Yesterday morning I found Pokey the ram in the trailer (his favorite place of late) and Sandy standing half in and half out wondering where breakfast was to be served. I tossed hay into all the barn mangers in hopes of distracting Pokey while I loaded Sandy. No such luck. The minute he heard Sandy's hooves step back up he came baaaing around the corner of the barn and jumped in. Breakfast must taste better served in a trailer is all I can guess. Since I was the only one out there and I didn't want to unload Sandy and start over, I just left Pokey in the trailer as we headed south. I'm guessing by the end of the day he was sorry he'd come along as he spent the next ten hours hanging out alone while Sandy went to his new stall.
Sandy adjusted pretty well to his new surroundings. Early in the day Curt had some folks come to take reining cow horse lessons, so he was running the bull. Sandy's stall faces the arena and he was just a bit concerned about all the noise and commotion he could see. Lots of snorting. But a bit later he followed me out to the round pen without too much trouble. We made a second trip out later in the day as well. Both trips were pretty uneventful. He walked through some puddles that didn't make him happy. I thought perhaps he'd try to nibble on the green grass a bit, but he didn't.
Inside the round pen I worked on his pivots; he's crossing those front legs nicely now and picking up speed in his turn. I stood with my hands on his neck and back as though I were going to mount him and bounced up and down. He sidestepped away a bit, but it wasn't bad. I tried working him...I mean, really working him...in a circle, snapping the lunge whip behind him, but he's a lazy bloke. He really didn't care to work. Forward motion is his hang up and that's going to be what gets us into trouble. Today the goal will be to get this boy moving. That...and to take pictures.
Sandy adjusted pretty well to his new surroundings. Early in the day Curt had some folks come to take reining cow horse lessons, so he was running the bull. Sandy's stall faces the arena and he was just a bit concerned about all the noise and commotion he could see. Lots of snorting. But a bit later he followed me out to the round pen without too much trouble. We made a second trip out later in the day as well. Both trips were pretty uneventful. He walked through some puddles that didn't make him happy. I thought perhaps he'd try to nibble on the green grass a bit, but he didn't.
Inside the round pen I worked on his pivots; he's crossing those front legs nicely now and picking up speed in his turn. I stood with my hands on his neck and back as though I were going to mount him and bounced up and down. He sidestepped away a bit, but it wasn't bad. I tried working him...I mean, really working him...in a circle, snapping the lunge whip behind him, but he's a lazy bloke. He really didn't care to work. Forward motion is his hang up and that's going to be what gets us into trouble. Today the goal will be to get this boy moving. That...and to take pictures.
3 comments:
I'm gonna let the "no pictures" thing go just this once since you've been so very, very good in the past and I assume you'll be great in the future. I'm such a good person.
I bet it'll only take Sandy another day or so to realize he's got a front row stall on all sorts of fun action and really start enjoying the noise.
Cool, sounds like he's adjusting to his new digs anyway!
Sounds like Sandy's settled in just fine. That not moving thing can be a problem. I can remember John Lyons saying once you can't teach a horse that won't move. I don't know that I understood it until I had one that wouldn't, now I'm a believer. Good luck getting Sandy to move when you want him to.
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