19th June 2010

We think Charlot has been ridden before.

He went mad when Jo stood on a bucket to lean over his back. It wasn't the leaning over Charlot minded, it wasn't the saddle, it was the fact that she stood on a bucket to be the right height to do this. He wouldn't let her near him despite happily letting her put a saddle on his back and lunge him.

Today started just the same as ever. I caught Charlot, did a spot of lungeing and then Jo put a small saddle and crupper on his back to see how he would react with the stirrups dangling. He didn't mind at all, walked and trotted around without a flicker.

Then Jo got a jump bucket to stand on and Charlot flew off in a blind panic. He wouldn't go near her because of her instant height. Eventually he let her lean over him but he was not relaxed at all. We tried this a few times, and he got worse and worse, winding himself up into a nervous wreck. We ended up against the wall so he couldn't evade the issue. I held Charlot's head, as usual, and Jo slowly stepped up onto the bucket, keeping her shoulders rounded and body bent. He let her lean across him and then two other Shetlands appeared for moral support. Charlot eventually tolerated Jo but he was not happy.

Perhaps he was ridden as a youngster, something happened and he remembers. This was not a happy reaction but one of panic. We will keep trying. Poor lad, we ended on a good, if nervous, note.

12th June 2010

Wow, what a good Charlot day!

He was easy to catch and we also caught a little Shetland too. Jo walked off with her Shetland while I turned around to shut the gate. I thought I would see what would happen if.....I looped Charlot's rope over his neck and turned my back to him. Now Jo was walking away with her pony and Charlot had two choices, to follow Jo and her pony or to stay with me. He just turned around to face me and waiteduntil I was ready to go.

We walked happily to the shed together and, as Charlot was obviously in a trusting mood, we decided to trim his back feet. With me on the front end chatting to him, Jo picked up a back and trimmed it and then the other one. He was a good boy and got small bits of carrot for his efforts.

Then, we showed him the foot stand. Charlot was not sure about this and danced about, so Jo put a front hoof on and rasped that before she tried again with a back. He succeeded very quickly and was calm and trusting. Jo said that she felt she could trust him and was happy to put herself in a more vulnerable place to do a better job. Before he has to be trimmed almost at arm's length with a twitch on. I hope that makes sense - badly put really!

As a reward, I took Charlot to the house to get some more carrots from the fridge. He happily stood by the front door waiting!

Anyway, well done Charlot! What a huge change. He still has a thing about waving arms so I fed him a carrot doing a wavy arm dance. If he wanted the carrot pieces, he had to allow me to behave very oddly.

A very calm day. A very good day and one we will remember!

30th May 2010

A busy day today.

Charlot is not lame. We left him alone for a few weeks to sort himself out and now he is fine and functioning well on all four legs.

He was easily caught and we did his feet (he minded a bit), harnessed him up and did some long-reining. We used the Shetland pony sized brollar for the first time and Charlot didn't mind in the slightest. It fitted fine! He was his usually bouncy self, if a little speedy and mad, having a fit at the slightest arm waving but putting up with things crashing around him.

We introduced Charlot to the cart too. Floss pulled it along behind him and he didn't care at all. So then we put it up to him, not attached, but so that he could feel the shafts along his sides. We walked about the indoor school like this with me leading and Jo holding the cart up so that it could be taken away quickly should Charlot react, which he didn't at all. He minds more about folk's body language. Such a sensitive soul.

We praised him for his good behaviour and told him to grow up or ignored the bad. When he reacted to someone moving their arm, we then flapped about like chickens so that he would stop bothering about it. To any onlooker, we would have looked completely mad!

Charlot was a good boy and tried his very best. We did not attach the cart as a) it is far too small for him and b) we have not reached that point yet.

As a reward and to try and calm him down abit, we did some free-schooling over a jump. Charlot loves to jump and had a great time trotting and cantering around the school, just jumping for fun.

So, we achieved alot today and he has gone out to join his friends!

Well done Charlot!

11th May 2010

We moved the herd back to their spring/summer field today with the help of some useful visitors. Charlot led very well but his friend didn't so I was busy arguing with a Shetland pony whilst being dragged along. Charlot, bless him, was helper and not a hinderer. He just pottered alongside me while I was having my fight with his friend.

Once in the school, I tied him up and had words with the "friend".

