Pony Baloney Improves

How about we talk about Pony Baloney today since it has been awhile.

Pony has been improving I have had Pony on UlcerAide for about 8 weeks. His nervousness/tense muscles has improved. He doesn't seem to stand in the corner looking sad as much as he used to. I'm think I am going to add something called Total Equine which my trainer uses and which has all the minerals and such in it.

When I went to get the horses two days ago, I caught Tanka first and had trouble keeping Pony away. Pony came in for the nip at Tanka's legs while I was trying to get the halter tied and I decided to get the bag on a whip out. Pony decided to go to the far corner of the pen and stay there.

Tanka was pretty sure he didn't like the bag on a whip but no freaking out by Tanka. I used the bag to run off Pony while holding Tanka's lead rope. I carried the bag on a whip with me after walked Tanka out of the big pen. I put the bag on my off side in front of us and Tanka followed it. I call that improvement.

Pony was and is quite easy to catch. He will walk up to you to be caught and he puts on his halter willingly. He isn't truly a bad horse in that he doesn't rear, he doesn't really bite but I do watch him for that tendency, he doesn't kick.

The trainer and I were sitting out on a bench near the pony pen. We were talking about Pony Baloney's progress. She mentioned that Pony could not go to someone else because I have the ability to observe and work with Pony that other people would not.

I know, I feel the same way. I can't rehome Pony because another home really wouldn't try to understand Pony. He might end up being smacked because they think Pony is being bad when Pony definitely has something going on. And Pony would fall apart if people started smacking him. That would be the end of any progress Pony could make.

Pony is a conundrum. He is bold with the dogs, new objects and is willing to come up to the fence to see people. He picks up his feet for us. He knows how to yield his hind and his fore. He knows how to back and step up. Yet, he has big issues with being tied, being closed into his stall, being touched.

Pony seems to like Hubby. Hubby got home and came out back to find us sitting near the ponies. Hubby haltered Pony and then was scratching and rubbing Pony. Hubby seemed to have found Pony's good spots. Pony actually looked relaxed. Amazing! Pony's upper lip started relaxing and wiggling loosely. I don't know if I ever thought I would see Pony enjoying himself while being touched!

So, while my experiment with giving Pony magnesium [or whatever is helping him in the calcium/magnesium/Vitamin B/probiotics combo that is UlcerAide] hasn't literally been a miracle cure, it does seem to have helped considerably. It does take time for nerve tissue to heal so I am hoping that over time Pony will continue to progress.

I'm going to try the TotalEquine feed recommended by the trainer. It has all the vitamins and minerals in it. I am also looking into the selenium situation in our area. I thought we were in a high selenium area but the trainer says no...low selenium around here.

It is nice to feel like Pony is making progress instead of going backwards. I feel like maybe I can start working with Pony again with some hope of CJ's methods of small steps moving him forwards with his issues.