The little things

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PandorasJar

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I can't believe how impressed I am with littlun.

Just over a year ago she was just about to be backed, calmest youngster I'd met in a long while and very affectionate. I was chuffed to bits with her, she took everything in her stride and loved learning.

This time last year she was attacked in field and wouldn't come within half a field of anyone. Took a few weeks to move her off the yard and several months to get near her without being on edge and longer to get her clipped on a leadrope again (couldn't get near her if anyone else was on site though, became a nervous wreck).

This time yesterday OH had tractor going, two herds having a whale of a time chasing it. I popped a field-safe headcollar on and walked her away from the herds. OH's dad turned strimmer on halfway through popping headcollar on and the most she did was lift her head then listen to me again.
I wouldn't have thought anything of it last year, but yesterday I had the biggest grin on my face :D Definitely appreciate everything with her now!
 
Well done. 4yrs ago we had a tiny, scrawny yearling, who was not just unhandled, but fear aggressive, & went into blind panic if my mare went more than a few feet from her, such was her separation anxiety. Yesterday, my 7yr old hacked her alone up to a local yard, passing all sorts of hazards without pony batting an eye. (not quite alone, I was 20' behind on a bike to replicate lone hacking). At the yard, she had fun jumping a little course, playing gymkhana games, & generally being a fab kids pony. Complete with daughters plaiting & a chaser clip. A million miles from the pony who was torn between running to attack me when I put hay out, & having to leave the mare to do so.
 
Two years ago I bought a very handsome young green horse.....who would not be caught, stand tied, be saddled or mounted. He had never hacked alone and literally poo-ed himself if a door banged. One memorable occasion it took me two hours to tack him up and get on board.....He went around full blast like a giraffe jogging everywhere. If I didn't let him go forwards...he went up:(

Yesterday.....I brought him in. Tied him up, tacked him up and then he stood still to be mounted. He waited whilst I faffed around with the girth and then we went out on a lovely hack. We went accross fields, along roads...through traffic. Over and under railway bridges. Past dogs geese and goats complete with bells around necks. All marching forwards , loose rein, one- handed.

Nothing exciting happened. It was lovely.:)
 
:) I look forward to that with mine. I never thought I'd appreciate uneventful so much!

So happy right now just to know she's not terrified of her shadow any more. And that she won't suddenly remember to be scared. The last few months and especially weeks have just been relaxing together. So to reintroduce headcollar and leading concepts was a big leap that could only have happened when we were both ready. To be honest it's taken me a lot longer than her to be ready. To get rid of the sick guilty feeling I had every time I entered her field - and I knew I could never work with her with that in my head. Also helps that I'm no longer running yard and don't have other people around. No liveries to worry about or spend time or their horses constantly! Just time to cuddle a horse without being questioned on why she's not competing by now!
 
It just happens so slowly that you don't always realise how far you've come until you actually think about it.

I never thought I'd get where I am now with my boy....it has been literally blood, sweat, tears, expletives...there were times I actually felt sick at the thought of riding him, but now I enjoy it.:)

He has a long way to go but he has really made me proud.

Good luck with your girl.....onwards and upwards:)
 
I think once you've got the little things ok, the supposedly tricky stuff comes easy. Once aforementioned pony had enough trust to be halter broken & touched, grooming, feet, even hosing & clipping were simple by comparison. The first time she followed daughter round the corner from my mare, for a few mouthfuls of lush grass, was a big milestone, compared to how simple it was to later walk her out alone, or longline, & eventually hack. I really do think the little things are often the hardest.
 
True. And getting those basics in place pays dividends in the long run.

Oh...and if anyone tells you arabs wont walk through water, they're wrong. Mine was splashing through mud, water and leaves yesterday.....he's come a long way since he was too scared to step over a road marking:rolleyes:
 
littlelegs said:
I think once you've got the little things ok, the supposedly tricky stuff comes easy. Once aforementioned pony had enough trust to be halter broken & touched, grooming, feet, even hosing & clipping were simple by comparison. The first time she followed daughter round the corner from my mare, for a few mouthfuls of lush grass, was a big milestone, compared to how simple it was to later walk her out alone, or longline, & eventually hack. I really do think the little things are often the hardest.
Click to expand...

Very much agreed.

I took the headcollar off littlun last year as decided that I shouldn't be trying leading etc if I couldn't take a head collar off and not worry I'd never do anything with her again. So off it came.
Feet lifted, sticks out of tail, headcollar on and lead round yesterday, simply because I walked into the field knowing that today ... I could :) Regardless of all other things I knew it was going to happen.

Now I've broken through that I'm hoping the rest comes nicely!
 
Hippona said:
True. And getting those basics in place pays dividends in the long run.

Oh...and if anyone tells you arabs wont walk through water, they're wrong. Mine was splashing through mud, water and leaves yesterday.....he's come a long way since he was too scared to step over a road marking:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

:D my last share was happy to roll in them but crossing through a puddle would kill her. Through a muddy track with no other option? Fine. Through a puddle with a route round it? Not a chance :D I could never bring myself to fight her as I couldn't see why I'd want to walk through mud if there was a route round :o:p
 
I was actually thinking about this this morning, the horse that took two people to bridle when we first had her opens her mouth for the bit voluntarily and puts her head down so you can put it over her ears and she used to do the wall of death around the school in canter and if you asked her to collect all hell would break loose, now she comes back to me just with an alteration of position...

As the Post Office ads say:

For the little things that make the big things happen.
 
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