Riding Huelio

These photos are taken with Tony's phone so they are not brilliant but better than nothing as I forgot the camera again.

Huelio is a gorgeous boy to ride, very willing and sure of himself, he takes everything in his

stride and is pretty laid back about it all, been there, done that sort of horse. This is perfect for me and altho I look huge on him I don't think he is concerned at all. For now, short rides around the paddock to get used to him and for him to teach me a thing or two, he responds to leg cues and is just an easy, easy horse to ride. Compared to Rocky anyway. So the plan is for me to gain confidence on Huelio and to continue to work with Rocky. I think between the three of us progress will be made. Rocky already looks to Huelio for everything so learning to be a ridden horse is just another aspect of it.

Visitors today

Huelio and Rocky had some visitors today. Charlotte's boyfriend Luke, his mum (and my friend Debbie) and two of her neice/nephew's came out in the rain to visit.

It stayed dry long h for a quick hallo and to give Huelio a few carrots, and Rocky too of course and I brought Huels up to the shed for a bit of a groom.

This was the first time the kids had come so close to a horse (how does that happen, lol). They like Huelio and he enjoyed the attention.

I also took Boston out to meet the horses and he was pretty unimpressed to say the least had a bit of a bark at them but without hackles up so nothing too serious, Huels just sort of checked him out and wondered what was his problem by the look of this photos. Once off the lead he reverted to his easy going self and didn't even care about the horses. I think he will be fine once he has been around them a few more times.

I told the kids a bit about horses and grooming and keeping them healthy and they gave me a hand to make up the feed. I had got all the gear out for them to have a ride but it just started pouring down with rain so a ride was out. I have asked them back soon as neither have been on a horse and I can lead Huels around with them on him without a problem, Huels is a very relaxed boy and very familiar with his role as a saddle horse, he will take it in his stride I have no doubt.

Huelio pictures finally, sorry for the wait.

.

Huelio arrives at Kellyville

No photo's right now, I am waiting to "borrow" back my daughters camera with all my Huelio picks in it so I can update this blog, sorry but come back again soon.


Huelio arrived last Thursday, in the dark and cold and I so desperately wanted to get a photo of him but John the transporter had picked up 3 feral ponies and was running supper late so by the time Huels arrived it was getting on, I was late for work and I literally put Huels in the paddock with Rocky and raced off to work. They remembered each other and went nose to nose in greeting, Rocky did a little buck and happy dance, it was really cute. So I think Rocky is happy at least, Huels is yet to settle in properly.
Very next morning Dad phones to say that he could only find one horse in the paddock and that Rocky was standing at the top end of the paddock looking across to the road. Odd as even if Huels could get out of the bottom paddock the front gate is always closed so what were the chances of him getting down the road, well it seems, pretty good.
Our Friday started with me racing off to Kellyville to locate missing horse. Thankfully he was only about 1/2 kilometer away at a neighbours, penned up and munching away on some lucerne hay. He was not at all perturbed by my ranting and raving at him, and embarassment at having a horse lost on the very first day I got him.
Neighbour was very non chalante about it all so I thanked him took Huelio in borrowed halter, left the car on side of road and walked the naughty boy home, he in the mean time whinneying to all and sundry. LOL
What a peanut, anyway he was happy to see Rocky again and to get a second lot of breakfast the pig.
After some discussion Dad and I decided that Huels had pushed open the top gate at the side of the house, which is a clip lock wire gate, it is for access for the ute when Dad does the paddock clean up and usual rounds of the bottom paddock. It must have not been clipped in correctly and a push from a fat horse was all it took for him to squeeze thru, and squeeze he must have. Rocky wasn't gonna follow tho.
Then we were puzzled as to how the front gate got open, I was pretty sure I had closed it on the way to work the night before, but you know how we do these things automatically, like in our sleep or something and can not say for certain that we actually did it after all??
Turns out that at about 8.30am a bloke rocked up to pick up a trailer, as Dad stores things for the vintage bike club etc, he was parked out side the gate, and the gate was shut. Dad went up and said for him to bring his car inside, and said "By the way, did you happen to see a horse?"
The guy sort of shook his head, went red and changed the subject.
So we are thinking that he did actually open the gate, drove in, leaving the gate open, Huels was out in the top paddock, saw the gate open or being opened and took off. The guy paniced, drove back through, closed that gate and waited. Dad said he was a nervy little bloke so maybe he was worried we would go off at him about it.
So altho we are not 100% sure, we think that is how Huels day went.

