Re: Re: hints on ponying

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

Okay, you win, I'll tell.


I used to own the aforementioned little welshie, who was an absolute
handful.  He was green and very naughty, but too small for me to sit on and
sort out, and too much of a handful for me to put a child on, yet, like all
welshies, he needed exercise, so ponying seemed like a good idea.


For some reason, Toc would permit this little sod to do all sorts of things
to him, without being aggressive, so it wasn't a problem (methough!)  Later,
Toc began turning on the pony, and I can't help wondering what the little
sod did : that was really the start of Toc's problems.  But I digress....


So, Saturday morning, I locked my dogs (six of them) in the house, put a
lunge line on my pony's bridle, and set off, with pony in tow.  It soon
became a bit of a mix-up, as the pony's legs were much shorter than Toc's
and the little sod (his name was VG, but we started calling him "little Sod"
quite soon after he arrived) soon learned that a good way to slow us down
was to whiz round in front of Toc and get the lead rein all twisted round
Toc's head (thank God he's not headshy) and then whiz around behind him so
the lead rein was wrapped around us.


During one of these "bondage sessions" I heard the unmistakable sound of
panting from behind me - you guessed it, the dogs had let themselves out of
the house and were following us.  So there I was, on a narrow trail with a
TB, a welshie and six dogs.  Every time VG tied us up, all of the dogs
joined the fray.


After I lost my temper for the umpteenth time, VG decided he better just
walk quietly.  We got to the causeway, which at that stage was covered with
water.  Toc said "say what?  Go over that?  With the trolls and crocs
underneath it?  Uh-uh!".  VG was more amenable, so I thought I'd unclip the
lunge line from VG and clip it onto Toccy's bridle and lead VG with my hand
on his bridle in front of Toc, who would follow.  That was the theory,
anyway.


Unfortunately, as I was unclipping VG, Toc decided to spin around, and he
took off for about twenty metres and then started grazing.  I went up to
him, but he trotted off.  I decided that if I followed with the pony, Toc
would just keep going, playing tag, but if I tied the pony to a tree, and
then went up to him, he'd probably stand.  This was the second theory.  Can
you see where this is going?


So, I tied the pony to a tree and went to fetch my horse.  Next minute, out
of the corner of my eye, I spotted the little sod UNTYING himself (okay, so
I don't know how to tie, but that's not the point - this was an emergency
and he should have been co-operating!) and he gave a squeal and a buck and
ran past Toc, red lunge line flying in the wind, and Toc took off in hot
pursuit.  I just stood there, mouth agape!


My dogs decided that this was a great idea and took off after the horses.  I
set off on foot after my revolting beasts, all of whom by this stage were
destined for the slaughterhouse!


I eventually caught up with the horses in a vegetable patch about a
kilometre away, with two cyclists killing themselves laughing at them.  I
walked up the hill (yes, it would be at the top of the hill) and up to the
cyclists, who each had a horse in hand.  About three feet away from them, I
tripped over some barbed wire, and fell, sprawling face first, at the feet
of the cyclists, one of whom said "Er, are these yours?"  Hardly the most
elegant entrance I've ever made.


Mortified, I muttered a quick thank you and elected to WALK home with the
two brats.


To make matters worse, when I got home, I realised I was minus my German
Shepherd puppy, who had decided that swimming in the river was far more fun
than chasing horses, so I had to go all the way back to the causeway to
fetch him!


And THAT is why you should never, ever, ever, ever, ever pony a little
welshie.  Ever.


Tracey
-----Original Message-----
From: Kim Pelletier <kim@redhorsetech.com>
To: Tracey <tracey@tbt.co.za>
Date: 18 September 2000 05:52
Subject: Re: Re: hints on ponying


>Heee...heeee.. heee...
>
>You're allowing my imagination to run wild here :->
>
>I could think of a time when a little gray packmule ("Comet") decided to
"go
>through" Lee to get back to the pack station for dinner, bulleting right
>between her hind legs.  First and only time Lee ever reared and spun a 180!
>Comet didn't make it through though... Lee just wasn't tall enough!
Anyway,
>I learned that day why the little gray mule was named "Comet".
>
>Is your story even close???
>
>The suspense is killing me!
>
>Kim  (and 15.1 hand QH-mutt Lee, who doesn't care for little donkey-sized
>gray mules)
>
>
>--------------------------------------------
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>
>To: "Kim Pelletier" <kim@redhorsetech.com>; "Scott & Dede Johnson"
><scottj@cyberlynk.com>
>Cc: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@endurance.net>
>Sent: Monday, September 18, 2000 10:30 AM
>Subject: Re: Re: hints on ponying
>
>
>> And never, ever, ever, ever, ever pony a little 12.2 hh little welshie
>with
>> your 15.2 hh TB!
>>
>>
>> In fact, avoid little Welshies altogether.
>>
>>
>> And yes, there is a story behind this, but it's a long one, and quite
>> embarrassing, so I won't go there.
>>
>>
>> Tracey
>>
>>
>>
>>
>