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
2 comments:
Thank you for this lovely update :-), so glad he's a happy little man.
he is a really sensitive little lad and reverts back to stage 1 when he feels worried.
glad he came back to you!
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