Stable training complete!

This week 'Ester' (the shire mare and mother of 'Zac', one of 'Mr F's stable mates) is returning from being away while 'Zac' was being weaned. 'Polly' will again be her field mate, just like it was before 'Ester' had her foal.

This means that it now was time to accustom 'Mr F' to be in a field on his own. He will have other horses in the neighbouring fields and within sight most of times unless they venture to far into their own fields. I have just couple of days to accomplish getting him used to being on his own.  This isn't much time and I am pondering how to do this best. The good thing is that the field where he is going to go is known to him, 'Mr F' was in it when he first arrived at 'Hill Farm', together with 'little Sam' back in May 2017.

I felt very much at unease with doing this to 'Mr F' but there was no other pasture mate. And if he was to go in with the girls ('Ester' and 'Polly') it would make it difficult for 'Jackie' to feed her girls as 'Mr F' would go for their food and nothing would stop him, apart from me. 

It was something that had to be done, there was no way around it. Maybe one day I can afford him a field mate.

But first there is more stable training to be done.

After the previous rather successful training session with 'Mr F' being calm inside for nearly an hour (albeit on lead rein still) it was now time to take it a step further: taking the head collar off signals to 'Mr F' that he is free to go and that I know longer am asking for his attention.

I took him for a walk first, to get some of the grass on the verges of the drive leading up to the farm. He doesn't have a lot of grass in his field and really enjoys sniffing around picking out grasses, herbs and other vegetation, something I enjoy observing and we can easily spend hours out there. 'Mr F' also seems to lap up the attention he receives from (dog) walkers. He is a noble creature and when he stands to full attention, his head towering high over mine, people do comment on how stunning he looks. While he may not understand the wording, he sure understands their admiration towards him and he is lapping it up.

Once we were back at the yard I lead him into the smallish field where he spent his first 6 weeks. It's this field where he will be staying on his own. I lead him all around it and then stopped with in the middle field. 'Mr F' was a little restless as the girls in the field next to his started galloping along the stonewall. He has  met them before when they where up in the bigger field in late summer (see 'girls girls girls'). One of the mares really fancies 'Mr F' and he is rather taken by her. He'll be quite happily ogling at her all day if she is in sight. At least something of interest in his new field.

Time to retreat to the stable. I lead him to it with great purpose. I observed that it makes a great difference in what manner I lead him. If I am idly wandering about he too will do so and if I pick up speed and am attentive, he too follows in a similar manner. Even the manner I enter the field will make an impact as they are masters of body observation. As I lead him to the stable I don't leave him time to hesitate although he does try to stop.

Both 'Rookie' and 'Zac' are already in their stables, ready for the night. I open 'Mr F's stable door, lead him straight in and close the gate behind us. Then I take off his head collar. 'Now hang on! Do you mean I have to stay in here now?' That's more or less the look I got from 'Mr F'. I didn't react and made myself busy with something at the back of his stable. At first he followed me around and wouldn't leave my side. So I sat down on a heap of straw and started drinking my cup of tea I had made earlier, avoiding any eye contact with him. The tea was still warm in the thermos flask and most welcomed by my cold fingers. 'Mr F' made a few rounds in the stable with much sniffing of everything. His old poo was still here, I left it deliberately. He stood there for a while and looked at me - I saw it from the corner of my eye - but I have by now taken out my notebook and am making notes. 'Dang, she doesn't pay attention. Oh look, that tasty thing is hanging off the wall again.' He makes his way over to the corner where all his food is while every now and then eyeing me up. I don't pay him any attention.

'Mr F' begins chewing away on his grass block, he is relaxed now. A call of nature, which i should have answered some time ago, was requiring urgent attention! I get up to leave the stable and try to do it calmly but realise that well, it's rather urgent! At seeing me leave the stable in a bit of a hurry 'Mr F' starts pacing around in his stable. 'I cannot react to this now. He's got to deal with it, I have done all I can to help him accepting the stable.'

