13th December 2011 (Charlot Update Dec 2011 - LONG get a cuppa!)

Hi Frances

What a good surprise to get your message on fb - sorry for the delay - have had my head down getting my accounts FINALLY done for the year. I know Auntie H gave you an update so that took the pressure off!

How are you all after Hurricane Bawbag by the way? I went out in ski goggles at 1030pm to do a body count... couldn't see a bliddy thing in the 80mph snow but Likely found me in seconds. I huddled in the top corner of the park to let them have drink... 4 utterly bedraggled miserable faces looking at me sideways as if to say "DOOOOO SOMETHING!!" All I could say to them was.... "Dudes... have you SEEN the Shetland forecast???".

Charlot is... well he's just been such a life changing addition to the hill ever since he arrived. I pondered for a couple of days after getting your message and was trying to put it into one word... and it was trust. He is the most trusting pony I have ever met. If I am happy and tell him it's okay... he gives me a look, figures he'll be ok and does whatever it is we're doing.

I'm on my own most of the time - Favourite Human is normally here 3 weeks and 3 weeks away but has been away even more this last 6 months so we've hardly seen him. Charlot, like our dog, just perks up when he comes home.

Sometimes I take them out the field in pairs, sometimes it's safer to do it all 4 at once - and Charlot is my team leader. I have the 2 weans on a pair of endurance reins and the big 2 on long lead ropes. Mal still has a mind like a bull but Charlot on voice command will stop, go, turn or block as I get all four out, close the gate, get them up to the steading and in one by one. He is my right hand man. If one of the other 3 do something obtuse, I can rely on Charlot to help me sort it out - whether that means someone else's rope tight around his bum, me flicking the newbie's (nickname poptart!) rope over his back... if I'm happy... he just helps me sort it out. No... I'll never get any of my BHS stages but when you're on your own you have to get things done as best you can!

When FH is home I beg/cajole/steal a half hour of his time whenever I can and we take C & the newbie out for a yomp around the hill. Having Charlot here this last year rekindled my love of the Icelandic and my dream horse found me a day after the big horse went to his new home. He's Icelandic as you know, just 5 and just perfect for me... his name is Icelandic for Genius but methinks the naming was a tad tongue in cheek... Charlot is just SO bright that anything else seems a tad blonde! I'm trying to teach the newbie work is fun so we do a lot of in hand work in the forest as we did with Charlot. So Charlot and husband are tabbing the trails as Poptart and I bring up the rear... picture ginger pony cantering (STRAIGHT!) next to running man on the trail... and a wee buck and snort every now and again... just a happy happy boy!

I think the day we all cried was the day Auntie H's driving groom, J, came up and hacked out on Charlot while Auntie H drove Likely in the cart. I gave J a couple of my hip release cues so that she could stay relaxed in the saddle... any time there was a potential for tension, she would take a breath out, let her hips go soft which allowed him to stay soft in his back ... we met 2 runners, a cyclist, a family with kids and a dog... she rode Charlot away from Likely, he watched Likely do some moves down at the quarry. Honestly one of the best days of my life - and OH he was CHUFFED with himself afterwards!

The best time I've had with him myself was about a month ago. Charlot's never really invited me in so to speak... he works with me, helps me out even... but there's a connection that I have with the 2 wee ones that I never felt with him.... he was always Auntie H's pony or husband's pony... I was just the bringer of food and keeper of safety and boundaries.

A month ago I had a spare hour after exercising my boy and took Charlot out in hand. We set off down the forest trail, turned left up the canter track and then on a whim I turned down the dog track... I'd never taken a horse that way as there's a big tree across the trail - about 3 feet clearance underneath but still over 6 foot so we and the dug limbo under. A few more trees had come down since my last trip there but I thought I'd just see how far C & I could go.

He followed me thru tree branches, around trees, over a foot high trunk (he put his front left on it... looked at me... I said you're ok... he took his foot off, hopped over and we trotted on. I got to the big tree and tried to find a way round.... I'd totally forgotton about the 3 foot ditch... I crossed over, Charlot took a step back (I have a LONG rope!)... I said you're ok...he just looked at me. Honestly Dude, you're ok but you choose. I kept the rope loose all the time, then gave a click with my voice - and he bliddy jumped it! I gave him a huge good boy (ok and a herb treat - that was a BIG thing!) and off we went. LOVE THAT PONY!