Charlot stood nicely, thought about biting the wooden boards, so I threw a little stone at his bum - one throw was all it took and he stopped immediately and stood quietly from then on.

Jo tried to lunge him but he was lame on his back left leg. Nothing too drastic, just a bit stiff. He has probably taken a bad step. We will assess him in a few days. He let Jo pick up his feet with absolutely no argument.

So we put them all out to eat the small amount of spring grass that has deigned to arrive. It is nearly mid-May and it is now snowing!

Having said that, no one is thin!

27th March 2010

Well I was still rather peeved about yesterday's behaviour so I went to catch Charlot.

Of course, he held his grudge for ages and was hopeless, running away telling everyone how vile I had been. Eventually, he let me catch him when I rounded my shoulders, avoided eye contact and kept him off his food and told him that I wasn't going to give up.

Charlot allowed himself to be led away to the school where I lunged him a bit and with the help of some horsey biccies, he found that life was not that difficult really.

We picked up his feet, did some nice lungeing where he cantered around listening to my every command fairly well. As he was in a speedy mood, we decided to put up a jump for him. We started with a pole on the ground and he trotted over that, jumping it and then the jump went up!

The first attempt was not brilliant but he soon got the hang and getting his timing and distance right. A few poles went down but this did not deter Charlot.

We lunged one of the Icelandics (Haakon) over the jump too and Charlot happily followed him around. After a few attempts, Charlot was going round at liberty on his own, popping over the jump from every direction, enjoying himself enormously.

Perhaps he is a jumping pony. I think we should saddle him up soon!

26th March 2010

No photos, it was pouring with rain, sorry.

We moved the four lads (Charlot plus his 3 little Shetland friends) back to the big field where the Icelandics had been put the day before.

It was pouring with rain but the weather is due to get worse so it made sense really - more snow forecast. I can't bear it but life is much easier when the horses are all in one place where you can feed them quickly if the weather deteriorates further.

Anyway, I had just to lead Charlot while Jo negotiated the hill with her 3 little 'uns. Charlot waited for me to turn back around to close the gates while Jo charged forth across the hill waterskiing. We caught up and all went onto our track. I turned around again to shut the main gate while Jo was led to the main field gate.

It is funny how you think you are in control only to find that this is entirely due to the pony's decision to behave. So, Charlot decided that everyone has suddenly left him behind and he barged past me leaving me hanging onto his rope in an indignant rage. I hate bad manners, he wrenched my back and I hate bargeing.

So, in my fit of pique, I swung Charlot around and told him what I thought of that. I was not happy, I hurt and it was his fault.

I backed him up and made him walk nicely past the gate for five minutes, while all his friends hurtled off to annoy the Icelandics.

Charlot quickly realised that he had to do what I wanted or he would never get to join his mates so he did the bare minimum with grudging boredom. When I was satisfied that he had seen the error of his ways, I let him go to find his friends and he instantly went off sniggering at me.

I think we have reached the Kevin years now. I suppose the fun is about to start. The battle of wills against the unhelpful teenager. Ugh!

7th March 2010

We started our day with the usual brushing, general feet cleaning and chat. Charlot was quite nervy this morning so we were careful not to make things worse.

He pulled his log again but started off getting his back foot over the trace. Jo went and calmly picked it up and put it within the trace and we both marveled at the fact that this time last year, he would not have allowed that, got in a state and made things much worse. So, on retrospect, we have come a long way! You just don't see it sometimes until something brings it smartly to your attention.

Anywho, as I said, he was a bit jumpy and rushing and spooky but Jo just kept control and brought him back quickly to working sense. It didn't take long and we remembered when we long-reined him a few years back while he reared and refused to listen. Taking things slowly and steadily is a good way of training with Charlot. He really cannot be rushed. It is very good that he doesn't mind the traces around his back legs considering he has had a "thing" about us touching them.

After now managing to trot happily around with his log, without batting an eyelid or napping to his friends, Charlot was unharnessed and stood waiting tied up for our next madcap idea. The basket saddle! Be-Anne, my dog, sat on his back for a short while and he didn't care so we put the Victorian basket saddle so he could get used to the feeling of something different on his back.




So he stood there, looking faintly embarrassed and turning back to examine the saddle. He was totally unperturbed so Jo lunged him in walk and trot on both reins with it - not a flicker!

He really does have a lovely trot. I know I keep saying this, but he does!

What a great day!