Today - 28/02/08

I've not posted all week because I'm having a hard 'horsey' time of it. Merlin has been my constant pleasure at the field and we've had some enormous laughs at his antics. But I'm just missing my 'boy' soooo much that even Merlin hasn't been able to cheer me up. I'm having a good wallow in it today, and then back to work with Merlin tomorrow. A walk round the lanes is on the cards and Andrew will come with us and bring Toffee.

Today 21/02/08

For some reason, Merlin soooo loves to roll in his hay, and then eat a little of it. Maybe he knows that Toffee won't want it now :)

Today 19/02/08

No, Merlin and Toffee haven't had a make over! I was watching a Natural History program with my daughter a couple of days ago and was amazed to see a bachelor herd of Zebras indulging in a game of 'bitey-face'. Many of their games and movements were the same as Toffee and Merlin as they took turns in being 'boss'.

The next day, I noticed the same behavior in the two geldings in the next field. Since beginning to study equine behavior I realise just how much I've learned and how easy it is to learn their language simply by sitting and 'being' with them. I watch my own body as much as theirs so that I can discover which movements they respond to. It's a great journey, and the further along the path I walk, the more I am able to communicate with my dear Merlin, and I can appreciate just how hard it has been for Toffee to understand me when I've been 'muttering' in his language.

Today - 17/02/08

Yaaay, Merlin is ok. His cut had stopped bleeding yesterday, and he wasn't in any noticeable pain when I put on his headcollar. I did some of his leading exercises, which he carried out perfectly and I even made some progress with picking up his feet. This has been very hard for him, as he went from being a good boy with his feet, to kicking out whenever I went near him. Something happened to put him off, but as it was before he came to live with us, I guess I'll never know.

The new buckets I bought are great. They're made from recycled car tyres, so fit very nicely with my recycling ethics, and also are completely safe for silly ponies that love to roll on buckets!!!



What is very interesting is that the new buckets prove the theory that horses can see most colours as we do. When I went into the field with the boys' feeds, they completely ignored me, as I wasn't carrying their brightly coloured buckets. I had to walk right up to them before they showed the least bit of interest.

Today 14/02/08

I've spent most of this evening, either close to, or in tears. My poor little Merlin has managed to cut his jaw somehow and was sooo well behaved as I examined it. He let me put on a headcollar, even though the strap was almost touching the cut, and then he stood pretty still as I pulled the hair back and examined the wound. He threw his head up high when I found it, but I managed to have a good enough look to see that it was clean and didn't need a stitch.

I worry about him so much as he's such a little bruiser and always getting into scraps and scrapes. I'm probably a bit overprotective of him, after losing Oliver, but you know, he could TRY and stay out of trouble, couldn't he? He's still such a baby and was so glad to see me, he gave me the loveliest cuddle and stood leaning against my legs after he'd eaten his supper.
I know I shall worry all night now!!!

Today 13/02/08

A few photos from the weekend. The weather was amazingly warm, so the rugs came off!

'Bitey-face' game quickly turns to 'bitey-bum'



Merlin's too good at this one, so Toffee sees him off.




There's too much grass to waste time playing.



While Toffee's not looking, a quick chew on his rug :)

Today 10/02/08

Well, it's been a busy week, what with me getting to grips with setting up the vegetable plot. So Merlin has had another quiet week. I still go through a few routines with him before he gets his bucket, but they only take a few minutes. Mostly reinforcing his good manners and respecting personal space, but good groundwork for the lessons to come.

But eeerrrkkk, did he stink today! I think he found the smelliest pile of fox pooh and rolled until he was plastered. Then wondered why I was less than enthusiastic for a cuddle. After giving him a good brush, he gave me one of his special hugs that could melt even the coldest heart. As I was standing by his shoulder, he tilted his head up, nose pointing skyward and rubbed his forehead up and down my cheek, and then just stayed there for a moment. Priceless! What made it even better was that his cheek was the only part of him that didn't pong, so I was doubly grateful.

A bit later, he and Toffee indulged in a long game of 'bitey face' which turned into 'bitey bum' and then 'stand on your hind legs for as long as possible', which Merlin of course won because it's his favorite discipline :)

Part six - Autumn 2007

As the colder days arrived, Merlin's snowy Summer coat moulted out, and his darker winter coat grew in. We are so lucky to have a dapple grey in the Winter, and a white charger in the Summer,the best of both World's in my humble opinion! Merlin's temperament continued to be charming and easy going, but he was showing that he was always ready to learn. We've had to be sooo careful not to accidentally teach him bad habits as well as good ones, as he picks things up really quickly. His manners on the lead rein are so good, with 'walk on', 'stand' and 'back up' flowing so smoothly that he now responds to the commands when he's loose in the field. 'Trot on' is still a bit hairy though as sometimes he leaps into trot from his hind legs. Oh how he loves to be airborne! We have to be careful to give him plenty of rein for 'trot on', so that we don't inadvertently give him a tug on the rein and then confuse him. Phew, it's hard remembering it all!!

Today - 02/02/08

It was a beautiful day today, but the wind was bitterly cold, so I rushed around doing the mucking out, hay and buckets as quickly as possible.

Merlin and Toffee went up on the spare paddock for a couple of hours, despite the ground being sooo boggy. Our time was spent digging a trench around the field shelter to divert the water when it rains again. Well, actually, Andrew dug the trench and I filled it with dirty great flint stones to aid the drainage.

Merlin and Toffee were in very high spirits and ran from the very top field down to the bottom one when I called them for their tea. They then indulged in a long game of 'bitey-face' as they were obviously too stuffed for anything more energetic. As dusk settled on the field, I was lucky enough to witness a most unusual occurrence. Toffee seemed to check his mental watch, and decided that it was bedtime. He herded Merlin off up to the field shelter, where they each went into their separate sides and tucked into their hay. As I was shutting the gate to leave, in the twilight, I could just make out a little white face watching me from the warm depth of the shelter, 'Sleep Tight', I whispered.

Today - 01/02/08

Still not much happening at the field at the moment, due mostly to the weather. Merlin however has been extremely affectionate this week and has decided this will be his primary means of communication. Which can't be at all bad.

Even on the days that I can't work him in the school, I still ask him to back up, stand and walk on before he approaches his food bucket. Sometimes I don't even need to give the command verbally as he is so used to my hand signals that I can see him watching me to anticipate what comes next. I especially love it when I give the walk on signal from right across the field and he comes straight to me. I know he is responding to me and wasn't simply heading my way to start with, because he has this way of swinging his head when he's pleased with himself. I don't mean the arab style figure of eight, that can mean anything from impatience to mischief (although Monty Roberts suggests this is a form of apology), no Merlin's head swing is more like John Travolta doing his 'walk' in Saturday Night Fever! Am I suggesting that Merlin is a bit of a show off? You betcha!!!

Oh, I nearly forgot to add, that when I was in the Tack shop today, I got talking to a lady about our horses. She started asking about Merlin and suddenly shrieked when I mentioned that he was a stallion. Long story short, she has asked that I contact her when he is older, so that she may put him to her Highland mare. Wow, a possible wife already and he's still only two!!!!