Benjamin Brown update. - proud mummy post☺️

[dorsetladette]

This weekend has been dry and mild with us, with no scary wind either. So it was time to crack on and work with B2. As I've said in previous posts/threads he's a bit special and scared of pretty much everything. But we seem to have turned a corner in the last few weeks.

Yesterday we lunged and did some in hand practise. He can now stand square like a pro!!! Which is brill as I want to get him out to some local shows this spring for a bit of experience.

Then today we did some long reining. I can now move the reins from one side of his bum to the other with out him sitting down. The reins can swing about touching his sides without sitting down. As everything went so well I only did about 15/20 mins and finished before we pushed things to far. Once back at his hay net I got the scary saddle cloth out and gently put that over his back a few times. He watched me do it, but again no panic. So Ben got lots of scratches and left to eat (his favourite thing) in peace.

Really pleased with his progress, I know to most it sounds like tiny tiny steps but to Ben its huge!!

 

[PurBee]

Aww he’s a champ! Its great when they finally turn a corner and welcome their progress! I give hay after training too which they seem to love and its like a reward of sorts for them to munch and think about everything that theyve just learnt.

I often put scary stuff in their space for them to investigate on their own. A split plastic bedding bag flapping in the wind meant the gelding learnt he could paw at it, tear it...so when i put it on his back later he didnt flinch. The wary mare on the other hand avoids everything new, and needs encouragement to learn everything is safe. Baby steps allows for huge progress! Im very aware of ‘holes in training foundations’ so happy to spend forever on the basic and de-sensitising.

I know some trainers love to advertise a horse being backed in a day, but to me rushing it, could lead to issues down the road.
Ben obviously loves you training him and trust you

 

[dorsetladette]

Aww he’s a champ! Its great when they finally turn a corner and welcome their progress! I give hay after training too which they seem to love and its like a reward of sorts for them to munch and think about everything that theyve just learnt.

I often put scary stuff in their space for them to investigate on their own. A split plastic bedding bag flapping in the wind meant the gelding learnt he could paw at it, tear it...so when i put it on his back later he didnt flinch. The wary mare on the other hand avoids everything new, and needs encouragement to learn everything is safe. Baby steps allows for huge progress! Im very aware of ‘holes in training foundations’ so happy to spend forever on the basic and de-sensitising.

I know some trainers love to advertise a horse being backed in a day, but to me rushing it, could lead to issues down the road.
Ben obviously loves you training him and trust you

He's 8 this time so I'd like to be a lot further on than this, but I think rushing when he was backed as a 4 year old (from the stories I've been told) my be the reason he's the way he is now.
Hes been with me 15 months now and we seem to take 2 steps forward and 5 back so progress 2 days running is really encouraging.

Next weekend we might attempt a roller or a girth on the thorn pad.

 

[dorsetladette]

We wore a saddle AND girth today!!!

4 different saddles to be precise! None fit very well but we are making progress. Girth only done up on first hole either side and a calm walk round the paddock, but he did it. Very proud of Mr B today.

 

[outdoor girl]

Baby steps with results are far better than huge leaps with panic at the end. You definitely seem to be going in the right direction.

 

[dorsetladette]

I really need to get a saddle that fits now as the thorn pad just slips about.

I've discovered that doing everything from the 'wrong' side is manageable. Doing the girth up was the hardest part and then he relaxes.

 

[dorsetladette]

Whilst waiting around for the water butts to fill last night I took the opportunity to play with B2.

My new and improved Thorn pad worked a treat!!! Who knew £7 of Velcro could be so effective. I spent Monday evening sewing velcro to an old fleece (on one side) numnah and gluing to the underside of the saddle pad in the hopes it would stop slipping about while I'm doing the girth up.

It worked like a dream no movement at all and B2 stood like a rock while I reached under his tummy for the girth and gently did it up. (all on the 'wrong' side). We went for a walk round the field while I checked the fencing and then back to the gate and he stood and let me take the saddle off the correct side without a problem.

So, lots of scratches for Mr B and a carrot last night.

 

[dorsetladette]

Bit of an update.

Ben is now lunging in full tack (stirrups and everything!!) all flapping about with out any issues at all. Tacking up and untacking are still abut panicky, which feels like we always end on a bad note as I have to take his saddle off (if only he could live in his tack.)
I can now stand on my grooming kit box at his shoulder and put my arm over his withers with out an issue while he's wearing his tack.

Tiny tiny baby steps but all heading in the right direction.

 

[TheMule]

Good update, well done. They're so fragile when they're like this, but you're doing the right thing with taking your time

 

[dorsetladette]

Bit of an update on the precious one! ?

B2 went off on Friday to a lovely lady to help pregress his education.
I've got to the point where we can lunge with all tack at any speed without an issue, longline nicely and stand on a mounting block next to him scratching his wither on the opposite side. I felt I couldn't do much more without another pair of hands and a massive pair of b***s!! ?
I invited the lovely lady (recommended by several friends) to Come and work for an hour with him first so I could meet her and see how she was with B2. She just got him! Straight away! It was fab - I was very impressed. Chatted about what she planned to do with him and at what point we would agree to stop or carry on.

Anyway, plans didn't quite work in the order planned. B2 didn't take to the dumb jockey. Far to noisy and scary to go on that precious boys back! So lovely lady decided to 'just get on' and off and on and off and on and off lol. So today I received photos of B2 with a rider on him for what I believe is probably the first time!

I'm so proud of the precious little thelwell pony. Fingers crossed he continues in the same direction ?

 

[TPO]

Congratulations! Look forward to all your updates ?

 

[dorsetladette]

Benjamin is continuing to improve at the lovely ladies yard. Went to see him today.

He was on the walker with the dummy on when I got there. She took him to the school where he panicked while trotting with the dummy, but soon calmed and she got some lovely lunging work out of him. Standing still is his biggest issue as it all seems to become to much for him. But it's getting less dramatic when he does panic.
Lovely lady then took him back to the stables, took the dummy off and had a sit on herself while being led up and down the Isle between the stables in the barn. He is much better with a rider than a dummy, but because his reactions are quite extreme and dramatic lovely lady wants to wait until she has better work with him with the dummy before she gets to work riding him.
After all that he had a hose off and then was put back in his stable and rugged up (just a fleece) but even that is a massive step in the right direction. X

 

[dorsetladette]

Got a phone call yesterday from Lovely Lady (she deserves this name she truly is amazing) on her way to hospital. Unfortunately she came off Ben yesterday quite dramatically.
After she explained what happened, we have decided that his ridden education is going to stop here. He's had to many bad starts and just can't process new things logically. It would be silly to continue as the reactions are just so unpredictable and extreme at times.

So, now we make the decision what to do with him. I can't sell/rehome as chances are someone would try and break him. He's a cracking looking pony so I will try a bit of in hand showing when we can again, but in the meantime we need to find something to occupy his mind as he can be an pain with the other ponies if left. He doesn't make a great companion as he has separation anxiety, so it ties me to only riding at home (my other pony). I can't justify getting him a companion and I already have 1 livery.

He'll be coming home at the weekend

 

[ycbm]

I'm sorry about your latest update, but it's great that he's with such a responsible owner.

.

 

[dorsetladette]

I'm sorry about your latest update, but it's great that he's with such a responsible owner.

.

Thank you - everything was going so well, we were all incredibly proud of how far he'd come, but its just not worth the risk. Some ponies just don't take to ridden work I suppose. If he was a mare I'd find a nice stud to loan him to as a brood mare (obviously keeping a close eye on the situation)