11th April, 2015 Jaszathon

This morning we worked with Jazmine and this afternoon we worked with Jasmine so continuing the trend of working with two horses with the same name in one day.

Sarah brought Jazmine along to the fields to use our Horse Agility obstacles and to get some tips of teaching her new things. I am sure she won't mind me sharing the key points.

It's a Mark Rashid saying that horses, like water, will always find the easiest course. In Jaz's case, although she would put her front feet on the bridge, really couldn't see the point in going all the way along it when you could just as easily walk on the ground at the side. By putting half barrells along the side of it we were able to show her that the bridge was now the path through it. After that we could take them away again.

The fly fringe, particularly on a blustery day, is quite a daunting obstacle. To make this incremental you can circle it, look at it, and then hold onto the strips (or tie them up) so that they are less flappy. Then, by walking between the horse and 'the thing' you can help them to feel safe. With the wind blowing the fringes to the right, Sarah needed to be on the right in order to do this.

Easy for a horse to catch her feet on the bottom pipe of the hoop. Most of our obstacles are come apart easily so that they can be built up gradually. The two pipes are connected by a frangible coupling. The bottom pipe can be lifted up incrementally. Best tip: Really important not to turn to look at her as she goes through otherwise you will stop the back feet and cause them to touch the obstacle.

Sarah brought along her very accomplished riding friend, Jess Johnson, who took Jaz out for her first ride away from home. We asked her to cross her own tracks, work independently of the people on the ground, and she also had a lovely trot up all the hills. Now based in Nottinghamshire, Jess is a freelance rider and university student.

"Thank you so so much for today. It was excellent." SB

This afternoon we were due to long rein Jasmine again before taking her out. She seemed very calm and therefore I passed the reins over to her owner but rather too soon. Asked to work away from the comfort of the fence-line, she got upset, bucked and turned round in the reins before carting off at a canter.

In the face of a small disaster it's good if you can carry on as if nothing has happened, taking steps to try to ensure that it doesn't happen for a second time. Accordingly I re-took the reins and kept to the fence-line for a while...

...allowing me to turn her towards the fence a little if she started to push through the reins.

Note also that we have a breast girth on so that if the surcingle becomes loose as she sucks in her tummy it won't slip back and become a bucking strap. 

When turning away from the fence-line again, we had a small task to keep her occupied and to encourage her to lower her head.

She was soon calm enough to go out for her first long rein out. However, we stuck to the enclosed lane with it's comforting sides and I had her on the lead rein to begin with.

Later she came off the lead rein but I stayed close enough to put a steadying hand on the long reins if I needed to.

Back at home she was ridden briefly in her saddle.

Nothing to forgive...

On our way back to Fritham we met more horses...

10th April, 2015 Have A Nice Day!

A very splendid morning today with mother and daughter, Avril and Maddie and their new horse Carrie. This little team have provided a kind safety net for this little horse who is effectively a three year old in a twelve year old suit. She has led a very sheltered life only being ridden in her own field previously.

They were concerned that she was quite a spooky girl but it seems some straightforward groundwork was sufficient to calm her down to be able to face pretty much everything.

We were all surprised when she accepted the feather duster so easily followed by the carrier bags. Maddie is a bit of a natural herself and has real empathy and patience.

The brolly was fine, even though I'd been told she can be frightened of red things.

And the tarpaulin was a doddle. A real pleasure to be working with these two, sorry three, ladies.

"Thank you for such a lovely and informative time! Maddie and I both learnt loads and thoroughly enjoyed our time with you. Carrie was a complete fruit cake for the following day or two because of the wind but we have been working with her since and we have been using your techniques frequently. Carrie has been much calmer and surprisingly did not stress with the vet today when she had her first injection for tetanus.   She is happier being caught with the headcollar being used as you explained and happy for me to unplant her feet." AS

Back at the fields Tracey and I went out for what was her second ride on Bella and we did lots of trotting this time. Couldn't waste an opportunity to introduce the horses to the bright machinery that's been left ready for the builders.

And, just to prove that my life isn't entirely horses, horses, horses, David and I went off to Sturminster Newton to see the New Rope String Band who are always a scream. Their last gig is taking place at the end of October at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House in Newcastle Upon Tyne and I've got my tickets!

In other news, Teresa has been able to put Crystal's headcollar on....

"Finally! Head collar on she's been super head shy so done extremely slowly to get this far but all with kindness has paid off." TG

9th April, 2015 Swing of the Pendulum

A sunny visit from Highland pony Shay today who had a twenty minute break in our round pen before being asked to load to go home again. He loads beautifully at home these days but is inclined to refuse on the way back. Just when you think that clicker may be the be all and end all, here's a pony that proves you can get everything right but treats are not sufficient incentive by themselves to get him to go in. He has developed one or two little postponing strategies that are working well for him including backing up after he has come forward for his treat. Today I used pressure to insist that he gave me his full attention and to clarify that when I asked him to move, he should move. After a short while he was loading over and over again and so we need to check this is still the case in a few more weeks time.

8th April, 2015 What A Way to Go

This is a grouping that I would hope to see on a regular basis: Nelly, Blue, Exmoor and Exmoor's Mum. They were all having a lovely sunbathe this morning.

This is a grouping that I would hope never to see given that the last time Theoden was in the same field as Nettles he chased him through the fence. Last night they managed to get a rail down and Jack being Jack he showed Nettles how to jump over the lower one.

