Talk about frightful weather! The temps have been in the low to mid 40s here, plus raining non stop. This isn't anything out of the norm, but since there's been so much snow, and with the ground is still frozen, there's no place for all the water to go.
I got a call today from the folks who adopted Dun Dee, formerly Duns N Roses, saying they were flooding and needed to get him out of there. I was on the road when I got the call but managed to put in a couple of calls to friends to see if they had a dry place. Cheryle called back shortly after I returned home from my errands to say she'd take him for a few days. Just in the nick of time, too, as you can see from the video.
With all the rain and flooded roads, working Steve Holt! wasn't happening. I'd hoped to get in at least a little arena time, but it wasn't meant to be. Yesterday after his daring escape, I loaded him into the trailer and we spent a couple of hours in the arena going over a lot of things we've already done. I got to thinking that perhaps being the big, sensitive guy he is, that he just needed some time to go back over a few things in a quiet, laid back manner.
We spent time backing up between poles and cones, making sure that we only took two or three steps and then stopping for a lot of loving and relaxing. Steve Holt! got to the point where I could throw the lead over his neck and he would follow my body language as he backed up and even turned the dog leg, barely grazing the pole with his hind feet.
Because of his head issue yesterday, I made sure I spent a great deal of time just rubbing his cheeks, muzzle, and even his forehead and poll when he began to relax. After a bit of time doing in hand work, I led him to the round pen, sent him in a few circles with the goal of staying quiet in between transitions. A lot of whoa, stop, relax, petting, and then sending off again. Eventually, when he stopped trotting out and only wanted to walk, I climbed on. His halter was on beneath his bridle, the lead wrapped around my horn. When I asked for the whoa and didn't get it with the voice, seat and hands, I then asked with the lead rope. Instant success! And then he began to put two and two together. After a few fairly decent whoa's and a couple of relaxing stops, we called it good and came home.
Hopefully tomorrow will be less eventful than the past two days and Steve Holt! and I can have a nice, relaxing workout without any interruptions such as escapes or flooding.
I got a call today from the folks who adopted Dun Dee, formerly Duns N Roses, saying they were flooding and needed to get him out of there. I was on the road when I got the call but managed to put in a couple of calls to friends to see if they had a dry place. Cheryle called back shortly after I returned home from my errands to say she'd take him for a few days. Just in the nick of time, too, as you can see from the video.
With all the rain and flooded roads, working Steve Holt! wasn't happening. I'd hoped to get in at least a little arena time, but it wasn't meant to be. Yesterday after his daring escape, I loaded him into the trailer and we spent a couple of hours in the arena going over a lot of things we've already done. I got to thinking that perhaps being the big, sensitive guy he is, that he just needed some time to go back over a few things in a quiet, laid back manner.
We spent time backing up between poles and cones, making sure that we only took two or three steps and then stopping for a lot of loving and relaxing. Steve Holt! got to the point where I could throw the lead over his neck and he would follow my body language as he backed up and even turned the dog leg, barely grazing the pole with his hind feet.
Because of his head issue yesterday, I made sure I spent a great deal of time just rubbing his cheeks, muzzle, and even his forehead and poll when he began to relax. After a bit of time doing in hand work, I led him to the round pen, sent him in a few circles with the goal of staying quiet in between transitions. A lot of whoa, stop, relax, petting, and then sending off again. Eventually, when he stopped trotting out and only wanted to walk, I climbed on. His halter was on beneath his bridle, the lead wrapped around my horn. When I asked for the whoa and didn't get it with the voice, seat and hands, I then asked with the lead rope. Instant success! And then he began to put two and two together. After a few fairly decent whoa's and a couple of relaxing stops, we called it good and came home.
Hopefully tomorrow will be less eventful than the past two days and Steve Holt! and I can have a nice, relaxing workout without any interruptions such as escapes or flooding.
10 comments:
Wow! I thought we had it bad--but guess not. Sheesh. Love the video though.
I hope this weather pattern up there is about over. Enough is enough.
I love all of your training thoughts. It helps my thinking.
Keeping you in our prayers Tracey, that you all dont wash away out there!! We'd miss you guys too much if you did ;)
It's a mess here too Tracey. I Hope it lets up soon. Your video just made my legs ache with cold. I'm glad he's got a dry place to go.
OMG, that flooding is CRAZY! Thank gawd for folks like you and Cheryle who can step in and lend a helping hand.
Thanks for stopping by for a visit at my place and for leaving such a lovely note. I'm actually more north than you are. I'm up here in Canada. We're getting lots of rain and there has been talk of flooding, although I haven't seen anything yet. Fingers & toes crossed.
Glad y'all can sit back in the dryness of your homes and enjoy the video from there. That water was cold! And my feet kept getting stuck in the mud. Wendy had to pull me out a couple of times, lol!
But this, too, shall pass. The wind is blowing a bit and things are looking drier already.
Carolyn, I thought maybe you were in Seattle with the Northwest comment...but there's an even larger Asian influence up there in Vancouver!
I'm glad you were able to get poor Dun Dee out of there. Doesn't look like much fun but you do what you gotta do, right? Did he load up okay?
I can't believe the flooding, it's insane. They called school here because of flooding, and ours isn't anywhere near what you guys have over there.
I saw the writing on the wall for the flooding...what a shame. I'm sure people as well as animals are being flooded out...glad this rescue was successful...hope everyone else is ok too.
Good work with SH!
Andrea, Duns was the horse that jumped right into the trailer when I had it backed up to the paddock this summer :) He's not bothered at all by small spaces or climbing into boxes as long as there's food involved. He hesitated as he was just a bit shaken, but it only took a moment for him to regroup and climb in. He's a good boy!
As for your schools closing...better safe than sorry, eh? We kept Darling home one day before Christmas break and were glad we had as one of the buses slid off the road.
Karen, do you flood like this down home?
Wow Tracy I finally found you sence you found me and you really got the water bad! We got hit her in Ellensburg in the whole Kittitas Valley bad. The River is about to go over the banks tonight. My brother in law had water up to his waist in his yard. I have much water but only in my irrigation ditches. Unfortunatly I am unable to help you because so many roads and bridges are washed out! gone! My road is gone but there is another road that I can get into town on by ziging and zagging closed roads. I got an email from Angie saying she sent you my email so I will be waiting to here from you! Hang in there.
Debby Jackson
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