4th April, 2013 Coarse Fishing

The chap in this photograph had spent six days trying to catch a big fish without any success. This pond is teeming with big fish. Quite apart from the fact that he was trying to catch big fish which eat little fish with a fly, he was loud, and despite his camouflage very very obvious. The Amerindians on the other hand were naturally quiet and stealthy, traditionally living on hunted fish and meat for their subsistence living - they make great animal spotters. However, their very stealthiness, the fact that they are genuine predators, meant that the animals were extremely wary and we got a lot of back views as the animals hurried away.

Prey animals are highly tuned to the energy and intent of predators and this includes us. Our voice levels give away our energy. To get the best relationship with a horse we need to be low and slow, not quick and loud so that the horse is neither frightened nor tuning out. Why would a horse bother trying to communicate his feelings to someone who is so loud and so energetic that he can't get a 'word' in edgeways.

2nd April, 2013 The Missing Link

By coincidence I was due to go out to a South American horse this morning, a Criollo, imported some time ago and handled with nothing but care and kindness since he came. Nevertheless he is extremely wary of people, their intent and their energy.

There are things about South American methods of handling and training which I wish I had never seen. I have seen lengthy video footage of horses being grappled with, subdued, tied up and beaten until the fall over and my understanding is that this is common even with competition ponies such as polo ponies. Indeed, every South American horse I have met has been traumatised by their treatment – from one that was afraid of having her bridle on, to another that was terrified of having her back legs touched (compulsory because polo ponies have to wear bandages on their back legs when playing under rules). I have seen scars and brands on all of them . You might ask why these ponies seem to be okay about being ridden when in South America, but the regime remains harsh, they are kept slim, worked hard and it is hot. Bring them over here, give them a chance to express themselves, give them good healthy food and a cold climate and all of this is going to come out somewhere. 

For this little horse it is going to be necessary to very gently revisit some of the scenarios he has faced but overlay them with a gentle approach so that he can cope with someone walking up to him a bit abruptly by accident but then giving him a lovely rub, can cope with someone swinging their arm around but then giving him a click and a treat. Avoiding these movements, being too careful around him, means that he is alert to the slightest change in energy and there is no tolerance for mistakes. This is where I started today and at first he was tensing every muscle in his bottom but after a while he relaxed and you could see him thinking, oh, it's only you and even, please come back and do that again.

Feedback 3.4.13: "It was the greatest pleasure to meet you too.  Both J and I really enjoyed the morning and learnt such a lot.  I really appreciate the way you explained things to us, very clear and un-threatening.  Also, I appreciate your lack of judgement as I felt very relaxed about my own shortcomings, which is very important for moving forward.  I will continue with the work we set up and keep you posted - if he is able to relax both Kate [Boe] and I feel he will progress physically much better, and if his mental demons can be tamed then we may be able to move forward.  Thank you so much for your visit, and for such a comprehensive report and I really look forward to working with you again." AC

Update 12.5.13: "The work with A is going really well - really well.  He is much more relaxed and responsive and we have been able to work very well on a circle.  Kate Boe is sooo pleased with the change in him, she was able to work much more effectively last time, he just went to sleep!! He has never relaxed enough for her to work in that way before. I don't see a clear path ... so am just getting on with what we are doing quietly, and enjoying that."

1st Aoril, 2013 Guyanese Horses

 

It seems it is not possible for me to go 21 days without at least some limited contact with horses. The horses in the busy city of Georgetown wander the outskirts in their free time, seeking out food and grass along the avenues and beside the canals. The horses are mostly used by hardware stores to transport heavy materials and many are struggling with weight, lameness and maltreatment. On the other hand, the mares and their foals looked contented enough and we did see one horse being led out to roll in some soft red sand and he looked particularly well.

