Few pics of Alfie from April 2010

Last winter Alfie resided a few months at Sandlin Performance Horses whilst I worked to pay his livery. This was a great opportunity to use the facilities there and escape from the mud for a while and also to have some lessons and learn some more with Bruce.

Here he is with the dreaded hose! He tolerates it but it isn't his friend

Alfie says: "Does my head look big in this?"

And here he is hobnobbing with the Big Friends. Peri and Alistair - Bruce and Andria's eventers. He was originally in the field next to them, but decided it would be much more fun to graze with them and climbed through the water trough on numerous occasions to get with them. In the end, we gave up and left him there. He was very honoured as normally Alistair won't let anyone else near Peri but Alfie, being almost short enough to go under his legs and pretty enough to be a girl, obviously wasn't much of a threat!

To treat or not to treat?

Today I did just 10 minutes of groundwork with Alfie which he seemed to enjoy, despite the cold wind and the other two horses following us around the field!
I have never used treats before with Alfie as he has a tendency to climb into your space big time if he thinks you have food so usually hand-feeding is banned. However, after reading and watching a bit about clicker training on You Tube, I wondered how he would respond with food, so with some trepidation I filled my pocked with pony nuts.
Admittedly I didn't take the clicker with me this time as I didn't want a big session with him (field too muddy to inspire either of us at the moment), but he was definitely more motivated once he knew he would get a treat. In fact he was almost dancing with me - moving out of my space immediately I asked for eg back-up, side pass, turn on the haunches. Really following my every move. This was great. He is usually pretty good at groundwork because I did a lot before he was backed and then this has continued with his western training, but with the added incentive of food, he was sharper and more focussed.
Having said that, I then felt he was responding to me purely because of food and I don't like that. Would it lead to him being grumpy if I then asked him at another training session and didn't have food? He wasn't all over me like I wondered if he might be and I only treated him when he had back away from me a bit, but I am not sure I want to encourage the 'cupboard love' element. Hmmm. Dilemma. Would be interested to investigate this further, maybe with someone who does clicker training. Hoping to do this sometime soon.

Alfie's new saddle

This is Alfie's beautiful new saddle. It has been custom made for me by Northwest Saddlery in the USA and is a Flex core saddle with no wooden tree. I have tried on more than 20 saddles and never managed to find one that doesn't dig in poor Alfie's shoulders. He has very little wither and is quite wide so is hard to fit. Hopefully this will do the job. It is my forever saddle and cost a squillion pounds! It is also a bit of a psychological boost for when I can ride him again. A new saddle for a new start - can't wait to sit on it!!! Currently looking at it in the bedroom!

Alfie

Alfie is my 5 (almost 6) yr old haflinger gelding by Oxnead Anthem, out of Bekon Giselle. He was bred in Cheshire. Here he is when he was just born. How cute!!!!
I bought him as a 2 yr old after Eirlys discovered him on the pages of Horsemart. I didn't want a youngster and I wasn't ready to buy one at that point - but he had something and so he came to live with us in October 2007.
I did lots of groundwork with him then he was started by Bruce Lawrence at http://www.sandlinperformancehorses.co.uk/ - and I got well and truly hooked on western riding!

The Start

I have been tempted into the world of blogging by my lovely friend Eirlys who has inspired me with her fantastic tales of New Zealand and Navvy.
I think it will be fun to keep a record of my own exploits with my cute and cheeky haflinger Alfie (Azaria) and might even be helpful as he and I start to rebuild our relationship after an accident last year.
So, this is my first post, on my first blog and more will follow!