I really wanted to start a diary for ruby as at the minuite it seems having a nice calm hack out wih ruby seems years off - not to mention breaking her in in the first place!
For those of you who havent read any of my rants about ruby let me introduce you
This is ruby
Shes a 9 year old unbroken tbx who mooched onto the yard with 4 other horses! The first time i came into contact with her i was trying to catch the little madam after she jumped into a neighbouring field! After being offered her on free loan with permission to do whatever I want with her, providing i give her lots of attention ... me and ruby got to know each other a little better!
First problem ... Ruby dosent catch ... at all ... I have lost count of the number of hours I have spent pointlessly mooching around the field with carrots after her! After a couple of hours I managed to get her in, de rugged her and set about grooming her.
Second Problem ... Ruby dosent stand! Dances, rears, paws the ground, but dosent stand still!! After about half an hour of avoiding a swinging backside i managed to have a good look around her! I also tried to pick her feet out.
Third Problem ... Ruby dosent pick feet up ... when asked to pick her feet up she strikes out with her fronts (appologies to the poor unsuspecting girl who was holding her at this point) and cow kicks with her backs (lovely deep purple bruise on my b****y leg )
As she is living out 24/7 she has two rugs and a bib on, she is absoloutly fine to rug up ... but getting her bib on and off .... Oh dear
Fourth Problem ... Ruby is UNBELIEVABLY headshy (in hindsight probibly part of the problem when trying to catch her, i wondered why she was the only one in the field with a headcollar on ). Its been a bit of a nightmare trying to get her bib on and off, im just over 5"1 and when she is throwing her head up it dosent make life easy, i cant just get it off quickly ... poorly shoulders
Fifth Problem ... Ruby becomes very strong to lead when shes away from her field friends. She is fine to bring in, however once she is in leading her in any which way away from the field becoms slightly like trying to lead a charging bull!!
So ..... so far this is what I have discovered ... I have taken on a 9yo unbroken tbx who wont catch, is a wimp, with little manners, difficult to lead, cant pick feet up without them meeting my legs and back, is terribly headshy and wont think twice about rearing and b*****ing off back to the field.
If it wasnt for the fact she does (for a very short time) chill out, rest her head on my shoulder and give me a nudge and a nuzzel i would be re-thinking my decision! I am however smitten ... as i was with india when i was having problems with her, that somewhere (obv hidden very deep) inside this animal is a loving little horse with alot of potential (oh yes ... she jumps and clears fences now on a regular basis! Its like field roulette when i go down!) The O.H is clearly slightly more smitten than i am, as has told me i must perservere with her, (oh yes he says that after he comes down from work ... when she has been caught, groomed, de rugged and bibbed, and has chilled out and she has given him a hug and a kiss!)
point proved??
For those of you who havent read any of my rants about ruby let me introduce you
This is ruby
Shes a 9 year old unbroken tbx who mooched onto the yard with 4 other horses! The first time i came into contact with her i was trying to catch the little madam after she jumped into a neighbouring field! After being offered her on free loan with permission to do whatever I want with her, providing i give her lots of attention ... me and ruby got to know each other a little better!
First problem ... Ruby dosent catch ... at all ... I have lost count of the number of hours I have spent pointlessly mooching around the field with carrots after her! After a couple of hours I managed to get her in, de rugged her and set about grooming her.
Second Problem ... Ruby dosent stand! Dances, rears, paws the ground, but dosent stand still!! After about half an hour of avoiding a swinging backside i managed to have a good look around her! I also tried to pick her feet out.
Third Problem ... Ruby dosent pick feet up ... when asked to pick her feet up she strikes out with her fronts (appologies to the poor unsuspecting girl who was holding her at this point) and cow kicks with her backs (lovely deep purple bruise on my b****y leg )
As she is living out 24/7 she has two rugs and a bib on, she is absoloutly fine to rug up ... but getting her bib on and off .... Oh dear
Fourth Problem ... Ruby is UNBELIEVABLY headshy (in hindsight probibly part of the problem when trying to catch her, i wondered why she was the only one in the field with a headcollar on ). Its been a bit of a nightmare trying to get her bib on and off, im just over 5"1 and when she is throwing her head up it dosent make life easy, i cant just get it off quickly ... poorly shoulders
Fifth Problem ... Ruby becomes very strong to lead when shes away from her field friends. She is fine to bring in, however once she is in leading her in any which way away from the field becoms slightly like trying to lead a charging bull!!
So ..... so far this is what I have discovered ... I have taken on a 9yo unbroken tbx who wont catch, is a wimp, with little manners, difficult to lead, cant pick feet up without them meeting my legs and back, is terribly headshy and wont think twice about rearing and b*****ing off back to the field.
If it wasnt for the fact she does (for a very short time) chill out, rest her head on my shoulder and give me a nudge and a nuzzel i would be re-thinking my decision! I am however smitten ... as i was with india when i was having problems with her, that somewhere (obv hidden very deep) inside this animal is a loving little horse with alot of potential (oh yes ... she jumps and clears fences now on a regular basis! Its like field roulette when i go down!) The O.H is clearly slightly more smitten than i am, as has told me i must perservere with her, (oh yes he says that after he comes down from work ... when she has been caught, groomed, de rugged and bibbed, and has chilled out and she has given him a hug and a kiss!)
point proved??