's glad to get rid of it and happily drops his head down to get it off!

Huh? Cows

Clearly my husband felt the cows next door were more interesting to take photos of than Harry...

My favourite photo

I bought this halter 6 months ago, and this is the first time its come into contact with Harry lol.

Love this photo. He was NOT impressed about the weird blue thing, and gave it a good sniffing and then chucked his head up and backed into the corner. Sorry buddy, that ain't good enough. Kept up with showing it to him and eventually he stood still and let me rub it up his face.

Still can't believe Im this close to him in the stable and he's not trying to leave town. Quite the contrary, he's totally relaxed about it all as long as I stay calm and don't react to his frights.

First touch

So he is comfy having a scratch from the lunge whip...so I keep doing this all over his face and quietly slip my hand up too. At first he freaked out and ran backwards snorting like a fire breathing dragon. Thankfully I was brave and stood quietly and didn't bail up out over the top of the wall like I felt like doing!!!

Then he was kind of happy to have me touch his nose but not too much.

Please notice the blue halter hanging optimistically on the right....

Rope around neck

Ok so after about 5 mins he worked out that if he dropped his head suddenly and gave a flick with his nose, he could free that loop from over his face and do whatever he likes.

Smart sucker.

So..next I get a lunge line and make a loop, careful that it can't turn into a slipknot and strangle him. He was a bit wary at first with the new item, but soon accepted it and let me slip it over his head. I used the lunge whip to hang it from (as Ive seen other people do) and then was able to slip it over his head pretty easily.

Missing husband was phoned (yes I had to ring him from my cell to say get your butt down here now and take photos...STILL in bed). He soon turned up and proceeded to be chief photographer for the rest of school.

FIRST STEP!

So with my makeshift halter made from the lunge whip...I put pressure on it and Harry immediately stepped towards me. WAHOOOOO!!!! He never even hesitated or resisted, just immediately stepped. The minute he did that I released the pressure. And he wasn't phased by the fact that Im trying to take a photo at the same time..and the flash is going off....

Now is the time I leave him and go in search of my missing husband. He was supposed to be chief photographer but has yet to surface.

He's still in bed. Nice for some.

Friends watching on...

Nothing like bomb-proofing a pony by having 5 of these suckers dive bombing at any given moment.

Harry's friends decided to watch the days events unfold.

Lesson one - makeshift halter

First thing to do was to drape the lunge whip all over him. He's had this done before briefly, and was never concerned about it so I figured I would start with the familiar.



He was not worried about it going all over his body, legs, head etc. Then I made a kind of halter with it over his nose. I pulled on it gently and he stepped towards me. The minute he moved towards me, I released and praised him. Don't think he really gives a damn about me talking to him, in fact I think he'd prefer it if Id just shut the heck up and give him some peace and quiet.

Ok..so...day one. Brought Harry into the pony stable by having him follow me and his bucket of feed. He spent last night inside, and then this morning we had his first day of school. Im rapt with the progress, absolutely rapt...read on to find out more ;-)