more Harry fun

I spent about an hour with Harry the other day trying to get him to realise that fly spray is not going to kill him!

First I thought I would try food association, so had some nuts and was feeding him them and spraying him at the same time, unfortunately he's not THAT greedy so he just decided the nuts weren't worth it.

Then I started just brushing it on, and realised it must be the noise he doesn't like (this is a really quiet spray!!) because whilst I sprayed it on the brush away from him then brushed it on he didnt mind, but if I stood next to him and sprayed it he had a flid.

So I thought he does like getting scratched and started scratching him with the bottle so he realised the bottle wasn't an evil monster.

Once he got used to that I just kept spraying him and scratching him and every time he moved away I stopped scratching but carried on spraying.

He eventually realised if he stood still the spray stopped and the scratching continued. By this time I'd used up nearly a whole bottle of spray, but there were no flies on Harry!

And then yesterday I took him over a trotting pole, which Harry could not see the point of at all, he walked upto it then stopped and looked at me as if to say "there's a pole in the way!" However with a handful of mollichaff in front of his nose he could see the point of stepping over a pole, but he wasn't so keen on trotting. I tried running in front with chaff and Harry would jog a bit then go "no actually I don't want to" I managed to get him trotting by standing just behind his shoulder and waving my hand at his bum. Once Harry realised that "oh you wanted me to TROT! This is fun!" and we had quite a bit of trotting round the field and even managed to trot over the pole once :)

I have also taught him to bow, he's such a smart boy!

So today he travelled with one of the other ponies, again something new he's always gone on his own before. nothing remarkable about it just another new experience, and in a different field yet again. It's so nice having an easy loader, traveller and unloader :)

Harry is being a very happy dopey boy, haven't done much with him just hanging out giving him grooms etc which he loves! Doesn't need tying up or anything he will stand for ages while I brush out his mane and tail which is getting thicker by the day, he has definitely taken after his dad and is becoming more like a gypsy cob every day (I was hoping for him to take after his dam, her mane grows a normal length and then stop, her tail is a normal thickness for a native and she has a little bit of feather on her heels) But no Harry is definitely a daddys boy! His tail is nearly full grown already I always thought it took 2 years? Hmm.

Anyway the other day I was playing around with one of the other ponies attempting to lunge (pony said NO) and as Harry was standing there in the way I decided to tack him up, then stood him next to the handy bench that's there and stood on it so he gets used to having people above him, leaned over him and was giving him a good scratch and kept leaning over then standing back up and patting the saddle for a while, he wasn't bothered so I leaned right over and took my feet off the bench! Just for a second he took my whole weight, then quickly stood back on the bench and carried on scratching, he is such a dream pony he's not bothered by anything. It's very hard to leave the field as he just comes and stands there begging you to love him!

He still hates fly spray, I think it's more the smell than the spray, it is rather stinky. I've been spraying it on a brush and brushing it on him, it certainly works! The flies hate it, wish Harry would make the connection

Skinny monster

Harry and friends have moved back to Rimpton as their field was suffering from lack of grass, and while the other two being small ponies actually look in fantastic shape, Harry I feel is still looking ribby, and although two separate farriers have both said he's fine and just growing, I feel much happier now he has grass to eat again.

He still hasn't put on any weight though, he's just growing! Not up so much, but just getting all muscly, looks like he's on steroids, all his veins are sticking out! I suppose it's his testosterone finally kicking in, fortunately he still hasn't realised he's male and remains the nicest colt I've ever had to the pleasure of meeting, no nipping, no rearing, nothing really.

So new plans for Harry! We are going to attempt to walk over tarpaulin. I put some out in his field and while his mates snorted at it very suspiciously at first, the minute I stood in the middle with some nuts they decided it was safe.

But poor Harry being the bottom of the pecking order (even though he's now the biggest) was getting chased away from the tarpaulin, so I then thought I would try leading him across the tarpaulin, but he didn't want too and we got closer and closer slowly and then he finally put one foot on the tarpaulin and decided that was enough, I wanted to do more but he wanted to go to sleep. Which is what he did.

I suppose the lesson here is to not be too greedy and stop once the smallest progress has been made. So I shall go back today and my aim is for him to get one foot on the tarpaulin and that's it!

So Harry has decided that coming in from the field and leaving his friends and having a good ol' groom and some pampering is not very traumatic and he doesn't need to neigh continuously. However fly spray is terrifying and is going to kill him!!! Aaaaaah!! Run away, run awaaaaaaaay! So think I need the magical carrots back hehe.

Apart from that he's fine, nothing scary out on our walks and he has better control of his legs walking downhill so he is nolonger crashing into me or dragging me down steep hills :). He is starting to think about biting a little so balls are definitely off in september! And in the meantime it's just more walkies and think of something else to de-sensitise him too, maybe an umbrella? Hmm...

Vet visit

Vet came out today to give Harry his second flu/tet jab, he was very good jumped a bit when she put it in but it was over so fast he didn't really mind. She gave me some wormer aswell as there's so many now I wasn't sure which to use and he was due (wormed him in March) have also been concerned about his weight, he's not thin he's got loads of muscle and topline, but I can see his ribs, however vet said he should be fine after worming so that's a relief, I do get more worried over him than other horses, probably cos I see him as my baby! Also asked about gelding and she said september would be a good time, so make the most of them Harry!

He is still being stubborn about coming in from the field, I can walk up and catch him no problem, and he'll follow me for about 2 strides and then stop, so I've been walking to the side and getting him to move one step, then going to the other side and move another step, and in this way we make our slow descent until eventually he gets bored and starts walking. It was quite funny the other day when I was doing it though, as I think the headcollar must have been on one of the pressure points that release endorphins? Because everytime I pulled he was falling asleep! Hehe. He's such a loving pony though I can spend an hour with him in the field just scratching and stroking him and he went move :) He seems to understand when I'm sad aswell and will be extra loving, nuzzling me etc. He really is my dream horse, I still can't believe he's mine sometimes. Erm the end for now :)

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was Harry's first birthday! To celebrate I made a "cake" by mixing up some chaff, grated 4 carrots and 4 apples, added a bit of water to mix it round and 2 spoonfuls of syrup, and then I didnt know if I should put it in the oven to set it or leave it the fridge. Well I put it in the fridge but it didnt really do anything, I had brought Harry home with his 2 field mates to graze the patch we have behind our house, so at lunch time I took the tray of "cake" out and they all shared it! teehee. On a sad note, they've all got lice! :( But luckily we seem to have caught it very early on, theres just a few eggs in their forelocks bleugh. Can't believe Harrys a year already!

Well simply splendid weather! Or not, looks like we have our normal summer weather back. Took Harry down to the village yesterday. Was tempted to take him in the pub but thought we might get chucked out hehe. Did meet some friendly villagers who thought he was lovely, which he is looking rather good now, after being a bit of a weed so far he has suddenly got muscle all over the place!

So on our walk I met my brother on his bike, which was a part of Harrys education I had completely forgotten about, silly me! Bikes are scary things that creep up behind horses then POUNCE!! So I made my brother cycle back with us going ahead then coming back and up behind just continuous circles around us, after Harry had a look he realised there was no danger so thats another piece of his education sorted! What would I do without my little brother, he does come in useful sometimes! Just been looking up horsey birthday cake recipes as it's Harrys first birthday thursday and I will make him a cake! Hope the weather improves..