A couple of weeks ago my boyfriend, his step dad and I went and picked this gorgeous little mare up. She was so scared, lashing out at anyone who came near her. Marnie had been born and raised on 100 acres and had had no human contact until she was sold. The people we bought her off bought her as pretty much wild filly, and we bought her as a pretty much wild mare. They'd done nothing with her in the time they'd had her, apart from chucking a halter on and leading her.
She trucked wonderfully, but was so scared when we got her home, the poor girl, so I just yarded her and let her settle in.
Here's a photo of her that i managed to get that day (:
The next day I spent a lot of time with her, just patting her and getting her used to having me there. She was a little unsure at first, in fact she stayed in the corner of the yard for a good half an hour, but eventually she came over for a sniff.
I did join up with her and after about an hour of sending her away from me, she finally lowered the head, licked the lips and came in. After that I did a bit of rope work with her - pretty much just desensitising her to it. She wasn't sure what to make of the rope being chucked around her and over her back at first, but eventually she came around and realised 'Hey, that's not going to hurt me after all!'
Next was the tarp, and surprisingly, she took it really well! She sniffed it then sort of turned away and looked at me as if to say 'Is this meant to be scary?'.
I spread it out on the ground and jumped on it, she didn't move, i jumped some more, she didn't move again. I then asked her to walk over it with me and she followed without hesitation. Next, i picked it up and put in on her, kind of like a rug, then pulled it over her head and let it fall to the ground. She didn't move! She was such a good girl (: ...After that she even let me tie it to her tail and walk/trot her around.
If you ask me, for a mare that a day before was lashing out at anyone that went near her and spooking at every little sound, i say it was a pretty good effort - I was so proud of her :D
That afternoon, I took her for a walk around the block and she went really well! Passing cars, barking dogs, kids on bikes, didn't bother her. Horses ran along the fences in some of the paddocks, and Marnie just looked and kept going.
For the next few days I just kept repeating everything I did with her in the first session, but kept introducing her to new things like the chickens and the dogs and the sheep, buckets and exercise balls etc. I even walked her into the shed!
She was doing so well, so i decided to try putting the bridle on for the first time. And, well, she excepted everything first go!
A few more days of repeating everything already done as well as lots of walks, some lunging, and some long reining, and here we are.
Tomorrow, I'm hoping to get on her back for the first time - just bareback in a halter...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's been a fair while since I've been on here, so i'll start where I left off.
I ended up getting on Marnie that day, she was so well behaved. I spent a good two hours getting her used to weight and me jumping up and down near her, then I just got on. She took everything really well, I was so proud of her. I didn't stay on long, only about ten minutes, but still, it was a start.
Anyway, I kept doing a lot of the stuff i'd already done with her for a another week, then, after thinking long and hard, I decided it may be best for Marnie if she were to find another home. I'm doing year eleven and twelve at home through TAFE, meaning I have to study full time, and I have a pretty big number of people wanting to send their horses to me as well as having mine to work on, and well, I really have no use for Marnie now - she was going to be my younger sisters pony, but she's since found one thats a bit older and more experienced for free..
So Marnie was advertised for sale, and after a few timewasters, I had someone coming to look at her.
I actually knew the people, but I didn't know it was her on the phone, she was my old school teacher, so I was glad that someone I knew might be taking Marnie on.
Sure enough, they loved her (who doesn't?) and after about an hour of talking and playing around with Marnie, they decided they'd give me a ring the next day to confirm they were taking her.
At ten o'clock the next day, I got a phone call, and two hours later, I was loading Marnie into their float. I was really happy with the outcome, they're experienced with horses and their two girls fell in love with her, so I couldn't have hoped for a better ending (or beginning!) for Marnie.
