14th May, 2007 In search of the East pole

What an emotional day. I had been called out to help with a two year old pony who was refusing to be caught and has managed to leave a trail of destruction in the last few weeks with his previous owners and now his new ones. Last week he jumped out of the horsebox while the ramp was half closed and managed to break the foot of one of the helpers. I find it hard to believe that a pony can have been so wrecked by the time he reaches this age and I have little doubt that if his present owner hadn't bought him he would have ended up in a tin of pet food. It took quite a while to even get the pony into the field shelter today and we managed it by very slowly closing down electric fencing around him. Fortunately he didn't run through it. The shelter was surrounded by my panels as he had broken out of it at least twice before clearing a five bar gate in the process. Inside the shelter the merest suggestion of a touch was answered with both hind-legs aiming directly for me. I retreated behind my long hand on a stick and eventually reached the stage where I could touch his shoulder without him having a fit. Once this turned into a gentle rub he succumbed and after a while I was able to rub him along his neck, back and bottom with my hands. He was terribly offended by the sight of the headcollar and there was no way I could have put it on him today - I did manage to touch his shoulder with it a number of times and to rub it along his back. His owner was desperate to get him home to her land so later I fetched my trailer and a willing friend and we gently loaded the pony loose into the back. Fortunately he stayed this time and we were able to close him in. He parked his bottom in the corner and didn't move throughout the journey. Finally we were able to let him out into his new stable where he will have a panelled annex and his owner will be able to work on touching him for the next few weeks. Just like me with Piper, she may be in search of the East Pole but at least she can now enjoy the journey. Got back to find an e-mail from Jane to say that he horse was now picking his feet up beautifully. I first met this horse when he was at the vets being sedated to have his feet trimmed. It took two sessions but on Saturday we clicker trained him to pick his feet up and put them in our hands very lightly. Now we need to clicker train the farrier to hold them very lightly.