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
