For those who have been following the life and times of myself and my 3 Amigos here is an update :)
My old mate of 33 is still around and surprised the farrier by how well his hooves are growing! yes Growing, its the first time that within a 6 month period of having a trim he has had to have another trim! When he is fed he has a 'tablecloth' that I put down and then place an old tyre on it with a bowl in the centre, into this I place his feed. He has a small amount of hay these days, chewing it the best he can, getting what he can out of it and then spits it out! He can be so impatient at feed time trotting up to his bowl and knocking it with his hoof, or picking it up and dropping it looking at me giving me the hurry up! I swear he his having a second childhood some days, he will look at me kinda over his shoulder then just bump me! Especially if Im taking too long to set his table cloth up .. appalling table manners for a 33 yo :)
He is going really well and still working alongside some of the young people who attend my property, amazingly teaching THEM some manners.
Pepper is so calm these days, even to the point of not being too panicky about going away from his ol mate to work in the round yard, at least he has stopped rearing and trying to get away..This HAS to be good ..? Yes? HOWEVER.. he has had me up in the middle of the night with a torch several times to show him where his mate is and this in turn stops the continual neighing and calling out for him! I have had to go out into my ol mates paddock and ask him to follow me back just so Pep can see him ... Honestly though I think 3 times a night is quite enough! Lucky I dont have close neighbours but on a still night he can be heard from quite some distance :(
Bud is doing so well being alot more at ease and trusting me to not hurt him whilst he is feeding, I am now able to touch him down both sides whilst he is feeding! Yay :) Bud does have a bad habit of cow kicking though and Im always aware that this his his first response when worried as he takes off.
Last week after I had worked with Pepper I took Bud down to the work yard but this time I let him go to have a run, a change from always working in there he LOVES his run ..... well he rolled, squealed and galloped, rolled again, squealed with joy BUT then his head had him going alot quicker than what his legs were I think, and down he went, on his knees, he stood up and looked to see if we had all seen it, raced around again, then came racing up dropping his head to have a rub and be told he was all ok :0 )
This is something he really hadnt done before and then he kept walking to the gate and back to me and back to the gate until I picked up his halter, with this he practically put it on himself! I delivered back to his home paddock where he promptly asked for a huge rub round his ears and neck and cheek. I am still having a few problems though at leberty with him, He really doesnt want to give me his eye, his head is looking elsewhere and I can see him thinking if I dont look I dont have to listen! On the 12' rope he tries the same thing but eventually I can work him round - liberty I think will just take me alot longer to master with him. :( more time, more preparation
Today, my best friend Kaddi called me, because she had heard, that I am ill (damn, I am so bad in english grammatic :-D). I am not pleased with my situation at the moment, so she visited me to take a walk with the horses. She hoped, that I would get some better thoughts in helping me with the horses and getting new energy instead of a work I like. (is it understandable?^^)
I was glad to see her, so I got a positive feeling. I thought: "maybe, I could take the bridle to test it for the first time". Up to now I used only a Natural Halter.
After cleaning the horses, I took the bridle (Yoko had sniffed the bridle before); kept it up beside her head to have a look at the size and then I kept it for her mouth in the typical way. One hand ont he leather and the other one..... I had no time. She bit the snaffle-bit and I was able to bridle her without any problems. For the forst time she got something over her ears (I practise touching her ears, there has never been problems beside young horses attentions)! No bad reaction! Just munching the bit!!! I waited a short time, then I taked the snaffle-bit off. What a cool horse, I thought!
HI My horse Pippa is six green broken and has a saddling problem and she hated it when you put your legs on her whilst riding , She has bucked me off a couple of times and I have been racking my brain on how to fix this . Just when I thought she was ok she was not. The other week I was on her I bent down to feel her girth and she jumped out from under me and I came off. I have three buldged disk and can not afford to have an accident so I orders Steves DVD The Start . What I have learnt on that DVD is amazing everyone needs to watch it and learn about saddling and making more energy and getting your horse used to it.
