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Posted on 12/30/2004 7:01:16 PM PST by HairOfTheDog
Well, I am trying to mix apples and oranges with this pairing... Bay has an extraordinary fast walk, and a short legged and reluctant pony. Something's got to give ;~D
An early dinner is in the plans, then a quiet evening at home. That is until midnight, then I get the shotgun out. :)
Heh.... we are staying home too... and I think I'll skip the shotgun ;~D Not even sure I'll say up.
Is it some strange family tradition to say "Up"?
~sip~
Just wrap the lead rope around the horn once so you have a little leverage and start with her head by your knee. Don't let her get far enough back to be able to pull much. She will be right against you and Bay instead of behind, so if being kicked is a concern of her's, she's not behind Bay where she can get kicked.
Sounds like he's doing great.
We have snow - 5inches of white stuff and it's still coming down.
He'd never kick at her, and she isn't afraid to be close to him... good tip... when I was alone and she would drag I kept letting the line slip until I was at the end of it.
Go take some ponies in snow pics!
Can I wait awhile 'til maybe the sun shines? :) Yes, I'll get some today though. Did I mention I hate winter?
If she starts to drag, turn - into her so she has to turn maybe. Don't go in a straight line all the time, that will also slow Bay's walk down just a bit. And please be careful - she sounds like she'll be okay but we've had horses, generally the babies try to rear up or bite since their head is right at your knee.
I used to love winter snow, because it is rare enough here... a couple times per winter... that when it snows everything stops. School would close, we didn't have to go anywhere that was normally important, and if we did drive around it was just to look and there was no hurries any more.
But since I've had horses to care for (mine were boarded before) it just means more work. Have to knock it off all the fencelines, haul water out from the house, horses hate to walk in it with it balling up under their feet. All those dreamy Christmas cards of snowy scenes and romantic images of riding in the snow are just that... dreams ;~D
I've been pawed at by babies ponying momma. I don't fear her doing that. She has never done one aggressive thing, even when she's in full panic. She misbehaves, but usually just trying to get away.
It might make for a comical set of pics if we do get the gumption up to try this again. If she would come with us, she'd be a good pack pony. ;~D
Even if she didn't need to pack, she'd enjoy it instead of being left at home. I think once she figures out what's going on she'll be okay. She leads fine from the ground doesn't she?
She does lead fine from the ground. She just saw this as being very different for whatever reason, and she's small, but too big to pull along by force ;~D
Part of it might be that you are above her head. Since she's not ridden, she's not accustomed to that.
I heard on the news about the big snowstorm out west. I lived in Michigan for a few years and I do not miss the 3 to 4 months a year that you stay shut up in the cabin. A few days is OK.
Do you guys have those long cold winters like Michigan or is it just the occasional snow storm?
Might be! She's had strange mental blocks before, like backing up. She'll back up when you are in front of her or along side her, but she wouldn't back up when I was behind her driving. She'd just stand frozen and afraid. When she finally risked to step, she'd turn sideways, I think so she could see me. She wouldn't back up with me back there unless she could see me. I almost think she thought she'd be punished for backing into me.
On ponying, the funny thing is, if we turn her loose and ride, she runs along with us. If I could trust her loose on trail, she'd probably beat us to camp. ;~D If only we could teach her how to get the fire started.
Usually (this winter is an exception) we have a couple or maybe three snow storms. Snow falls, melts as soon as the sun comes out. Again, generally we have sunshine every day. With no humidity, even mid-winter it's comfortable out with the sun shining.
This is the first winter in ten years I've seen so much fog, so much snow, such cold temperatures for more than a day, and overcast skies all the time.
Sounds like she didn't have a very pleasent life before she came to you. And horses have such good memories it's really hard to replace the fear with trust.
Maybe having your husband lead her right next to you on horseback to start. And try having him at her head for awhile reinforcing the commands when you try to drive her. Lots of patience needed I think.
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