The Art of Natural Dressage

Reunited Galloping Ponies with pictures.
by PiePony on Wed Jul 02, 2008
Today Amelia and I brought Chutney, Munchkin and Jasmine back from the field they have been grazing, 3 mile walk, then turned them out with Danny & Arthur.
It was never going to be easy managing 3 ponies with just two of us. Jasmine now belongs to Amelia and is Danny's yearling daughter, she was 1 year old on 23rd June.



Munchkin & Chutney are 5 but we have no riders, have failed to find loan homes and they ship between me and my friend Sally until such time that having bought them as weanlings and paying more than the meat price, we are happy they will find somewhere to be appreciated.
When we came out of the woodland bridlepath we had a BMW driving at 70mph behind us, only the cars design & engineering stopped his wheels locking up, he was not driving to the conditions of the road. We managed to get far enough out for him to see us and straight back in on an uphill bend. Otherwise he would have met us blind, passed us and had a head on collision with the 4x4 coming down hill from the other side of the bend.
Then we met a big lorry, not meant for our roads, the trees make lots of noisy protest as the big vehicles scrape the branches. Driver switched off his engine and the pneumatic brakes he cannot control hissed loudly as we were halfway past him. Bit of a spook but it was only a couple of trot paces. The ponies were very good, and it is great education for them. Two School buses, full size with a dozen or so children on each, taxis would be cheaper, less polluting and take up less room on the road. Vehicles with trailers etc.
We got back and let them all out together


When they were out together last Winter Chutney and Munchkin had dear old Uncle Roger my Thoroughbred to go to. Roger was the highest ranking horse, kind and diplomatic. He is no longer there to tell Danny that being mean to small ponies is not nice. Dan is now gelded, he adopted Arthur on Arthur's first day being weaned from his mother, he also seems to know that Jasmine is his daughter, but of course she is a precious member of any boy's herd, so he is not keen when she wants to talk to her other grazing buddies who he disapproves of.
Having chased poor Chutney a lot, Chutney fought back and punched Danny on the nose.

and in a little more detail

Take that you brute!

After several laps around the perimeter they all settled down.
Danny is not like my Thoroughbreds were, he usually chooses to canter to the hill and walk up. He is not really built for speed, he blows and he gets Arthur sweaty when they run around. There are now 2 groups, Dan with his adopted son and real daughter in one grazing patch and Chutney and Munchkin together as usual a little further away.


Jasmine does love her Daddy, and Arthur is bigger but just 2 months older and can play her pony games.

There is interaction and Dan tolerates Munchkin, but Chutney is a sweet, good pony and Dan hates him.


Jasmine with her Daddy

and Dan not minding Munchkin too much
The two seperate gangs
Dan's gang trotting across the bottom of the field, Jasmine is the other side of Arthur.
I missed some great shots of them on the first couple of gallops around because I took the empty field space when they had passed me, on one lap a warm, damp Arthur stopped for a quick "hello" to Amelia before catching the other ponies on the downhill lap. At 14 months Arthur is adorable.

And that was our day, hope you enjoy the photo's, sorry I can't include the drum beat of hooves.
by PiePony on Wed Jul 02, 2008

_________________
Susie xx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepony/

What an exciting time! All of them are lovely Susie... but you know Arthur really has my heart! I love the first picture of them in the field with all 5 galloping full steam ahead! I can hear the hoof beats here.

_________________
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. - Khalil Gibran

A big star for Arthur! And sounds like you and Sue deserve medals for getting everyone safely through all of those 'obstacles'. LOL! Dan sure is still the ladies' man, isn't he?

I love the way you have written the story with pictures... I feel almost as if I'd been in the walk with you.

Thanks so much for sharing this, I'm glad its not just me who deals with the trials and travails of roads, traffic, mowers, wheelbarrows, strange noises, and all that weird and wonderful things that will be met outside of our fields, paddocks, and schooling rings.

