HHO's "Bear" project pony...

[KEK]

Ummmm yes I do... pay someone else to do it ??? Honestly you’d laugh if you saw my real turnout, Be positive can testify that I tend to rock up to events with plaits everywhere and ponies with toilet brushes for tails..however always with a fit and well looking horse!

In all seriousness I battled for ages with Boggles mane and eventually paid someone to thin and pull it properly and then kept on top of it myself. Made it so much easier. I clip the tails (badly, they grow out to look fine enough pretty quick) and I also have fully clipped horses at all times for several reasons

a) I cannot stand beards, feathers etc from an aesthetics point of view despite being happy to rock up to events looking disheveled. It’s obviously totally incorrect to trim Connies the way I do but it’s what I prefer so I crack on with it!
B) I am really allergic to horses and absolutely can’t groom a horse that’s moulting anywhere. Makes me really uncomfortable and wheezy despite antihistamines.
Edited to add a c)
I actually find Connies grow quite a thick summer coat or at least Basil and Bog do/did, find its much nicer for them to be clipped and easier to keep them cool when they are working hard or it’s super hot.

Thanks for the reply do you use any mane/tail conditioners etc? He does have a pretty thick coat , even now when it's 35 degrees every day, much thicker than the standy. I will think about clipping it next summer. I guess I would then need to summer sheet though, from a Sun protection POV?
Bog looks unbelievably fit and well, would be very happy if my pony looked like that!

 

[Michen]

Thanks for the reply do you use any mane/tail conditioners etc? He does have a pretty thick coat , even now when it's 35 degrees every day, much thicker than the standy. I will think about clipping it next summer. I guess I would then need to summer sheet though, from a Sun protection POV?
Bog looks unbelievably fit and well, would be very happy if my pony looked like that!

Thanks for the reply do you use any mane/tail conditioners etc? He does have a pretty thick coat , even now when it's 35 degrees every day, much thicker than the standy. I will think about clipping it next summer. I guess I would then need to summer sheet though, from a Sun protection POV?
Bog looks unbelievably fit and well, would be very happy if my pony looked like that!

An occasional spritz on his mane just to make it more slippery so neck rugs don’t rub it out.

Yes though I keep them in during the day in the summer and try and turn out when the suns really cooled down if it’s hot.. obviously our climate is somewhat different to yours so our hot is probably your cold!!!

Boggle has had occasional periods of porkiness mid summer but it’s rare, in general if he’s fit he’s then buzzy and then just keeps himself trim, as did my last Connie (if only the same could be said for myself..). He does take a huge amount of feeding in the winter if I hunt him though but I don’t feed him anything really April-Sept.

I dunno I just think they are better off leaner than slightly chubby. This was my other Connie, Basil, also a buzzy bean. He had a hernia so a bit of a funny shape under his belly but he was always shiny like Bog and looked well.

I don’t actually groom much at all either btw, I’m only grooming Boggle a lot now because I think it’s important for a horse that’s stuck in a box.

 

[KEK]

An occasional spritz on his mane just to make it more slippery so neck rugs don’t rub it out.

Yes though I keep them in during the day in the summer and try and turn out when the suns really cooled down if it’s hot.. obviously our climate is somewhat different to yours so our hot is probably your cold!!!

Boggle has had occasional periods of porkiness mid summer but it’s rare, in general if he’s fit he’s then buzzy and then just keeps himself trim, as did my last Connie (if only the same could be said for myself..). He does take a huge amount of feeding in the winter if I hunt him though but I don’t feed him anything really April-Sept.

I dunno I just think they are better off leaner than slightly chubby. This was my other Connie, Basil, also a buzzy bean. He had a hernia so a bit of a funny shape under his belly but he was always shiny like Bog and looked well.

I don’t actually groom much at all either btw, I’m only grooming Boggle a lot now because I think it’s important for a horse that’s stuck in a box.




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Also gorgeous! Very shiny We don't have any stables yet. We will put them in down the track, but need float and our own arena 1st (haha 'need')
I've only had mine for a week.. seems to be very very good at eating. Have already progressed him to the smallest square haynet I can find and he just stands there till it's pretty much gone. Can't work him too much yet, he's only rising 4. Will see how we go with weight .. I am suspecting it will be need to be managed.

 

[Accidental Eventer]

Thanks for the reply do you use any mane/tail conditioners etc? He does have a pretty thick coat , even now when it's 35 degrees every day, much thicker than the standy. I will think about clipping it next summer. I guess I would then need to summer sheet though, from a Sun protection POV?
Bog looks unbelievably fit and well, would be very happy if my pony looked like that!

Kek, I am pretty sure you're in the same part of the world as me! My horses coats are changing already so I wouldn't be surprised if yours were too despite it still being too hot for autumn! I told mine yesterday he had better stop growing it because it's too early to clip still.

Michen Bear and Bog are both lovely, can't wait to follow your progress!

 

[GSD Woman]

He's adorable. I love Connies. Heck, I love most of the "true" Irish breeds/types. I could say it is because like a lot of Americans that my ancestry is heavily Irish.
For rain rot 2 old fashioned remedies is scrubbing with a 10% bleach in warm water. The other is to use old fashioned amber Listerine. Store brand works too. That stuff works on dog hot spots and nail fungus too.

