Monday 31 December 2012

Hungarian Circus Pony Spirit: break-dancing Buckaroo


Spirit and Blacky have had a good few weeks, especially without the dreaded flies as the weather has cooled considerably now. Spirit has been racing up the field flipping his back legs above his back buckaroo style with Blacky in hot pursuit enjoying the new game as Jessica watches on in shock, delight and trepidation of how he will feel in the evening! Only once did he come home stiff on his legs but he was fine by morning. The little ginger monster has definitely found a new zest for life. One morning he led Jessica into the field where he used to be lead around with a bridle on; perhaps he was asking to be worked again.


Though the two boys seem to be in good form, sadly Jessica has damaged her arm and is unable to ride Blacky, two weeks of no riding upset both Jessica and Blacky; he was bored, she needed something to occupy his mind so an assault course was set up on the yard and Jessica weaved Blacky back and forth giving instruction to stand and walk through different points. This seemed to do the trick and Blacky was as proud as punch to be so clever.


When Spirit first arrived at the yard all those years ago he had some horrid habits including bucking, kicking biting bolting and what we like to call protesting: His protest came in the form of a ‘sit in’ or in his case ‘a lie in’. There were several occasions when the farm hand would come knocking at Jessica’s door to sheepishly ask if she could remove Spirit from blocking his tractor! He had escaped from his confines to lie in front of the tractor refusing to move. It took all of Jessica’s energy to persuade him to his feet and out of the way. Not content with the tractor one day there was a commotion going on in the yard with hooting and revving from a huge lorry trying to deliver materials for a build going on, on investigation it was Spirit standing face to face with the lorry, absolutely refusing to budge. The driver was furious, shouting and threatening to edge forward but Spirit did not move an inch. Jessica, apologising profusely had to run for his head collar to drag him away. Some how we feel this protest act must have been in his circus routine.


Another ghastly trick he used to do has recently reared its head…and legs!  It seems the better Spirit feels the more he reverts to his horrid old tricks; If Spirit has been in for a day or so due to the weather on his release he can play up terribly. He walks nicely with Jessica to the start of his field then stops dead at the biggest mud bath he can find, ropes, treats, muscle, polo mints…nothing  will move him until he has been let lose to do his thing. Jessica will finally give in to his demands and with the click of his lead rope removed she swiftly retreats to a safe distance as he throws himself to the floor rolling around in the mud bath, rug and all. On his side he will break-dance in circles pulling himself around with his neck until every inch of his body and rug are covered in the mud… not content with that he will jump to his feet and with his head between his knees he flies backwards towards Jessica bucking as he goes forcing Jessica to climb the fence to safety. Only then will he calm down enough for Jessica to approach him with the lead rope in order to continue to his field.

I asked Jessica if she really wants Spirit to recover any more as his naughty ways return, ‘Yes’, she said ‘It’s lovely to see him fit again but you do have to be on your toes all the time, I’m sure he is wired up wrong!’



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