As I walk away out of his sight I can  hear his foot steps, kind of gingerly on the mats and then more nosily and faster on the rustling straw. I do what I have to do, feeling better for it, too much tea in winter! As I return I do so sneakily, trying to avoid the rough gravel so as not to make a noise. It's quite windy so that helps to hide the sound of my steps. I stand behind the Yorkshire boarding (wooden slats with small gaps between them) where 'Mr F' cannot see me and watch him as he stands there in his stable, at high attention, looking out for my return. I wait another 5 minutes before I return back to the stable where I take up my seat again on the straw. My notebook is still there and continue writing, acting as all is normal (which it is really). 'Mr F' comes to check me out and then goes back to his food while I am making notes. Time flies and it's time for me to leave as I have an appointment in the evening.  I am tempted to leave him for the first time, seeing that he is pretty relaxed but decide to turn him out one more, on a good note.

I won't be home tonight so not in reach if something should go array. Tomorrow will be the night. I lead 'Mr F' back out into the field. It's quite a windy night but dry still. However, for the first time I notice some hesitance from 'Mr F' as we go back into the field where 'Polly' is waiting. Good, he has figured out that the stable means 'comfort' at last. Not yet 'security' but 'comfort', that's a good sign.

I do the same exercise again the following evening; leading him through his small field - he is very calm about it now. Next we go straight off to the stable. Head collar comes off. Not much of a reaction. Good! Next step: rug comes off. Still no reaction. Food is more interesting. 'Great! At last he realised that this place is secure, comfortable and interesting.'  Both 'Zac' and 'Rookie' are already in too. I leave the stable to get his feed. Before returning I spy on him again through the boarding. He is calmly eating haylage. Oh what a relief! I inform 'Jackie' that I will be leaving 'Mr F' in for the first time tonight. Could she let me know if she notices anything odd during her late evening check. 'Of course. I go and check on them twice this evening, just to make sure.' - 'Great! Thank you.'

As I leave some time later, 'Mr F' looks very smug! 'Oh yes, I like this very much. Why didn't you show me earlier?' - 'Gee thanks ... you stubborn fool!'

'A smug 'Mr F', finally accepting and enjoying his stable for the first time in over 3 weeks of working up to this moment. But it was all worth it, allowing him to settle in as calmly as possible, given the nature of his character. 

All relaxed now as though he's been using this stable for months. 

I however leave with mixed feelings because tomorrow morning he will have to go into his field on his own. Once more I concentrate on not letting emotions run my thinking. And that is what fear is, an emotion. I cannot possibly know what will happen tomorrow, so I must not think about it. There is no fear, it’s all in our head. There is danger yes, but we have done everything to eliminate any possible 'weak' points, 'Jackie' has double checked all the fencing and added some electric current to parts of the fencing, as a preventative. I still have vivid memories in my head from years back when I saw 'Mr F' charge around like mad in a field back at 'Buttercup Farm' when he was separated from 'Rose' for a short while. 'Stop thinking about the past! You don't normally hang around in the past, why now!

Focus on the moment!' In situations like this I tend to concentrate on my senses, sight, hearing, smell, touch. The ground under my feet, the cold air on my face, the sounds of the animals chewing ... and voila, all thoughts gone! I get better at being in this mode and it helps greatly freeing myself from worldly matters which in turn makes me more able to be with other life forms rather than seeing us separated. And it offers great freedom and bliss. 

The next morning I am greeted by a very content 'Mr F'. He had been a little unruly when 'Jackie' went to check up on them the previous evening but was calmly standing still when she went to do her final check of the night. 

