'Backhoe proof' pony!

There may be no such thing as a 'bomb proof' horse, but Fly is well on her way to being 'backhoe proof'.  It was de-sensitise Fly to machinery day on Saturday!

We had a really busy day planned, and it didn't look like I was going to get much horse play in for the weekend, so when Fly wandered up to the table when Pete and I were sitting outside having a coffee, I took that as volunteering, and brought her with me for the day!

We were chopping wood, and Pete was working on the backhoe, and Fly came along!  So it was noisy and busy, and there were a few of us so there was lots going on.  Chainsaws going, the backhoe roaring, axes splitting.  She was great!  She helped pump up a backhoe tyre, by sticking her head in the way, licking Pete's ears, and swiping snot all over the back of his jacket. 

Amongst all the noise I just continued getting her ready to ride, we did lateral flexion from the ground, throwing the rope over head head from zone 5 and asking her to come around to me, etc etc etc. So if we keep this up, she is going to be one un-flappable pony!!!

Fly has been playing a lot of put your nose on things, and there was one time when Pete drove past on the backhoe, and I asked Fly to go over and put her nose on the back bucket, as he was driving.  I thought that was a good touch it challenge!  Any way, she stuck to the backhoe and trotted all the way along the track right behind it until he got to the house, at least 200 metres!  I had her on the 22 foot rope, so I just stayed back and jogged along out of the way!  She is a 100% cow horse bred quarter horse, so I guess she will latch on to anything!

Reaping rewards.

I moved all our horses to the back paddock today.  There isn't any feed left around the house, and I am sick of spending half an hour trying to get the prickles out of the horses before I can even get a head collar on them when they are out in the bush.  So I have put them out the back.  I have a few barrels and heaps of natural obstacles in the big paddock, so I will play with them down there for a while.

To move them I put the three older ones on line, and had the two younger ones follow along and we went off on the bike.  Leading one, or even two on my own is easy, but five can be a challenge!  It only takes one of them to be challenging, and the whole operation can be a mess!

I was so happy, because they were perfect!  They got in position, one on either side of the bike, and one behind, and they stayed right with me.  I never had to speed up, or slow down because one was lugging behind.  They never jostled for position.  I never had to untangle the ropes, while leading three horses with one hand, and controlling the bike with the other.  When they had to squeeze between the bike and trees, or embankements, they thought their way through and didn't panic and burst through.  The two that were loose just followed along nicely.  They all had their ears forward and were happy and relaxed and looked as if it is the most normal thing to do in the world, walk along through the bush following a motor bike!

I take these things for granted, but I was thinking about it as I was riding down there, and I wondered how many horses in the world would have been so relaxed and well behaved when asked to do this.  We had to go a couple of kilometres, and down a really steep hill, just before dark, and it was lovely.  I really enjoy these times with my horses.  Even though I don't win at competition, it is times like these, when I ask a lot  from my horses, and they are so willing to do it with so little fuss, that I realise the rewards of the time I put in to them...

Emily passed her level 2!

Emily passed her level 2 Freestyle audition!!!! 

Her comments on her freestyle where:
"Great job Emily, I really liked to see how much fun you were having, you also had real good focus and sideways game.  Just think about using eyes, belly button, leg and then the stick before using reins.  Only use your rein for control if you have to."  Ryan Rose.

I had previously posted her audition and the link to it is...
http://genquinn.blogspot.com/2010/04/emilys-level-2-freestyle-audition.html

She had already passed her online, so now she has earnt her blue string. Well done Em.

Princess of the pedestal!

It looks like Ruby's title of Queen of the Pedestal is under threat!

Fly is up to day three of the touch it pattern on line, and she is really starting to hunt those pedestals!!  She even calmly offered to put four feet on yesterday!  Pretty cool I thought, for her to offer this so early.

She also started rolling the barrels with her knees, apparently just putting your nose on things is boring.  So I can't wait to blow a ball up for her and see what she can to do with that!

I am having so much fun with Fly that I actually dragged myself out of bed and went out to play with her at 6.30 this morning, in the freezing cold, before work!  Consistency is a challenge for me.  I have the best plans to follow a program, especially with these young horses, and I start out all motivated, then things get in the way.  But I am trying to arrange my life so I can offer my horses consistency.

Honey Bunny.

Ohh, it was so cold today!!  And misty drizzle, just enough to be annoying, no actual rain.  And just enough to keep my snuggled up inside reading Karen!!  (Rohlf that is, I have just started her book, and I'm finding it very interesting so far!)

But I did venture out for a little while this morning, I went for a walk and got the horses.  I usually go on the bike, and it was nice to walk.  The horses all stayed with me and we walked home together.  I put them in their yards as we came up the driveway, Ruby wandered off, and I went to find her and put her in the last yard, and found her standing on her piece of rubber mat at the shed waiting for me!!  She is such a good girl.  She got a carrot for smart thinking for that one.

The weather set in and I came inside for a few hours, then went out with the intention of riding Honey up to the bus stop to collect Jack.  Honey was so full of prickles it took me about 45 minutes to get her deprickled enough to put her saddle and bridle on!!  Then she was full of thresholds, and we only made a few hundred metres before Jack turned up on his own!!!

Honey was having thresholds in true Honey style.  She doesn't panic, just walks a little and stops and looks.   Honey finds stopping very easy!! Instead of getting frustrated I thought I would play with it.  I would ask her to go, with some energy, and if she only made it 10 steps I would make a big deal, rub her, and then ask again.  After getting a tap on the rump with a savvy string the first two times, she decided to go at phase one the third and subsequent times.  Progress!

On the way home, we had the opposite problem.  Honey had lots of energy, was bracey, and in a hell of a hurry to get home.  Well, it was dinner time, and Honey has never been accused of being late for dinner!  I wanted to play with pushing her sideways until she relaxed, but then had another idea.  I have been riding figure 8 patterns with her, and there were two cones on the side of the track, so I thought I would combine the two.  I rode figure 8's, and pushed her a few steps sideways in the middle, then around the other cone, few steps sideways etc.  She was bracey to start with, and I didn't have a stick with me, so I just gave her a little help with a string to move her ribs over off my leg.

She soon got it, stopped fighting to go home, started to drop her head, relax, and then did lovely soft blowing, and heaps of licking and chewing.  I hopped off there and we mosied home as it was getting dark and I had six horses to feed and hay up. 

I can't wait to get back out tomorow!  I couldn't work out who I wanted to play with, so I kept all six here!!

Oracle

I just had to share this email I received yesterday.

Hi Gen and Pete
I would like to thank you so much for Oracle- she's a beauty! She has settled in very well and rides out bush with us 3 or 4 times a week. She has some lovely training and is very light on her feet. She does try it on sometimes but who doesn't?
After my appie died which was less that 15 months after my husband died I was devastated (again). So would you pass on my heartfelt thanks to your sister for such a beautiful gift and know she will always be well treated and loved. Thank you for the work you put in too. It was lovely to meet parelli people!
Love

M


I am so happy things are working out for Oracle.  She was a challenging horse to find the right home for as she doesn't fit into 'normalsville' very well, but I was sure something would work out for her, and it has.  Through a lovely set of coincidences, Oracle has found her place in the world!  And I am happy to have been able to help that process along.