Exercise for Thimble.... and it seems that I am just as unfit!

Well got back from work with the intention of getting both ponies out, only achieved the one but still, as my health and fitness improves I should have more energy, anyways both girls still achieved something today. To me this is success all round, Plus I will get time this evening to start my first assignment. Winner. 

So got back and put both girls back out in their various paddocks for a little while whilst I got their stables ready. Stella tends to have a longer time out with a little less work than Thimble as Thimble stays out all night. (She turns into a rodeo , devil , killer pony if she is stabled for more than a couple of days.) So I decided tonight that the first thing I would do having set the stables up for the night would be to put Thimble in harness, with the help of my other half (The star that he is, always helping despite not really being horsey.). 

To be fair her little winter holiday seems to have done her good. coupled with her being fat and unfit she decided to stand almost still to be tacked up. We then proceeded to go for a nice 45 minute steady walk up through the village and down around some of the fields. I was slightly concerned that on touching the grass she would turn into super brat and be a nightmare but not today. I was pleasantly surprised by my little monsters bright yet calm and steady walk across all of the fields!

I was also relieved, I think I would have keeled over if I had needed to power walk or jog with her. She also managed to go over a little bridge that has been constructive, both this and the field work were first time attempts for her whilst being in harness. And I am so proud of her, for both keeping it together and slowing down to have a look at the bridge and then calmly and carefully walking over it. 

Her confidence has always been good but this work in blinkers and the long reining seems to have helped to develop her self preservation and rationalisation skills a little. She is much more patient and actually thinks about things. When we were younger and used to ride her she simply used to throw herself at everything as fast as possible. I don't think she ever really enjoyed ridden work, the driving however, she seems to totally love it. I cannot wait to get the trap back on her. However for now, walking with her gives me a great excuse to get a bit fitter myself!

When we came back into the yard we came past Stella's paddock. Well clearly to Stella, Thimble had become an alien. She was not at all sure about how to take the sight of her friend in harness.

Deciding that it would make sense to get Stella in on the way past her paddock I gave Thimble to my other half and caught Stella. Currently her reaction to anything that she isn't sure of is to rush or run away from it. So her reaction to me bring her towards Thimble through the gate was to run, However what I was pleased with was once we had stopped and regrouped she actually walked, pretty quietly for her at the moment, behind Thimble  all the way back to her stable. even going as far as touching noses with her before her harness was taken off. I'm so pleased with both of them. Thimble is learning to stop and think and Stella made a huge effort to go past her fear today. That's massive steps for both of them.

:)