Shantara
Well-Known Member
Well I've got updates for 2 days!
Yesterday:
YO was there while the horses were getting their jabs, I got Ned ready (He's not due yet) to go for a walk. He was getting iffy again, so when no horses were being injected, she gave me a 'helping hand' out the yard, by chasing him.
He left the yard like a racehorse out the starting gates!! (I exaggerate, he was still walking) Not ideal, but he was out.
We wandered up the lane and he was perfect, we had a few trots in-hand and he was extremely responsive. Came back down the lane, but I didn't feel like I'd really done anything. We've been up there a million times.
Anyway, I walked him back past the yard and I was very impressed! He didn't try and stop or go back in, he didn't even stop when we past the gate where he could see all his friends!! He walked like a little angel through the village and down the other lane, we had an issue by the gate which we go through to go home sometimes, but I didn't have the key. He had a massive strop and reared a few times and stepped on my foot! I am now in agony with a lovely big purple bruise.
Still, I got him past and we carried on. I forgot my water bottle. NEVER AGAIN!! It was a glorious walk, but ruined by the fact I was dying of thirst. I hadn't intended to walk so far, but he was going so well I didn't want to stop!!
Today:
Good lord, I could have shot him.
He was rearing in the yard! I didn't want him to 'win' but I simply had to stop when he reared so high and violently that he almost sat down! I felt defeated and deflated. I was shaking and almost in tears.
I decided to take him through the fields, he was very good, left the others fine and walked very nicely. Very uneventful!
On the way back, YO was out in the fields poo picking, I told her what had happened and she said she'd come and help. Chasing him didn't work this time (I'm secretly glad, I don't want to have to chase him out every time) he just reared again, pulling didn't work either.
YO told me to just stop and wait and let everything calm down. She pondered for a moment then got some apples. She managed to get him through the gate, then stopped him and gave him a bit of apple. Took him back, walked him through - apple etc etc...
Then when he was comfortable with that gate she did the same with the next. We went for a little potter, but only a short one
he seemed very happy by the end of it!
I am honestly so pleased! I hate hate hate HATE using force with him, I just didn't think to do what she did. If you look at him in the right light, you can see his coat is littered with scars and whoever did that made him like he is, I don't want to be that person to him
I'm going to practise that every time I go to the yard and eventually cut out the treats and just use praise.
What I thought was going to be a depressing and disappointing day, turned out to be a nice learning curve for both of us
I didn't get any pictures of my walk today, but here's a couple of nice ones from this morning
Yesterday:
YO was there while the horses were getting their jabs, I got Ned ready (He's not due yet) to go for a walk. He was getting iffy again, so when no horses were being injected, she gave me a 'helping hand' out the yard, by chasing him.
He left the yard like a racehorse out the starting gates!! (I exaggerate, he was still walking) Not ideal, but he was out.
We wandered up the lane and he was perfect, we had a few trots in-hand and he was extremely responsive. Came back down the lane, but I didn't feel like I'd really done anything. We've been up there a million times.
Anyway, I walked him back past the yard and I was very impressed! He didn't try and stop or go back in, he didn't even stop when we past the gate where he could see all his friends!! He walked like a little angel through the village and down the other lane, we had an issue by the gate which we go through to go home sometimes, but I didn't have the key. He had a massive strop and reared a few times and stepped on my foot! I am now in agony with a lovely big purple bruise.
Still, I got him past and we carried on. I forgot my water bottle. NEVER AGAIN!! It was a glorious walk, but ruined by the fact I was dying of thirst. I hadn't intended to walk so far, but he was going so well I didn't want to stop!!
Today:
Good lord, I could have shot him.
He was rearing in the yard! I didn't want him to 'win' but I simply had to stop when he reared so high and violently that he almost sat down! I felt defeated and deflated. I was shaking and almost in tears.
I decided to take him through the fields, he was very good, left the others fine and walked very nicely. Very uneventful!
On the way back, YO was out in the fields poo picking, I told her what had happened and she said she'd come and help. Chasing him didn't work this time (I'm secretly glad, I don't want to have to chase him out every time) he just reared again, pulling didn't work either.
YO told me to just stop and wait and let everything calm down. She pondered for a moment then got some apples. She managed to get him through the gate, then stopped him and gave him a bit of apple. Took him back, walked him through - apple etc etc...
Then when he was comfortable with that gate she did the same with the next. We went for a little potter, but only a short one
he seemed very happy by the end of it!I am honestly so pleased! I hate hate hate HATE using force with him, I just didn't think to do what she did. If you look at him in the right light, you can see his coat is littered with scars and whoever did that made him like he is, I don't want to be that person to him
I'm going to practise that every time I go to the yard and eventually cut out the treats and just use praise.
What I thought was going to be a depressing and disappointing day, turned out to be a nice learning curve for both of us
I didn't get any pictures of my walk today, but here's a couple of nice ones from this morning