I have only been working with Pippa for two weeks jumping around her using a flag the rope the string. Standing in the saddle leaning over moving the stirrups and patting her kind of firm whilst leaning over the saddle . Oh and not to forget moving her hind quarter around by pushing on to her barrel whilst being on top.
I have been doing so much work with her over the past 2 weeks today I rode my girl not much but a few turns and around the arena. After going over everything the flag, string, rope saddle blanket , up down , up down ect I go on with no buck , no pigroot she was calm her head was down and I actually felt safer today. My sister could not believe the difference in her and me. Not only am I making progress in the saddle but also on the ground . I Have learnt I am too soft I do not push the boundaries this is not good for me and my girl.
Pippa now is getting better at saddling, she now goes through puddles and best of all I think I am becoming her boss as when I went home tonight she walked in the float by her self and she has never done this before I believe I am finally becoming her leader and she is respecting me much more .
Thank you Steve for your DVD I have been doing Parelli and Quantum Savvy but nothing has taught me what you have on the 2 DVDs I have brought form you .
I shall be coming to the next Brumbies meeting on the 16th of December and bringing 2 friends with me . After Christmas we may be new members and be coming to Silversands Clinics . I can not believe how much progress I have made in the last two weeks .
I went home tonight so happy with my girl and myself High Five for me
Well its been a while since I have written an update on Max. Alot has happened over the past month or so since my last update. My daughter and i were lucky enough to go to Equitana in Sydney a few weeks ago and what a trip it was. I was forced to do some much needed soul searching which was very long overdue!!!!! We also got to meet the amazing Stacy westfall and attend her clinic which was amazing!!!!! As much as there were ups to the trip there were some pretty big downs. Our little dog Gypsy we had in our lives for 10 years had to be put to sleep, and the little joey Jezza Bell who I had raised from a tiny pink hairless 600g baby stressed at me not being here and passed away : ( My daughters beloved little pony has also been unwell and is still not 100 %. This all happened on the thursday morning Equitana started so it was really tuff to have a good time. But it really made me think about what I really want. Especially with my horses. I had got to the point prior to going away where I really thought Max's future would be alot better in more capable hands. I have doubted my horsmanship abilitys latley and lack of support from family had gotten me to an all new low. But being at equitana and being reminded why I work with my horses the way I do sparked that light inside me. Horses aren't about ribbons to me, there not about doing something for there keep to me. I feel priveledged everyday to have horses in my life. They really are who I am. And although alot of people think I am weird or follow a cult lol I do amazing things with my horses everyday that others only dream of. If you asked me 10 years ago if I though I would be capable of working with 4 horses under 6 (2 un started, 1 untouched) I would had laughed in your face and said "not without getting myself killed!!!) but that is where I am now!!!! So I promised myself something while at Equitana....... I knew I had holidays coming up which started yesterday and I promised myself I would spend time with Max and the other horses everyday. Not timed time but the time i needed everyday without lifes pressures cutting us short. And the results speak for themselvese this is how we are going.......................
Well Max has been doing really really well the past few weeks. I have been spending whatever time I can with him and he is getting better everyday. We have him now to where he is happy to come and see what you have in his chaff bucket without thinking you are gonna kill him!!!!! He has started to relax so much now. He does't snort bolt and run to the other end of the paddock anymore if something bothers him but more has a snort steps back a bit and maybe sometimes walks or jumps a little but only a few meters before he turns around and faces you again. He is really starting to relax at feed time also and is happy for you to hang around while he eats. This is massive progress for Max. I wish I had a before video and a now video as it truly is an amazing transformation!!!!!!!!!! Because my daughter and I (by the way she is only 11 but wow has she got a way with horses!!!!) had really only been spending time before and after work I really hadn't done anywhere near as much as I wanted.
