JenHunt
Well-Known Member
Ron is in a baaaaad mood!!
He gets like this about now every year. It's like he knows hounds are out autumn hunting and despite the fact he hates it (too much hanging about and he gets crabby, jumps about and annoys everyone, and hence I don't take him) he hates not going, so gets stroppy!
I went up to ride him and lead Tom out this evening, and they were in the winter field stuffing their fat little faces (no change there). Tom however walked over when I called, so I took him down to the yard expecting Ron to follow as usual. I brush Tom, gave him an apple and still no sign of Ron. So I went to look for him. He was standing about 5m from the gate, looking the other way...
so caught him and he walked in happily enough and stood while I brushed him and tacked them up.
When I went to get on he paused just long enough to let me get one leg half over then walked on, ignoring the fact that Tom was on the wrong side, and still half asleep! Took all my effort to persuade him to stop long enough for Tom to change sides.... He then proceeded to march up the road, dragging poor Tom along at a pace that wasn't really comfortable. Every time I asked him to slow down he had a tantrum, threatened to bog off or wave himself about over the road.... grrr. Stroppy monster.
Once up the initial bit of hill he behaved like he'd never been off our property, and skittered about like a 3yo not an 18yo... shying at random bits of hedge, a pile of grass that had dropped off a hayrake on the verge, some mud on the road, a pile of hedge clippings outside someone's gate.... a sheep, a cone which has been there about 6 weeks..... GRRR.... little get.
I asked for trot along one reasonably boring looking stretch of road... I got extended power trot, and a sore arm from Tom lagging behind. Got to the top of the hill, and asked them to stand for a moment in a gateway to catch their breath before we turned for home. Ron stood and crunched on his bit, and tried to snatch the reins and to walk off (away from home!).... Tom, for a change, just stood. Poor tired Tom. We had the same nonsense all the way home too.
Got home, thought that would be the end of the strop, but no... as I swung my leg over to get off, Ron lunged at Tom, bit him, and did so hard enough to remove fluff from Tom's neck! Just as well Tom is pretty fluffy at the moment! As soon as he did it he shot backwards, knowing he'd done wrong, and then stood like a lamb while I untacked.
I turned them out after I'd untacked, and rather than trotting off to roll and have a play, Ron walked off and put his head down, and Tom just stood by the gate. You could see him saying "don't leave me with him, he's mean!!"
roll on 2 weeks time when I can clip Ron, and get him ready for hunting!!!
He gets like this about now every year. It's like he knows hounds are out autumn hunting and despite the fact he hates it (too much hanging about and he gets crabby, jumps about and annoys everyone, and hence I don't take him) he hates not going, so gets stroppy!
I went up to ride him and lead Tom out this evening, and they were in the winter field stuffing their fat little faces (no change there). Tom however walked over when I called, so I took him down to the yard expecting Ron to follow as usual. I brush Tom, gave him an apple and still no sign of Ron. So I went to look for him. He was standing about 5m from the gate, looking the other way...
so caught him and he walked in happily enough and stood while I brushed him and tacked them up. When I went to get on he paused just long enough to let me get one leg half over then walked on, ignoring the fact that Tom was on the wrong side, and still half asleep! Took all my effort to persuade him to stop long enough for Tom to change sides.... He then proceeded to march up the road, dragging poor Tom along at a pace that wasn't really comfortable. Every time I asked him to slow down he had a tantrum, threatened to bog off or wave himself about over the road.... grrr. Stroppy monster.
Once up the initial bit of hill he behaved like he'd never been off our property, and skittered about like a 3yo not an 18yo... shying at random bits of hedge, a pile of grass that had dropped off a hayrake on the verge, some mud on the road, a pile of hedge clippings outside someone's gate.... a sheep, a cone which has been there about 6 weeks..... GRRR.... little get.
I asked for trot along one reasonably boring looking stretch of road... I got extended power trot, and a sore arm from Tom lagging behind.
Got to the top of the hill, and asked them to stand for a moment in a gateway to catch their breath before we turned for home. Ron stood and crunched on his bit, and tried to snatch the reins and to walk off (away from home!).... Tom, for a change, just stood. Poor tired Tom. We had the same nonsense all the way home too. Got home, thought that would be the end of the strop, but no... as I swung my leg over to get off, Ron lunged at Tom, bit him, and did so hard enough to remove fluff from Tom's neck! Just as well Tom is pretty fluffy at the moment!
As soon as he did it he shot backwards, knowing he'd done wrong, and then stood like a lamb while I untacked. I turned them out after I'd untacked, and rather than trotting off to roll and have a play, Ron walked off and put his head down, and Tom just stood by the gate. You could see him saying "don't leave me with him, he's mean!!"
roll on 2 weeks time when I can clip Ron, and get him ready for hunting!!!