Because Dad went off on a bike rally to Tamworth for the weekend, I was designated Mummy minder, so stayed at Kellyville to keep Mum company, we also had my brothers two girls Shay and Lisa, which was fun, they are awesome kids, Lisa loves horses and bikes like me so we get on pretty well and Shay is supper clever in drawing and writing.
So saturday morning I woke up and walked down to the shed to feed the "boys" except only Rocky meandered over from the other side of the house. Hmmmmmm, not again I thought to myself, gave Rock his breaky and a pat and went looking for the trouble maker.
Here he was, halfway thru the barbed wire fence, one foot down on the otherside and another strand across his chest, thank God for his rug. Why the hell do we have barbed wire, well 30 years ago, someone told Dad to put it up 5 fucking strands of it, I hate barbed wire, and we are replacing it all slowly, so as you can imagine I was pretty upset. The particular spot that Huels had tried to walk thru was ok about 5 weeks prior when we first checked on the fences and refenced with regular wire. Yes it was barbed, but in place and secure, except that at some stage in the last 5 weeks, a tree had come down next door, thru the fence and the neighbour had loped off the offending branches over our side, but did not tell us the fence was down. Now maybe this is a fair enough thing as we have not had horses in the paddock for over 30 years but it gave Huels another chance to visit the neighbours, and I have no doubt he would have if he hadn't got hung up.
Well I was on my own, apart from Mum and the girls and as I didn't know what Huels would do I told them to stay at the house. I stepped on the three strands that were up around Huels' knee, pushing them down near his hock, pushed the one strand off his chest with my right hand and bent down and lifted his trapped foot up and down again three times, telling Huels to back up. Well, he is a smart and sensible boy because he took it all in calmly and with out a fuss, he listened to me and repeated my action but as he lifted his foot for the fourth time I pushed back on it and said "Back up". He stepped up and over the wire and not a scratch on him which I was so thankful for.
Then he just calmly walked over to the feed shed for breaky. Oh my, what a horse. LOL. So that weekend Tony and I did a repair job on the broken fence, and worked our way down that side of the paddock, it is about 70% regular wire and star pickets now. The rest of the fencing is regular wire, in fair condition but Huels is testing all areas, he wants out. So I am hoping that when I get home this weekend, I can give him some attention, perhaps a ride and see if I can get him to understand that this is home. After all Rocky really loves it here, he is one very happy pony so I desperately want Huels to feel comfortable too. Any suggestions???

Riding Lesson

I have had a lot of doubts about myself riding at this late stage in my life, 48, overweight and wanting to re-experience the joy of owning and riding my own horse.

Seems it was only a few months ago that I decided to get my motorcycle licence and ride on the road. Having done both these things rather well as a kid, growing up surrounded by bikes, horses, and sundry farm duties, animals and the freedom of miles of fire trails at our back gate, It would all be a breeze for me to just step back into it as tho I hadn't been away from a horse for 30 years. Yer, right!!!

It is no doubt that I had a really wonderful childhood. The fact that these things were provided by my parents and their hard work and hard earned money was not even an issue for me or my siblings.

Providing said activities for myself is both exciting, worrying and hard bloody work. Makes me appreciate just how lucky I was to have parents like mine.

Well, doubts and misgivings aside today I got back up on Rocky with the brilliant instruction of Michelle, who's natural ability with horses and people was well evident.

Rocky was a star, he was calm and level headed a far cry from the last time we rode together.

He behaved well even under my clumsy attempt at mounting. He hung in there and received well earned praise for being a calm and willing boy. Michelle's calm directive had me able to control him without second guessing myself, and starting with basic control, having Rocky moving off and responding to commands with the correct position of hands, legs and body. Soft hands that move with the horse. Clear directives to a green horse from a green rider. Karleigh said we would "learn together" and I think she is right. Based on today's workout we are getting to know each other and with help, work and patients a bright future is on the cards.