Summer 2017
Going to sort photos soon!
Sheltie has now started to be ridden in the school off the lead and is responding to the riders efforts to steer... it has taken a long time for him to understand that he does not have to be my shadow -which is nice really, he still knows there is a carrot at the end of being good.
I have new students and youth club children so have a ready supply of smaller riders in the making.
Saturday 19 August 2017
Friday 17 March 2017
WELL, the cart was cute and Sheltie was a good boy in it, but the traffic on the lane had increased so much in the last year with huge tractors pulling trailers up and down it that I decided to sell the cart. There are no verges or escape places on the lane, I couldn't risk a trauma with a combine harvester blocking the lane and a cart attached to Sheltie, it is not worth risking Sheltie's life for. The wheels on these tractors tower above me and their implements fill the lane.
We are back on lead and small riders or walking with the dog. There has been another huge gap since I revisited this blog for the first time in ages I have changed my work and no longer have the franchise. I have visited Ethiopia, Canada and Australia in the summer hols over the last three years.I do a little supply and some private tuition and that leaves me with time to enjoy my daylight hours with the furry friends. Sheltie is part of my life and my daily routine. He sees the car and comes running. He knows he is my boy and has been lunging in the manege at our farm without a rope... he follows me around without a line, and if I twirl my hand and point my arm he does his circle! He stands on command and comes up, he goes back and shakes hands.. all the same old routines :) This is good when for the summer he and his mini friends went to graze at Delph and did nothing or a couple of months. He is also the best behaved for the farrier out of all 6 shetland ponies. He lives with four and then there is the tiny stallion who does not get to mix with the rest .
There is also a rescued cat and rabbit in the house now, Mollie has accepted them without a fuss, I wish I could get Sheltie in there too that would be so neat! But there are too many stairs. Never mind. I am looking forward to some decent weather and to getting him out a bit more. I will find some photos to put up to to compare his shape with years gone by. He is in fluffy monster mode at moment but just starting to shed his coat.
I have owned Sheltie for 9 years now, as long as I had the pleasure of Spice, and her loss is still there, her memory is still strong and raw at times, heaven help me when I have had this wee man for another ten or twenty... I am planning on a bequest in my will to a charity to safeguard him if he outlives me..unless one of the girlies takes him on -but as two are in Australia I can't see that happening..
watch this space...
Saturday 5 July 2014
a giant step for sheltie...
Well, I have had this little chap now for 6 1/2 years and finally have an exercise cart for him. I got one from Robinsons and a lovely real leather harness from Mottram horse show. Sheltie has been out for one ten minute walk and then a proper walk down to the arena carpark which probably was a round trip of 45 minute twice. I was a nervous wreck, he was very good apart from rearing in fright when a gelding in the field beside the road started bucking alongside us...a bit hairy but he settled, and then on last trip doing really well until a bloke on a push bike suddenly appeared up our bums. I would have reared too if I had been a pony he took me by surprise.
I haven't had anybody in the cart yet but have managed to tack him and connect him all alone and undo at end, he was very calm being unhitched he knew it was going to be field time again and he just stood in middle of yard waiting while I undid buckles and swingle tree loops and walked cart away from him. I am very happy with the way he behaved, it felt really worrying going out; the trap is so confining for a pony but after sorting out rearing twice with no problem I will feel more confident next time. Once the fright was over he got back to pulling and seemed relaxed again. I kept singing sunday school songs to keep my nerves as we had traffic passing us two buses came towards us all well, but we did not have one from behind thank goodness.
Yesterday I took him and Mollie Collie a walk without the cartand paid a visit to the greengrocer who gave me Sheltie so long ago. We had people in the street stop to pet him, a couple of cars pulled over to talk and he was so calm and interested in his admirers it was no problem at all, he stood patiently when I chatted and accepted the petting. He got a carrot at the shop so that will make a nice memory for him.
When I drive to the fields he sees the car and rushes over to the gate before I even call him. All the years of routine visits and walks and handling are paying off now, he is a pleasure to take out, accepted his new toy with great aplomb and I am looking forward to little riders on him again soon. We have been walking and long reining in the arena so that when he has off- lead riders on this summer I am hoping he will follow the schooling shapes we have practised and accept the rein aids from the rider rather than from me behind...I will report on the reality...my theory seems hopeful but the proof will be seen in the summer hols!