 

[Michen]

Thanks guys! This thread has really helped, I have to admit I've had a slight WTF wobble, I think mainly because Bear being at another yard to Boggle is making things tricky for now as it's so much extra driving and time. It's a huge commitment to be up at Boggle's yard twice a day (usually I'd pay for turnout and bring in and muck out whenever I could get there) to muck out, in hand walk etc on top of a busy job with lots of travel. This morning I was walking him at 4am to be on the 6am train into London! I think everyone thinks I'm a bit bonkers to not send him to a rehab yard but I want to do it myself and I'm not ready to say good bye to him yet. Only 9 more weeks

I don't technically need to go see Bear daily but really want him to get to know me so his move in a couple of weeks is less stressful. Life will be easier once he's on the same yard as Boggle (where he will be on part livery)… cannot wait

 

[be positive]

Grooming, what is grooming, my first meeting with Bog was at a show with no more than a dandy brush, not even a cloth for a wipe over, I think the next time I took my show box and did a bit more of a spruce up.

I have never known anyone go to a BE event with so little, horse, tack, boots, rider, food for horse, we did have plenty of G&T or Pimms though.

Having said that a fit healthy horse will shine with minimum grooming, which is why Bog looks so super and Bear will soon be looking much the same, good food, plenty of proper work to not only get them fit but to also open the pores and help remove any build up of grease is the secret and why most racehorses gleam, the grooming just adds a bit extra it will not make an unhealthy horse look good however much you try.

 

[Michen]

Grooming, what is grooming, my first meeting with Bog was at a show with no more than a dandy brush, not even a cloth for a wipe over, I think the next time I took my show box and did a bit more of a spruce up.

I have never known anyone go to a BE event with so little, horse, tack, boots, rider, food for horse, we did have plenty of G&T or Pimms though.

Having said that a fit healthy horse will shine with minimum grooming, which is why Bog looks so super and Bear will soon be looking much the same, good food, plenty of proper work to not only get them fit but to also open the pores and help remove any build up of grease is the secret and why most racehorses gleam, the grooming just adds a bit extra it will not make an unhealthy horse look good however much you try.

All true

I'm sure Basil was subject to much better organisation

 

[Keith_Beef]

Lovely pictures. It's true, your blonde hair looks a bit like hay.



No wonder Bear tries to eat it.

 

[Michen]

Lovely pictures. It's true, your blonde hair looks a bit like hay.

View attachment 42205

No wonder Bear tries to eat it.

Hahaha note to self must use better conditioner!!!!

 

[KEK]

Kek, I am pretty sure you're in the same part of the world as me! My horses coats are changing already so I wouldn't be surprised if yours were too despite it still being too hot for autumn! I told mine yesterday he had better stop growing it because it's too early to clip still.

Michen Bear and Bog are both lovely, can't wait to follow your progress!

I suspect you are right... had a look at your blog and your pics looked suspiciously familiar! And your weather comments, altho we got no practically no rain
Henry is gorgeous, off to have a better read

 

[Michen]

Freedom for Bear! Think he’s happy ?

 

[Dyllymoo]

Ohhhhhh look how happy he is!

He looks like an amazing boy and I am really excited to follow your progress

 

[FinnBobs]

Bog and Bear are both so beautiful! you are a lucky lady

 

[janem_g]

Look at him go. Not that I'm stalking but I'm fairly sure Boggle is at a yard my daughter had her pony at. I think I've met the famous man!

 

[Michen]

Look at him go. Not that I'm stalking but I'm fairly sure Boggle is at a yard my daughter had her pony at. I think I've met the famous man!

Oh!! What was the ponies name!?

 

[janem_g]

Bertie

 

[Michen]

Bertie

Ah yes I remember Bertie! It was indeed Boggle you met.

 

[janem_g]

Ah yes I remember Bertie! It was indeed Boggle you met.

Handsome and lively from what I saw

 

[Michen]

Ummmmm so Bear tried to jump out this am and clearly failed but really enjoyed romping around the yards beautiful gardens...no reason for it, he had company, just clearly felt the grass was greener.

Apparently he thought it was a superb game and there’s not a scratch on him.

So I guess

A) he’s a shit jumper
B) he’s definitely got character.

I remember Bog doing this his first week difference being he cleared the fence!

 

[Annagain]

Oh his little face in that photo. He knows he's been naughty doesn't he!

 

[Rosemary28]

I love that second photo. That is a proper naughty pony face!

 

[Roxylola]

Whoops! To be fair I know plenty of horses who are a bit rubbish at loose jumping but do still jump well under saddle so I wouldn't massively worry, also unless there were witnesses to the attempt he might not have actually been trying to jump out - hooning round and ran out of room to stop for instance.
Love that face though proper cheeky "who me?"

 

[DirectorFury]

His little face! Maybe he got a duff stride and that's why the fence was demolished?

When I was watching the video of him in the field the other day it did cross my mind that mine would have jumped right out ?.

 

[Michen]

Hehe. They are just paddocks really for a bit of turnout for the show jumpers.

I don’t know how he demolished the fence both sides of the middle post!?

Apparently he then ran riots around them when they tried to catch him!

Oh naughty Bear. Basil was a serious fence hopper too.

 

[Annagain]

Did anyone see him jump out? I wonder if it was more a case of rubbing a bit vigorously against the fence, it coming down and then him taking his opportunity?

 

[J&S]

That's a real "who, me?" face! He probably thought if they couldn't see all of him he wasn't really there!

 

[alibali]

Ooo that cheeky face! ?

 

[JJS]

Ummmmm so Bear tried to jump out this am and clearly failed but really enjoyed romping around the yards beautiful gardens...no reason for it, he had company, just clearly felt the grass was greener.

Apparently he thought it was a superb game and there’s not a scratch on him.

So I guess

A) he’s a shit jumper
B) he’s definitely got character.

I remember Bog doing this his first week difference being he cleared the fence!


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My TB x Connemara was also a notorious fence hopper and had oodles of character too. He might have looked like a lovely big sport horse, but he had so much pony character hiding beneath that beautiful surface. I miss him so incredibly much!

 

[RHM]

That face actually cracked me up ?? he knows what he did!