24th September 2008

Strike action at school so we had Robert (Jo's lad) to help today.

I caught Charlot, with no problem. Good start, I thought. He walked calmly into the indoor school and I then remembered that we had no "inspiration", ie food! Never mind, Jo said, he couldn't dine out on his fears forever.

So, front feet were done easily enough though Charlot does have a tendency to fall over if he has to stand on three legs. He just topples over!

Then "hello back feet" and off we went again. Round and round in circles with some fairly vicious kicks aimed at Jo. He really is vile about this issue (though, I am fairly sure there will be others but we only know about this one for the time being!)

Jo decided to use a Parelli method which involves touching the horse all over with a rustly bag on a stick. Being not up on Parelli and his methods, I am not very sure of the theory and benefits here but Charlot didn't seem to mind any of this, including when Jo touched his back legs with her weird "training aid".

So, we left it at that. Jo didn't go near Charlot's feet again with her hands and we put him out into his field again to rejoin his friends. Funnily enough, Robert announced that we should try going near Charlot's back legs when he was outside - apparently he doesn't mind that in the slightest!! Always open to suggestions, we will give it a go another day!

21 September 2008

Well..... as we have the girls around to help us (they are usually away at school off the island), I went an caught Charlot very easily. The trick is to show him a piece of apple and then to put on the headcollar around his nose, give him the apple, and to do the headcollar up. Works a treat!

Mission accomplished, Daisy held him and Jo went for the feet. Fronts, again, were fine. He even anticipated and offered to pick them up. Then for the back ones.

.... well Jo did it and it took half the time but there was still the usual lashing out with target practice. With Daisy on the front end with a pocket full of apple and carrot, Jo would run her hand down Charlot's back leg. If he lashed out, no apple. If, on the other hand, he allowed her to stroke/scratch his back leg, then he would get some apple. This time we won because he decided to have a poo!

With Charlot, it doesn't take long for him to work things out and, note to self, we really must find that clicker (I know it must be somewhere!) as I think he would make a prime candidate for clicker training.

This is a pony that needs constant work and reinforcement on a daily basis. At this moment, it is not the time. Funny little lad, though. I was stroking Charlot's head and he was doing his best not to fall asleep! His motto is never trust anyone coz they might be a tiger!

He is also looks like a little porker! Well, winter will be harsh and he needs it since he will be living out 24/7. You could make quite a few sausages out of him now! Perhaps someone ought to tell him and then he might behave!

20th September 2008

I bought Charlot a 4'9" heavy duty winter turnout rug. I know he will need it for the forthcoming winter or, failing that, we will have to put him in a stable. We don't have any spare stables at present. Jo's stables are already booked for this year's foals and Indie this winter and Charlot will not have a peaceful winter if he is stuck in a separate field gazing at them whilst waging war against Indie. Hence the rug purchase.

The last time we put a rug on Charlot (last spring), he nearly went into meltdown but this time, he was mellow and unphased by this, including having the fillet string passed through the back of his legs with straps done up underneath his belly. Charlot's behaviour cheered me up as we have done nothing with him this past month. He remained calm, interested in yet another mad scheme and co-operative. I am glad we tried it on him now rather than in an emergency situation (you know, Gale Force 10, rain lashing down and trying to get a rug onto him while he shook with cold, wet and misery).



Daisy calmly led him around the school (and btw, he was also fairly easy to catch too) and then, on a roll ,we decided to "do" feet, ie Jo picks up each hoof, cleans it out and puts it down with no fuss. Well, that is the theory anyway and the practice was actually completely different.

The front two hooves were no problem but the back two resulted in Charlot becoming more and more adept at target practice. He would not give in and lashed out the minute he felt Jo's hand on his back legs. Not good, not good at all.


Never one to give up, Jo persevered until Charlot became used to feeling her hand on his leg reaching as far down as his hoof. At times, he was dangerous and panicking. Jo said you could hear his heart beating very very fast. She kept going until she could run her hand down his back leg without him lashing out.