And do you know it is four years in two months since Spice died....still hurts.
I haven't had anybody in the cart yet but have managed to tack him and connect him all alone and undo at end, he was very calm being unhitched he knew it was going to be field time again and he just stood in middle of yard waiting while I undid buckles and swingle tree loops and walked cart away from him. I am very happy with the way he behaved, it felt really worrying going out; the trap is so confining for a pony but after sorting out rearing twice with no problem I will feel more confident next time. Once the fright was over he got back to pulling and seemed relaxed again. I kept singing sunday school songs to keep my nerves as we had traffic passing us two buses came towards us all well, but we did not have one from behind thank goodness.
Yesterday I took him and Mollie Collie a walk without the cartand paid a visit to the greengrocer who gave me Sheltie so long ago. We had people in the street stop to pet him, a couple of cars pulled over to talk and he was so calm and interested in his admirers it was no problem at all, he stood patiently when I chatted and accepted the petting. He got a carrot at the shop so that will make a nice memory for him.
When I drive to the fields he sees the car and rushes over to the gate before I even call him. All the years of routine visits and walks and handling are paying off now, he is a pleasure to take out, accepted his new toy with great aplomb and I am looking forward to little riders on him again soon. We have been walking and long reining in the arena so that when he has off- lead riders on this summer I am hoping he will follow the schooling shapes we have practised and accept the rein aids from the rider rather than from me behind...I will report on the reality...my theory seems hopeful but the proof will be seen in the summer hols!
And do you know it is four years in two months since Spice died....still hurts.
Friday 6 December 2013
jump forward two and a half years
WELL as I was saying earlier about same old same old...don't bank on it.
jump forward from then to now and the world has changed, including Sheltie's home, my home my marriage ended.,my daughters and everything. Actually Sheltie is the only constant apart from work .
I have a beautiful collie again, Mollie now two years old.
I have a tiny little house where she and I live now, and Sheltie has gone free range on land with three mini shetlands, living out and being a proper pony. I am able to access lovely safe bridle paths and old trails for walking him and his education has gone on in leaps and bounds since moving him' in spring this year.
so after that human interest lets get onto the main man - SHELTIE yay.
Now he has been out almost daily from spring to Autumn, long reining and lead walking on various routes from his new home. He has carried children with and without a saddle for walks of up to an hour and a half, letting them swap over along the walks. He has discovered that he likes ice lollies at the rest point at the halfway point. He has been to visit the Jill at the greengrocers in Greenfield, where he originally came from so she could see what a handsome boy he has become. Mollie can walk with him and so I can walk both at the same time how nice is that. and if Sheltie slows down and I say gee up or walk on, the collie takes it upon herself to bark at his heels and encourage him.
I took my Sunday school children and some students from my work to one night camps on a local farm and so that clever little pony had up to half a dozen kids fussing and petting and riding him without a problem by the summer. he came to the campsite and enjoyed a chomp on the rich grass there as where he now lives is shetland pony quality grazing so no danger of laminitis and no need to be shut in for 16 hours a day etc. though the couple of years of fancy living helped him mature, he is seven now and really ready for the next challenge.
One little girl has ridden him along side me at trot and he was beautiful, she posted correctly and he arched his little neck and stepped out on the way up the hill to his farm, I have not let him trot with kids on at all since the day he bucked one off a couple of years ago, didn't want to excite him but now we can work at trot too. He is not likely to be ridden loose by a child but to have him walking close by is enough for now.
AND THAT IS ENOUGH UPDATE FOR NOW TOO MANY WORDS AND NOT A PICTURE TO ADD TONIGHT COS NEW PHONE NEW LAPTOP BUT WILL GET ORGANISED SOON .
jump forward from then to now and the world has changed, including Sheltie's home, my home my marriage ended.,my daughters and everything. Actually Sheltie is the only constant apart from work .
I have a beautiful collie again, Mollie now two years old.
