Well, another month has whizzed by. The weather is picking up and the ponies are now out around the clock. The new land is not lush, quite hilly and well drained with a short turf in most places so although I keep an eye on the size of the ponies I am not too anxious about the dreaded fat pony disease Laminitis. As soon as the ground was dry I took the lunge work out of the barn and now Sheltie is coping with a full length rope and working at a walk and trot. When I say working I actually mean going round in a circle at the speed and be able to stand and come in as I request. When I bring him into the centre I make him shake hands and do all the touching all over stuff. He is so good at that he forgets he was broncing around a moment earlier and settles straight away..good stuff eh? I never thought the day would come! I have tried to encourage him into a canter, but this seems to make him a bit giddy at the moment so I am backpedalling a little, he is like the nursery rhyme character with the curl..when he is good he is very very good and when he is bad he is horrid... but I don't mean that really, I have to remember that he has a mind of his own and may not quite understand what I want, or, more than likely he is just being a stubborn little shetland monster and choosing to be awkward.
The farrier came on Tuesday, a trim for the both of them, £34 total. I can see how Sheltie has improved in his behaviour and Neil said that if Sheltie stands and behaves as well next time as he did this time then I can say he is "good for farrier" as in good to catch, clip etc!!! how is that for progress!! Little things do please me. Also this week I have walked Sheltie out into the street off the land. I have tried this a couple of times previously since moving here, but it is quite a busy road and Sheltie was quite jumpy and unsettled away from the other horses. I put that on hold for a while, but now he is so much more biddable generally I thought I would make a bigger effort. He has been out three times in three days and not disgraced himself at all. He stops to have a look at stuff but is leading really well and seems to be trusting me to look out for him, when a wagon did make him jump today he jumped and turned to me rather than starting off in a blind panic. I think it took him by surprise as he was investigating a litter bin we were passing and his mind was probably on his belly when the lorry bombed past us. Poor pony did jump. I had to laugh though after reassuring him and telling him he was brave,as I am having to sing hymns to calm my nerves as we walk along! It is the thought of him going beserk and having an accident that would worry me, but he has been pretty good so far and I do a bit at a time,trying to build his confidence.It is a lot like having a baby, once you start you have to finish and as I have opened the gate so I have to go forward etc. I do wonder sometimes how old is too old to be playing with ponies and will I realise when I get to that age?