I wish wish wish I was a foot smaller and several stones lighter as he would wipe the board at Le Trec! I have wee notion that he would make a fab cutting horse if bigger - just GOT that brain!

He's let my husband ride him in the round pen (novice rider!), and my next dream is that we can actually go for a hack out together in the New Year in the snow.
What I love about husband is that he listens to the mood of the pony and works with where they're at that day. Last time home he just popped on Likely and rode him from the field to the steading. When I asked if he wanted to ride Charlot, he looked at Charlot and said... Nah... todays not a riding day.

That echoes the way I work with Rolfing... you work with what's available for change right in that moment. If you try to force your agenda on someone or something... then it becomes all about you when it has HAS to be about them.

Sorry for the long epic... we've had such an appalling week of weather this week, this is the first time I've drawn breath and I am just thrilled that the weans and I got thru it.

The Shetlands? Oh that's ANOTHER long email but suffice to say the best fun I've had with my clothes on since giving up ice hockey. Picture 5 foot ten and a half wifie in hiviz jacket coming at you at speed over the brow of the hill with a hobbit either side trying to out trot each other (in hand pair training for next year?!).
Guess who's got the fastest trot??? Mal... he just WILL N-O-T let Likely get in front. Love them to bits. Rock 'ard!

I suppose the best thing I can say about Charlot is that if I have any non horsey people visit... the only pony I will trust with them... is Charlot.
My 11 yr old city nephew came to visit... I handed him a headcollar and said... go get the ginger pony. I stayed in the garden.
Charlot had never met him, nephew walked all the way down to the bottom of the park, fumbled the head collar on and walked all the way up to the gate with a smile the size of the moon.
"Are you crying Auntie P??" Fly in my eye, Dude, fly in my eye. Maybe this hill IS magic...

Aunty P

3rd July 2011

From his Aunty P.....

"Hi Frances

I got this pic today and thought you might like to see - he's a wee bitty heavier than I'd like...

Charlot and Likely have both had really flaky scratchy tails since they arrived last October (even all through the minus temps and snow)... and it's not until I started my anti midge neem oil mix that I noticed any real improvement. I spent a good half hour today sectioning away bits of tail hair and massaging neem oil right into the flaky dock - Charlot had his neck stretch out and was doing a rather good camel lip.

By the time husband came back I'd started gently stretching through his tail which he leaned forward from to increase the stretch. Bit of a changed from Mr Clampy bum of old!

Hope all well up north,

Aunty P

ps Most of his mane is over the other side - honest!"

16th June 2011

PONY UPDATE
I don't have your skills for photography and am generally working the ponies on my own and just grab the odd pic with the phone when I have a spare hand - I find Charlot the most difficult to photograph as he is always nuzzling too close for a picture.

Charlot has been out pulling the tyre up and down the hill and has been out for a couple of wee bareback hacks with my husband on board (me leading)... I would say my husband is his favourite human (as he is mine!) as the two of them are a tad inseperable when husband is home.


I finally got the round pen up and surface down - hillbilly style it's on a slope as with everything else up here.

At 70 foot across it's a lovely space for Charlot and the weans.

Charlot showed a lot of fear initially and it took the 3rd or 4th visit of he and I just mooching around doing nothing for him to relax and enjoy it as a learning place.

Mal on the other hand went in, peed, rolled, ran about with a buck and a fart and came over for a cuddle - what a joyeously keen open bright mind he has!


Likely free lunges happily in a lovely trot with fabulous balance up and down the slope - I just canna wait to get him out and about.


I moved the 3 of them from the winter field across to half of the summer field and strangely lost Charlot's trust for a few days.

It coincided with husband leaving so not sure if that or the shift in environment but Charlot went back to being fearful, almost not letting me catch him and just generally rattled.

I didn't force any agenda on him, let him come to me at his own will, and 3 days later I have the happy, confident, trusting ginger boy back.

Perhaps the spring grass, perhaps he thought he was moving again - who knows?

He continues to be an absolute joy on the hill and has a firm place in our hearts.

The hermit who lives lower down the hill has a lonely palomino section D stallion that roams the 30 acres below us... while the 2 shetlands run and play, I occasionally catch Charlot and the stallion gazing across the fences between them 500 yards apart... and I get the feeling Charlot wouldn't mind a bigger pony on the hill with him. He's not missing Spike who is off looking for a new home...
I am going back to my roots and hoping to bring an Icelandic on the hill for me to ride (reality check on my pelvis and height off the ground and where my heart belongs!)... which I think might just suit Charlot fine!