Theoden doesn't look too impressed either...

...but they all settled down to some hay while we fixed the fence.

On the way to Yvonne's we are accustomed to seeing a trotter or two but today's treat was to see these two Shire Horses resting up after a very important job. They had been pulling a funeral carriage.

Yvonne told me that Ollie had emerged over the stable door with horns when her farrier last turned up. She asked me to do some work on foot handling with him.  I like to offer owners a choice as to whether we work with simple body language or with clicker training for foot handling. Ollie, like a lot of young, predominantly male, ponies has a very strong into pressure response when he feels anyone touch his legs and his non-thinking, automatic, reflexive response is leaning into the handler, kneeling down with a front leg, and also biting. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that clicker is the quickest and most effective way of resolving this behaviour since it interrupts the pattern and encourages the pony to think.

This was borne out once again by Ollie (but also Mollie and Ted recently).

"Well I am just so amazed as to how quickly you taught Mollie to respond to ‘Clicker’. She is so good with having her feet picked up and picked out, obviously I am still using clicker treats with each foot but I can pick her feet up when she is lose in the turnout area or in her stable. I continue to be as gentle as possible when picking out each foot and don’t keep her foot up too long , say about 3 or 4 clicks with pauses then treble click for treat to make sure she doesn’t lose the connection., a huge thank you." JB

A guest appearance from Jodie today. Nettles had a lovely ride out and coped with all the tourists including one girl riding her bicycle and screaming her head off, completely out of control. Just lately we are also having to contend with gun dog trainers who insist that their dogs are 'under control' when they are rustling about hidden by the undergrowth with their trainer repeatedly blowing a high pitched whistle at them. I am surprised that they don't understand that just as their dog is exhibiting natural predatory nature, it is in the nature of a young horse to act like prey.

Last job of the day was to take Bella out. She's doing really well and now trotting alongside Theoden having been reluctant to go forward faster than a walk before.

We might have finished work but those splendid chaps from Farmplus were still hard at it. They've made a good start and the footings are the right dimensions for the building which is a relief.

7th April, 2015 Fancy a Game of Quidditch Spirit?

Someone has dissolved Liz's Invisibility Cloak.

7th April, 2015 All The Way to Reno

Gentle soul Reno, a Criollo horse, needed some practice loading into his new trailer. This horse originally came all the way from Uruguay by boat, a journey which took five weeks. Little wonder that he needs a little persuasion to load but with Reno 'Less is Always Best' and the most gentle ask and clickered rewards soon had him loading nicely.

Then it was a case of proving that he has nothing to worry about at his hindquarters. Putting a hand on his bottom and giving him a lovely rub and talking to him in a very relaxed tone helped.

Then a mock back bar in the form of a foam swimming woggle...

...and finishing with the real thing fastened into place. We have a second session in just over a week but this was a really positive start.

Second session of the day was with Spirit, a two year old filly. Her owner has been told that she shouldn't be doing too much with her and should just let her be a horse. Whilst I agree that time with other horses is very important, the most important things is that any time spent with humans should be structured. Only ask your young horse to do things that are possible and then make sure that they understand what they are being asked to do.

First of all we worked on asking her to lead nicely. No pressure at all.

Then we went into the school and did some very basic groundwork.

She found the L-shaped poles an interesting challenge. Being moved about within a set of poles without touching them means they have to trust their handler to do most of the steering.

Spirit occasionally bites but is pretty immune to ANY body language!

To finish we moved on to preparation for  long reining. One exercise involves taking the rein over her head - good practice for later when she will be asked to have the reins to her bridle put over her ears.

She accepted all of the kit easily. Note the breast girth to prevent the surcingle from slipping back and eliminating the need to tighten the girth too much.

Setting off with Tracey on dual controls.

"Thank you so much for today, I really enjoyed it. I now have a much clearer picture on what to work on.I think Spirit & I are going to have fun with it, in a good way :-)" LE

Meanwhile back at the 'ranch' David was meeting a very big lorry and helping it through a very small gate.

It was carrying an exciting quantity of wood and heralds the start of building work on the new barn. We won't know ourselves once it is built - somewhere dry to store hay,  stand the horses for the farrier, and to sit down at lunchtimes.

David was very happy to be tractor driver for the day.

Hoping it all goes as smoothly as this:  How to put up a barn

6th April, 2015 Nine Shades of Bay

A rare sort of day off with just the fields to tidy and the horses to feed. Then David and I decided to play with the new camera with a willing subject to see what each of the buttons did. There are far more buttons to try but here are just nine shades of bay.

This pony was out on the common and looked to be in reasonable condition. Like many of the others she was moulting well. Some of the other ponies have dropped off quite badly at the end of a winter which seems to have stretched them to their limits. Thin ponies can be reported to the Verderers and can be ordered off the Forest by the Agister. Commoners may lose part of their subsidy if their ponies are ordered off. They are also obliged to have sufficient back up grazing for the number of animals that they depasture but that may also be poor at this end of the season. The dilemma then is whether to report the ponies at all when spring is just around the corner and the grass is coming through. Most are not pregnant this time round and therefore haven;t got the additional burden of a foal to feed. Commoners are forbidden under the scheme to feed their ponies out on the Forest and the argument is that ponies that are fed spend their time waiting for feed to arrive rather than going off and finding sufficient to eat. The problem is that people then take pity on them and may well feed them inappropriate food or close to the roads where they can end up getting killed.

Thank you for being my muse