Well yesterday my 3 weeks holiday started. My other young boy Jet is at Steve's at the moment be started under saddle so my holiday time will be divided between him and Max. I went in with Max yesterday with no great plans but getting him to have confidence in humans so as I can work up to catching him. I have not set a time limit and it will take whatever time it takes but I refuse to do it where I end up making him fearful of humans again. He decided that trotting off was a better idea so i applied some pressure and after a few laps he went to turn towards me so i dropped all my energy, and to my suprise he faced, stopped for a few secs and walked strainght up to me!!!! I slowly put my hand out and let him sniff me. He then let me stroke his nose. I took a couple steps back and he licked his lips. I then suggested to him to come forward to me.............. and he did. Wow amazing feeling. This was the first time I had stroked him where he didn't feel like he could bolt and explode at any time. I slowly stroked him more and more . He has always been really funny if you get in that side position as if you were going to put a halter on him so i just worked and inched my way furter along approaching and retreating all the time until he let me stand beside him stroking his lower neck and face. All the time I had the halter and lead in the other hand where he could see it. Once he was coping well i added the end of the lead to my right hand and let him sniff it. I then put it in my hand and stroked him with it. he stayed calm and i figured this was a really good place to end the session!!!!!! I gave him a small treat and started to walk to the gate. To my suprise he followed. I stopped and he stopped next to me, I gave him some nice pats and walked a bit further, him walking with me. After I left the gate he hung right over. I put my hand out expectiong him to back up fast (he hates being touched over the fence!!!) and to my suprise he licked his lips and lapped up the pats I was dishing out. I could not have asked for a better way to end that session. Amazing!!!!!
Today started even better. As I entered the yard Max walked straight up to me!!!!! I gave him pats and he let me touch him in all the places I had yesterday. But as i went to move he shyed off which got me thinking. What use is it getting to the point of catching this horse if everytime you move around him he is gonna get emotional. So i applied some pressure and he turned and faced me even quicker then the previous day. Again he walked up to me. So i decided to see if "I" can get him to move his feet with "MY" energy. I figured if I can get him to move his feet but stay focused on me this should set me up better for catching him eventually. So i thought i would start with back. Now Max needs VERY VERY small amounts of energy to get any reaction, let me put it like this think of the least amount of energy you have used to move your horse and halve it again!!!! I am serious if you do more then that boom he has gone!!!!!! So i lifted the end of the lead rope picked my energy up ever so slightly and only just moved the end of the lead rope. His weight began to shift back but he stayed focused on me. I quit and stood quietly and then it happened.................. LIP LICKING!!!!!!!! I just wanted to scream with joy but couldn't!!!! So i drew him back in gave him a nice pat and repeated. This time he stapped back one foot. He is a smart cookie thats for sure!!!! I had him drawing to me and backing a few steps with him not getting emotional at all which is a massive thing for Max!! Finally I was starting to have some control over the feet even if it was off line. Its progress. I decided to try the same but moving to the side and seeing if he could stay with me and move his feet. Again I started with just the slightest shift in weight. Always allowing him time to think. A couple times he got worried and left but he is really starting to understand that when he leaves I apply pressure and he comes back so quickly now. I ended with some rubbing with the rope and got to even lay the end of the lead rope over his nose and he even let me rub it at the top of his neck for the first time. He again followed me back to the gate. Amazing Horse!!!!
You know I look at what I have achieved with Max in only the past 2 days where i have made the time to spend with him. And not only him but I have spent time with the pony taking him from being terrified of a fly veil to being able to put it on and from not wanting to move forward from the walk well into any other h=gate to transitions to sll 3 gates with just a change in my energy. I have also taken Faith from moving when i crack the stock whip to the point that the next step is cracking it off her.
You know after today my doubts about being capable of succssesfully working with Max have gone. I have a full time job, 2 young kids to look after, a home to run and anyone that knows me will tell you a pretty busy life and yet i am still able to achieve amazing things with my horses in the short amounts of time I can spend with them. I think that speaks for itself. Today my self doubt ends. Its not about the time you have but what you choose to do with that time. I honestly beleve everyone holds the key to there destiny and if you are willing to put in the effort required there is nothing in this world you can't achieve!!!!
Well after returning from 3 days at the silversand horsmanship centre with Syeve and Irena I came home determined to spend more time with my horses. Max in particular. He is so scared of everything and has no confidence that time is something he really needs. Today that old saying I heard years ago " Take the time it takes, and it will take less time" really rang true. The farrier was out today and it did not go well. As I haven't been able to catch Max doing his feet was not going to happen. This is how I spent my arvo today with Max....................
