Little Orphan Annie has been with me now for about 10 days but been on the yard since early December. She's a very timid, nervous pony who has obviously been seriously put through the mill! Her history is unknown but we think she's probably been through quite a few markets in the past. Passported as Claire and registered as a Lipizzaner (really), a new identity was clearly needed for her new life and so Annie she became! 10 days ago she hadn't been out in weeks and was very difficult to catch - even in the stable. She also had terrible feet and an overgrown mane and would stay at the back of the stable as far away from you as possible. As you can see she has now had a hair-cut and is enjoying time out in the sick-bay paddock during the day, as she will now allow herself to be caught - most of the time! She is also being a lot more sociable, sticking her nose over the door and letting her curiosity get the better of her! She is improving every day so hopefully before long she will be under saddle and looking for a new more permanent home. Sonny is owned by Sian and Bev and arrived on Sunday afternoon. He is a very handsome 5yo Irish Draught x who is here to be re-educated on the ground and under saddle as he is known to be a bit strong-willed! On the first day we just got to know each other a bit with some join-up and very basic groundwork. He joined-up quickly and easily and picked up his lessons well, proving to be a very smart boy! Today we re-started the backing process focusing on basic groundwork, returning to join-up when things got a bit tense. We worked on leading correctly - following, stopping and backing up without being tugged or pulled, keeping to his own line when walking and being more respectful of space. By the end of the session he could follow, stop, wait and reverse without any rope or contact so he has already done well. I'm hoping to keep regular updates of both Annie and Sonny as time goes on as I'm sure there will be lots to tell!
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