Dummy!

I made a dummy although it wasn't a very good one! Put it on Harry on friday, but it kept falling apart... lol! Still Harry wasn't bothered about me throwing it around and sitting it on him, it was very floppy aswell so couldn't actually make it sit.. going to reinforce it with wood and tape this week and try again!

Have discovered Harrys stubborn side! Well not discovered just he's being so good I'd forgotten he had one lol, went to bring him in from the field and he wouldn't move, took me ages going from side to side take one step this way, now one step this way... took a while but we got there! Good old pony.

New plan, tomorrow, if he comes in from the field, going to put saddle on him (put it on him friday to remind him what it was like, he wasn't bothered even when i let the girth hang down around his legs, improvement from before as last time he had it on he was worried about the girth, having a month to think about things clearly is a good idea) and walk him all through the village, this will involve a lot more to look at than he's seen before as when he was at home we were at the far end of the village so would just walk around the bridleways, now he's in a field halfway down so we can walk all the way to the pub! hehe!

And going to attempt this with the saddle on aswell, or maybe do it without first, dunno find with Harry can't plan much just have to see what I'm feeling on the day :P

Relatives

This isn't really an update on Harry as what can I say? He has of course continued to be perfect! My next plan is to make a dummy and tie it onto his saddle, I know he's only a year old but hey ho, might aswell start him off young! It's more so he'll get used to having something above him... anyway that hasn't happened as it's been so hot recently I just cant find the energy to make it. Did take Harry out for a walk yesterday, and yep you guessed it he was good as gold! He did neigh the whole way round but his field mates were calling aswell so not his fault, he stopped when he couldnt hear them.

Anyway, I thought I would just put up some pictures of his family, as I find it interesting :P

Here is mum, She is a welsh section D about 14h, 12 years old, stable name Rosie registered name Nantymoch Eleri (Yeah I can't pronounce it either!)

Here is Dad, Piebald Homozygous Traditional Gypsy Cob, Jumping Jack Flash!

Here is grandad, Welsh section D Ionos Troy

Here is a great great grandad Parc Commando

Another great great grandad Derwen Replica, and well I'm bored now might do some more another day

Show Time!

So after being left out all night I got up early expecting to see a very dirty pony but by some miracle he was clean! just dirty feathers, so washed them again, put his new travel boots on which he wasnt sure he could walk in, and off to the show!

Now as this was the first time he'd been anywhere - the most he's done is being walked round the village and there's not that much to see, and he hadnt even done that for 2 months - I was expecting the worst, but the worst was he neighed a bit at the start and circled around, had 1 rear which i told him off for, and then he decided the grass was much more interesting and started to graze (still neighing quite a bit though)

Our first class was coloured - any type. So in we went, he walked around wonderfully, there was a miniature spotted stallion in front of us and Harry liked the look of him! I was feeling very proud of my lovely pony striding out around the ring, I kept talking to him saying "You're being such a good boy!" then we all had to stop whilst each horse was trotted from the front of the line to the back - Harry stood like a pro! But then, when it was his turn to trot, he didn't want to! He thought he was leaving the others and didnt want to it was very funny, the steward was chasing and he still wouldnt stubborn little pony I couldnt stop laughing! once we were back with the others he was fine, but again for his individual show, he stood patiently in the line up, stood for the judge, walked away from the judge, turned around trotted about 3 strides and that was it! hehe. We didnt get placed, no surprise.

So mountain and moorland class was next with about 4 hours in between, and I think Harry was a bit tired, he did the first trot around really well, but in the line up he started dozing off, for the individual bit he trotted a little longer but he wasnt being as nappy as before just very tired, it was a long day for a baby! We didnt get placed again but I was so pleased with him, he had been very well behaved and once he knew waht I wanted he tried his best. We took him straight back to his field with his boys and the minute I let him go he rolled, he's now a muddy pony again! Never meant to be a show horse anyway.

We won't be doing much showing unless it's very local because I got really bored! I prefer a bit more action myself, in hand shows have never particularly excited me. But it was for Harrys education and I am so pleased with my little man, he really is the best!

First wash first rug and first jump!

