I’m sure that none of you will be surprised to hear that I bought Charlie today.
He is an adorable little chap, more babyish than I had thought from his photos. I think he is about 13.3 at the moment and the string test suggests he might make 15 hands which is perfect. His owner has not been feeling very well recently, so she asked her NH Instructor to be there when I visited in case she wasn’t up to showing Charlie off. The instructor was lovely and helpful to me in handling Charlie the way he’s been used to.
We did a little inspection and leading in the yard. I led him, backed him up, and yielded quarters and shoulders. Paul the instructor showed me how he has been taught to pick up his feet, which I did without incident. Then we all went to take him for a walk.
Charlie lives in a very quiet village, but it was dolled up with bunting for the fete this weekend so he got to see bunting for the first time. I watched Paul introduce him to the bunting, which was a matter of his curiosity getting the best of his surprise, and saw that he handle things more or less as I would. Then we went for a walk through the village and bridlepaths, which were steep and stony.
I let Charlie for about half way round. Although he moves nice and straight and tracks up well he is a bit wiggly, but I understand this is usual for a baby. He was surprised by a horse behind a hedge which he hadn’t seen, stopped and snorted, and then calmly walked forward again when I asked him. As we came back through the village we met an enormous double articulated lorry which was apparently his first. Paul asked me to take him slightly into a side road and then turn to face the Lorry - again just what I would’ve done - and although he was big eyed he was quite calm as it rumbled past.
On the way back to the yard we had to wait to be passed by cars and a trailer on one side and a quad bike on the other and he didn’t turn a hair.
Back at the yard I put him in his stable and touched him all over from nose to tail. He is very tactile and affectionate. Paul says he is an extrovert which I quite believe!
By the time we were out on the lane I had already bought him in my head but it is all signed and sealed now. I could babble about him for hours but I’m sure there’ll be lots more to come....
Here are some photos. I’ll attach a video clip or two when I can.
He is an adorable little chap, more babyish than I had thought from his photos. I think he is about 13.3 at the moment and the string test suggests he might make 15 hands which is perfect. His owner has not been feeling very well recently, so she asked her NH Instructor to be there when I visited in case she wasn’t up to showing Charlie off. The instructor was lovely and helpful to me in handling Charlie the way he’s been used to.
We did a little inspection and leading in the yard. I led him, backed him up, and yielded quarters and shoulders. Paul the instructor showed me how he has been taught to pick up his feet, which I did without incident. Then we all went to take him for a walk.
Charlie lives in a very quiet village, but it was dolled up with bunting for the fete this weekend so he got to see bunting for the first time. I watched Paul introduce him to the bunting, which was a matter of his curiosity getting the best of his surprise, and saw that he handle things more or less as I would. Then we went for a walk through the village and bridlepaths, which were steep and stony.
I let Charlie for about half way round. Although he moves nice and straight and tracks up well he is a bit wiggly, but I understand this is usual for a baby. He was surprised by a horse behind a hedge which he hadn’t seen, stopped and snorted, and then calmly walked forward again when I asked him. As we came back through the village we met an enormous double articulated lorry which was apparently his first. Paul asked me to take him slightly into a side road and then turn to face the Lorry - again just what I would’ve done - and although he was big eyed he was quite calm as it rumbled past.
On the way back to the yard we had to wait to be passed by cars and a trailer on one side and a quad bike on the other and he didn’t turn a hair.
Back at the yard I put him in his stable and touched him all over from nose to tail. He is very tactile and affectionate. Paul says he is an extrovert which I quite believe!
By the time we were out on the lane I had already bought him in my head but it is all signed and sealed now. I could babble about him for hours but I’m sure there’ll be lots more to come....
Here are some photos. I’ll attach a video clip or two when I can.
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