_________________
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. - Khalil Gibran

Trailer Loading Practice with Daniel (the PiePony)
by PiePony on Sun Aug 24, 2008

It was ten to six, nothing else needed doing and I ought to be going home really.
But Dan might want to be a riding pony and go to visit the off road toll rides with me in a year or two, so, better do a little trailer loading practice.

I had a halter handy and even though the trailer was not hitched up the jockey wheel was down.
Could n't hurt to just make sure my poor pony who is not a good traveller has a little look inside the box.

17.52pm I let down the ramp just to see how much mess the sheep had made yesterday, Steve had to fetch the rams home after a dog made 4 of them jump out over the fence of a well fenced field, leaving 8 bunched but worried.

17.53pm

17.53.30pm
Even though the floor has been cleared and sheep travelled twice since, this old trailer has been offering shelter to Danny's wife Ellie and son Maximus, I did n't have a carrot or a pony nut, but the floor was very interesting.


17.55pm


I got out of the trailer, from watching Dan's interest in sniffing, the sea sick motion of being rocked by a black whale like creature on the outside was worrying me. Dan seemed not to notice. Maybe this is travelling as well as loading practice.



17.58pm The baby monster appeared, oh no, this is Dan practice and Arthur has been loaded twice in his whole life, the first time with great difficulty.



17.59pm Anything Dan is doing Arthur the baby monster wants to try too!


Even when there is not really enough room.

18.00pm now without trying to worry them, this was not what I actually wanted, at this point I had to find a breeze block as the jockey wheel was off the ground, then on the ground and everything was creaking and moving.

Danny, oblivious to my raised pulse, was most accommodating and allowed Arthur to squeeze in next to him.





18.04pm and Arthur thought scraping the floor with his growing plate like hooves was a good way to explore, I was suggesting to Dan that he might be better outside than in, whilst making big shhhhhhhhhh noises at Arthur, please don't fall through the floor Arthur.

The more room Dan gave to Arthur, the more room Arthur had for investigation.

18.05pm


18.05.30pm Dan on terra-firma, and Arthur is free to lick the ramp.


18.06pm Okay Arthur, try not to lift your head too high.


18.08pm Dan, really, I would like you both to come out, please, not back in there.



And somehow my darling boy responded and I managed to shut up their toy box, give them a hug and head for home.

Not quite done as per my training manuals suggest but good enough.
This however is not me asking, discovery learning for ponies has nothing to do with training.
It has no bearing on their willingness to load when fitted with a halter and led by a human. There may be other more interesting things going on that need discovering on days when I will need them to perform.

If Dan and Arthur were the same size as Ellie and Max, I would not worry but my boys weigh a bit, and next time I hope Steve will not have to work and can at least hitch the trailer to the tractor for ballast. xx

_________________
Susie xx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepony/

This is just too precious for words ...

_________________
Glen Grobler

Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled. Anon

great pics.

what a story....

those are the best of how to load your horse

It is a nice reminder of how much smaller and lighter Arthur was as a yearling. But this year what has really pleased me is Daniel having mane, feeding micronised linseed and applying a mix of vinegar, white oil and essential oils has helped reduce his discomfort itching so much. So anyone who knows a horse with sweet-itch, that is what has worked for us this year.
I am popping my past word documents and photo stories on so that IF i ever get around to doing a diary, accidental discovery learning, then I already have topic links for co-ordination.
And my equine friends always find ways to amuse me, so I like to share those funny moments.
Off to post my Careers for horses , which I think Glen and Freckles will enjoy.

_________________
Susie xx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepony/

(August 2008. Daniel 3 years, Arthur 1 year.)

What Career For Your Young Horse ???

Show Jumper??? Eventer ??? Dressage Diva ??? Hunter ??? Hack??? Forestry Logging Horse ??? Driving ???

But not mine!!!

Mine are definitely BOYS.


They may grow up to be pilots, or dustmen/recycling consultants, or Formula 1 drivers,


but right now they are enroute to becoming Arthur Daleys, planning their own Garage, cars and Agricultural Engineering,

so here they are practising the mechanicing skills.