Well, Harry of course was perfect for the vet, with carrots stuck under his nose he didnt even realise anything had happened until it was all over.
So we loaded Harry up and brought him home for the weekend as theres no running water at his field. Once again he loaded well, this time following carrots into the trailer. I had a scare as we were loading on the very very quiet country lane which normally has no traffic whatsoever but today a motorbike came flying up the lane just as he was on the ramp, I thought that was it, he'd get scared, panic then associate trailers with panicking, but nope, the motorbike stopped, he hadnt even noticed and finished off loading, he got a little worried as it roared past but the carrots were still there (carrots are lifesavers!)
And so to home again, he remembered his routing we got him back late afternoon and by the evening he was waiting in the stable for dinner. Everything was going very well!
The next day, saturday, the day of his first ever wash!
First of all blacksmith came out to give him a manicure, he stood there yawning his head off (who would believe he had ever been bad to pick up his feet??) then bathtime! My stepdad (who can do anything and everything, one of those) had managed to put a tap on the end of mums showere in her portacabin (she does dog grooming)
So we had running hot water, very posh and professional! I gave Harry a good groom and trimmed off the worst of his fluff, then it was the dreaded moment, wet sponge time! I very carefully talking and stroking all the while placed the spong on his shoulder and squeezed, Harry looked, carried on eating his hay. What an anti-climax. He was fine the whole time, tucked his bum up a bit when I was washing his bum but that was all, lifted his feet up while I was doing his feathers but just because he thought I wanted to pick up his feet, and got a little upset when I was doing his ears but I think that was more because mum was there reading a magazine and moved so making him jump at the same time as I was doing the ears. Parents! My brother was also mowing the lawn whilst this was happening.
Then I got the hair dryer out to dry off his feathers, had it on the lowest setting, he was a bit concerned but mum was there with the wonderful carrots so he soon settled again. Put his first ever rug on - not a problem. Put him back in the stable and the whole thing had only taken 2 hours. Went inside to have a drink then my brother came in and said
"I thought you werent going to let Harry out?" "I didn't!" I cried, and ran up the garden thinking he must have kicked the door open, but the door was closed, I realised he must have got over it and immediately feared the worst - cuts and blood everywhere! I walked up to him happily grazing, there was a little scrape on his front knee and a little scrape on his back knee, that was it! He'd managed to get over a 4ft stable door! He's not even 13h high yet! Looks like I have a showjumper on my hands, Olympia here we come!
Later on I thought he'd be alright, it was night time so I thought I'd give him his feed and shut him in like I used to, same old routing etc. First of all he must have rolled and got his leg stuck as he had torn a huge hole in his rug! I stayed there while he ate then left, then got worried and went back up just as he was charging at the stable door! I went in and talked to him and stroked him and he calmed down and started dozing off, so I went out again and shut the top door then waited to see if he'd settle, he started going up to the windows, then pawing up his bedding and banging himself against the walls, then backed into the farthest corner and ran up to one of the windows! I decided that was it I'd rather he be out and muddy than leave him in and have him kill himself trying to get through the window! So he went back out and I resigned myself to getting up early the next day to wash him all over again.

Well, I didnt go into hospital in March, it got cancelled and cancelled again, now the hospital is May and over the past month Harry has:
Moved to another field, which involved loading into a trailer on his own (he just followed a bucket of feed in) He travelled splendidly and when we got to the new field he came off the trailer quietly, trotted once round the new field, cantered once round the new field, whinnied a couple of times, then settled to grazing while we waited for his field mates to arrive.
Then whilst at this new field I have put a saddle on him which he wasn't bothered about, he wasnt sure he could walk with it on but once he got moving he was fine. He has also had a bridle on over his headcollar and he doesnt seem bothered about a bit at all, he is sooo good! I also have done a bit of stepping up and down next to him on steps as if I were going to mount him, he was a little concerned at first but when he realized that all I was doing was scratching his back he calmed down.
So he now has the vet coming out on monday to do his vaccinations as he is going to a show next weekend! We're doing the in hand mountain and moorland part bred class, and after that I am going to hospital (???) Maybe.