28th August 2010

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

We had such high hopes now dashed down again.

Jo caught him (my broken ankle stops me walking on uneven ground like a field). Charlot was first up and enthusiastic about the prospect of work.

He led nicely into the shed where we put on his harness. A bit jumpy at first so Jo did some long-reining to calm him down. It became very obvious very quickly that Charlot was not in a calm frame of mind. In fact he was fast, on his toes and not very helpful.

With me at his head, Jo positioned the red cart and he pulled it for a few steps. It doesn't fit, we know that so Jo had brought the bigger green Hartland cart. Charlot jumped out of it, I let go, and he bronced off around the school with his harness on. We caught him again, and with the help of carrots tried to put the shafts in the tugs again. No deal. Back to square one.

Plan B. We put fencing posts on his sides to emulate the feel of shafts and he was long-reined with them around the school. Charlot didn't mind. He was happy enough.

To finish on a good note, we put the green cart back along his sides, without putting them in the tugs, and asked him to walk a few strides forwards (get a carrot piece) and turn the corner (another carrot) and then down the long side (another carrot) and then halt (final carrot).

We flung his straps over his back - he flinched and jumped every minute but we continued to de-sensitize him, massaging his tense little bottom and generally trying to get him out of this mood he had brought upon himself.

Today was not his best day. We struggled to finish on a good note.