I have a tiny little house where she and I live now, and Sheltie has gone free range on land with three mini shetlands, living out and being a proper pony. I am able to access lovely safe bridle paths and old trails for walking him and his education has gone on in leaps and bounds since moving him' in spring this year.
so after that human interest lets get onto the main man - SHELTIE yay.
Now he has been out almost daily from spring to Autumn, long reining and lead walking on various routes from his new home. He has carried children with and without a saddle for walks of up to an hour and a half, letting them swap over along the walks. He has discovered that he likes ice lollies at the rest point at the halfway point. He has been to visit the Jill at the greengrocers in Greenfield, where he originally came from so she could see what a handsome boy he has become. Mollie can walk with him and so I can walk both at the same time how nice is that. and if Sheltie slows down and I say gee up or walk on, the collie takes it upon herself to bark at his heels and encourage him.
I took my Sunday school children and some students from my work to one night camps on a local farm and so that clever little pony had up to half a dozen kids fussing and petting and riding him without a problem by the summer. he came to the campsite and enjoyed a chomp on the rich grass there as where he now lives is shetland pony quality grazing so no danger of laminitis and no need to be shut in for 16 hours a day etc. though the couple of years of fancy living helped him mature, he is seven now and really ready for the next challenge.
One little girl has ridden him along side me at trot and he was beautiful, she posted correctly and he arched his little neck and stepped out on the way up the hill to his farm, I have not let him trot with kids on at all since the day he bucked one off a couple of years ago, didn't want to excite him but now we can work at trot too. He is not likely to be ridden loose by a child but to have him walking close by is enough for now.
AND THAT IS ENOUGH UPDATE FOR NOW TOO MANY WORDS AND NOT A PICTURE TO ADD TONIGHT COS NEW PHONE NEW LAPTOP BUT WILL GET ORGANISED SOON .
Monday 31 October 2011
same old same old really ..bliss
I can't believe it was August the last time I wrote on here. the point I guess with animals and certainly ponies is that they like routine and so one day just blurs into another...feed pick up poo turn out bring in feed pick up poo and so on. Sheltie has just been the same old cutie all the time. He still picks up a glove when I throw it a short distance. I stopped giving him titbits as rewards and that has kind of spoilt the point of doing it for him so just now and then I have to sneak a bit of carrot in my pocket.
He still shakes hands and now will walk backward when I pull on his tail...don't copy this on another pony kids, and don't ask me why I thought it would be a good skill to teach him. Anyway. He long- reins well, but has not had a rider on since the last report. However he now has a big macho looking leather roller which I have used to attach him to an old car tyre and he now can tow that around the sheep field without worrying.
This is part of my long term plan to have him pull a cart or a sledge, anything really to push his usefulness and education on. If I don't keep doing little bits he will be just a very cute field ornament and as he has never done a day's work in his life, nor been a poor neglected rescue pony who deserves a break I feel he ought to earn his keep by letting me play with him a bit.
He has his winter coat on now but has been looking trim all summer - for a Shetland anyway. Last year it was severe snow six weeks from now so I am going to make the most of mornings out with him while I can. After a night in it suits him better to graze for a couple of hours while I do chores then be brought in to work, otherwise all he wants to do is grab grass.
It was wormer time last week and the farrier is due again in three weeks, just little regular attentions that need doing (and paying for). He is one very contented little chap and he does not know how lucky he is to have ended up where he is xx
He still shakes hands and now will walk backward when I pull on his tail...don't copy this on another pony kids, and don't ask me why I thought it would be a good skill to teach him. Anyway. He long- reins well, but has not had a rider on since the last report. However he now has a big macho looking leather roller which I have used to attach him to an old car tyre and he now can tow that around the sheep field without worrying.
This is part of my long term plan to have him pull a cart or a sledge, anything really to push his usefulness and education on. If I don't keep doing little bits he will be just a very cute field ornament and as he has never done a day's work in his life, nor been a poor neglected rescue pony who deserves a break I feel he ought to earn his keep by letting me play with him a bit.
