27 Sept 2009

Charlot was first up to the gateand easy to catch and interested to do something. We had the Muppets too so he had company and while Jo was harnessing them up (pairs), I put a bridle, with bit, on Charlot. He was rather shocked but relaxed with it in and we did a spot of lungeing, over a large material dust sheet, picked up feet (a mild whack from his backs) and I did some in hand work with him, all with the bit in.

It is all about trust. The minute the bit and bridle was on, Charlot came to me for support and courage. I told him he could do this and guided him around his obstacles while he tried to decide what he hated most, the groundsheet, the bit or the new contact on it! He picked up his fronts so I could pick them out, anticipating what I wanted and picking them up on a vocal command.

Next, I taught Charlot to reverse. The bit was fine in his mouth - I found I could be much lighter and give clearer instruction to him. Long-reining him with it, I got him going backwards on command and body language though he only stopped and stood when you get him watching your body language when lungeing.

He tensed himself up, expecting the worse all the time. His little bottom and all his muscles were hard and in a state, his heart a-beating double time but nothing much happened and we are continuously desensitizing his skin to touch whilst not letting his fears become ours'.

Jo pushed the cart around him, let the shafts touch his sides and he looked at it in a bemused fashion, even sniffing it and thinking all the time. He watched the Muppets pull it later on, when he was tied up to the big door, frightening himself by pulling over all the buckets onto himself. He hates the horse football (physio ball) so I sat on it, while he talked to me. It was lovely and very calming gaining his trust every second.

We looked at his teeth and also decided he turned 3 this year. My baby boy! The other 3 year olds haven't even left their field let alone done half the things he has!

24th Sept 2009

Ok, totally mad day today.

We made Charlot wear a coat and a handbag off his ears! This was to prove a point to a friend who said she wanted him if he could live under her stairs to carry her coats and handbags, having seen his previous exploits!



Then..... Charot had to walk over trotting poles and my coat (of which he is not keen), plus a rustly polythene dust sheet. Well, first a hissy fit and after some encouragement, he did it!



So, then we picked up a front foot or two!

We were continuously working on Charlot's feet all the time. He now lifts his fronts up fine, anticipating what you want and the backs are getting there! He still thinks about kicking but he is far less violent. He happily stood on the rustly sheet or my coat!

Ok, so the mad day continues:-




After that, we draped the rustly dust sheet over Charlot. His eyes are on stalks but he took it, looking like an embarrassed bridesmaid!



We finished by putting all the toys away with Charlot following me around and then I made a huge fuss of him, touching him all over. He flinched for a while and then gave up. There was a very nasty smell about so Jo cleaned his sheath with some anticipation of getting her lights kicked out. A vile job at the best of times, but he just stood there for 15 minutes while she mucked his bits out! Not a flicker! Funny little pony.

So I tied him up in a rather enclosed place while he watched one of the Muppets being trained. He upset the buckets, jumped and watched everything with interest!

20th Sept 09

Well, today I decided to do some long-reining. Don't know why really, it truly is not my forte but who cares, I had a go.

I found one long-rein, the other is broken, so I substituted with a lunge line which is twice the length of the long-rein! I put an old moth-eaten roller on Charlot and clipped his reins to the sides of the head-collar. A bit of a bodge job, but it all worked, apart from the roller sliding around the rotund belly and Charlot managed to get so tied up in all the string, he looked like a parcel at one stage. But, he took it all in his stride and let me untangle him without a fuss!

So we long-reined about the school while I tried to keep control giving him commands. He did the most well controlled turn on the forehand, swivelling beautifully on one front foot! As I said, I am not the most expert at this, but we muddled along together fairly well!


Then I decided we would work on "things Charlot is scared of", ie the great unknown. I put my coat on the floor and asked him to walk over it. He wouldn't, walking round and round, sometimes a hoof would touch a corner and he even cat-leaped it so as not to touch it. So. having put out some trotting poles earlier, I took out one to make him trot onto it. He knew exactly what I wanted and jumped it the first time, so I made it wider and soon he could trot over it! Success!




So then mean horrible me, drapes all the coats over Charlot plus some ropes and headcollars for good measure - things trailing about his back legs, the unexpected as well as rustly noises! I have to clear up my other toys, so I lead Charlot about on his lunge rope doing my chores while Daisy rides her horse in the school. Charlot is very good and obediently follows taking it all in but taking great exception when I kick a physio ball under his back legs - he sent that into orbit! I let the string dangle about, the coats fall off and he didn't bat an eyelid! It is all good training, teaching him to read my body language, to trust me and to go backwards when asked out of tight turning areas.



Well you know me, ever the optimist! I picked up both Charlot's front feet in turn over and over again. Just him and me and a lunge line wearing coats with trailing ropes about! He did it! I even took the photos as well! He thought about minding, but I suppose he had too much to mind about so he just gave up and did it!

After all that, I gave him a hug, kissed his nosey, tickled his ears and put him back out with his friends. He had a rather bemused look about him!

1st Sept 2009

Today, we moved the four lads back to the main herd. Charlot had been living with the nutters for a few weeks while the Shetland Pony Breed Show shenanigans were taking place. He was happy enough being ignored so we left him to his own devices.

To be fair, Charlot has quite a following and I called him up on a few occasions to be introduced to his fanclub and he willingly cantered up to have a fuss made of him!

Today, he was first up, easy to catch whilst the other nutters quivered about, evading the head-collar issue so we felt he was a good boy, was growing up, maturing and we were definitely onto a winner. He walked nicely and considerately along the roads and tracks to our shed, letting me turn and shut gates, and then we tied him up far away from his friends.

Charlot has a new skill - he can undo knots and headcollars, releasing himself and his nearby friends for a laugh! We washed one pony, did its feet and then I thought I would brush his neighbour. Charlot watched me and rested his teeth on the wooden boards, so I threw a pebble at him to get him to stop. He was surprised and stopped, looked around but then did it again. Another pebble later, he realised that eating the boards was not a good idea. So he gave up while I brushed Charlie, his neighbour.

I then decided to brush Charlot who had knots in his mane, was greasy and needed some attention. He was not very keen and so bit the boards again. I told him to stop so he ignored me and did it again. I smacked him with the flat side of the brush on his neck. He exploded, in a rage if disbelief that I could be so cruel after all his "good" behaviour. He wouldn't let me near him and quivered about the brush, my hands on his neck, everything.

It is interesting to note that if Charlot doesn't know where the punishment comes from, it is not an issue, but if he does then he holds a grudge.

After a quick explanation of his behaviour, Charlot let me go on brushing looking resentfully at me and trying hard not to enjoy the grooming! Silly boy.

Jo wanted to do his feet. He let her pick up the first front one fine and then off we went with the hissy fit. Charlot would not pick up his other front foot. No reason, just wouldn't. He broke the string he was tied to, so we short-racked him with two ropes and Jo did not give up until he gave in first. She picked up both front feet again and again.

Then the backs.....and off we went again. She would rest her hand down his leg at different positions. He would react when her hand reached his foot, cow-kicking out at her.

Enough, so he got twitched. He let her pick them up. We untwitched him and he let her pick up both fronts and the backs. No issue, no discussion - he just knew he had to do it.

After that, we let him go out and join his friends.

Why, oh why? He knows we will win. It is as if he enjoys the fight. He is not scared anymore, he just doesn't want to let us do this work with him. His nerves are his and no ours'. This is a very long road we all have to travel.

Patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace. Grace is a little girl who wouldn't wash her face! That is what my granny used to say.

Charlot is sorely trying my patience.