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Post by alonerawnut on Nov 11, 2013 20:46:15 GMT 1
Sarah's book is exactly what I would recommend. I've had a couple of training sessions with Sarah on Kafee's barely-handled NF foals and the one thing that stood out was how they reacted to a change of intent, i.e. If you were going up to their face with the intention of putting on the headcollar rather than just rubbing it on their neck, even though it didn't felt like you were doing anything different, they would spook away at even just the thought of putting on the headcollar.
So my advice would be to avoid trying to speed it up and actually trying to slow everything down. Follow Sarah's exercises but don't aim to move on to the next step too quickly, until she's really happy with what you're doing.
How are her feet? Is there anything that means you need to speed up the process, because she needs urgent care? If so, I reckon you'd be best off getting an RA involved.
P.S. She's gorgeous!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2013 21:39:08 GMT 1
I sounds like you're doing pretty well to have got this far already! If you haven't already, you might like to watch my video of training a feral Exmoor pony. There's lots of stuff in there on using pressure and release, timing, building things up, etc. Training TrystanAnd if it's not useful, well at least you can coo over my lovely lad! One thing I'd like to pick up on from your post is about rewarding any step forwards, any attempt Missy makes to work with you, with a really good release and a break. So for instance this bit: What you need to do is punctuate the fact that she's stood still for you with a huge release. If you think about it from her point of view, a stroke anywhere isn't a pleasant reward. It's something that can be hard to remember when working with feral ponies - we see stroking as nice, they don't necessarily. Some can learn quickly that a rub is good, others don't. What they really want at this stage is for you to back off again. The conversation you're having, if you like, is 'what do I need to do to get you to go away', 'stand still', 'ok, I'll stand still, will you now go away?', 'yes'. Keep your sessions short, and if you are going to do something longer then break it up with rests. Time your rests as rewards for anything positive. The more rewards you give, the more your pony will try for you. Look for the tiniest effort and reward it. If she makes a huge breakthrough after only 3 minutes of the 20 minutes you'd allocated, then forget the other 17. She's done something fantastic, thank you girlie! If something does go wrong, don't stress about finding a great positive note to end on if in doing so you'll stress her more. She'll learn more negatively through the stress than she will about the positive note. Remember for the next time where things started to go wrong and break that down so she can find it easier, and don't push her so fast. Rather than speeding things up I'd possibly slow them down at the moment and have a period of doing tiny things well, rather than looking at the bigger picture and worrying about not being as far advanced as you'd like to be. The small steps will get you there. Very often with horses of any sort, it's when we take the pressure off that they feel they can do what we'd wanted all along! On the vet/pregnancy question, do you know how advanced she may be? I'd need to look it up but your vet will know - after a certain point in pregnancy you can get a urine test done. I can see from the photo she's in a stable, presumably a concrete floor, so you may well be able to get enough of a sample. That's what I did with my little feral mare. The alternative is to wait and see. To be honest, there's not much you'll be able to do one way or the other, other than making sure she's healthy and well nourished. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Trys' vid, maybe have a watch and see if it helps, and if you've got any questions please just ask. |
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Post by portiabuzz on Nov 12, 2013 12:04:50 GMT 1
well done you for taking her on, she looks like a lovely girl, i wish you all the luck in the world on your journey together, I have Sarah W's book and its so well written and looks good to follow, keep in touch  xxx |
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Post by ladyndibs on Nov 30, 2013 23:36:34 GMT 1
She is gorgeous, so glad you're doing so well with her.
Your YO has a point, please note I've never bred anything apart from children but would her diet need to be enhanced at all if she were pregnant?
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Post by ladyndibs on Dec 1, 2013 0:00:57 GMT 1
She looks well, the last mare I saw in foal was like a hat rack, a haunting sight, she'd wintered with no rug or extra food as her owner wouldn't believe that her 3yr old colt could cover the mare as he had one undescended testicle. She was a tb and later gave birth to twins, one died at birth and the other foal and the mare were both dead within three weeks.