We know that we have to keep going but our luck has run out for the time being. I have wrecked my back and doctors orders are to rest with gentle mobilisation. Hanging onto a rope with nearly half a ton of horse trying to evade an issue is not "gentle mobilisation" in any language! We will do our best but it is probably more beneficial to let him learn to be in a herd environment rather than to try and train him occasionally without all our strength and concentration. We cannot help him if we are not firing on all cylinders.

23rd August 2008

We haven't worked with Charlot in a while. Just let him enjoy the summer with his friends with little, if any, human pressure.

So, today I decided we would do a small something in the training department. I caught him with no bother (a piece of apple thrown did the trick) and led him into the indoor school. Whereupon Jo brushed his tail and plaited his mane, picked his feet out and that was it. Nothing too strenuous and he coped admirably. Everyone was calm.

We are busy with training other Shetland ponies who are already sold so there is much to do that doesn't involve Charlot. He is interested in our work and taking it all in, which is a good sign. We let him watch and I am sure that one day he knows it will be his turn!

30th July 2008

Well, not our best day at all today. In fact, a disaster on all fronts. Charlot can't be caught, is jumpy and nervous around folk. So after failing to catch him the day before, I made the decision to work with him.

I followed him around the outside of the school a couple of times trying to catch him with a carrot but he would have none of it. Pony friends consistently offered their services which did not help and gave Charlot time to move away. In the end he sought refuge from being followed by me and went into the indoor arena.

The door was shut and the bars went across and I decided that he was not scared of me, just didn't want to be part of the team. Join-up was initiated and it did not take long for him to lick and chew. Although, he would not follow me, he would let me walk up to him and replace the head-collar. We did this head-collar on and off a few times.

Then Jo brushed him. He jumped at her every touch, trying to evade the situation. When she picked up his back feet, Charlot tried to kick her and I feel we have gone back very quickly to the bottom of our snake or ladder. However, we ended on a good note and I slipped him back into the herd group.

After lunch, I went back with a head-collar and after the initial wander, I caught Charlot fairly quickly. He appeared much calmer so we did a small amount of quiet lungeing, just small amounts of walk and trot on both reins, nothing stressful. I just wanted him to listen to me in a calm fashion. After that, I put him out with the others.

He has been moved to live around the house. This is where the fatties are and I can see him all the time. I popped out every few hours with a biscuit, baby carrots or a treat so that he could see there was no pressure to be talked to. Let's hope he gets back into the idea of people because at the moment, Charlot is taking the piss big time.

19th July 2008

Well, an eventful day for Charlot. He has had a nice peaceful time in his field for the last month - we have been very busy planning our trip south for the Royal Highland Show and then recovering from the subsequent nightmare ferry journey back home.

So, today we decided to take-up where we left off. Charlot was happy to be harnessed up but this time the breeching was attached to the breast collar so he could actually feel the harness fitting around his body. He wasn't sure about this and after a circuit of broncing on the lunge, he soon settled down to work sense, although threatening to roll. This was discouraged and Jo decided to put on the blinkered bridle and attached the long-reins through the terrets onto his bit.


Charlot was definitely unsure about this too and panicked very quickly. So Hella and Jo walked either side of him constantly reassuring him that things were fine. Once Charlot believed them, he was long-reined successfully for a short time with just Hella walking by his head.



We finished on a good note with carrots and lots of praise. Charlot learns quickly once he trusts his handler. It all takes time and that is what we have lots of. There is no hurry.

June 7th 2008

I went to catch a pony for shoeing and, in my absence, Jo harnessed up Charlot using the large Shetland pony harness. She said he was no trouble and let her do up buckles around his tail and girth. It suited him and so she led him about for a bit and then lunged him.

Charlot was chilled about the whole process and was working on listening to Jo's commands for various transitions whilst following her body language. Clever boy!

Meanwhile Eggwub arrived to "help" and generally get in the way. He tipped up buckets, made a huge noise investigating everything, while Charlot went round in his lungeing circles ignoring the clatter. I am including a photo of the Wub so you can see what a dear boy he is! Kiss that nosey!