Hope all well up north,

peace from the hill,

P

8th May 2011

Apparently he is doing very well. That is all I know.

20th February 2011

...so after a sleepless night in 50mph winds ....

First priority is ponies after a wild night like like that... put down some towels, left tilly snoring on the bed and went out.

Fed Spike - was affa chuffed he was so calm in the gale - still 30mph at 8am - as wind freaks him out.

The farmer at the bottom of the hill has a weblink to his Davis weather station which said his highest gust was 44mph at 4am... and I'm at the TOP of the hill about 600 feet further up...

I put Spike back in field and went round to the field shelter to tie up the haylage net... expected 3 ponies... only saw the 2 littlies.
No ginger pony.

Looked around field... eyes had swept half the field and were confused by the ginger thing at the far side of the field beside the swamp...on the OTHER side of the fence.

EH?!

I tied up the haynet for the other 3 (who were totally unconcerned about their bud and hunkering down for themselves...) and walked over...

Yup he was on the other side of a fence that is BIGGER than him!
He was totally calm and unfazed...

Ok, so he has no wounds, cuts, seems ok, not shivering but eating a gorse bush TRYing to hide from 30mph winds.

I gave him a sweetie (which he only gets when he's been a REALLY good boy), went and got haylage, hay and warm water.

I spent a useless half hour trying to find my boltcutters that my husband had NOT put back in their place ( Oh SUCH a long story there...).

Auntie H finished tagging cattle and stopped by (what on earth is she doing tagging cattle at that time on a Saturday!... doesn't she EVER lie in??!!) ... my plan was to open the gate to the swamp, clear the gorse down to Charlot then cut the old fence just before the point the new fence joins it.

The old fence with barbed wire is on Charlots left shoulder in the pic, the strainer post is where it meets the new fence with no barb which is on his right shoulder. The horse in the rug in the background is Spike being an eejit...

So we cut through the old fence, star pony trustingly followed Auntie H over the gorse...

If you look on the right side of the fence... that's where we led the wee fella - from behind the tree at the back of the pic THROUGH the gorse at the front.

Wee soul just followed Auntie H calm as anything.

I kept the others busy while Auntie H got him out the field, trotted him up - totally sound - canna believe it.

Then took him into Steading 3 for a warm drink and a bite of haylage. The things a boy will do for a bite of Geordie's best...

I really don't care as long as the wee ginger pony is in one piece and ok.

That was one HELL of a day...

Auntie Px

3rd February 2011

From his Auntie H....

"Hi Frances (please feel free to use the photo's I left you and the one's this weekend on FB)

It's been a FANTASTIC weekend......... the photo's say it all really. Charlot is totally settled, happy and relaxed at hobbit central, his auntie P's.

I'm not sure how yesterday happened, when I was up in Shetland the week before last I said to you that I was quite close to just putting my leg over him....... well that's just what I did.

He was calm and happy with me leaning over him, as usual (Auntie P's other half G has also been doing the same), so I got myself a bucket, stood up on it (still relaxed and happy), gently laid a hand on his wither and slid my leg over. He was a total star, promptly kicked over the bucket.....(I thought I was in trouble), but no, he just walked towards auntie P for his carrot.

Today, I've sat on him again, after leading him out in hand with me towing a tyre behind me. He was a little aprehensive of the tyre at first, but relaxed if I layed a hand on him as we walked. ( I was up helping P work Mal and Likely, we played with Chalot and Spike first).

He really is the best behaved of all of the boys - a genuinely NICE person.
I feel very privileged to be able to work with him, he gives so much to me (both in his confidence and his need to be "with" me), I honestly think I might end up with a proper wee ride and drive pony in the end. He is a joy to work with, and is assured a home here for life.

Like you, I didn't really think yesterday would happen, let alone 3-4 months after he first arrived, I read your articles in Carriage Driving mag and his blog, and sometimes wonder if I have the same pony!!!!

So thank you Frances for giving me the chance to help the bright ginger pony......I'm indebted to you for placing your trust in me. My smile says everything :-)

Going to sign off now, I have tears looming........!!!xx"

sniff, sniff and blow!

2nd February 2011 (Part 4) & videos!

This was after the november snow BEFORE the field shelter was built - you can see the concrete pad for it that i've kept clear for them...


This was winter solstice - oh i WISH i'd had the good camera out as you canna bloody see the ponies!


