We were held up on our way to work this morning but since it was the shapely bottoms of David Nicholls' racehorses we didn't mind at all. They were just on their way up to the gallops.
Today's customers were Dartmoor Hill Ponies Bertie and his mate, Mr Brown.
Bertie is a yearling colt and he has proved to be very sharp and sensitive for his new owner, Jessica, who has successfully halter trained racehorse colts, unhandled horses from the Quantock sales, and an Exmoor pony in the past. Although he will just about take food from the hand he is very awkward about it so the first thing I had to do was to train him to take it off a flat hand without swallowing half of my fingers or none of the carrots.
Once he'd got that I was able to start touching him with a rolled up scarf in exchange for clickered treats. However, touch him with a hand and he instantly knew the difference and would go off for a quick circuit of the stable.
Instead I concentrated on using the feather duster and the scarf to ask him to accept touch...
...we had a sudden and critical break through just after lunch when he accepted touch with my hand. Needless to say it was deep, flat and slow.
We progressed to being able to touch him some way up his neck. Jessica took over from me and was able to repeat the same work. Next time she works with him she will start of with the same pattern of work.
One tired pony, letting out the stresses of life as we massaged him with our hands.
Mr Brown is thought to be five or six years old and he has got as far as having his headcollar on and enjoying a good scratch. Like Bertie his 'public' side is his left hand side and his 'private' side is the right - not helped I don't suppose by a whacking great brand on his right hand side. Dartmoor hill farmers need to go to Specsavers if they have to have such a huge brand in order to see it.
Tracey, Lindy and owner Caroline, all worked with Mr Brown consolidating the things he knows...
...and moving forwards with the things he doesn't. Handling his feet...
..and his tummy...
...as well as coping with two people at once and two hands at once.
This is one of Jessica's earlier projects, Percy a four year old Irish type horse that she bought for a song. He's a gorgeous boy.
