T
he particular mistake in the case of Felix was taking rope off. If he had still had it on, I
would not have spent an hour following him around the field trying to catch him again . The
technique that eventually succeeded was to hold the rope out, clip open, with one hand, while
holding a generous lump of bread roll in the other. This is not a method I'd recommend using
long term, as bread is remarkably expensive, even when bought in bulk.
Mistake fixed! Except he shied as the clip clicked and you guessed it rope burn again.
Investing in a pair of gloves may be a good idea for future training ventures.
With that little hiccup out of the way I could focus on the next part of my `training plan', which
was to pat Felix, who so far was proving to be a rather antisocial pony to those that didn't also
have big ears and long legs. His breeder suggested a `pool noodle' that way I could `touch'
him all over from a distance with no chance of being kicked. However, trying to save money, I
thought as I already had one, a riding crop would be a suitable alternative.
The idea was to tie him up to a nice sturdy fencepost and start by touching him with the crop
on his nose and face, which strangely enough he doesn't mind. He will often allow a good rub
up and down once you've actually got hold of him. I figured I could start with the crop from a
(relatively) safe distance, and then move onto stroking him with my hands. Once more in the
sheep pen, with Felix secured to a horizontal wooden post, and secured again because I am
hopeless at tying knots.
Unsurprisingly, the first time I touched his neck with the crop he pulled so far backwards that his
bum almost touched the ground, and managed to jerk the wooden post a good two inches out of
it's bracket. The big wide eyes and flaring nostrils weren't a good start, but resolutely I stuck to
the plan. Neck...back to the nose...neck...back to the nose...neck...
It took another half hour just to progress further than the shoulder, and weirdly enough, the bits
I thought he'd get into the biggest tizzy about, such as his belly and between his legs, barely
produced a reaction at all. He didn't much like me going down his back with the crop and wasn't
keen on his bottom either he kept trying to swing it away from me but at least he wasn't
swinging it toward me or letting hooves fly.
Important Lessons
...what a bucket is, what a crop is, and what
electric tape means.
Optimism is a
terrible thing.
Hindsight
is equally
bad, because
neither is
particularly
useful at
the exact
time you are
making the
mistake.