Esther.D
23rd Aug 2007, 12:30 PM
Finally!
First he was a little nutcase so I left him til he was 6 and a bit saner to start...then I had nowhere to start him safely as we were offroad on the moors and there was nowhere level enough really to start safely, then we moved to a livery yard down in the valley with all the facilities..and I discovered I was 4 months pregnant! Then I had a c-section so no exciting stuff for a bit. And then for the last 20 months (since Beth was born) I have been feeling really off and was diagnosed this Jan with hypothyriodism.
Finally my thyriod levels have stabilised and we are functioning again.
Sorry for the essay but had to explain how he had ended up at 9 years old getting broken to drive when I have had him since he was 2!
Anyway during this time we have been practising our longreining etc and he has been put-to the vehicle a couple of times. So this week we did a refresher on the vehicle and pulling etc. Yesterday we went round the paddock a few times, led, stopping and started and he was brilliant.
So this morning I drove him 1/2mile down the road (very quiet single track gated Shetland road) with my mum at his head with a rope and we had a lovely potter with absolutely nothing - throughout the whole process you would think he had been driven for years. We have been erring on the safe side all the way but so far he hasn't as much as twitched. He has been longreined for years and seen the other ponies driven out for years so I think he is just pleased to finally get between the shafts himself!
So finally I have three driving ponies rather than two and a work in progress, now I just have to get the pairs vehicle fixed and get Polo and Gallie back into the pair, then introduce Bobby to pairs and we will be well away again.
So well done little Boblet! :D
Oh...and do you think I should take a unicorn to the Viking show next year Wally? :D
First he was a little nutcase so I left him til he was 6 and a bit saner to start...then I had nowhere to start him safely as we were offroad on the moors and there was nowhere level enough really to start safely, then we moved to a livery yard down in the valley with all the facilities..and I discovered I was 4 months pregnant! Then I had a c-section so no exciting stuff for a bit. And then for the last 20 months (since Beth was born) I have been feeling really off and was diagnosed this Jan with hypothyriodism.
Finally my thyriod levels have stabilised and we are functioning again.
Sorry for the essay but had to explain how he had ended up at 9 years old getting broken to drive when I have had him since he was 2!
Anyway during this time we have been practising our longreining etc and he has been put-to the vehicle a couple of times. So this week we did a refresher on the vehicle and pulling etc. Yesterday we went round the paddock a few times, led, stopping and started and he was brilliant.
So this morning I drove him 1/2mile down the road (very quiet single track gated Shetland road) with my mum at his head with a rope and we had a lovely potter with absolutely nothing - throughout the whole process you would think he had been driven for years. We have been erring on the safe side all the way but so far he hasn't as much as twitched. He has been longreined for years and seen the other ponies driven out for years so I think he is just pleased to finally get between the shafts himself!
So finally I have three driving ponies rather than two and a work in progress, now I just have to get the pairs vehicle fixed and get Polo and Gallie back into the pair, then introduce Bobby to pairs and we will be well away again.
So well done little Boblet! :D
Oh...and do you think I should take a unicorn to the Viking show next year Wally? :D