Ben
Ben has now gone to his new home (13/12/10) which happens to be at my sister's (Northern Ireland). I could not sell him as he came so nervous and someone has really scared this little chap in the past. He really trusts us even though he was so quiet to ride and most people would be safe on him, but on the floor it would not take much for him to lose his confidence I know I can't do this with every horse I have but my sister had room at the inn and has always wanted a horse again since we were kids. Merry Christmas Mandy I now know that Ben will have a kind loving home for life. No doubt we will have pictures galore of him very soon also my sister and neice are still grinning like cheshire cats!
15.2hh, 6yrs. Ben arrived in June looking quite poor and was afraid of people his confidence has really started to grow with us now.He is so quiet to ride but a little timid with strange people on the floor. I think someone has been a bit rough with him in the past.He really caught my eye in Ireland and I couldn't leave him behind. He really has such a pretty face and with some time and work I am hoping he will blossom to be a nice little horse wanting to please someone in what ever job seems to suit him..Please follow his diary with me and get to know him more.
Ben being shod at Mandy's in Northern Ireland 21/2/11
Ben's Diary
This is Ben's diary so you can find out what we've been doing with him and to enable you to follow what he does.
22/01/11
Two weeks ago my sister tried to get Ben shod but unfortunately the farrier got there before her and tried to shoe him without her there which really has set him back as I told Mandy that he needs a Dually headcollar on and needs to stand outside as he does not feel as threatened outside. As I've said before someone has really ill treated this horse on the ground before, and that is why he was not sold on. The farrier told Mandy he would have to be sedated or to sell him as he was too sharp. He is not too sharp and does not need sedating as I have just got back from N Ireland myself and with some handling with my dually headcollar and patience with him on Sunday we managed to restore his confidence again. We tried a lovely kind farrier on the Monday and we got him shod he was a little scared at first but once Ben realised this farrier was not sharp with him he let him shoe him allround. It didn't take long either Ben remembered all those training sessions we did with him in the summer with the dually headcollar and it has totally restored his confidence. If there is anybody out there with any off these issues please give me a ring and let me help you. Please take a look at the video should be on (25/02/11).
I want some people to take note of this who do have problems with their horses as sometimes people can give advice from others and believe that is the only answer but there is other ways it may take longer to get the results but you can get them you just need the right advice and the results can be so rewarding in the end.
22/11/10
Ben is such a gentle horse,he has done alot of hunting and is brilliant.His schooling on the flat is coming on as well he will hopefully do his first dressage test on thursday.I have been teaching my friend how to canter recently Ben was such a good boy even slowing down for her if she lost her balance.
We will start to take Ben showjumping soon.
31/10/10
Ben really does float on the flat,his trot canter transition's have been a bit green in the school but he really find's this easy now.Emma hunted him yesterday he was a really good boy at the meet,he does not get fizzed up and jumped a few layed hedges and hunt jumps.Please take a look at the short video of him at the meet. (It was so busy so I was watching Alfie and Clara rather than filming).
25/10/10
Emma has hunted Ben six times altogether now and he is so good.He is not strong and is ridden in a happy mouth French link Fulmer bit. He is happy to be any where in the field and does not get stressed at all. He will be going to opening meet on Saturday.Ben has recently been schooled over Oasby BE Intro- course and loved it he never stopped at anything.
09/10/10
Ben has been hunting today Julian took him bless him I always send Julian out on all the horses first time as being in hunt service with the Belvoir he knows where to go if a horse need's to leave the field plus he is braver than me.Clara,Alfie and myself followed on foot to do some filming,Ben was as good as gold he is such a gentleman.Also he is not strong at all he was hunted in a french link happy mouth bit.Julian feels that he would let Emma take Ben next week.Please watch the video of him also he was shod behind this week he was a little nervous at first about being approached but once James had lifted his foot he relaxes please watch the video I took of him while being shod behind.Next time we will aim for a full set to be done I have just done it in stages as somewhere along the way in the past someone has approached him wrong but never mind what we are doing with him work's. Also there is a video of him hacking.