Well after the farrier had been and I could not catch Max or even get near him I knew right there and then I needed to start spending the time he needed with him. I have been working with him on and off for weeks but never had a real plan when I started each session and If i did have a plan there was never the time to achieve it. So today that had to change. After the farrier left I decided that it did not matter if it took till dark (was only 2.00pm at that time so had a fair few hours of light up my sleeve!!!) today i was going to get max comfortable with me standing near him. Not in front but near his side. He always only lets you in front of him never to his side!!. Then I would like to be able to stroke his face and neck with my hands and then my halter with him relaxed. It took me a while of moving him etc to get near to him. I took my time inching forward and on occasions him being curious enough to take a step towards me. When he was really close to me I just stood there. No energy just chiling near him. He nuzzled my shoulder and I just stayed relaxed. I then slowly inched my hand towards him and let him nuzzle it. He was pretty calm at this point. I slowly stroked his nose and took a step away. He licked his lips and stepped towards me. This time I stroked his face a little more then stepped away and left him alone. This went on for a while me slowly touching him more and more making sure he was calm all the time. I then put the halter in my stroking hand. He nuzzled and sniffed it and sort of played with it with his lips. I had the halter hanging on my arm and strocked him with that hand. He stood nice. I then moved the halther to my hand. I again stroked him slowly on his nose and down his neck with the halter. He actually thought that halter was pretty good at scratching and nudged me when I took it away LOL. I gave him a really good rub on the neck and knew this was definatley the time to quit. I had achieved what I had set out. And it did not take me 5 hours like aI though it would. It took me about and hour!!!!! I walked towards to gate and to my suprise max followed!! everytime I stopped he would nuzzle me. Wow!!
You know I guess alot of people would say "If you were that close You should have caught him!!!" but it wasn't about that. It wasn't about catching him.I don't want to snatch and grab catch him and give him a reason to be scared of me. If I had done that I can bet I would have had to start all over again next time but he would trust me even less. I am all Max has. He is so terrified of everything and has no reason to trust or even give a damn about us humans. Today he realised that hey that halter thing gives a pretty good scratch!!!!!! I know over time he will trust me and catching won't be a problem, I have a chieved it with others, Max just needs a little more time and understanding. My journey with max has only just begun. I will continue to work with Max at his pace. By working with him and understanding him I know I will gain a partner for life : )
Standing next to Max stroking him at the gate after he followed me!!!!
Well Max has now been with us for the past 6 weeks. He has gone through alot over this time physically and especially emotionally. I sometimes wonder if I am the right person to try and help him, he is so emotional and i feel for him. But i am determined not to give up on him. This will be a slow process and time is something I am willing to give him. How does someone make a horse soooo scared of the world when he is at the age of curiousity??? It saddens me so much :( So this is how we have been going..................
Well poor max ended up with the scours really bad after his arrival which was one of the things we were aware may happen changing him over to a good diet. We have finally started to get this under control by using some protexin for a week and having wormed him twice now (I doubt very much he would ever had been done!!). He has really started to put on weight now and his coat condition is alot better, although we still have a long way to go.!!!
