My little Pony has come a long way!

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secuono

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Did the math, used an online converter to be sure of height in hands. Grey mare is 15H, gelding in this video is 12.2H, pinto mini Kasia is 9H & silver mini Słodki is so far 7.3H.

This is my crazy, unhanded, once dangerous pony! When I first got him, he was scared of everyone, everything and the whole world was a giant, horse eating monster! =0

For those wondering, he's a Colonial Spanish Mustang AKA Corolla Wild Pony from NC. Not a regular spanish mustang.

He would rear, spook, kick at farriers, everything in general scared him, really couldn't trust him at all. But he was sweet, typical nosy and "helpful" pony personality under all the fear!

I had to start trimming him myself, most didn't want to deal with him or were too aggressive in handling him, which only scared him further. Didn't take me that long before he was lifting his feet and not loosing his noodle. His backs were more iffy, but a couple more months and he was a-ok. He's to the point now where I kneel to trim his backs and he calmly waits for me to hurry up. I would not recommend any stranger try to handle him, though. Especially without me there. We don't have a lot of traffic of people coming and going, so he really only knows me and a little of my family and the vet, whom I also would not allow to handle him alone.

He was "green broke" when first caught as a yearling, then left alone in pasture in a herd for the next 4 years, almost never really handled or worked with. So he was sort of taught the round pen routine, had some issues with going right at first, but soon figured it out.

I still want a professional to finish his riding training and get him to meet new people and places, but until I find someone who won't ruin him, I'll keep on being his #1 and getting him used to as much as I can here. He very easily takes three steps back for even a hint of going about a new thing the wrong way. Very sensitive guy.

Couple months ago, I got horrible hay, used the last of my budget and couldn't get him to take it back. So I had to start pellet/grain feeding my grey mare. Of course, the rest end up getting a little, too, so they won't gang up on the mare. Though, she's a devil hiding behind sweet sugar coated eyes! =0

I started working more with making noise around him, coming right up to him, patting him randomly, swinging and shaking and touching him with leads and buckets while he had his share. Then one day, started to step on a bucket and flail, make noises above him, no issues. Leaned on him, no issues. Eventually, I could hang over him for a good long while with him calm, so I decided to chance it and sit!

He's such an angel! I've been hopping up there now daily, sometimes twice, and this week, jumping up from the ground even with no food as a distraction. I let him walk around calmly or glare at the minis to go away. He's been surprising me with little things he does differently while I'm sitting on him. Like, on the ground, he will take steps when telling a mini to get lost, but with me on, he only moves his head to tell them off. He even stopped in his tracks when I told him to whoa, which, I said more randomly and really didn't think he would do anything, but he did! If he does spook, it's 100% in place and he just looks up.

Though, this past year (2014), he's been very good with not moving his feet at all when spooked with me on the ground next to him. We were 100ft from a tree, he in the middle and me furthest from this tree. Suddenly, a branch snapped and came crashing down. He only jolted his head up to look and flicked his ears back to me and to the tree. I actually got startled more than him. Before or when alone, he's gone like a shot! He won't stick around to see if it will eat him or not. But this year has been good, he's really looking to me for hints about moving or staying put and chilling.

I don't think his previous owner, the farriers or anyone else that had ever handled him in the past would recognize him now!

Though, it's all been one on one, just us out there in pasture. But even the few times my husband comes help with the camera, he tries to stay calm for me. DH even accidentally used flash while taking a picture with me on him, he only popped up his head. I was far more spooked and shocked than he was. =D

I'm very proud of my little pony!

Really hope some day soon we can take walks and trots! Would be great for his weight and for our bonding!

Anyway!! Here is a video my husband took of me jumping up on him today. We're still working on him not spooking any from my feet touching him over the rump. He's getting better each time.

Also, some pictures! Sorry, DH is terrible with the camera...

PS, I trust the gelding more than the trained and dead broke grey mare, lol

Hope you enjoy! Please no negative comments!

Youtube video link!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpyeYKbqsag

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Its great to see you are making good progress with him. I have a little mare , that is much like your boy. She is 9yo now but was unhandled for her first 5 years. The lady I brought her off had her for three years and spent a lot of time working with her. She has massive trust issues and unfortunately I don't think she will ever overcome them. She seems to be getting a lot better with me personally but for others she will not come anywhere near them. It took around two weeks before I was able to catch her. She would come up to me and then when she got to within a meter or so away she would realise how close she was and run off. I don't believe she was ever mishandled just not handled enough in her first two years.

I have spent numerous hours so far trying to desensitise her when on the lead as she really is so sweet and quiet once in hand.

Did you do this with your boy ? If not Id be interested to hear what you found did work with him.
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Cheers
 
I had to be sneaky with how I caught him for close to two years. Using my bra to lead him back, hide twine in my sleeve or just bribe with food. =/

Now I can lead him just by touching under his chin and give him a tug. Though, if I try to bring a lead towards him, and he gets a random feeling like I might work him, then he keeps his distance. He's easier to catch if I leave a halter on, which I rarely do.

He was a fence breaker, so I'd be on the ground fixing his destruction and he'd come up and steal my hat or slobber over my tools, maybe fling one a few feet away. Sometimes just stick his big ol head over my shoulder and sniff around.

He used to really spook at his own farts, especially if he was trotting.

He likes to play chase with the minis, I run past them or just him and they come running with me. I run out of air and they keep going, he doesn't mow me down and gives me space, doesn't kick or trot too fast around me either. Guess over time they have figured out what I'll tolerate and what gets them a smack. But you can't really be too intense about corrections, that just sets him back and makes him fear you. So I do more just passive and very laid back and calm stuff with him. If I get too serious or demanding, he almost shuts down, I guess like some kids do, except he just doesn't want to be near you at that point.

