Bryn's Diary–Week Ending May 4, 2019

Following his move last Sunday, Bryn had a five-day break from work. This gave him a good opportunity to get used to the sights and sounds of his new home at Newland's Farm in the New Forest.

All reports from the team at the farm confirm he settled into his new surroundings quickly, and is a pleasure to handle when he is being taken out, and brought in from his paddock. Apparently, he plays hard to get when it is time to come in, and refuses to be caught. Then, when he sees his bestie, Benney, being taken in, he rushes up to the gate demanding he goes in at the same time. The other report is that he has quickly rebounded with Benney, and as they are the two youngest in the paddock, they team up together to graze, mutually groom, or play.

He still hasn’t got used to pears yet, but is quite happy to nibble on an apple or two.

Today, Saturday May 4, 2019, was his first day in the arena. Not under saddle, but on the lunge to give him every opportunity to have some exercise, and to see how he would react to the normal activities taking place around the yard, such as cars coming and going, horses coming and going, and farm equipment.

For this lunging session we kept things as simple as possible, as far as tack was concerned. A numnah, a roller, and a bridle without any reins. Thea Heim, our instructor attached the lunge line and lead him out.

Bryn was ok walking the length of the barn. Once in the car park, that he had walked across at least ten times in the week, he became nervous. Thea stopped walking, talked to him and soothed him by stroking his neck with her hand. For a few minutes he was having none of this, and proceeded to dance around her, making more taps with his shoes than Gene Kelly in "Singing in the Rain."

The late Sir Henry Cecil once said there are only three things you need to be successful with horses: they are patience, patience, and patience.

Thea met this mantra head on, and after about five minutes Bryn was settled enough to walk across the yard, and into the arena.

There, Thea walked him the full distance around it a couple of times. Bryn whickered, snorted, and dropped his head down a bit. Always a sign that a horse is getting relaxed. This was going well, and then he was asked to go to the end of the lunge line and walk a circle. His immediate reaction was to trot, but that was not what he was being asked to do. He was brought back to walk with gentle squeezes on the lunge line, and the vocal command to walk spoken in a soft and decelerating tone. Walk was achieved.

A couple of squeezes on the lunge line combined with both a vocal command, and the slightest of movements with the lunge whip, and Bryn was asked to step the pace up to trot. He was a bit gangly at first and then he got the idea. He achieved a fluent well-paced working trot with the signature high knee action of Welsh Section D’s.

By now he was fully settled and concentrating. So much so he failed to notice the cars and tractor moving about the yard and rattling sounds of traffic racing along the nearby road which had distracted him earlier in the session.

The foundations had been laid to try canter. From walk to trot in smooth transitions, and then into canter in an even smoother transition. Bryn was in his element cantering in a circle around Thea. At less than fifteen metres away from him, we could feel the vibrations in the ground as his feet hit the ground. Not enough to register on the Richter scale, but enough to make you realise that here was a horse powering over the ground.

Having worked on both reins, and proven he could be lunged the session ended on a good note.

Bryn walked back to the stable quietly. We took off what little tack he was wearing, and then gave a him a rub down. His successful morning with us finished with me turning him out to enjoy his paddock, and the company of his friends.

He had done good.

Bryn and Thea Working Together