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.

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 .

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

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.

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

SHELTIE IS A BAD BOY

Oh dear~ everything seemed to be going so well. We had two little girls up on Sunday and he was really good, a little lead and a little lunge work. The lunge was so good that the little girl was able to halt him with the reins and move him on with voice and a nudge. So another little friend who can ride to a trot came on the Wednesday to do a bit more.....but she rode at 10 not 8 and methinks Sheltie was a bit fed up not being in paddock with pals by this time because he decided to have a little buck and another and another...the little girl bounced and bounced and then left the saddle...she bruised her elbow and bit her lip good and hard, there was blood everywhere...I felt so awful as it was meant to be a treat for her and she ended up in tears. I called to see her later in the day and she was fine but it was not a good morning! The next day my next victim was at 10.00 as well so I took no chances, we just did lead rein with an eye on grumpy bum's ears. All went well but I need to make sure he isn't starving to death by the time riders arrive! He has extra hay before they came but it is not the same as being out in the field.
Two days later he long reined down a line of bending poles and took a pole into his lunge work, his jump was really neat and he was quite relaxed. Which goes to show he is not a machine and knows what he likes and does not like. I have two or three youngsters from church over on the 16th Aug so I will try to have him in a better frame of mind...don't want more tears.
Lately, since he realised how well I could groom him , he has been trying to groom me while I am poo picking in the stable. Because he is little his droppings are dinky and scatter easily and so I can be grovelling about for quite a while picking up bits from the bedding (Eezibed) he is at me constantly with little nibbles saying " come on, let's groom each other" If he was 15 hands it would be daunting to have him in your face like this but 'cos he is not it is just funny. He tries to give you his foot so that you have to rub him and love him, he is rather like a big dog wanting attention and that is why he is so much fun. It is probably very bad horsemanship to let him fuss around me but I am glad that he wants my attention even if it is for his own personal gratification.

Kay is the boss, repeat after me, Kay is the boss

Now Sheltie is five. He has been getting a bit bold of late and has needed taking down a peg or two. It became apparent when the landowner looked after him when I went away for a few days. He never tried to squash her in the stable nor move around when she brushed him. Basically he knows me too well and does not show me the same respect as someone who treats him like proper horse and not like a teddy bear.

I understand these things but he is so cute and I want to hug him BUT I am now giving him the cold shoulder and not loving him. It seems so mean to treat him like this before he does anything naughty but it is the way to go. Lately he has been virtually demanding that I scratch his withers and shake his hand...he is making the first move and he is not meant to that. He nipped my arm the other day, I had bare arms for the first time this year in the stable and as I was picking up poo he had a sniff and then a little nip...nothing nasty just a bit exploratory but I really chased him for it. He went round his box a few time while I played big bad mare behind him. Then I ignored him while talking over the door. Next thing he was standing behind me like a little lamb, head by my knee waiting for further instructions. Must be something in this tough love. He does not get edible treats after working well either, nor when being turned out. Instead he gets a good rub on his shoulder which pretty well sends him into ecstacy anyway...but now it is only when I choose, not when he leans on me in the stable ! Just like someone with a spoilt brat of a kid it is hard to see the faults in your own baby..but we are now back on track.

We are on regular walks out now with his bit in. The walks only last for half an hour so I lunge him a short while before we go out at walk trot and canter. He knows exactly what I want and is long reining a lot better, and can back up in his reins.

Been a long gap between posts, I will have to try to move this action packed life of ours on a bit so that there is something to report!