Post by Zoe RA on Mar 22, 2010 23:28:25 GMT 1
I first met Benson - a 7 year old Cob - about 5 years ago when he was a thin, scared little two year old who had not long been rescued from an irresponsible dealer in a neglected state. Although he was lead about 4 miles to get him from field to field, he was not used to being handled, and was very reluctant to be caught. He was even more reluctant to have his legs touched or feet picked up.
I worked a little with him for a few weeks until he and his adoptive herd moved to yet another field, and once they were all settled there he was left to be a youngster.
Belinda, who had rescued Benson and seven other horses, and who runs the DeeDee's Web of Light sanctuary, called me in to work with Benson again because he had back slid big time with his foot handling, and general manners. All the horses at the sanctuary have benefited enormously from Belinda's quiet approach, but in Benson's case, he had accumulated rather a lot of ASBOs in the last couple of years for his biting, general attitude, space invading, and his need to be sedated to have his feet trimmed. The time had come for some firm boundaries to be put in to place!
So, on my first visit, we did some very basic leading whilst keeping young Benson's head away so he couldn't nip. He was all teeth to start with, and had developed a rather inconvenient line in striking out with a front foot if he gets impatient or bored. I was able to get him walking fairly respectfully in a very short time, and then talked Belinda through the process.
Belinda has promised me she will have bought herself a hat before our next session
By the time I took these photos, he had practical stopped the nipping ;D
The next session involved feet picking up, which he reluctantly did. He is fine with the backs, but snatches with the fronts and then strikes out with them. Standing to the side is essential with this sort of horse unless you have a desire to lose your knee cap
As luck would have it, the trimmer was due to come a couple of hours after I left, so I popped back after I had finished another job just up the road. Benson had been sedated so that his feet really could be done, but the trimmer was very late (no fault of his own )and the sedation had worn off by the time he arrived
However, Gavin and I were able to work together with Benson, and apparently he was the best behaved that he has ever been before without sedation Clever pony
I have been back a couple of times since, and his biting is totally a thing of the past. He just doesn't do it any more.
On Friday we did tarpaulins. I always start off with a scrap of old carpet, and then work up to the tarp itself.
Ha ha, I'm brave, me
And then I work up to the tarp, first with the carpet on the edge, then without.
Hmm, not too sure about this ..............
Yeah, in ya own time Benson
Nah, I'm cool with this now - I'm just going to have a kip. You did want me to stand on it after all ......
To start with, he was really jumpy when I was unfolding the tarp. By the end of the session, although he was wary, he was trusting me when I asked him to stand - even when it was close to him and flapping
What a star ;D
Today we did the tarp again, and he even stood on it whilst the wind wrapped it round his legs
Then I desensitized him to the line all over and round him, and put a roller on him for the first time. It is a real treat to be working with a horse who is mentally and physically old enough to be able to work at a good, steady pace. I have to worry a lot less about tiering him out and he can take far more in one session than most of the horses who I am doing this sort of thing with
To be continued!
I worked a little with him for a few weeks until he and his adoptive herd moved to yet another field, and once they were all settled there he was left to be a youngster.
Belinda, who had rescued Benson and seven other horses, and who runs the DeeDee's Web of Light sanctuary, called me in to work with Benson again because he had back slid big time with his foot handling, and general manners. All the horses at the sanctuary have benefited enormously from Belinda's quiet approach, but in Benson's case, he had accumulated rather a lot of ASBOs in the last couple of years for his biting, general attitude, space invading, and his need to be sedated to have his feet trimmed. The time had come for some firm boundaries to be put in to place!
So, on my first visit, we did some very basic leading whilst keeping young Benson's head away so he couldn't nip. He was all teeth to start with, and had developed a rather inconvenient line in striking out with a front foot if he gets impatient or bored. I was able to get him walking fairly respectfully in a very short time, and then talked Belinda through the process.
Belinda has promised me she will have bought herself a hat before our next session
By the time I took these photos, he had practical stopped the nipping ;D
The next session involved feet picking up, which he reluctantly did. He is fine with the backs, but snatches with the fronts and then strikes out with them. Standing to the side is essential with this sort of horse unless you have a desire to lose your knee cap
As luck would have it, the trimmer was due to come a couple of hours after I left, so I popped back after I had finished another job just up the road. Benson had been sedated so that his feet really could be done, but the trimmer was very late (no fault of his own )and the sedation had worn off by the time he arrived
However, Gavin and I were able to work together with Benson, and apparently he was the best behaved that he has ever been before without sedation Clever pony
I have been back a couple of times since, and his biting is totally a thing of the past. He just doesn't do it any more.
On Friday we did tarpaulins. I always start off with a scrap of old carpet, and then work up to the tarp itself.
Ha ha, I'm brave, me
And then I work up to the tarp, first with the carpet on the edge, then without.
Hmm, not too sure about this ..............
Yeah, in ya own time Benson
Nah, I'm cool with this now - I'm just going to have a kip. You did want me to stand on it after all ......
To start with, he was really jumpy when I was unfolding the tarp. By the end of the session, although he was wary, he was trusting me when I asked him to stand - even when it was close to him and flapping
What a star ;D
Today we did the tarp again, and he even stood on it whilst the wind wrapped it round his legs
Then I desensitized him to the line all over and round him, and put a roller on him for the first time. It is a real treat to be working with a horse who is mentally and physically old enough to be able to work at a good, steady pace. I have to worry a lot less about tiering him out and he can take far more in one session than most of the horses who I am doing this sort of thing with
To be continued!