I went to make our breakfast - I always eat with 'Mr F' in the mornings - and then prepare him for his turnout, on his own. 'Jackie' and I have the same timings which is perfect at the moment. While she is leading her youngsters out one by one I lead 'Mr F' into his field. He is calm until I take off his head collar - the sign that he is now 'free'. He begins to worry and trots and gallops around the field for a good 30 minutes, calling out. 'Jackie' watches while I deliberately walk away and start mucking out. If I stay near the field 'Mr F' will create even more to get my attention. Seeing that I wasn't interested (of course I was but he wasn't to know) and nobody else seemed to 'give a damn' (also just show) he eventually settled down and began eating grass like he's been on his own all his life. I was totally taken aback. How simple was this? I think the fact that he spent his night on his own without 'Polly' and the fact that he now had a field that hadn't been grazed on for a little while made him somewhat forget about 'Polly'. She in the meantime had been moved to another field away from all and 'Ester' was to arrive sometime during the morning.

I spent a good hour sorting out his stable for the night before I had to depart for work at 7:45am. There would be people around the yard throughout the day and I had left notes with my phone number, asking people to ring me should there be any problem and that they shouldn't worry about him neighing a lot.

It was a busy day and I concentrated on what I was doing, in as much as I concentrated on the sensation, on the action. This would stop me from accumulating silly thoughts about 'Mr F' trying to jump out of his field or such like.

Upon my return at about 3pm I found a quite calm 'Mr F' in his field. He knows my car so by the time I got to him he was waiting at the gate. I was very proud of him and how he coped, considering his character. Luckily it was warm, 10 degrees, so I had left him out without his rug. One thing less to cause injury should he panic. I could see in his eyes that he was unsettled about things, but he held it together remarkably well. We spend some time wandering along the drive to have some grass. Meanwhile 'Jackie was bringing in her youngsters. 'Mr F' has not yet been in the stable all on his own, this is something I work on once he truly trusts his stable to be comfortable, security and even fun.

As we withdrew to 'Mr F's stable he had his feed and I sat down with my flask of tea and notebook (the paper version). After he had his food he took up position near me at the back of the stable and fell into a snooze. 'Mr F' was exhausted! He coped with all the new things in his life as good as he could, but it was tiring, clearly. 

And as if the weather had been holding back on our behalf all these weeks before, it now suddenly has gone very cold and rainy at night, with strong winds. The first truly wintry nights. I cannot repeat often enough how relieved I am that 'Mr F' spends his night indoors now. I can go home knowing that he isn't having to stand in some field in the wet and icy conditions. Instead he is sheltered, dry and safe. All the boys pretty much immediately fall into a snooze when they come in, especially 'Rookie' who usually lies down flat out within 30 minutes of coming back in. The two youngsters do play and chase each other most of the day. I spend almost an hour sitting in the stable, enjoying the sound of the rain drops hitting the roof while the wind breaks on the gaps in the boarding. I could happily fall asleep in here, so peaceful.

The stable for the horses (once they get accustomed to it) is clearly a safe zone, allowing them to let their guard down. No predators to watch out for and dry and soft ground to lie on with lots of food and water.

I prepare 'Mr F' for the night, this time he gets his 'pyjamas'. He isn't clipped but the stable, although mostly wind protected and dry, is still outdoors and not heated. I want to keep his joints warm.

On his third evening of being in the stable ‘Mr F’ behaves like he's been in this stable all his life and as though there never had been any troubles with getting used to it. By now I have swapped the hay net with a small bulk bag. I prefer him to have his head in a down position, like grazing, when he eats. And having the haylage in the bag allows him to rummage around picking what he likes without having to pull it all out spreading it across the stable floor.

In the early morning

'Hello! Have you made breakfast yet?' 

A week goes by, with 'Mr F' being very content in his stable. All boys are turned out and brought in at the same time. If the youngsters aren't in I take 'Mr F' for a walk, I do that most days anyway. I changed my work around a little so that I can finish at 3pm the latest, starting at 8am. ‘Mr F’ has accepted all the new arrangements very well and I am rather relieved.

A relaxed 'Mr F', finally accepting his stable as safe and even entertaining place.