Week 1
Well, we had a wild start… our trailer was considerably higher than the others and Banjo had to make an impressive jump to load. Once he loaded it really hit me how surreal every moment of this experience had been so far and also what we were about to embark on. As we drove down the VBA drive-way it just got more and more surreal and I saw Banjo in my mirrors rearing and hanging his head over the top rail of crate… like I said a pretty wild start! He settled quickly after that and then he travelled like a pro for the next 14 hours home to Hartley. In the morning he was bright and eating and drinking without any signs of stress. A true testament I think to how hardy and tough I think these animals are.
I planned to have a slow week after the length of our trip home but he’s kept asking for more and giving me more, albeit slow, but we are moving at Banjo’s pace and he’s already dazzling me. His natural cues and body language keep telling me he is curious and interested but still very cautious, and sensible - believe it or not after the attempted crate escape!!
We’ve only had time for 3 sessions as I had to get back to nightshifts but Banjo is now eating grass and hay comfortably from my hand, facing up to me and drawing into the centre of the yard with a little hind quarter yield, and following me around the round yard. This is exactly where I’d like him to be and setting positive foundations to safely haltering him with him being willing and feeling safe in that process.
I love that he can stand and relax with me in his space, and he is dropping his head nice and low and giving me a good smell all over. It’s hard not to be greedy with what he is able to offer in this first week but my only goal was to have him happily eating and drinking with me around and he’s surpassed that so I’m really happy with where we are. I’ve never met a horse I didn’t love, and Banjo is continuing that feeling easily!
Week 3
The last two weeks really has been game of two halves.
I like to develop a relationship first and foremost with my horses regardless of whether they are handled, unhandled, broken or school masters. My biggest love with any of them is getting to know their personalities and using that as my best training tool because I feel like I can play to their strengths.
By the end of the first and second week, Banjo and I developed a really good relationship where we both felt comfortable and safe where he was very obviously loving touch and scratches all the way from his muzzle, down his neck and to his shoulders and I started introducing a rope halter to rub him and get him comfortable with that too. There were no expectations of where we should be or comparing myself to where anyone else was.
Famous last words and I am my own worst enemy and I started looking at other peoples posts and thought we should be further than we were. I attempted to throw a rope over his head and roping is definitely not my best skill…although Banjo was never scared and never aggressive he certainly told me he was not ready and his whole body language changed.
Thankfully, Banjo was more forgiving than I deserved, and we were able to get back that trust end our third week back in the same place we ended the previous. So many lessons learnt this fortnight, and something learnt in everything I do. Even in our set back, Banjo taught me not to rush and trust myself and my methods.
Week 5
We’ve come in leaps and bounds for weeks 4 and 5. The difference being I’ve taken a step back from being goal focused on getting the halter on and just really focused on building our relationship and the trust between us and boy it has paid off!
Approaching Banjos space and touching and scratching with two hands is easy now, at times it’s so hard to remember he’s a genuinely wild horse in these first few minutes I come into his yard.
Time and patience has definitely worked its magic and he has now comfortably chosen to put nose his in the halter, and I’ve tied it up around his head for walks around the yard and for meals… (he’s finally loving the pellets!) we haven’t connected those two dots completely yet and put the halter on in a traditional sense… but the trust we have developed and the ease at which we move with each other now that final step of haltering will come shortly. We’ve come in leaps and bounds for weeks 4 and 5. The difference being I’ve taken a step back from being goal focused on getting the halter on and just really focused on building our relationship and the trust between us and boy it has paid off!
Week 7
These weeks have flown by, the penny has dropped and our boy Banjo feels like a totally different horse.
Where to start…the halter went on easily because of the preparation and time taken to get it on without stress and without pressure. It felt almost like a non-event and was a very natural progression of our sessions rather than forcing him into it under any pressure.
We started some leading sessions before the halter went on, so having the halter on was helpful to be able to have little bit more body control and with that body control, we are setting foundations to start lunging by moving his forequarters and hindquarters which he does so softly. We are tackling obstacles, and his second time with the halter on we went for a big walk out of the yard in the open paddock – and he didn’t put a foot wrong. Each time the halter goes on, it comes off. I believe in creating that release and wouldn’t want to cause him any stress leaving it on.
Banjo definitely loves the scratches so introducing a brush was welcomed with a very wobbly top lip! He allows me to move easily around him and stands settled. I’ve started handling his legs, and given them a good brush too occasionally asking him to lift them up but not taking them away from him. I’m not super concerned about his feet at the moment, he’s doing a fantastic job of trimming them himself and continuing to build our relationship means that he’ll just trust that whole process without creating a potential fight if he was to object to me holding them from him.
A lot of our sessions are still spent just in each-others company and not asking too much of him.. We also let him out into the big paddock after 5 weeks and every time I drive in he’s first to the gate! Definitely is a very special feeling to see our wild horse trotting down the hill to be first in.