Over the first week or so it became really apparent that Max is terrified of feed time!!!! YES feed time!!!!! Most horses will overcome all fear for there food but Max is just so scared. He gets really really emotional when you enter his yard at feed time. He just shys at any noise or movement and would NOT come anywhere near his feed bath after you put his feed in if you were in the yard. In over 20 years of working with horses I have NEVER EVER had a horse so scared of being fed. I have spent the last 4 - 5 weeks working on this. I slowly day after day , feed after feed got closer and closer and would only leave when he could eat calmly. This has worked a treat. I can now hold feed in my hand at his feed trough and he will take it calmly!!!!!! But then I discovered his love of .................................. Carrots!!!!! lol. Now I am not one for using food rewards with horses but when the horses biggest fear is food............... I figured it couldn't hurt. Tonight I had him eating carrots out of my hand!!!!!!! Then when I bought his food bucket in he was happy to stick his head into it while I had it in my hands : )
The other issue we are having is catching him. Again we have been working very slow with Max. This horse is terrified of everything!!!!! Again carrots work well with him being more confident around me. I have been able to touch him. I started by rewarding him with a carrot if he let me touch him and then slowly have been having more and more contact between carrots. This has even got to the point I was able to touch him today with no carrot!!! This weekend I plan to start touching him with the halter and lead in my hands. Slowly working our way up to him being confident to stand there while he is caught. The most amazing thing is my daughter went into his yard and he walked straight up to her. She placed her hand on his nose and he just stood there!!!! She is an amazing little horse woman that just has such a gentle touch. I was super proud at that point of both her and Max :) Even though he was fine the first few days at home I think at that point he seen us as safe and everything else scary lol. Poor man.
Max is also Terrified of pretty much EVERY object. He has a hay bag which has hung in his yard for the past 6 weeks that he shys at all the time. I have started using this the build his confidence. I even had him come up to me tonight for his carrot while I was holding it and didn't leave when there was no carrots left. Awesome afternoon.
Max is such an amazing horse. He has already taught me so much. He is a horse that needs alot of time and paitence. Some people have questioned me to whether he is worth it but they are all worth it. He did not ask to be like this. His natural curiosity is starting to come back. It may take time but we will get there. You know I always compare Faith and Jet to the horse that I though no other horse could fill the gap for, Blade. But With Max I have to open up, I have to let him in or I will never have his trust. I can not compare him because he is so raw and so new that there is nothing to compare. He is teaching me to value every horse for its own special values. They are all different and they all touch us in different ways. Although I will continue to doubt my ability and horsmanship when it comes to Max, I will not give up on him. I am all he has at this point in his life. He has really started to push me to a place with my horsmanship that I had only ever dreamed of. There is something amazing about bringing a horse at the lowest point in his life and lifting him onto that pedistool. I have promised him he will never have to live like that again. A promose I will keep. There is nothing to good for Max!!!!!
Will post some new pics over the weekend and keep you guys updated on his progress : )
Well max has now been with us for a week and a half and is doing really well. I was so afraid he would go down with colic but he hasn't phew!!!!! My work mates (I am vet nurse) have been keeping a very close eye on his health. He is enjoying the good life in in his paddock and eating good food and has discovered the bliss of chaff and mollasses!!!! Well Wednesday seen Max having his feet done by a farrier for the first time ever and probably one of the first times he had ever had his feet picked up, this is how he went.....................
I was very nervous Wednesday morning. I knew that Max had very minimal handling let alone his feet touched!!! I had spoken to my farrier John prior to this and we agreed we would see how he went. I arrived at the yards around lunch time. I wasn't even sure if I would be able to catch him!!! I had pretty much left Max be a horse although he had been walking up to me when i was in his yard. I walked into the yard and max was very good. He pretty much walked up to me. I started stroking his neck and face and slowly popped the Halter over his nose and when I was sure he was relaxed I did it up. WOW hurdle 1 over for the day lol. I quietly led him up to john. He was really really nervous but John spoke to him calmly and started stroking him on the neck slowly working his way to his front near side hoof . Although max was a little nervous and you could see no one had done that before he soon relaxed a little. His front on the near side wasn't to bad. Each tool introduced made him a little nervous but we took our time and he settled far better then I think we both expected!!! Then it was the front off side..............Well appears Max has never even had anyone on that side of him and he was exremley nervous and tried to run. Again we worked slowly till he could stand with us patting his neck then slowly worked our way down to his hoof. He settled reasonably well 2 down 2 back ones to go!!!
We decided to go back to the near side and do that hind foot first. He was far more accepting of this side on the front feet. First run of the hand along his back he just left!!!! So again slowly John inched his way talking all the time till he could run his hand down his leg all the way to his hoof. Max actually settled really well and we got that back hoof done ok. Now for tha other side. Actually by this point I think Max was starting to get the idea of all this and coped really well on the last hoof. All up it took us just on an hour to tidy his feet which in my books isn't bad on a youngster who had no idea!!!! Key was keeping it slow and never getting him more scared then he was. Letting him move his feet when he needed to never made him feel trapped. John did an amazing jonb and it was worth it to see him actually walk well!!!