I arrived at the field and they came to meet me.
"Morning Boys"


"When I have put your fly repellent on, I thought we could do some rope work, leading, walking and standing in your own space practice."

Then Steve arrived.
And he opened the workshop garage door; this is infinitely more interesting than standing by yourself.


So after putting hooves all over a four post hydraulic ramp, walking over the heavy tractor chains on the floor,
Dan is satisfied that it will all be okay and the car can come into the garage.



He called Steve back and lined up the wheels for the ramp, but had to be pushed by the reversing car just a bit.


Dan checks the position of the sun, he does n't wear a watch and time is money in the garage trade.


Having worked out a HUGE estimate, several tons of carrots,

I get told to add the labour on top!



Then Dan thought his younger apprentice should get familiar with the workings under the bonnet.


And I asked Arthur how much he had learnt this morning


Dan had another look over

Well, he is 3 years old now, so he has more experience than Arthur, who had gone to play with the tractor,

So my conclusion from my two this morning was
"Nice Hack!!! We want to be Mechanics."

_________________
Susie xx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepony/

LOL! I'm loving these! More to come?

_________________
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. - Khalil Gibran

I'd say, "hire 'em." They seem to know what they are doing!

Ivy

_________________
http://www.ivyshorses.com
Blog: http://www.EquestrianHarmony.wordpress.com

Daniel-PiePony & Friends, Bath time!
by PiePony on Sat Aug 30, 2008


WooHoo, Summer and it was warm and sticky.
Boys were happy grazing this morning, nothing amiss so when I went back, with the intention of nice groom time and trying on new leather bitless for comfort on Daniel, I was amazed to find that I had taken a wrong turn.

This was surely not Pettiford Meadow? No, it must be somewhere in Africa, why else would I not have horses but elephants and hippos instead.


I played with the doggies and watched the horses grazing, acknowledging but grazing. Then I met them at the bottom of the hill by the edge of the pond, and Dan went for a leg cool, he could have used the nice clear flowing brook.

Arthur seems to realise that at one year old he actually can move Dan, best he does not find out I am not a giant.
Dan was squeezed out of the way so that Arthur could share the paddling pool.



Being a baby, if I were sponging Arthur I would need to be careful not to fill his nostrils, ears, and eyes with bath water.
But being Arthur, he just did n't care. There are real seams of grey and white clay under this part of the pond.





Arthur must be feeling a little guilty, Dan is doing his best not to look directly at him.
Focus on the muddy frog, look at the nice roots, and "oh look when my nose is under all these bubbles come up!".








Dan has spent time showing Arthur all the best places for sticking mud to coat, and it is just a few yards from the pond, where the ground is damp and well hoof scraped, but disgusting, even Dan does not take to mineral spa baths.

Arthur decides more Radox is needed and if Dan really does n't want the bathwater, well, he'll just enjoy it.


And enjoy it he did, with much relish.



And then Arthur emerged from the bath



Even Ben, who had deigned to get all four white socks dirty, stood and laughed as Arthur shook his feathers out.



But Arthur got Benny back for laughing at him



Poor Ben, he does n't get taken to any shows but he knows his relatives all go and he is a bit of a drama queen.

HONESTLY BEN, THE MUD IS NOT ON YOUR BLAZE.



But they played a while, shook a bit, covered me and my phone in freckles all over, then it was time for tea.

Ben and Dan told Simon they could manage very well without him telling them which direction their dinner was in.
Arthur, invigorated by his special mineral rich bath led everyone in, and so another day where my plans for doing constructive work has gone astray.

_________________
Susie xx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepony/

Wouldn't that be "with mudd relish?"

Ivy

_________________
http://www.ivyshorses.com
Blog: http://www.EquestrianHarmony.wordpress.com

What is it about these young horses and mud? You have no idea how often my pale horse (appaloosa leopard) is a bay or a chestnut, and my grey horse also ...

_________________
Glen Grobler



Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled. Anon