The new boy got his name - Albus, because of his mighty grey beard, which has actually been clipped off because he kept itching it on things, and like his beard his name has been shortened to Albi, or bugalugs...
Started an update post and then decided I would quite like to keep track myself of his training and progress over the next year so thought I would keep a diary..
He spent the first two weeks with us in a pen and then was allowed out with the "big boys". He shares a field with two icelandic horses, who are both 13.3hh and at the time were taller than him. There was a brief moment when he wasn't conforming to the being shown the way of the world by the old boys and was being a little dominant, but after an incident where he and one of the others had a massive set to (and one of them "may" have got sat on...) they have been getting on very well and have all 3 been sharing hay from the same hole in the hay hutch and have been 3 way mutual grooming..
I only really have time on a weekday morning at the moment its so dark to give him a pat and their hay and that's about it but I had a day off in early December and we had a lesson with my friends NH Instructor, which was both positive to remind me of things to work with and has helped since with his leading but a bit negative in that I don't think the big movements with the ropes have helped with subsequent being caught... we've modified it to suit ourselves though.
He was mostly well behaved for his first farrier visit at the beginning of December but was struggling with sticky stifles and has been much better since with picking his legs up. Come my Christmas holidays he decided he didn't much fancy being caught and would rather stay in the field with the boys, 45 minutes later he conceded defeat and we have been catching him every day since. By the end of my holiday yesterday he was caught straight away with no carrot bribe but will see how long that lasts now I am back at work!
I haven't done a lot with him, just leading round the field and a trip up to the other end of our field, which he found a little scary as there is quite an elevation change over the 500m to be looking down on the road and roundabout instead but a coat on the other hand was absolutely terrifying yesterday morning so we worked with that for a bit and once he was happy to have it laid over him we stopped. Aiming to start desensiting him to things as at the moment he's fine with the traffic and the trains on either side of the field but not always with things moving around in the field!
Started an update post and then decided I would quite like to keep track myself of his training and progress over the next year so thought I would keep a diary..
He spent the first two weeks with us in a pen and then was allowed out with the "big boys". He shares a field with two icelandic horses, who are both 13.3hh and at the time were taller than him. There was a brief moment when he wasn't conforming to the being shown the way of the world by the old boys and was being a little dominant, but after an incident where he and one of the others had a massive set to (and one of them "may" have got sat on...) they have been getting on very well and have all 3 been sharing hay from the same hole in the hay hutch and have been 3 way mutual grooming..
I only really have time on a weekday morning at the moment its so dark to give him a pat and their hay and that's about it but I had a day off in early December and we had a lesson with my friends NH Instructor, which was both positive to remind me of things to work with and has helped since with his leading but a bit negative in that I don't think the big movements with the ropes have helped with subsequent being caught... we've modified it to suit ourselves though.
He was mostly well behaved for his first farrier visit at the beginning of December but was struggling with sticky stifles and has been much better since with picking his legs up. Come my Christmas holidays he decided he didn't much fancy being caught and would rather stay in the field with the boys, 45 minutes later he conceded defeat and we have been catching him every day since. By the end of my holiday yesterday he was caught straight away with no carrot bribe but will see how long that lasts now I am back at work!
I haven't done a lot with him, just leading round the field and a trip up to the other end of our field, which he found a little scary as there is quite an elevation change over the 500m to be looking down on the road and roundabout instead but a coat on the other hand was absolutely terrifying yesterday morning so we worked with that for a bit and once he was happy to have it laid over him we stopped. Aiming to start desensiting him to things as at the moment he's fine with the traffic and the trains on either side of the field but not always with things moving around in the field!
