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.

Moving fields!

Or rather, moving from a tiny paddock and stable to a huge, wet, muddy field, atleast 4 acre in size, starting at the bottom of a hill and spreading all across said hill, with lots of trees and bushes included.

As I am going into hospital tomorrow, Harry has moved to this lovely horse paradise to be looked after by my friend. The field currently had my friends 2 dartmoor crosses already living there (being around 3/4 in age) So Harry now has space, grass, ponies and MUD!!

The day of the move dawned grey and drizzly. Me and Harry walked to the field without incident (it's a 10 minute walk through the village) Although we did see a very scary parked car! Then we got to the field, I let Harry off and called Nick and Rocky down while Harry happily sniffed the piles of poo by the gateway. When Nick and Rocky appeared at full gallop down the hill, his first reaction was to run away, then realising it was ponies run forward, while they ran away, then ran forward, then all 3 ran around for a bit, then stopped and started sniffing each other (Harry spent the whole time running with his tail in the air like an arab, show off!)

The sniffing was very civilised with no squealing or striking, they seemed to accept each other fairly quickly and we gave them some hay, and then Harry rolled! I have never seen a pony more muddy, he went from a gorgeous fluffy black and white foal to something that you would find in a rescue case! He got it on his eyelashes! I was not amused. But he seemed happy enough, and I'd rather have a happy muddy pony than a clean miserable one.

When I checked on him the next day he was being very cool, let me come up and say hello then wandered off because it's not cool to be seen talking to your mum in front of your friends. I think he'll be very happy out there, and he's been perfect for catching now, been perfect for worming, perfect to have his feet trimmed so hopefully he'll stay perfect whilst I'm in hospital and recovering, and not get any breaking out of field ideas!

Well fabulous month! Within a day or two of Harry allowing me to pick out his feet whilst tied up, he decided that it wasn't scary at all and I can now pick out all his feet while he's loose in the stable, door wide open, and he just stands there good as gold!

Had the blacksmith out today and he was fabulous for him aswell, he's just going so well!

I had some not so good news will be going into hospital on the 23rd to have an operation to straighten my back (I have scoliosis) So will be unable to look after Harry, which means he's going to stay with my friends ponies, she has 2 dartmoor geldings so that should be fun for him!

So this month has been full of achievements, Harry is now splendid with a headcollar, I can take it off and leave it off for a few days then put it back on without any trouble at all. He will stand happily to be groomed all over, mane and tail brushed out fully. Which is a good thing as he has also discovered the joys of rolling! he frequently comes in to the stable for dinner covered in mud!He has been for several more walks all without incident, and the biggest thing has been his feet.

To start with he was funny with his front and awful with his back, couldn't even run my hand down his leg without him spinning around in circles (Tied up aswell!) Eventually with a lot of patience managed to have him happily standing to have his front feet picked up and picked out, but back end was still a problem, couldn't get a hand on his feet, so got a friend to hold him and give him a carrot or two while I did his back feet, he was a bit better and managed to hold them up for a bit then let them down again, did this a few times with friend holding him, in the meantime he was being splendid with his front feet, I could now pick them up and hold them up for a few seconds while he was loose, he didn't move at all!

So today I tried tying him up and seeing if he was manageable with his back end, as this was how we started off with the front feet. Well he did move around a bit but nowhere near as bad as he had been, and then he stopped and I managed to pick his back feet up and hold them! All on my lonesome! What a wonderful pony I have :) Possibly by next month he may have had a blacksmith visit aswell.

Happy New Year

This is turning out to be a monthly thing.. So, christmas Harry got to meet some of the family and was getting much more confident about leaving his stable. I simply left the stable door open all day and eventually he came out, once he did he realised it wasn't so bad. He now is very happy to come out of the stable.

We have progressed to putting headcollar on before he comes out (to start with he was walking round the stable in circles with me trying to stay with him before he stopped and let me put it on him, but we have managed to get it down to a step back and then acceptance) and then has his headcollar off at night when he comes into the stable (same drama for taking off as putting on) He has had his first experience of snow.

The first day I led him out, he came walking out all normal like then suddenly went Woah!!! What's all this white stuff! we walked around exploring and ventured into the terrifying garden where lurks vicious horse eating dogs and dragons hiding under dead plants. But he was surprisingly good so at the weekend I decided the time was right for a walk around the village. This was a much bigger adventure than the garden as mum came with the dogs, and we had to walk past houses (!) A field with 3 big cobs (not so much ! more ooh other horses for me? - No, Harry, this way! - Oh, ok.. *sigh*) then went up a hill that was also a large field with my brother throwing sticks for the dogs behind us, our ascent was rather fast for that reason, then back down hill through a lovely bridleway, I was expecting Harry to maybe come too close behind me but he walked to heel better than my dogs do! Then we met another couple with a different dog and the women had a plastic bag (!!) Harrys eyes popped but he bravely sniffed them and decided they were safe, so on the last stretch home back on the lane we met about 4 or 5 cars, each time we had to get into a driveway that was filled with rubbish bags, some bright green, but Harry was fine, seeming to say "if you're not scared mum, then I'm not scared". What a good baby!

Haven't been for another walk as combination of work and terrible weather has meant I... haven't. But I will! Just you wait and see!

On a side note, I have discovered Harry is not a posh horse and does not want me to spend money on him, I splashed out the other day and got him a nice posh mineral lick, lots of treats and a treat ball, oh and a salt lick cos it was cheap. He hasn't even sniffed the mineral lick, won't touch the treat ball and when I try giving him the treats by hand he spits them out. but the cheap salt lick he loves! I guess it's good quality cheap stuff for him then. Better not buy any expensive rugs...

So see you (who? who's reading this anyway? - well I don't know but I like to read through it when I update it, and, anyway, someone might eventually start reading it and want to see my previous posts? - yeah, ok, keep dreaming) in February!

Harry Home

I am not too good at this whole blogging thing. But since nobodys reading it yet I don't suppose is matters :D.

So since my last blog, Harry has come home! He has been home for 5 whole days now, and I think he likes me a lot more now. (Well it's a choice of me or the chickens!) We have been practising coming in and out of the stable, since he doesnt want to leave his stable, but then doesnt want to go back in!

He was quite jumpy the first day home when I went in to muck out, my fork was blue! What a ridiculous colour! He thought. But he has quickly got used to stupidly coloured tools, and has stopped jumping every time I move with one in my hand.

He was also not too good at being handled on his off side the first few days, but is now happy for me to groom him on both sides (although he doesnt want me touching his belly - that's where the wolves attack!)

So every day is a bit more progress, the biggest thing I am pleased about is that his first reaction when something spooks him is to turn to me - hooray he likes me!

We finished this evening with putting a headcollar on and off over the one that's currently staying on 24/7 at the moment, but the plan is when he's happy with the new headcollar going on and off, then the current one shall come off.

He's also been having fun skidding around the paddock in the frost! More up dates, after christmas I expect!