Turfsurfer Ltd, 5 Cheswick Drive, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 5DF
Phone: +44 (0)191 645 3160 Mobile 07928 785220
E-mail: simon@saddlechariot.com Skype simon.saddlechariot
Phone: +44 (0)191 645 3160 Mobile 07928 785220
E-mail: simon@saddlechariot.com Skype simon.saddlechariot
Henry
Henry is cuddly, sweet and always ready to stop and chat to anyone,
devious crafty little creep that he is.
He decided very early on that I
wouldn't hit him when people were watching which shows a considerable
degree of intelligence. The minute he sees a pedestrian he ambles over
to a bit of grass near enough for them to come over and scratch his
ears while he gets on with serious grazing and ignoring me. Henry
has his life pretty well sorted out by practicing natural peoplemanship
on everyone around him.
Henry has received a charming letter from Exmoor Ponies of North America but I know there is no point trying to get him to read it because
have had to teach him that
printed stuff doesn't apply to him. No Entry doesn't mean No Entry
Henry. The Ancient British were driving chariots around
wherever they liked long before the Romans arrived, and since none of
the subsequent laws mention chariots, none of them apply to us. So
having done all that training on ignoring print, it is pretty tough
asking him to concentrate on his reading again.
I do know Henry has some pretty strong opinions on a number of issues. Whips, bits, blinkers are out. I know there are pictures out there of Henry and I with bits, and whips and blinkers, but Henry has taught me pretty well, even if I learn slowly.
I do wear a silly colonial hat, because you can't call yourself a Natural Horseman without something that looks like it came from a Marlboro ad, and I can always slosh Henry round the backside with it when he really irritates me. It doesn't hurt him, and to be honest it doesn't make much difference but it gives me the illusion of being in control. I have hit Henry in the past but I can see less and less justification or necessity for hitting an animal, so Henry has trained me out of that habit.
I stopped using blinkers ages ago when I found that Henry went better,
and faster without them. I used to be pretty neutral about them but now
I consider them dangerous. If your animal is scared of the vehicle,
teach him it is nothing to be scared of, if he is scared of traffic,
ditto, if he is scared of you, give him to someone else.
Bits are more tricky. Before I went to the Dr Cook bitless, I was using a Myler comfort snaffle. Although I don't use bits any more, if I did, I would use the Myler. I like the way they are made and the senstivity to the lightest touch. I suspect they don't really work where maintaining a contact is considered important. Henry has very decided ideas on contact, it means stop, or to be more precise, graze.
Henry has put a lot of work into his transitions and is completely balanced on canter to graze transitions. Gallop to graze isn't quite as smooth. Graze to walk needs work. Above you can see him trying to vote at the local elections. He had heard all this talk about snouts in troughs, and while he might not like the word snout, he wanted some of the trough. But would you believe an apparently mature democracy that doesn't give votes to ponies.
He decided very early on that I
wouldn't hit him when people were watching which shows a considerable
degree of intelligence. The minute he sees a pedestrian he ambles over
to a bit of grass near enough for them to come over and scratch his
ears while he gets on with serious grazing and ignoring me. Henry
has his life pretty well sorted out by practicing natural peoplemanship
on everyone around him. Henry has received a charming letter from Exmoor Ponies of North America but I know there is no point trying to get him to read it because
have had to teach him that
printed stuff doesn't apply to him. No Entry doesn't mean No Entry
Henry. The Ancient British were driving chariots around
wherever they liked long before the Romans arrived, and since none of
the subsequent laws mention chariots, none of them apply to us. So
having done all that training on ignoring print, it is pretty tough
asking him to concentrate on his reading again.I do know Henry has some pretty strong opinions on a number of issues. Whips, bits, blinkers are out. I know there are pictures out there of Henry and I with bits, and whips and blinkers, but Henry has taught me pretty well, even if I learn slowly.
I do wear a silly colonial hat, because you can't call yourself a Natural Horseman without something that looks like it came from a Marlboro ad, and I can always slosh Henry round the backside with it when he really irritates me. It doesn't hurt him, and to be honest it doesn't make much difference but it gives me the illusion of being in control. I have hit Henry in the past but I can see less and less justification or necessity for hitting an animal, so Henry has trained me out of that habit.
I stopped using blinkers ages ago when I found that Henry went better,
and faster without them. I used to be pretty neutral about them but now
I consider them dangerous. If your animal is scared of the vehicle,
teach him it is nothing to be scared of, if he is scared of traffic,
ditto, if he is scared of you, give him to someone else.Bits are more tricky. Before I went to the Dr Cook bitless, I was using a Myler comfort snaffle. Although I don't use bits any more, if I did, I would use the Myler. I like the way they are made and the senstivity to the lightest touch. I suspect they don't really work where maintaining a contact is considered important. Henry has very decided ideas on contact, it means stop, or to be more precise, graze.
Henry has put a lot of work into his transitions and is completely balanced on canter to graze transitions. Gallop to graze isn't quite as smooth. Graze to walk needs work. Above you can see him trying to vote at the local elections. He had heard all this talk about snouts in troughs, and while he might not like the word snout, he wanted some of the trough. But would you believe an apparently mature democracy that doesn't give votes to ponies.