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admin · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:02 pm Post subject: Project Garnlas

HISTORY - This mare came into the Herefordshire sanctuary in late October 2006, she had a few days at EMW Wales, where she went to straight from auction.
She arrived in poor condition, unhandled and double ear tagged ( pieces clipped from her ears to 'mark' her as owned by...)
She had clearly only just had a foal taken from her and she was in a state of grief.
We did try to source her baby in the auction but in the melee of that sale we were sadly unable to succeed.
For 3 to 4 long months the little mare was shut down emotionally, taking care of herself but not responsive to any form of approach at all. She would spend many hours facing away from not only people but from the old horse Tanna who we placed her with.
Tanna was chosen as he is kind and gentle and very 'safe' as the mare, even at 22 years, was in foal again.
Through the Spring of 2006 we watched her begin to come out of herself more and more, interacting with old Tanna, but still pure feral and not allowing any human within 6 feet or so of her personal space.
She was however by this time eating simple fibre from a bucket so were able to get vits and minerals and a wormer through her.
On July 28th 2006 at long last her foal, a tri-colour filly, was born early morning and outside, naturally and with no problems.
The mare now stepped up her protective and evasive behaviour, not unexpected and as nature intends for the survival of the next generation. For around 10 days we were only allowed to get a half field away from the foal and mare before she would move them on away from us.
Tanna was also kept away.
Gradually though Garnlas began to respond again to the bucket, she had already learned that what it contained was good, and the foal was naturally curious, spenting more time with Tanna and the human company than with her mother. Garnlas watched from the sidelines cautiously.
where we are now
The foal is now easy to handle but the mare is still very wary.
Our main problem was the ability to contain her to work on a one to one basis. Our old round pen was in the adjoining paddock but the logisitics of moving the old mare and her foal into there were immense and not foolproof with such a feral pony. it was also not an ideal paddock for these particular ponies.
The Easter gales did us a favour in some ways as they destroyed half the old round pen, twisting and gnarling the panels.
After an appeal - and the kind loan of immediate funds - we were able to purchase a Positive Horsemanship round pen , it was delivered two weeks ago and we took the opportunity to have it built in Garnlas, Luya and Tanna's meadow.
Garnlas has come on very quickly since that day.
We now work the little mare twice daily after she has had her feed in the pen.
The necessity to crack on with handling is paramount as the winter has not provided conditions suitable for her hooves to snap off and shortened as they have done before...we urgently need to be able to handle this old girl to make her comfortable.
As an interim measure we have laid a deep pea gravel and slate 'bed' around the water trough in the hope that it will help her self rasp and create ideal conditions for the hooves to split and crack...meanwhile..

This thread will be added to as we have more to report and pics to add. So I'll start from today given we have been gradually over 14 days working towards where we are now.

SATURDAY 26TH APRIL 2008
As usual this morning Garnlas and Luya had their buckets each with handful each of fibre and pink powder. Following me into the round pen is easy now, in fact Luya is getting a bit too cheeky, turning her b*m towards me and apt to bunny hop offering a double barrel!! naughty filly soon gets told off for that!
Garnlas is vocal, lovely 'nickering' soft and pleased sounding as she trots along side me but still that 3 to 4 foot gap..
Once she and the filly have eaten and spent a few minutes just being together gently we ask the filly to leave, she is compliant and Garnlas has learned that there is nothing to fear from this. Sam worked with the filly while I stayed in the round pen with Garnlas.
I start using positive body language to ask her to move around me, steady work, energy up, energy down, just carrying a soft short rope, stops and starts...she doesn't mind me stretching with arms up and arms out now, she does lots of licking and chewing when I make low energy non focus posture away from her.
I've been doning plenty of 'oval' work with her. Moving to her shoulder, eyes cast down and body soft and fluid. I pause along side her flank, make a mark on the ground with my boot, then move on... she is puzzled by this strange human... sniffs the mark...but she doesn't want to trust me yet... we do more of the same.
The next stage, and the one we are at now, is the hardest, introducing a long pole, padded and safe, but remote from me, the human, in her midst.
I'd like to get her to allow touch from the pole, it's such an alien thing for her to accept, all she'll have known is pain and fear... probably including use of sticks.
So,we did a few minutes using the pole but keeping the work soft and low energy. I left the pole on the ground for her to sniff but she said " no thanks" but that's okay...
We finished on a positive note with me mimicking her movements step for step to the exit from the round pen.
I stand in the gate way, to one side, when we're through.
To go out she must come past me.
It's taking her less and less time to do this each day but as yet she won't go on by without a little 'push' from higher energy from me.
Poor old girl, so little confidence.There is still much work needs doing to get that trust in place yet...