Things that totally freak him out, but he needs to get used to, then I catch him and hold him on lead and then move him free into the round pen. He hates a water bottle, bolts out just seeing or hearing it. So I caught him this past fall on a short lead, he reared once and ran around me, but after a few times of showing it to him, rubbing him with it and then spraying away next to him, he decided it wasn't that horrible. Then moved him into the pen and used food. He stood still, he got food. He moved away when misted, he got to watch the food and wish he could eat it. Didn't take long at all, have a video somewhere.

Of course, fly spray....that will be a whole new war once the flies come back out. They just love him, I guess because he's big and dark. So I'll have to redo the training, but with the fly spray at the end or just one spray at the start and then switch to water, so he will combine the smell with the mist and chill out.

I have a lot of free time, so some days I just wander out there, approach him but stop before I notice him want to move away and I'll move away instead. Keep doing that and slowly get closer. Did that last spring. Now I go up to him and can usually touch him w/o any spooking or running away. When he's been good about it, I'll bring a halter and lead with me, walk up to him, show it to him, pet him and then leave.

He was surprisingly excellent with today's deworming! He usually smells it and is simply gone, impossible to catch after that! But the minis flew over to me, so he did the same, heck, even the grey mare decided to be nosy today. Strange day indeed. Was able to thoughtlessly bring up a halter and put it on him, then worm him. No hassle or sneaking around or telling him to be good or anything.

I can walk up to him and pet him while he's laying down, too. Though, right now, they all assume me being outdoors = food!!! So, he doesn't stay laying down for long!

I got him at 5yrs, he's now 8ish.
 
Its small things ( well probably not small to him ) that make you realise how far you have come. Think about how far you have come with him in 3 years , should put a BIG smile on your face
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I use this cream here that I rub between my hands then work up their legs. Its a fly repellent ( not that my little mare knows) I gave up on the spray years ago as none of mine liked it and I felt I was wasting more than actually using it for good use.

Im sure if you had a look online or at your local Feed store there may be something similar to it
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Yup. He could squash most of those small things just sitting on em, but he's too chicken to find out for himself!

It's always awesome when he randomly decides to act like a normal horse. I was tossing bales into the isle today and he stood there, trying to catch the corners of them while they rolled by. Before, he'd stand a little off and lift his head each time one dropped and then give me a dirty look.

He can smell it and then he'll run from me. I've tried spraying some on my hand and then going up to him to put it on, wind shifted, he smelled it and he was gone! The minis don't care, they like everything. Grey mare sometimes decides to be a butthead about fly spray, so I cus at her and tell her to enjoy the flies, you nutcake! And then I come back later, catch her and spray her, since the flies all over her ended up bothering me more than they do her.
 
He's such a different horse through this winter!

No more constant jumping, twitching, spazing out. Can do w/e around him like he's a regular, normal horse! =D

Shoveling snow into the trough and tossing it over him, he's all dandy about it!

Wuv my awesome hippo!

From awhile before snow. Picture with the pad over his head was blurry, I tripped backwards over frozen poop....lol

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Weird, I've been calling him 13H recently...I wonder if I just rounded up...lol.

Been trying out lots of saddles, none quite fit.

Got a treeless one and that, of course, fits his hippo butt.

Waiting on a girth and breastplate to come in so I can get new pics of it on him.

Also rehomed the Paint mare. Little weird not seeing her out in pasture anymore.
 
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Can't catch a break!

Pony breastplate way too small and the girth too long...Of course!

Only the girth is on in the picture, breastplate was a few inches too short to reach the other side of the saddle, so it's hanging on the fence behind him.

Practiced stationary emergency brake, bending to my knee on both sides, while bare mounted. He didn't get what I wanted the first time I asked, but got it right the other times. We've only practiced it from the ground thus far, and on the ground he gets it really well. He's so slow and lazy about it all, I should rename him Slowpoke or Snorlax or another lazy Pokemon, lol.

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Darn thing ended up turned to the left, which I didn't fix until after the picture. Don't worry about the reins, he's now fine with them slipping down and falling on his ears, it slipped right before I took the picture. =/ He'll just make a face and wait for me to fix it for him.
 
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Girth fits, breastplate....not so much. But I'm just going to punch more holes in it and call it a day!! lol
 
Somewhere around 12.2H, maybe taller. I'll have to measure him again to be sure.
 
Thanks, I'm looking for a pony to ride. I'm old and don't want a tall horse, too far to fall now.
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Ok, he is 13.2H

I've been trying to get him to walk and seem to of hit a wall.

Hoping to find another trainer with free time to help me teach this gelding to walk when asked and not off n on as he feels like it.
 
Video stills from the free pasture ride attempt.

I'm doing more ground work before trying again mounted. He sucks at moving away with shoulder pressure but has gotten disengaging his bum real quick.

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Also started some jumping just to keep him busy and not so bored. He's real bright eyed about it and after meeting the scary pole and bribing him over it the first time, he was good.

He had to figure out me moving my arms and crop towards him(like I'm pushing him parallel away) meant to move out from me, but keep walking/trotting. Once he figured that out, he also figured out to go over the pole.

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Well, finally figured out what pressure he needed for him to actually respond and that is a crop tapping his rump! If I tap him on the side, then he will walk in a turn away from the pressure, so tapping his rump it is!

Pressing he doesn't feel, guess the saddle is absorbing it too much. Heel tapping he sometimes thinks about. So going to ask for walk, heel tap and then rump tap. He's smart, just turtle slow. lol

Was out with him an hour and thought I had gotten it all on tape, but of course, my camera turned off right before the 15min mark! So it didn't catch it when he really started to understand that all I want is for him to walk! Changed the video picture file to a smaller size, hope that helps.
 
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