White Mud

Oh
My
Word!!!

I just checked the weather online. We're actually colder here than in Burns!

This afternoon City Boy came inside and gave me a crazed look, saying, "I'm not moving to Burns, this is too cold! Are you still wanting to live there after suffering through this???"

I couldn't help it. I had to answer like I always do, "But it's a dry suffering!"

In truth, I see this as a foot of white mud. Oh, sure, it's pretty to look at, and as Darling pointed out, the landing is much softer when you've got a bit of cushion. But when the temps begin to rise? What then? It melts back into a muddy mess...

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Steve Holt! is coming along, although he has a couple of hang ups. First, he's not wanting his face touched. Not since Sunny have I had a horse who's so protective, but eventually Sunny got over her fear, and Steve Holt! will, too. His second issue is having something approach him from the side, such as his blanket or the rope in my hand. It truly is a self preservation reflex, the strongest I've come across yet. But despite his desire to protect himself, he's a very outgoing young horse.

Yesterday I grabbed a handful of streamers made from surveyor's tape and tied them to the end of my lunge whip and proceeded to harass him. Yeah...harass. That's how he viewed it. We lunged in the round pen and I just kept reaching out and letting those streamers fall across his face until he conceded. It wasn't the same with my hand, though...he still fought that, but eventually I was able to get my fingers rubbing and working along the sides of his muzzle and even into the edge of his lips.

Today we repeated the head lessons, plus stepped it up a notch with setting things upon his back. First it was the felt saddle pad, then the little old saddle. He pins his ears and arches his neck, but does not attempt to kick, bite or lash out. If I let him walk in circles, he doesn't react at all (except the walking part), but it's time for him to relax and learn to stand.