6th January, 2013 Union Jack

It's been some time since I checked Jack's boundaries and it seem that while I have 'been away' he has become very brave all on his own. Perhaps just going out running with me and watching the other horses get worked and simply time have all had an effect on his confidence. Today he accepted this flag over his back, something he could never have done last year - indeed when he first came and I tried to use a scarf to desensitise him before putting a head-collar on, he ran a good many laps of the pen before coming to a halt; he has never been very good about being able to see anything out of both eyes at once.

Today, with the help of clicker, he was very very brave and accepted the flag across his back but, before that, he did something even better....

Just a little lean and then....

and finally.....I didn't think this would ever be possible although I would still be very circumspect about actually getting on board. People sometimes say what a pity that you will never ride him but I don't mind and just enjoy having his biscuity self around the place.

5th January, 2013 Ed of an Era

After a two year stint as the Editor of the IH Magazine I am hanging up my red pen and computer mouse, although I shall still write articles and take pictures for the magazine. I shall have more time for my own horses and for appointments with clients and I am hopeful that some really interesting projects will come along to keep me amused from time to time.

5th January, 2013 Hotlips Houlihan Part II

Julie and I paid our second visit to Hotlips Houlihan (Hattie) and her Mum, Katie today. Although their respective owners haven't had time to do any more handling with them over Christmas, they have been feeding them in the pens so that they would see them as a hotel. Both ponies had remembered everything they had learned and experienced last time and we were able to make progress almost straight away.

Within the first hour, Hattie had had her first head-collar on and off several times and later we started some leading work with her before finishing with touching her legs.

Katie, who is a real character, and comments on everything you do, had her head-collar on within a minute and then I began to teach her to lead. She pulls some awful faces but gets things so quickly. As a wild mare she has to be prepared to defend herself and to turn stallions away when she's not in the mood, accordingly she was very sensitive about being touched at the back end and yet within two movements of touch and move away she had absolutely accepted the feather duster and enjoyed a good rub on the back of the fetlock.

4th January, 2013 No birthday blues

I was fifty yesterday - it may be the end of the world as we know it, but I feel fine!!

I spent the day out at work, this time long-reining Santi, a 17 year old horse that has never been long-reined before and Alfie, a 5 year old that clearly has. Santi is quite worried about the long reins or anything touching his legs, possibly because he has previously been hit with a lunging whip, but these days he gives everything the benefit of the doubt and contains his uncertainty. We started off with Dual Controls before I asked him to go alone and we took it very very gently indeed.

Alfie on the other hand was as confident as you like and I was soon able to teach his owner how to long-rein because he was as an old hand at it. We think he has probably been driven in the past and received some very good education along the line.

2nd January, 2013 Sampson and Delightful

Worked across the maximum age range today, starting with a delightful twenty-three New forest pony called Barney who lives with his even more elderly companion, Bumble. Barney is a benevolent, polite pony who looks after his rider but he just doesn't seem to enjoy touch all that much. Of course older ponies may be prone to the odd ache and pain that make touch less pleasant but apparently he has always been like this. It sent me back to operation seduction mode as we tried to find a touch that he really did enjoy. He liked deep flat touch along the muscles of his neck and  a strong circular motion with a soft rubber brush. He also liked having his ears rotated  in both directions. It made me feel that perhaps I should resurrect my original idea for a website, seduceyourhorse.com but then I might get the wrong kind of visitors. It is important to remember that touch should always be for the benefit of the recipient. Like most horses he hates having the lower part of his nose fiddled with and I just wish I could get people to stop doing this to horses.

Email received 3.1.13: "I was chuffed to bits with your visit, the best Christmas present Barney has ever had and a huge relief to me to see how I could improve things for him.  I went back out to them in the afternoon and could groom Barney without a head-collar for the first time ever!  As in the morning, sometimes he couldn't decide if he liked it or not and stepped away but when I turned my attention to Bumble, he came back for more - Magic!" JJM

This afternoon it was off to see how one year old Sampson was getting on. The first time I met him he was a bit of a handful for his owner. Inclined to walk into her space and to be generally bargy. He is now much softer and responsive and altogether more pleasant to work with.

1st January, 2013 No rain on our parade

It was a slightly rueful version of me that met up with Patrick Kempe at 7.15 this morning to go over to Tinsel Town for the New Years Day Parade. Having not drunk alcohol for almost twelve months, I had the odd glass of champagne and wine last night, and ended up doing a reprise of my head-banging skills to Status Quo in my Karen Miller dress. Not only that but I only had four hours sleep. Luckily I was able to sleep all the way to London and felt revived by the time we got there.

Patrick and Tetua were the leaders of ten Iberian horses in the "All the Queen's Horses" section of the parade which also included several marching bands. That made for an interesting few moments as the horses were held up at the start and had nowhere for their energy to go!

The Iberian horses included Andalusians and Lusitanos, a Spanish rider and a lady that had travelled all the way from Belgium overnight to get there.

Other horses included the Quadrille Team that recently won at Olympia and Miniature Horses as well as Jousters.

 Everyone had their photograph taken outside Buckingham Palace having ridden ten abreast down The Mall.

31st December, 2012 How Dreary!

The weather was so awful for the rest of Christmas that even this wild pony seemed to be asking whether he someone could take him home. Nevertheless the New Forest ponies seem to be doing ridiculously well despite the weather simply because the grass hasn't been killed off by the cold. My lot are coming home every day for a bit of hay.

Like everyone, we are living with thick mud but at least I have some grazing left.

I managed just one more ride on Theoden before the year was out and once again he was joined by his new skeletal friend and ally - that is the bike, not David! The two get on very well although of course the bike likes to go fast down hills and slow up hills whereas Theoden does the opposite.

I sometimes wonder whether Theoden is cut out to be a 'cowboy' horse. He was fine about going past the big cows with proper horns but somewhat doubtful about these delightful new calves as you can see by his 'running' foot and high head carriage.