Jeff
15.2hh Irish, 6yrs
Jeff is a well marked cob with nice paces and a springy jump. He also
has a calm attitude towards traffic when out hacking. He's un-phased by the farrier and when using the clippers . However when approaching him with a lead rope, tack etc he is nervous but with time and patience and a understanding home this will be the making of him, as everything we teach him he seems to absorb. I just think he has been backed too quickly and it's scared him.
Jeff's Diary
Please follow his weekly diary entries whilst I try and gain his trust. I will also add videos of Jeff as he starts to do more and more.
21/02/2012
Because we are so busy with Paddockbarn Services Jeff will be on his holidays until Zara is sold.
30/01/12
We have not done a lot with Jeff over the past couple of months as we have been so busy but I plan to start on him properly when Zara sells.
27/11/11
We all went hunting with the Cranwell Bloodhounds today Julian rode Tilly and Emma rode Jeff. Alfie, Clara and myself were on video duty for yourselves to watch. Jeff was really good, he was nervous of horses coming either side of him if they were close but relaxed more out the back of the field, jumping small logs and enjoying his new job. Please take a look at the video of him. (Please note Clara, Alfie and I walked across acres of fields just to get this footage of him jumping this one log i hope you appriceate it ha ha).
14/11/11
I have just read through Jeff's Diary as i have not updated it for ages and I can't believe its the same horse.Jeff has had time off over the summer as I have been so busy doing other Jobs trying to keep paddockbarn alive but handling Jeff everyday and keeping everything low key does horses good especially when they have been pushed in the wrong direction if you know what I mean.
We started working Jeff a few weeks ago Emma just chucked some tack on with no bother,got on with no prob's at all walked,trotted cantered popped him over a little jump and he was Brilliant he has remembered everything we have done with him he still needs time but what a pet .We took him to Aylesford cross country and he jumped everything first time and was really enjoying himself.My aim with him over the next few months is to hack regular and to hunt him.
19/05/11
Jeff is nervous to be tacked up in his box so for a few days I worked on him in the menage, joining up with him and tacking him up in his comfort zone. He has a fear of the reins going over his head, so I worked on putting his bridle on without reins and then adding the reins on once the bridle was on. He found this a lot better. When putting his saddle on I would touch his back first until he relaxed and then put his saddle on. He was in his comfort zone doing it this way.
I think someone has backed him quite quick and it has scared him but I now tack him up in his box with reins attached to his bridle and a martingale and he is fine with this even opening his mouth for the bit.To mount him from a mountain block or a stirrup he is at ease now. I try to ride him everyday just for short bursts as this is more beneficial for him. Yesterday I worked on him walking over tarpaulin. It never bothered him and then I worked on leading him in trot as he was not too sure of this when he was having his back checked.
13/04/11 - 22/04/11
Jeff is really coming on a treat, everything we do with him he really absorbs... he even likes to be stroked on his neck when you are riding him. I'm really starting to get a soft spot for this vulnerable chap. Jeff has been wormed and has had his backed checked showing no problems.
12/04/11
I really think Jeff has been driven more than ridden and when you get on him I think he expects you to grab his mouth and go off in a full frenzy fearing the worst, so I am taking this chap right back to basics and anything he is unsure about will be worked on quietly. Please don't think this little horse is a nervous wreck, he is very calm in most situations and in his temperament, he just needs some schooling so he knows what is expected of him.
11/04/11
I use a mounting block to mount all my horses but Jeff was unsure about what I was doing when I tried to use it, so I spent today working on stepping on the block and when he felt unsure carefully repeating this process until he felt comfortable for myself to mount him.
10/04/11
Jeff is very unsure about us and seems to have lost his trust with people so today we worked on doing some join-up.
