A very peaceful follow-up session for Reno this morning with friends Mary and Val working in partnership to ask him to load without any fuss or tension. It really is about having an almost ritualistic approach and understanding how all the bits and pieces in the trailer work. Saying please and thank you to each other helps too.
After a few ins and outs, we felt it would be safe to take him out in the trailer. He travelled really well...
...and stood quietly in the trailer once we had stopped again. We teach the horses that ramp down and bars down does not mean horse out.
He clearly hadn't turned a hair...
"I think Reno did us proud. Val also worked well with us and she is happy to help with our ongoing practicing and to come with us when we venture out again. I am so pleased I decided to enlist your help as I needed a plan and a structure to load Reno safely and calmly which you have obviously done. Anyway, thanks from me and thanks from Reno. Great feeling of achievement to be able to say to people, "have been signed off by Sarah"" MCBack at the fields someone had left us a souvenir of their visit. An excellent present for Tracey's son.
First session with Moses. His back is a little weak and so we're going to have the physio out as soon as possible and we've already started to use exercises to build him up including going over poles and lifting his back up by running a finger down the centre line of his tummy.
His ground manners are so good that we could take him straight out on to the Forest where he looked at everything with real curiosity and courage.
He's willing to give everything a go and to figure things out.
He was fascinated by the Forest ponies and the deer behind.
Not exactly walking on water...
...but happy to go over our bridge straight away...
...helping him to step off carefully.
Time to go home since the cows were...