This is me putting spike out with his haylage net after his breakfast - Charlot is normally where I am standing with the warm water bucket hence the LOOKS!
Mal does NOT have a white star as you know - he in the snow was always the last man foraging and the last to come to the gate...


First flat trot up after a month of ice - flappy jackets de rigeur bein sur!


and the unbelievable Auntie H backing Charlot moment...


and just to sell Thordale Shetlands worldwide... (OMG Frances these ponies are... well I just dinna have words!)


Hope that will make up for the last 2 months I have spent looking AFTER the ponies not doing emails!

Auntie P

2nd February 2011 (Part 3)

When the worst of the snow had gone, Auntie H managed to get up for a vist and was thrilled to see a VERY ginger Charlot against the snow with no rug and a happy face. I haven't rugged him at all.

He gets 2 - 3 checks a day or 5 - 6 if sub zero, has hay a few times a day and a wee handfull of basic no sugary crap chaff with a digestive enhancer in a slurpy dinner. He's warm, hairy and I think happy!

He was telling me all through December and now even worse in January that - AHEM wifie! I am a BIG horse too like Spike and I need the same attention.

Spike gets taken in early in the morning for breakfast and a rug change and C stands at the gate 30 yards away giving me BIG eyes. At tea time the last 2 days, I have started taking Spike & Charlot in together, giving them their feeds then going out to get the weans. I swear Charlot looks at me saying ABOUT TIME WOMAN! Occasionally I take the weans in first and OH MY LORD you should see them strut in front of the big boys...

Auntie H came up a couple of weeks ago and we took Spike and Charlot out for a walk in hand for the 200 yards of ice clear track that I had... then back to the cattle court for a roll and munch with the weans. She stood beside him, leaned over, and he didn't bat an eye. She went round the other side, he not quite so sure, she didn't force but didn't back off and there she was leaning over his right side with her far hand scratching his flank. All he did was lean round to look. I confess I teared up.

She managed up a week later, did the same - but got herself far enough over to lift her feet off the ground - he didn't bat an eyelid!

During the week I was working on Spike's indoor training (he gets badly spooked at noises inside but fine outside) and had progressed to having him loose in the wee cattle court with the other 3 for 5 then 10 then 15 mins - now up to an hour while I muck out, do field water etc.

The first day, Spike was still tied up and eating from the haynet that a loose Charlot and Likely were sharing... sooo VERY non BHS, I leaned my full body weight over Charlot to get to Spikes rope to untie it, Likely then budged in to the space I'd made in front of the haynet - I giggled, all 3 kept munching, I untied Spike and off we went. So... adult bodyweight over C's back now a normal everyday occurance and not something to fret about. Oh GOD... I'm teachng to the BHS this year - I'll get barred...

Auntie H works full time, lives on a sheep and cattle farm, has her own sheep as well as the farm flock never mind her own horse... I work Sats and Suns in the winter to see all my equine clients and if there is bad weather both of us have our hands full just looking after basic chores at home...getting free time together in the winter is rare.

I saw the weather forecast for Saturday just past, called a couple of clients, juggled the diary, got up extra early (fed a bewildered spike) to get out to work early enough to get home for the last hour of daylight...Auntie H met me as I got home and we went over to get Spike and Charlot in. I noticed she was wearing jodhs...

Spike was tied yomping into the new delivery of Geordie's finest (best haylage in Aberdeenshire!).

Charlot in a headcollar and leadrope was standing beside Auntie H - ON A BUCKET! Charlot not bothered.

She leans over and onto Charlot and sits upright.
Charlot really not bothered!

Ears flicking back and forwards but back and rump soft and hind leg resting.
Charlot moves forward, knocks over the bucket... H looks at me and says uh-oh can you move the bucket...
Charlot moves forward to investigate the bucket - oblivious to H on his back.

I'd been working all week in the field on C's name recognition - he is now the only one of the 4 who will come to his name. (I tested it when H arrived... C was at the bottom of the 5 acre park and I asked her to call him - remember he's not seen her in weeks... - his was the one head of four that pinged up and he started walking up to the gate) (confess I teared up again - LORDY this boy makes me cry a lot - but always in a GOOD way!)

ALL it takes with Charlot is the basic cowboy tenet - REWARD THE TRY (was it Mark Rashid that said that?).

If you ask him to do something, as soon as he makes the slightest energetic shift of thought - even if he's not actually MOVED yet - if you REWARD THE TRY and say GOOD BOY... he knows he's on the right track and will continue with confidence and gusto.

