6th October 2009

Haakon came in to be shod, so I caught Charlot to work with.

I put his bridle on and we started with some lungeing so he trotted happily over 4 poles, picking his little feet up. I am not sure about lungeing as I don't like to lug on Charlot's mouth trying to pull him in the direction I want, so I asked and released, asked and released giving him room to make decisions based on my requests. He was a good boy and got used to the bridle again and dropped his head beautifully to look at the poles to pop over.

After that I harnessed Charlot up and attached the reins to his bit so we could do a spot of long-reining. He liked that and was far more attentive, listening to my voice commands rather than me hauling again on his mouth to get what I wanted. He appreciated the ask/release method and it got to the point where I would just say "Charlot, and st...." and he would instantly halt! "Charlot, walk on" and off we went again. He is not keen on turning and tries to evade that option but we succeeded and I even managed to take some photos. When he stands though, he gets bored easily and starts pawing the ground (see photo below).


While Jo was finishing up, I sat on the physio ball with some pony-nuts and Charlot came to stand in front of me, nibbling the odd nut and generally chilling with me! It was lovely. What a different pony from this time last year. I felt totally safe.

On a roll, Jo trimmed Charlot's front feet with absolutely no bother at all. He even put them up on the stand to be rasped! The backs were the usual fight so we tried a couple of times and then twitched him before he got more and more in a state and he let us do them with no fuss at all.

I am pleased with him. We are getting there. I know we are now.

1st Oct 2009

Easy to catch, easy to lead and very easy to handle, so we tacked Charlot up, in full harness but with an open bridle (no blinkers). I did some long-reining with him while Jo harnessed up the Muppets. When she had finished, I handed over the reins to her to take some photos. She is so much better at long-reining than me!

Anyway, Charlot went very well. Happy listening, getting used to the feel of the bit and the harness around him, with no issues at all. He went easily on both reins with a rogue chicken in the school and remained calm and happy.

On a roll, we added the wood to drag. I pulled it around with Charlot first so he could get used to the noise and we soon realised that he really was not bothered at all. The time came to hitch him up, running his traces through the breeching straps. He pulled it. He didn't flicker. He changed the rein and you could see, in his ancestry, that there is definitely a draught horse in his genetics.


A change of rein, and off he went, as calm as you like. When we unharnessed, we were perhaps more unrefined and careful than usual, making sure all he straps made a huge noise, as they landed on his back and he got used to the feel of the unpredictable.

We left him tied up while the Muppets were driven in pairs. Charlot watched and was bored so pulled the cart down around him, clattered the buckets and talked to the chicken. He wasn't scared at all with the all noise he made around himself!


Jo tried to pick up his back feet and felt a piece of lumpy scar tissue on his off-back which might explain a great deal. There were white hairs too so obvious evidence of some trauma, and we will never know what but it has left a huge scar in Charlot's head as well. He kicked out, almost like a reflex, and then let us pick his back foot up without the usual fight.


I am so proud of Charlot - 3 years old, we think and now 18 months from arriving, he is pulling the wood about, in full harness, like a trooper.

Dear boy!