The pony we recently took on with issues and a sad backstory of abuse and neglect at the hands of some shit-lord is coming on really well. We’ve made firm friends and he’s learning that I don’t do anything bad and never hurt him but it’s small steps and slow progress.
Earlier today my daughter and her boyfriend were up at the farm with me and I needed to get a head-collar on the pony to bring him inside. More often than not he’ll follow me straight inside the stable but sometimes like today when it’s super windy and howling or pouring rain he needs bit of encouragement. (You’d think it would work the other way round really i.e. he needs little prompting to get out of the cold and rain but there you go)
“C’mon little pony let’s go in and get warm…. it’s OK you don’t need to jump or worry it’s only me… We don’t hit or hurt ponies here no… no we don’t – we like ponies here yeah course we do… here have a tic-tac mmmmm…. lime and orange tic-tacs mmmnnonnnmonnn” and in a few seconds the head collar was on no fuss or problems.
Then my daughter’s boyfriend remarked to her “Your Mum has a good way with horses doesn’t she? I’ve noticed that and how they seem to be happy with her around them doing whatever she’s doing. We should film it and record his progress really”
He had to say it.. HAD to say those words right at that moment as I slipped on a patch of mud and spent several seconds trying to keep upright and using an arm to steady myself on the gate and pony before eventually landing head face and arms first into thick, sludge and mud and shit.
This is why I don’t record myself when working with horses or dogs. It never works and I just fall over and swear lots.
On the plus side my epic falling, scrambling and frantic noises didn’t scare the pony away even though I’m sure it lasted longer than this guy’s nine second fall.
He just stood looking at me then put his head down and blew snot in my ear.
Auntysocial 
Well, it’s okay, I am a klutz too. So is my dog actually. Both of us fall up the stairs, and step on each other’s feet, and trip over each other, and I break stuff occasionally. That’s probably part of the reason I don’t get attached to material things. I think, “well, it’s not like I can’t buy another bowl” or “it’s not like that was the only mug I have.” Not that I am purposefully careless, it’s just not such a big deal to me when I do break things. Never understood why some people get so upset about it.
Yeah I’m exactly the same – things break and get ruined / disappear regularly so I expect it to happen and consider it a bonus when it doesn’t. I’ve just never had a graceful bone in my body I don’t think. When I used to do a of competitive riding I’d fall off but take hours to actually land on the floor it’d be so undignified with me scrambling and grabbing mane, reins, ears – anything in a bid to stay on but eventually I’d land with an undignified “pffft” sound.
Few years ago when I was training with the eldest dog we were like a comedy duo just falling over sheep and each other and I ended up doubled over belly laughing cos it was pure nonsense in that field. People were watching on and going “What… what’s going on what are they doing??”
And I hate it when I go to a restaurant with my family/whoever and I have to take that chair, you know the one, how there’s always this one chair in the back up against a wall that’s hard to get to. How is one supposed to get back there without bumping the table?
Be so incredibly clumsy and step on people / hit them with said chair as you’re trying to move it and generally go to great lengths and be such an annoyance that people stop leaving that chair for you. I’m always on the end and able to get out and move around freely because of that little trick 🙂
Haha, good idea.
I wish GoPro helmet cams had been around back when I did a lot of competitive riding that would have been a tremendous thing to watch back. I used to chatter and waffle and swear all over the place. “What the fu.. what are you doing? This way – no this way for fu… D’you know you’re a tit. Honest to God you are such a tit”