Drifter one year on

Flibble

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3 September 2007
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Gloucestershire
www.annamason-art.co.uk
It is hard to believe that its a year since I bought Horse too Big.

We havent done badly only two trips to A & E and one to the Doctors.

I always said that Gulliver trained me for my next horse but unfortunatly what I had not realised at the time was that the next horse would be so different to Gully.

So in a year he has made me laugh, made me cry, Made me cry again, stood on my foot,nipped my bum and scared the wotsit out of me.

It is so easy to dwell on what isnt right and sometimes you have to sit back and think well there is a lot more to this horse keeping lark than I bargained for.

I was offended when I was told by the girls on the yard that my horse was rude and bargy but he was. Not nasty its just noone seemed to have indicated that it is incorrect to walk through people to reach what you want.


A summary of what the lump has learnt :

The word WAIT means stand still:
he will stand on the yard tacked while I go back to his box for my whip.
He will stand in the school while I move jumps around.

he will stand still just about anywhere as long as tell him and scratch his shoulder to confirm its right.

He steps back when his feed is brought to his stable - I wont lie and say he waits patiently he stands back and hops from foot to foot with a can I can I can I look but he doesnt dive at it and he stands back while you tie his haynet up. Only an inch or two but its enough.

He moves over and steps out of the way if you have to muck out while he's in his house.

He walks out to the field beside you and waits for you to let him go.

He stands still while you mount him off any inanimate object.

He loads in his trailer and unloads front or back.

He hacks out in traffic

He lunges from voice commands.

So all I have to do now is learn how to stay on when he goes ballistic and broncs
grin.gif


So here he is having been told to wait with one ear on me telling him how good he is.

11_Aug_2009.jpg
 
Aaawww - what an angel!
And he has learnt so much, I'm sure he'll soon get the idea that charging off and broncing ISN'T what you want him to do!
 
I love your posts about Drifter! You are doing the right thing in thinking about all the positive things rather than dwelling on the negative. Have been trying to do that with my new horse - rather than concentrating on OMG what have I done, its all going wrong, I am thinking about all the ways in which she's good.
So, all in all, if you had the benefit of hindsight, would you buy him again?
 
To be honest with the benefit of hindsight I would have bought the 16.1 schoolmaster I started looking for rather than a nearly 17hh youngster. But he is very appealing when he is being good and he has a very trainable attitude he loves learning and catches on very quickly.

When I think back it used to take up to 20 minutes to get him to stand still enough to mount!

So on good days I am glad I have him and on the really bad days knitting suddenly becomes a more appealing hobby!!
 
You have done a tremendous job. Well done. Could never be as brave. Lucky he found you. Keep up the good work!
 
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