In the savannah, the horses are used to manage the cattle and other animals and, in some places, for tourists to ride. The horses at the first lodge we went to were described as scrawny but strong but they did seem to be pretty thin. Good fibre, protein and supplementary feed is hard to come by but we were also told that horses that are not in work don't need extra feed.

The horses didn't particularly like being approached but I did manage to persuade this little grey horse that I was friend not foe and he enjoyed an hour of massage two days running before we had to leave again.

At Karanambu the horses were a lot better off and they certainly don't need to carry much weight in the heat.       I enjoyed meeting Martin the Vaquero and his two children who seem to have been born on horseback. With bare feet and stirrups way too long, they threw themselves into the saddle before setting off at a decent gallop.

1st April, 2013 The Box that Went Squeak

Holidays are often defined by the people that you meet. David and I met some fabulous people, including Trevor who really made us laugh. He told us that he was stolen form Georgetown by a woman. As a result he now lives in an Amerindian Community with his wife and two children and seems very happy with his lot.

I was also privileged and overawed to meet Diane McTurk who over the years has saved Giant Rover Otters and returned them to the wild along with other creatures including Tapir and Raccoon. I wanted to ask so many questions and ghost write her book but satisfied myself by asking about her very first otter. She described how she discovered that one of a number of cardboard boxes squeaked and when she enquired what was in the box she was told that there were three baby otters and she could have one if she wanted one. This was Frankincense. It later came to light that otters were still being taken into Brazil across the border for their skins and she let it be known that she would take in any waifs and strays that she could divert form this fate. Little did she know that this would change her life to the extent that it did and that she would become world renowned for her work with orphaned otters. Diane has no ego and I could have listened to her all day but she was just as interested in other people's lives and my work with the wild ponies.

From left to right: Amerindian Guide Oswin, aged just 21, who makes everyone feel like his best friend; Gordon from Hackney in London who spends 2 1/2 months in Guyana every year and is only interested in "Wildlife, wildlife and wildlife"; Me; and the wonderful Diane McTurk.

1st April, 2013 The Birds and the Bees

There are a ridiculous amount of bird species in Guyana - 800 and counting. These came in my top ten with the Cock of the Rock. All, especially the males, are brightly coloured and loud. Many have names longer than their own bodies like the Green Tailed Golden Throated Hummingbird which must not be confused with the Copper Tailed Humming Bird. How about a Tawny Throated Leaf Tosser or a Rufus Rumped Foliage Gleaner? I think they are making it up!  The flowers are fantastic too - the Victoria Amazonia comes out at night so that it is pollinated by the night-time insects.

1st April, 2013 Close Encounters

This black curassow called George is a regular visitor at Atta Lodge, calling in for breakfast most mornings with his wife, Susan.

The armadillo had the fright of his life when he bumped into David's feet, looked up and realised that the tree was white with blue eyes.  Too close to photograph, we only got this back view as he rushed off.

We watched this male tapir for a good ten minutes and he gradually got closer and closer. Renowned for being aggressive when cornered, our guide was clearly worried because he hid behind me! I slipped a bit of gravel into my empty water bottle and shook it once to get the tapir to turn and go away.

Billy the Bird is a pet at Rockview Lodge where he cuckolds the cockerel and attacks visitors' shoe laces.

The anteater was an extraordinary looking creature. Quite quite beautiful and so wonderfully adapted to his environment. When he wants to go to sleep he simply covers his body with his bushy tail and is very rarely spotted.

Caiman are very common in Guyana and lurk only feet away from jetties and boats!

1st April, 2013 Up the Creek with a Paddle

In Guyana, a land of creepies and crawlies, our wildlife often consisted of blurs, blobs and silhouettes. Where everything is described as 'illusive', birds scream out and hide behind leaves and the Howler monkeys just hang out invisibly in the trees whilst emitting an enormous wake up roar which sounds like a cross between an Expresso machine and a roaring blizzard. Unlike Africa, you have to work for your wildlife, clambering up hills and marching, albeit quietly, through the rainforest.