Unfortuently that day we discovered that Max also has a small unbilical hernia that wasn't repaired at his gelding. I had my vet come out and assess it (She fell in love with him!!! Everyone has) and He will have surgery on it here in the riverland over the next few months. This made me so sad that his previous owners had not treated this. How much more does poor Max have to go through!!!
So the next few months will be busy for Max, Working on his confidence and working with his feet, and also his surgery!!!!
I have attached a pic of his new feet and will update his progress as we go :)
Well since last writing my horses have all had their birthdays so we are now, sweet 16, wonderful 33 and 12. My Ol mate has begun doing some wonderful antics in the paddock reminiscent of a teenager I guess he alsmost wears himself out but its like Look I CAN still do it :) He is soo fluffy his coat length is amazing , one strand as long as my palm from wrist to base of fingers!
Pepper has become so white, although he is only 16 he carries himself and behaves alot older, maybe its the cold? He has even asked for an ear rub lately and that is just not him. I do however not like the fact that on some nights if he cant see his ol mate I have to get up and go find him because the sound of the calling is enough to annoy any neighbours at 1.30am.. He sees him and all is good, gotta love em :) I think our ol mate hides on purpose lol
Then I have my friend Bud who has allowed me to clamber onto his back via many forms of so called mounting blocks and has realised that we are not here to hurt or abuse and he even wants to help me take his hay out of the chaff bag when I get into the paddock, where only a couple weeks ago this was the worst thing in the world and was going to EAT him he was sure of it, how could I bring that in there? So that evil over with he has decided that even with the saddle all is fine. In his paddock, on some some days he almost has me cornered to have his rub he does at certain times really love to have his ears rubbed and behind down to his cheek like a dog! Then there is the bum being pushed at me to scratch that! I worried about this at first as I had never been with a horse that had done this but I soon found he wasnt going tohurt me he just wanted that scratch.
When he first came he was so worried about every little sound, birds, dogs anything and DONT touch him whilst he is eating! Now its alot better and I think he appreciates the fact that Im not pushing.
I am regaining my confidence along with him and we are going great guns. Im so pleased to have been able to have him join my band of "merry men"
Max is a 2 year old Bay QH / Stock horse gelding who a friend of mine bought 8 months ago. Unfortunetly he was not housed or cared for correctly. I have now taken him on and this is his story of a road to a better life...............
I first heard about Max when my friend said she had purchased him. At that stage I had only seen photos of him at the breeders and he looked like a lovely solid boy. My only concern was they used to own Jet my young boy and had no time for him so understanding why they thought taking on another young horse was wise really baffeled me. max came from 7 hours away and his first floating and really handling experience was when they caught him in the paddock he had been in all his life and forced him in a float for a 7 hour trip home.
So that was about 8 months ago. I first met Max about 2 - 3 weeks ago. My friend had mentioned she wanted to get rid of him. I said I wasn't looking for another horse at this stage but I would have a look so that i could ask everyone I new. At that point I had no idea of his living conditions. I arrived at the property they had been keeping Max on. Max was in a VERY small cattle yard. There was no where he could lay and a cattle feeder took up about a quarter of the already small yard. I was gob smacked. Then I looked down. His feet were terrible. At that point I learned he had never had a farrier. He was looking lean, lethargic and his coat was dull. I didn't think it could get worse till i seen what he was eating.............. black / grey lucern (well I think thats what it was) and as he pulled bits out dust came out. I then went in the yard with him. His owner was worried but I wasn't. He came up to me so I just let him check me out then I touched his nose.............................. He looked right into me. I have never had a horse look so deep into me, like he was reading me. It was very emotional. At that point I knew, if nothing more, I had to at least get him out of here.
I told his owner that I would take him on. I negociated a fair price and organised to pick him up with in a few weeks.
