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Apr. 14th, 2013 04:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickTook the ungratefuls for spins yesterday, practiced (both) walking through the creek, a huge snoozefest. Te got "Going New Places Sensibly" but when I got Peake out, Lynn was attacking trees with the bobcat so we didn't have a lot of patience for Going New Places (because the bobcat was there) and instead we did Hops Over 9" Crossrail At A Slow Trot and also Meeting A Blue-Haired Person In The Buckwheat Field. (That latter activity was not actually planned but sometimes activities just happen whether or not you plan them.) There was a lot of circling on Saturday for Peake due to bobcats and blue-haired persons. Ah, well.
I live in my own little world, as we are all aware, and I think that in my own little world a journal of the horse's experiences and skills and outings with me would be helpful information to the owner-to-be. (Nobody else will think this. Nobody else will find it helpful or informative or useful or an aid to selecting the right horse. The horse people will not want buyers to know my honest evaluations of the critters and the buyers only give a shit that it's a pretty color or 'seems gentle' or whatever.) I'm thinking that if nothing else, it will give me satisfaction and let me keep track of how the various and sundry critters are doing.
After talking with Laur, the two 'new' ungratefuls are Punch (Olivia's alleged project horse that she hasn't touched in six months or so and has largely lost interest in) and Fiddler (four year old arabian gelding, full brother to Brigadoon whom I think is a cutie). They're riding size, for sale, and have no interested person to work with them. So, I'm the interested person. Yay.
Punch has had some work and has worn a saddle and gone for walks. Because I am somewhat more consistent than Olivia, I am reviewing that work to make sure it is solid before moving forward. Today I caught Punch, groomed her, picked up (and cleaned out) all four feet, untwistied her mane, saddled her, and went for a walk to the covered bridge, emphasis on STAY WITH ME and DO NOT WALK ON ME and SELF-RATE AT MY SPEED. The first half of the walk was kind of rough, but then she caught on to the drill and was fine. She *can* do ground manners, just Olivia never enforced them. Punch will be doing this crap at least another week (five or six days) of walks to make sure she's on the same page as me, which is to say my page.
Fiddler is under the impression that he does not catch (he does) and that he cannot be touched all over his body (wrong again) and that he's never been groomed (so full of shit), cannot pick up his feet (totally mistaken) and that he is not even clear on the basics of being tied without laying back on the rope (I think he's got that one straightened RIGHT the hell out today). So, I've got some work ahead of me, with Fiddler. Today's work was "let me catch you" and "here, eat grain while I groom you and play with your body" and "once grain is gone, you can stand tied while I continue to groom you and if you lay back on the rope, I will move to the side until you're done thrashing about" and "yes, you DO pick up your feet" and then finally "you may eat the green grass in the yard provided you can do it quietly at the end of a lead rope". Plus also wormer and mane detangling. It's a start.
I figure these are the Tues/Thurs/Saturday horses and Peake and Te can be the Mon/Wed/Fri horses. The only problem here is that I don't know where Nick fits into the program. *sigh*
I live in my own little world, as we are all aware, and I think that in my own little world a journal of the horse's experiences and skills and outings with me would be helpful information to the owner-to-be. (Nobody else will think this. Nobody else will find it helpful or informative or useful or an aid to selecting the right horse. The horse people will not want buyers to know my honest evaluations of the critters and the buyers only give a shit that it's a pretty color or 'seems gentle' or whatever.) I'm thinking that if nothing else, it will give me satisfaction and let me keep track of how the various and sundry critters are doing.
After talking with Laur, the two 'new' ungratefuls are Punch (Olivia's alleged project horse that she hasn't touched in six months or so and has largely lost interest in) and Fiddler (four year old arabian gelding, full brother to Brigadoon whom I think is a cutie). They're riding size, for sale, and have no interested person to work with them. So, I'm the interested person. Yay.
Punch has had some work and has worn a saddle and gone for walks. Because I am somewhat more consistent than Olivia, I am reviewing that work to make sure it is solid before moving forward. Today I caught Punch, groomed her, picked up (and cleaned out) all four feet, untwistied her mane, saddled her, and went for a walk to the covered bridge, emphasis on STAY WITH ME and DO NOT WALK ON ME and SELF-RATE AT MY SPEED. The first half of the walk was kind of rough, but then she caught on to the drill and was fine. She *can* do ground manners, just Olivia never enforced them. Punch will be doing this crap at least another week (five or six days) of walks to make sure she's on the same page as me, which is to say my page.
Fiddler is under the impression that he does not catch (he does) and that he cannot be touched all over his body (wrong again) and that he's never been groomed (so full of shit), cannot pick up his feet (totally mistaken) and that he is not even clear on the basics of being tied without laying back on the rope (I think he's got that one straightened RIGHT the hell out today). So, I've got some work ahead of me, with Fiddler. Today's work was "let me catch you" and "here, eat grain while I groom you and play with your body" and "once grain is gone, you can stand tied while I continue to groom you and if you lay back on the rope, I will move to the side until you're done thrashing about" and "yes, you DO pick up your feet" and then finally "you may eat the green grass in the yard provided you can do it quietly at the end of a lead rope". Plus also wormer and mane detangling. It's a start.
I figure these are the Tues/Thurs/Saturday horses and Peake and Te can be the Mon/Wed/Fri horses. The only problem here is that I don't know where Nick fits into the program. *sigh*
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no subject
Date: 2013-04-14 09:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-14 10:46 pm (UTC)On the plus side, I am getting better at it with ongoing practice. Peake and Te are horses 4 and 5. (Nick, Callie, and Whims were 1, 2, and 3 in the nobody else ever been on 'em project horse category.) Punch and Fiddler will make 6 and 7. How many do I have to do before I get the toaster oven? (I kid, I kid.)
Just... when I spend my available horse time messing with young stock, then horse time seems a lot like work. It's supposed to be fun for me.
I'mma have to schedule time with my good horse for me to enjoy, even if all we do is play horse Barbie.