He has his winter coat on now but has been looking trim all summer - for a Shetland anyway. Last year it was severe snow six weeks from now so I am going to make the most of mornings out with him while I can. After a night in it suits him better to graze for a couple of hours while I do chores then be brought in to work, otherwise all he wants to do is grab grass.
It was wormer time last week and the farrier is due again in three weeks, just little regular attentions that need doing (and paying for). He is one very contented little chap and he does not know how lucky he is to have ended up where he is xx
Wednesday 24 August 2011
Humans 1 Pony 0
Ha. that got the little blighter sorted.
He let the rider on good as gold, standing properly and relaxed. When asked to move forward he tried a rear...really scary - not - as he is only a bit taller than me when he did it. Lauren said "I like a horse (!) with spirit". He then did a tidgy little buck which never quite reached his back legs.
I led them through the bending poles and then removed the lead rope. Lauren was able to guide him through the poles using the reins properly. He was a bit twitchy but went where he should. Lauren came again a few days later to repeat the task. He tried to go into reverse but once under way she was able to steer him about the poles and track quite nicely. She said he felt much more relaxed the second time too. He knows exactly what we want and he can do exactly what we want so if he does not do it when small people are on board it is because he is being a very naughty boy.... He is a Thelwell pony through and through xx
Lauren mastered long reining him...it is good if he is biddable and understands commands from others even though I do not intend letting anyone else have him!
He jumped on the lunge beautifully, even knowingly, he really lifted neatly, not rushed or a mad clearance but just right. I think he is a smart little pony and hope that we do get him gentler for little riders.
He let the rider on good as gold, standing properly and relaxed. When asked to move forward he tried a rear...really scary - not - as he is only a bit taller than me when he did it. Lauren said "I like a horse (!) with spirit". He then did a tidgy little buck which never quite reached his back legs.
I led them through the bending poles and then removed the lead rope. Lauren was able to guide him through the poles using the reins properly. He was a bit twitchy but went where he should. Lauren came again a few days later to repeat the task. He tried to go into reverse but once under way she was able to steer him about the poles and track quite nicely. She said he felt much more relaxed the second time too. He knows exactly what we want and he can do exactly what we want so if he does not do it when small people are on board it is because he is being a very naughty boy.... He is a Thelwell pony through and through xx
Lauren mastered long reining him...it is good if he is biddable and understands commands from others even though I do not intend letting anyone else have him!
He jumped on the lunge beautifully, even knowingly, he really lifted neatly, not rushed or a mad clearance but just right. I think he is a smart little pony and hope that we do get him gentler for little riders.
Thursday 18 August 2011
WATCH THIS SPACE...
Well, since Sheltie was a naughty boy, I never took any chances with the last visitors, I kept him on a short lead and we were able to give a couple of little boys a new experience, but I could tell by the body language that given half a chance he would have been somewhere else. However, at work today I was talking to a very dainty 14 year old girl who is a very experienced and brave rider...she is going to come and have a turn on Sheltie in the morning...she is quite used to falling off, has been dragged by a stirrup and loves jumping so she could be the one to teach Sheltie a new way of working.
Having had the bad times I have to say that he and I have been working on the bending poles and he is absolutely brilliant weaving in and out of them. I added a small jump on the track after the pole on the ground and he has taken both on his lunge very nicely. Today after bending I went back over the pole with him and then slipped a rein over his shoulder and we jumped the jump side by side! (well I can't do it on his back can I ?)
I am either a very dedicated pony person or seriously simple. I am still happy , nay excited, to be able to go round in circles in a field with a short fat pony on the end of a rope. You decide!
I will add the result of the new rider tomorrow xx
Having had the bad times I have to say that he and I have been working on the bending poles and he is absolutely brilliant weaving in and out of them. I added a small jump on the track after the pole on the ground and he has taken both on his lunge very nicely. Today after bending I went back over the pole with him and then slipped a rein over his shoulder and we jumped the jump side by side! (well I can't do it on his back can I ?)
I am either a very dedicated pony person or seriously simple. I am still happy , nay excited, to be able to go round in circles in a field with a short fat pony on the end of a rope. You decide!
I will add the result of the new rider tomorrow xx
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