Soooo... and this bit is on video... I stood about ten feet away from H sitting astride C... and called out his name... he started to take a step towards me, GOOD BOY... and I did it again - and he walked with helen towards me - confess I gave him a carrot and H and I hi fived (yes and we teared up a bit).

I managed home an hour early the next day and Auntie H escaped up to the hill too. She borrowed a tyre on ropes which she dragged from her shoulders whilst leading Charlot, me leading Spike behind her. C initially a wee bit worried but with H's hand on his withers he was fine. Spike had his nose on the tyre whilst behind but passaged at the noise whilst in front. These ponies will be the making of this big eejit yet.

(H then put Likely in full harness, I got Mal in a saddle pad and reins from the headcollar, H longreined Likely while she towed the tyre with Mal and I leading IN FRONT...oh these pirie ponies have SUCH spirit and a thirst for what is out there.)

These ponies are teaching me SO much... I have not laughed out loud so much in a long time... and I have certainly not laughed AT myself so much in a long time.

Spike and Charlot have become best Buds... they share haynets, a water bucket, come in and out the field together. Charlot thinks he is 17.1 and all that. Spike thinks he is 11 hands and one of the gang.

Me...? I cry almost every day I am so happy with my loons.

Pics and vids to follow.

Px

2nd February 2011 (Part 2)

How can I try to sum up the last 2 months of Charlot?

He has never once put a foot wrong whilst on the hill... he's tested boundaries occasionally - butting the ponies away from me, pushing me for food or water etc... and my response is to shoo him away with voice and arms for an instant, then when he drops his head/licks/chews or yawns I soften my own body language and he comes over for a good scratch.

In the first 3 weeks of being here, he would occasionally go to shy away from the headcollar going on in the field... all I would do is grunt "AHEM" and he would stop, get the headcollar put on then lean in for a scratch. Funny pony! (I DON'T WANT to join in.... ah well ok I will then... very like one of my nephews!).

An invaluable line I heard from Dr Gerd Heuschmann last year whilst he was working on a rescued Spanish mare who's carers were struggling to make progress... "this horse has had horrific experiences... but it is STILL a horse". I treat horses the same way I do dogs and children - have as much fun as you can but hey there are some basic boundaries that just can't be broken.

They WILL try (THAT'S HOW THEY LEARN!), but it is our job to (quickly!) let them know they are wrong - and even more quickly to let them know they are forgiven... and recognised for learning the lesson. Try it with kids!

A line from my amazing puppy trainer, Billie Machell, was ... what is my dog (read horse, child, husband whatever!) learning from this moment/experience...?

My husband came home for Hogmanay and was a brilliant help with the horses.

A week or so of being home, I was filling water buckets while the ponies were loose in the wee cattle court.
I heard him say, "this is just the coolest pony I have ever met."
I turned around, expecting him to be with Malachy or Likely... and there he was leaning over CHARLOT'S back!

Charlot adores G... follows him around, lets him lean over him, trots out on the trail with him. Soul mates. Total Dude is G's expression for Charlot.

Charlot's doesn't mind me... looks to me for help or care or support... but he simply ADORES G. (confess I kinda feel the same way...)

G~ said that the description I have for our young tb Alfie, is the way he thinks of Charlot. (Alfie is VERY VERY special to me. I describe Alfie as quite simply the nicest, most likeable, grounded, trainable horse I have ever met.)

I confess I teared up when G said that about Charlot.

2nd February 2011 (Part 1)

Hulloo!

Well I have to apologise for the 2 months its been since the last update.

2 feet of snow in November meant I had over 2 miles of road to plough myself, water to sledge 250 yards to the horses and a labour intensive - if beautiful and fun - long day.

Hellish difficult trying to capture how stunningly GINGER Charlot was in the snow - every time i got my phone out he would come up for a scratch - he LOVES facials!

The minus 18 weather had me hauling out buckets of warm water 5 or 6 times a day - the roll call was Spike, Mal, Likely then Charlot. I had to do C last as he would drink EVERYthing just because he could!

(After 5 winters in Alaska with a colicky horse I am the biggest fan of warm water - ie just off cold - for keeping the gut hydrated in sub zero temps).

I then badly injured an eye whilst hauling water (argument with a bungee cord) so couldn't see well enough to type for a few weeks and, well, January has just been chores and being able to get out to see the lost 6 weeks of horse clients...