But now we're back:
Let's see, how about a start with what we've been doing over the winter: basically NOTHING. November was cold and rainy plus I spent 2 separate weeks in New York visiting with son and his family. December was all about getting ready for the holidays. It's been so cold here with severe wind chills that for most of January Harry and The Professor had very little turn out...some days none at all. And we had snow cover of almost a foot from mid-December through the beginning of February except for a couple of days Jan. 1 and 2.
Now things are starting to moderate a bit with temps near 30 most of the time and even into the 40s. I'm handling the horses more and finding that they've gone ferral on me. Well, sort of! But can we say "Haven't done anything with them in months?"
Aside from a couple of lessons on Harry, I've done no training with either of them and precious little on the grooming/manners side of things either. For months, they've only been led into their stalls or out to the pasture...a trip of not more than 20 feet. And not really leading either because I took them where they WANTED to go anyway.
Last Wednesday I decided I'd groom while hubby cleaned the stalls. Hubby has moments of being so precious (kiss kiss) so I take Harry out of his stall. First thing he does is drag me over to the hay stack. I tugged and tugged. I felt like a 4 year old with a willful pony. Finally get him in the cross-ties and he start chewing the ties...that's a no-no because he's chewing the snaps too and has already broken one and I'm afraid he'll swallow the part he breaks off. And even though he spits them out because they're made of old rubber hoses he keeps trying. I thump on him, speak sharply to him, repeatedly take the ties out of his mouth and finally he says "Okay mom, I'll just paw instead". Well, that's a no-no too. More thumps with the hairbrush (it's a common practice to thwack a horse with a hairbrush...grooming tools ARE essential tools for discipline ;-). He quits pawing and goes back to the cross ties. Only now he's watching me and as soon as I look at him, he quits. As soon as I look away, he starts. It felt like on of those comedy routines with a trained sea lion who looks away whenever the trainer looks at him. You gotta know: I love this horse with all my heart. I've had a heart horse before so I know what that means. I'm so blessed to being well on my way to having a second heart horse.
Okay, finish up with Harry and put him in his nice clean stall (thanks, Dad). I get out The Professor with relief because HE KNOWS how to stand still and behave. Oops...no! He's pacing to and fro in the ties, he's pawing. Generally not as annoyingly charming as Harry was but not the prince he usually is. Then after cleaning 2 feet, I pick up the 3rd one (off side front) and he 'forgets' he's supposed to stand on the other 3. He actually fell to his knees. After that he wouldn't pick up anymore feet because, I HAD PUSHED HIM DOWN. I managed to get the last 2 feet picked up after a lot of pushing, cajoleing and pinching. This is a horse who normally anticipates and has his foot held up and waiting o be cleaned.
I think we'll be going back to basics before we even begin to think about riding, schooling and showing.
They sure are characters. And for all the nonsense, I wouldn't be without either one of them ever!
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