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amyflo · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 639 Location: Tenbury Wells

What a fantastic start Elaine,with Garnlas. The foal is so lovley, I wanted to put her in my car when I came last Monday. Garnlas was certainly more confident around us when I was in her field. A marked improvement, even if only a small step. Excellant news.
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Sam W · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 460 Location: UK

Both Mum and foal are so adorable.
I am so pleased to hear things are progressing with Garnlas. Confidence is so easy to loose but so hard to build back up. She is in the best place in the world with people who understand her and I am sure she will keep progressing, even if it is slowly, progress is progress :mrgreen:
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admin · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:08 pm Post subject:

MONDAY APRIL 28th
We are working every day, twice a day. Just 10 minutes at each end of the day. She's doing plenty of licking of chewing. I pushed her a bit harder last night (Sunday) asking her to move away from me and changes of direction, stops and low energy stuff.
She's watching me more now, turning her head towards me when I drop energy and face away from her.
She won't cross the boot mark on the ground.
She doens't like the long stick. I thought about it and brought in the little muck picking rake we use instead. She knows that tool, it smells of her and of the foal and of Tanna. I used it to reach towards her but it's still a 'stick' in whatever form it takes then when I laid it on the ground and walked away she immediately went and sniffed it. :D
We finished the session this morning with her coming past me while I stood to one side of the open gate way, this time it wasn't quite such a tearing rush...we didn't work tonight, it was thundering and lightening..enough going on I thought.
_________________
EQUINE MARKET WATCH Sanctuaries UK
"We will NOT look away"
registered charity 1114700

One day we will know how hard you tried to teach us...

MJ · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 268 Location: Derbyshire

awww, she's gorgeous and I still can't believe such a little mare had such a large baby too, especially given her state when she came to you, she looks beautiful, how transformed she is, am sure her confidence with humans will come in time, wasn't one called, err Bloddwyn was she called? the same, I remember EQR jokes of drinking human blood and eating flesh.... :mrgreen:

admin · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject:

You're right MJ. WE had a fiesty little grey section A mare Blodwyn, sadly shew as PTSsleep back in late Winter at just 8 years old, she had recurrent bouts of severe laminitis and despite everything and being under supervision of the laminitis clinic and Dr Robert Eustace we still lost her in her devastated loan home. The loan home did everything right and nothing wrong..it was very sad indeed :'(
_________________
EQUINE MARKET WATCH Sanctuaries UK
"We will NOT look away"
registered charity 1114700

One day we will know how hard you tried to teach us...

admin · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:22 pm Post subject:

WEDNESDAY APRIL 30TH
This morning we did a little bit of nothing really. Just some gentle moving around and working just inside the mare's comfort zone. There was a lot going on with the farm drive being resurfaced and strangers about.
This afternoon Mel and Sarah (foot trimmers) came and did some handling work with Garnlas and with the filly. Mel has a real gift. I watched as Mel moved with Garnlas asking nothing and respecting what the mare felt comfortable with. I learned an awful lot in a short time.
I'd not seen the 'grooming of the space bubble' around a horse before but can see the logic of this. It's a technique I'll try too. Mel used the mimic of grazing that I used with Abbey a few years back when she first came in very wild and very frightened too. She also used the step for step movements, minicking the mares paces, stopping when she stops. No pressure just release.
We can go forward from this but it's really good to see someone else working with this mare and probably good for the mare too.
Sarah has started Luya on the road to foot trimming, just gentle handling and picking out but steps forward.
_________________
EQUINE MARKET WATCH Sanctuaries UK
"We will NOT look away"
registered charity 1114700

One day we will know how hard you tried to teach us...

Sam W · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 460 Location: UK

Mel and Sarah are great aren't they - I have them now to do both Kiwi and Dylan and they are so professional yet really relaxed and such a nice aura with them which the horses really pick up on.
Glad to hear both mum and foal are progressing
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~My heart~My soul~My life~

admin · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 3:24 pm Post subject:

SUNDAY 4TH MAY
thunder/lightening/the finishing of the new drive, it's alld elayed much in teh way of changes with the old girl. I've moved a few things around, added a few ground poles around the ring, just for variety really.
WE are still doing the stroke the bubble thing but she's letting me in closer now. I ddi some 'grazing' alongside her. She is very much more relaxed, willing to eat in my near presence.
Call me weird if you like ( you wouldn't be the first!) but I've also started thinking in pictures- picturing her turning towards me, picturing her taking a step forwards with her off side foot, picturing her stopping and looking at me - you know what...the picturing soon turns into those actions. try it. Keep you focus soft and relaxed and just bring the picture of your horse maybe taking a step back or a step forward or turning towards you. choose a time that's easy without big energy distractiosn though, got to be fair about it.
We'll keep working on this with Garnlas. Luya is picking up all 4 feet and will allow a rope around her neck now, next step a light silversand halter...
other stuff
Mel and Sarah - Yep, Sam, they are brilliant. Mel suggested upping Willow's metabolic rate by introducing seaweed, he's been on it for a few days now and boy he's changed, nowhere near as sluggish as he was.
_________________
EQUINE MARKET WATCH Sanctuaries UK
"We will NOT look away"
registered charity 1114700

One day we will know how hard you tried to teach us...

Jill · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 161

Ooh, the seaweed thing is interesting, I'll try and keep that in mind.
NAF have a new product for losing weight, increases the metabolism and laminitis support too, wonder if that contains seaweed...........................