Saturday the 27th August 2011 was the day that Max would finally be at our place. I had done nothing but worry he would go down with colic or worse try and lay and get cast between seeing him and that day. Driving out to get the float I had so many nerves. Doubt that I could do this started to creep in. Could I really on my own get a 2 year old pretty much unhandled, confined horse who's first floating experience wasn't exactly good, home in one piece!! I really started to doubt my ability. I had spent the last 2 years working with a young horse but he had bascic handling when I got him at 20mths old. Was this beyond my abilitys to do??? But what choice did Max have otherwise? I arrived at the property at about 1pm. I figured we get what we can done that day then if need be we come back the next. The owners had him caught already but I really didn't want to be trying to cominicate with him through a standard halter so I changed it to my rope halter. This had to be done slowly.He hadn't had his other halter off in the time he had been there as he was un catachable otherwise!! He took the rope halter really well. Hurdle 1 crossed. I took him from his owners hands and he just suddenly relaxed. I could see him let out this massive sigh and he walked calmly to the back of the float. His old owner was gob smacked. I knew floating him from the back was NOT gonna happen in the short time I had to move him so I aimed for him standing in the float calm and relaxed. He focused on me 100% and I just worked with him slowly. He really knows nothing so I started with a bit of rymthically throwing the string on my carrot stick over his back. It was at this point his owner was not impressed. She commented she had tryed doing that so many times but he would just freak out. But he was standing calmly and relaxed while I was doing it. I slowly got the front feet to come up on the float always asking and then stopping when he tried. Even at the slightest shift in his weight I would stop and let him think (the owner though he wasn't doing anything but they couldn't see what i saw!!!) Slowly but surley he walked up into the float then............................... he found the awesome big bag of green hay lol. I think he thought he had died and gone to heaven cause at that point I think the float could have eaten him and he would not have cared lol. I let him stand for quiet a while then We closed the back door and he just stood there big mouthful of hay looking at me, and I swear he had a massive grin on his face!!!!! It was a 30min drive to home and he didn't move a muscle.
I pulled up the drive at home and my horses were super excited to see who I had on board. Max was still happily stuffing his face lol. I untied him and had len drop the door. I was so worried that all had gone so well that something big and bad was going to happen now. I warned my husband that i would not pull on him if he started to come out fast and to just grab the rope as he comes past out the back if this happens. I slowly asked Max back and suprisingly he backed of beautifully!!!! I walked Max around his new yard showing him all the fence lines. Although he does not lead well he was lovely and calm. I then stood with him, un did his halter and left him be to explore. (His owner was shocked to hear I had taken his halter off and said I wouldn't be able to catch him again, But I think she is wrong!!!). He walked around and him and Faith had smooches over the fence. Then he pawed the ground to have a roll and got half way down and then it was like he couldn't work out how to roll. It made me so sad. The saddest point was when he scared himself when he cantered. No horse should ever be that confinedto the point they forget how to canter and roll!!!!!! Max walked that much (because he could) the first night home he was sore the next day!!!! Today Max has been home with me for 3 days. He has spent the past 2 days just chilling in the paddock with good food and not a care in the world. Today i went in with the halter (no intention to catch him just want to rub it on him and get him so he doesn't have to be affraid of it) amazingly he walked straight up to me (something he apperantley never has done). I rubbed his neck and nose with my hand and then with the halter and then stepped a few steps away. max then followed and I repeated. I then held the halter and he dropped his head. I slipped it on and he just nuzzled me.......................... I had tears of joy!!!!!! I didn't do it up, I didn't catch him, I just slipped it back off gave him a nice rub and he followed me all the way back to the gate. I took that as his Thankyou :) Tomorrow will be a big day for Max. The farrier is coming for the first time. We have discussed him and we will take it slow. I truly believe there is an amazing horse inside of Max and at only 2 years old he will make someone an unbelievable partner. He is so raw , untouched and forgiving. Just an amazing horse who deserves only the best for the rest of his life :)
Keep watch as I update Max's progress over the next few months and I will update his pics on a regular basis : )
Silversand Horsemanship
