Being taken for a ride!

This post is mainly about Shire horses from the point of view of a complete novice:

I had no idea of the complexities of their characters and am discovering that these animas are far more intelligent than I’d ever imagined. Getting to know them is very much a two way process in which they are sussing me out as much as anything. In fact they work out my weaknesses amazingly quickly and exploit them well before I realize what’s going on! It is a steep learning curve for me, and Ben my host, is very keen that the horses and I establish who is the boss as quickly as possible before they decide I can be pushed around. I can see how right he is about this & I’m having to work hard and learn fast.

Meet Tom (the black one). He’s an absolute beauty & stands well over 7ft tall (in “hands” that is 18.2), probably weighing somewhere around a ton. He’s a reliable worker in experienced hands but is well on the ball & when I take the reigns he will push the boundaries to establish where he and I sit relative to each other in the hierarchy of dominance – I have learned that it is never assumed that the human is at the top! Ben says that this is true of any working horse worth his salt. Tom is impeccably behaved with Ben and it is apparent that they have a very clear understanding between them.

Joey (brown one of the pair) is younger and less experienced but is very capable. He is not quite Tom’s size (but still a massive horse). He will often nosey over for a stroke when I enter the field & rest his chin on my shoulder (or head), unlike Tom who is a little more aloof and usually content just to wander over and nibble grass near-by. Joey is a cheeky fellow though and tries to push the boundaries even with Ben, but Ben will not let him get away with it for one moment.

Here the pair of them are tasked with extracting haylage bags on a sledge from the areas of the hay meadow that were too wet to bale with the tractor.

There are 3 others horses to look after: Jem, who is currently pregnant;  Sonny her 6-month old foal, and a black and white mare named Gypsy. I'll post photos later.

So what have I learned so far about working with these magnificent creatures so far? In the grand scheme of things not a lot! It is going to be a long process, however I feel totally absorbed in getting to know them & am hooked already. My routine duties on horse days now include catching Tom & fitting his halter in the paddock; leading him to the stables; cleaning out his hoofs & giving him a brush down in preparation to being fitted up with his tack; and hosing him down after the day’s work. I’m getting the hang of fitting the tack too & hope to be allowed make this a routine task as soon as I can remember where the hell all those clips & bits of leather go! As for the working aspect, it is still early days and I’m just getting used to the commands for simple manoeuvres like “walk-on”, “whoa”, “steady”, “stand”, and simple reign control. I’ll let you know how I get on…