Natural Horsemanship with my Haflinger!

Well, what a week it has been, new to the Family is The Englishman, also known as Soots, a 16.3 TBxID - a little different to a Haffie and a mini ;0). I am very lucky to have been offered him on loan, and hes here for a trial to make sure we are all happy

Picture here of their first meeting...

giddy of course is well in charge ;0), there was no squealing from her at all which i was most surprised at; she asserted herself in a very cool calm fashion and after they had all greeted, she led the herd down the field and the two boys followed her meekly

Lightning and soots however did a fair bit of squealing on the first night, and by day two, my two were bullying the great big horse something chronic. I took my stick and string down in the end and tried to support him in the herd by driving Lightning away who was the worse of the two; they have settled a little now, but it has been quite difficult watching soots discover the boundaries of his new herd.

Soots finally began to stand his ground on day 4, I suppose he just needed to build some confidence in his new surroundings, and get used to the equivalent of a terrier coming at him with the violence of a rotweiler; pretty strange to see a mini chasing a 16.3!

It has been very interesting to watch in terms of why Giddy is such a handful, she is incredibly dominant, but did very little to assert herself apart from a couple of double barrels, but then just made it clear she was in charge in a very passive way. Lightning is more defensive and attacking, and I think there is an element of him defending his mare

I have done very little with Soot so far, I figured a week was a good time to settle to ensure he was comfortable; I havent been able to resist however a few little touches on some games. I was a litle wary of him to start, he's so very big, and I know with absolute accuracy how Giddy reacts and responds, but Soots is an unknown quantity at the moment, and although I had lots of feedback on what a good boy is, I of course have to discover this for myself; so I was a little wary, and him a little reserved to start for a couple of days, but now am feeling much more connected with him

Already I can feel that difference between a horse that wants to try to connect and one that is constantly challenging for leadership; Giddy tests me every single moment I am with her, and I have to be totally on form to keep the connection, the minute I am out of place, or rush, or my phases or not gentle enough, then the relationship can break down rapidly and she takes control

With this very gentle old chap, I feel that he wants to connect and play even though its early days, just whilst getting to know him in the field, have tried things like backing him up a little at liberty, and its straight and soft, and sooooooooo different to the challenging little haffie

So interesting days ahead, I think maybe this horse has come to me for a reason as part of my parelli journey, and am hopeful he can also help me with Giddy on many levels. I certainly look forward to some riding that is not a battle of wills, negotiation and levels of patience that I dont always have. I dont suppose my leg muscles are looking forward to getting up there!

A DVD for every horse owner - it teaches a 10 minute weekly stretch programme for horses - to improve performance, prevent stiffness and help you notice problems before they become disasters.

Devised and presented by Celia Cohen, ACPAT (A), a human and veterinary physiotherapist. Celia works alongside equine vets to treat all kinds of horses from family ponies to top racehorses and eventers. She believes that if everyone stretched their horses once or more a week, half her clients would not have a problem in the first place; and the other half would notice much sooner! That is why she devised this programme. On this DVD she shows how the stretches look on an experienced horse and how to teach them to a new horse. She explains what you are looking for and when you need help from your vet or physio. There is also a handy plastic pocket reminder card to take with you when you stretch your horse. This is 10 minutes a week that your horse will thank you for every day!

TO BUY Send a cheque for £18.65 (inc VAT and postage) to: Outpost Productions Ltd, PO Box 6500, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 9BQ Or buy online using a credit card or paypal account at: www.outpostproductions.co.uk n.b. ACPAT (A) members are fully qualified Chartered Human Physiotherapists (MSCP’s) who have also trained in physiotherapy and rehabilitation for animals. Celia works part-time within the NHS on her human patients and the remainder of the week with horses by referral from equine veterinary practices (or by direct client bookings) in the South West of England