I have just been talking to Julian about today and I suppose it is a normal thing for julian to do,but he got left behind as he was on point and the field had gone on. Julian could not get through to catch up with the field so he jumped a little river. But to approach it you had to go through alot of brambles down a bank and jump a unapproachable ditch/river (the River Smite) and Ben jumped it over on to the other steep bank,which I would be very impressed, as this is Ben's first time out. Also he went over a little narrow wooden bridge on his own. He maybe wary of people on the floor but he is very confident about being ridden.
25/09/10
I have took Ben hacking on his own this week,apart from he kept neighing a few times I think this was his first time he has ever hacked out on his own but he is very good in traffic also we met another horse trotting towards us but he was totally unfazed by this which I thought he would maybe get a little upset but just carried on going forward. Also I have done some schooling and popped a couple of cross poles on him, he is very responsive to the leg but just need's to be more settled in his mouth, he has been ridden in the past while he had his wolf teeth which has probably made him a little ressistant but he is accepting his bit more and more each day..Also he was shod again yesterday and was fine apart from James had to take his cap of as he was a little unsure of it.
18/09/10
Neil Ingram my vet came on Wednesday to check Ben's teeth. He sedated him and removed a wolf tooth, plus his vaccination. Ben will start work again on Monday. He has grown as well he now measures 15.3hh and looks really well look out for recent photo of him.
12/09/10
Ben has been hacked out over the summer, like Tilly he is brilliant in traffic. I'm not sure if he has got a wolf tooth that is bothering him so i've booked the vet to come and have a look as he is having his vaccinations as well. Ben's confidence has improved so much.
08/08/10
Ben has been hacked out this week. Traffic does not seem to bother him,it is more horses that get to close I think he is scared of being kicked.When I have been schooling him on the flat he is stronger (more balanced) on his left than his right but with more time this will only get better. All the family can catch him now from the field his confidence is improving every week.
31/07/10
Well Ben!!!! His confidence has just blossomed. I really like this horse. I love to see horses just start to trust you. He was so nervous when I first saw this horse and with some time he really has started to accept us. I have hacked him out with Oliver most of the week thinking that I would need Oliver for encouragement, but Ben is fine being in front and behind. When out hacking we have met some traffic (slow cars and buses) and a kind man who turned off his hedge trimmer as we approached him but i'm sure he still would have kept going. He was nervous of cyclists coming behind him so I rode on Oliver's inside.
25/07/10
We have been handling Ben's feet daily and on wednesday James the farrier patiently managed to take his back shoe's off and hot shoe him in front.We felt that we will shoe him allround next time as he has improved so much that I don't want to stress him out and make his first shoeing to long. I have also ridden him this week,only in the school as with him being so nervous I would rather box him up and take him somewhere quieter.Please take a look at the video!
17/07/10
James (farrier) came to shoe Mandy on Tuesday and I asked him to just to take a look at Ben he let James lift his front feet and slowly take his front shoe's off but that is as far as we could get with him without stressing him out,as he was very worried about James even coming near his hind legs. So on wednesday I did some more join up with him and then we schooled him with the Dually Headcollar and then started to handle his feet again which he accepted very well. The next day with the help of Lucy holding him in his Dually headcollar we started to handle his feet as if he was being shod which he accepted very well. Also I have ridden Ben this week, I have started him like a youngster so he can have trust in whatever he does.
10/07/10
Ben has been very quiet since he has arrived. I think he is a quiet type of horse, but is so unsure of us. I have done some join up in the field with him as I want him to know we are on his side and to be able to trust us some more. Today, I have been using a false arm to feel all of his legs as he is a little unsure about them being touched his confidence has showed alot more today. He will hopefully be shod on Tuesday, if not I will ask James (farrier) just to handle him instead. He has got shoes on already, so someone has shod him in a fashion but I want him to be able to trust us. I just like to take my time with an unsure horse, as in the long run this patience with him will shine through in anything he does for the future.
12/07/10
Ben had a physio assessment done today, like Mandy and Melvin. Everything was good, except he needs more topline as he really does not have any muscle tone at all (bless him) but some time with us and he will soon develop this.
