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.