The foals were born early but unlike you despite access to the internet etc she hadn't bothered reading up on pregnant mares and thought collecting some chickens were more important than sorting out milk for the live foal, sorry that's a bit of a rant but even 2yrs on I want to wring her neck.
Please keep us updated, Missy is so adorable and it looks and sounds like she's landed on her hooves, good luck to both of you.
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Post by taklishim on Dec 1, 2013 12:24:16 GMT 1
I'm not sure if yours came off the moor but presumably she had access to a stallion so perhaps she did. I took on an older mare that came straight off the common. As you can imagine it was a "buy one get one free" situation. I didn't worry if she was in foal. Just assumed unfortunately that she would be. It was late arriving and joined us on 30th May so she kept us wondering for a long time. I didn't feed anything different on account of the foal I fed a lot of hay as mine was starving but on the common these mares only get grazing plus they are out in all weathers just foraging in a bad winter. In the last month or so they are on the new spring grass on the common. I did tetanus. That can be done by sticking her head in a bucket of feed and a quiet vet just waking past and injecting as they go past. The mare soon forgot it. I worm counted and it was relatively high. I counted before the first worming so I had some idea what I was dealing with. Vet advised if she was in foal that I should worm her continually (rather than worm counting) and that I should also worm the foal continually. That seemed to work well. Good luck with her. She is a lucky little mare. PS in case you are wondering what happens next it is this!!!!  |
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Post by amandap on Dec 1, 2013 13:00:25 GMT 1
PS in case you are wondering what happens next it is this!!!! Lol! Just what I was thinking with 24/7 access to a stallion. Don't take April covering observed as a definite. Two Shetland mares we bought at sale off the moor foaled in April and August. Best of luck she looks such a sweet heart ad has fallen on her feet. |
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Post by portiabuzz on Dec 5, 2013 13:43:48 GMT 1
i sooo LOVE this thread  lovely updates and pics!!! xxx |
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Post by portiabuzz on Dec 5, 2013 13:44:10 GMT 1
She looks well, the last mare I saw in foal was like a hat rack, a haunting sight, she'd wintered with no rug or extra food as her owner wouldn't believe that her 3yr old colt could cover the mare as he had one undescended testicle. She was a tb and later gave birth to twins, one died at birth and the other foal and the mare were both dead within three weeks. The foals were born early but unlike you despite access to the internet etc she hadn't bothered reading up on pregnant mares and thought collecting some chickens were more important than sorting out milk for the live foal, sorry that's a bit of a rant but even 2yrs on I want to wring her neck. Please keep us updated, Missy is so adorable and it looks and sounds like she's landed on her hooves, good luck to both of you.  |
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Post by amandap on Dec 6, 2013 17:09:26 GMT 1
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Post by portiabuzz on Dec 10, 2013 14:51:33 GMT 1
 x |
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Post by Pauline on Dec 29, 2013 21:25:28 GMT 1
If the vet will allow you to if is easy to inject a pony.
As you stroke her neck (and I see you have plaited her mane) have the needle and syringe ready and do it then. Tetanus is most important as it will cover the foal as well as the mare. If a horse get Tetanus it is not a nice sight and very stressful for the animal.
Do try and get her covered for Tetanus and Flu and wormed as well.
It is in the last trimester that feeding is most important. A good Stud Balancer and good forage is needed.
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Post by happysnail on Dec 31, 2013 16:03:38 GMT 1
Just found this post. What a lovely little mare. Her reindeer antlers pic is too gorgeous. Hope all is going well. x
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Post by portiabuzz on Jan 2, 2014 11:42:53 GMT 1
ditto! x
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Post by happysnail on Jan 31, 2014 22:21:21 GMT 1
What a lovely update . Great progress and pics. x |
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xxx
lovely updates and pics!!!