Equines
Smokey does the hay delivery
Friday 6 January, 2012
Bugsy got a day off today, because Smokey did the hay delivery. In the absence of a klibber, I used his driving saddle and hooked the haynets over the rein terrets. It worked fine, except he's obviously lost weight and the girth was a wee bit slack, even in the tightest hole on both sides. It's webbing, so I'll make two new holes tomorrow.
He was very good - we had a bit of a trial run on Wednesday. He got his saddle on then I threw haynets round his legs and over his back, before hanging them on the saddle and moving him around a bit. He sometimes reaches back for a mouthful of hay - it's like a picnic.
Now Smokey's working too
Saturday 24 December, 2011
We're preparing an area for the pig enclosure. There are some rhododendrons that need to be removed, so we decided that Smokey was the boy to help. The idea was that he'd pull, using the scrub puller, and Dan would loosen the roots at the same time.
Smokey pulling rhododendrons
This was quite different to anything Smokey has done before - although he's pulled a log and a carriage, he's never pulled anything that didn't immediately follow him, and then that followed him in a rush. I was a wee bit anxious because a) it was new and b) I haven't really done much with him lately.
Back to work for Bugsy
Sunday 18 December, 2011
Bugsy's had a few days off because the wood part of his klibber broke. One of the haybags caught on the gate and, although he was very good and stood still, the wood split.
However, John fixed it yesterday, so this morning, Bugsy was out with hay for the ponies and the ewes. Next week, we'll have the cattle to do as well. Over the holiday period, I'm planning to get him going a bit further afield - like the local shop 
Bugsy's new job
Sunday 4 December, 2011
Bugsy, our Shetland pony, started his new job yesterday - delivering hay. After a quick brush and pedicure, he got dressed in his klibber and carried two hay nets down to the hay boxes. He can't manage the knots, so I had to unload 
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Bugsy with his klibber
The ponies' new howff
Sunday 9 October, 2011
Smokey, Sheba and Bugsy got to try out the new barn enclosure for the first time today. Rebecca put up the tie rings (she's handy with a drill ) - gate and hay racks still outstanding - then they all came in for a bite of hay and a brush.
Ponies settling in
Horse Agility
Thursday 21 July, 2011
Smokey and I are off to try horse agility on Saturday. We had a trial trailer load this afternoon and he was very good. I'll give him a haynet in the trailer later.
I'm really looking forward to Saturday - should be fun.
Bugsy's new wardrobe
Monday 4 July, 2011
I've just ordered a new bitless bridle for Bugsy - he isn't comfortable with a bit, even a very gentle one, so I thought I'd try this Dr Cook's bitless bridle.
I've also ordered a klibber, from www.journeyman-leather.co.uk. If it all comes pdq, and tides willing, we'll be off to the sea on Thursday collecting seaweed.
Smokey swivels and Bug goes to the beach
Saturday 18 June, 2011
As part of Smokey's education as a working pony, he has to learn to turn without bending his body ie by crossing his front feet, one over the other, while keeping his hind feet swivelling on the spot.
Moving sideways is a manoever that we learned in the Parelli programme, so he knows how to do that - in fact, it's often what he does if he's not sure what you're asking him to do - "if in doubt, try sideways".
Last time we were out with Steve and we tried it, he was either moving forward or backwards. On Thursday, we went out on to the road to have a practice and he was foot perfect to both right and left, although he finds going right easier. I found that opening up the right rein, for example, and asking him to "over" was enough to get what I wanted. The going backwards previously was my fault - I was putting too much weight on the left rein, in this case, to stop him going forwards, thus causing him to back up. We've spent a lot of time on "back" :-) I was very pleased with his progress - now we have to try it in traces.
Working Smokey
Friday 10 June, 2011
Well, almost. Smokey and I had a session with Steve yesterday. We longreined him a bit, then put him to our homemade swingle tree and let him drag that around for a bit - over the paths as well so it was nice and noisy and bouncy. That went fine, so Steve attached a rope to the swingle tree and put a bit of drag on it so Smokey had to work a bit harder. At that point, the steering got a bit hit or miss, but Smokey was great.
Temper, temper
Wednesday 4 May, 2011
I was picking out Smokey's feet last evening; he wasn't being very co-operative because he thought Sheba was eating all the hay and it was the end of a trying day. Tess, our collie, was sneaking in and out of the paddock and running around Smokey's legs, which wasn't helping.
I told her several times to "get out"; the hundredth time she sneaked back in, I threw the hoofpick at her. Dan told me off and said I could have caught her in the eye - which I suppose is possible but a) she was skedaddling and b) I have a rotten aim, especially when in a strop.
