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.