PERSEVERANCE

Mar 15

            The weather and other pressing matters have cut into my time with the Icys. I still work with them each time I water and they are good to catch now because they are put in and out every day, but I haven’t had a chance to really work anyone until today and it shows. Sam was good to groom, but a little jumpy. He wants to come out and be with me. He wants to have me touch and pet him, but I just haven’t had the time to actually get him out and work with any of them individually. Besides, the barometer had dropped and I find that sometimes makes horses edgy. No excuse for a trained horse, but for an untrained or wild one they are just reacting the way horses do.

            He bucked for a while on the lunge. I don’t think he is that opposed to the breaching. It seems to have become a game for him so next time I will nip it when he tries it again. Otherwise, he was good. Pulled a little bit on the bridle, but not enough to worry. Just working it out, I think.

            I also worked Treat again. Today he was a stinker! He went to the left pretty well, but when I tried to go to the right he went for a while and then decided he had enough and pulled away, mannering halter or not. He is too strong for me to stop if he really wants to go, so I had to let him go and catch him at the end of the arena. He did this three times and I could see in his eye that he had it figured out. Time to do something that stopped this before it got out of hand. Most of the Icys have a healthy respect for the halter, but if they learn they can run through it, I am up you know what’s creek, so I got another lunge line to make it longer and then tied it to one of the arena posts. It didn’t take long for him to try it again and I just let go of it so he hit the end when he reached the length of the line. Surprise, surprise. He was a stubborn little boob, though, and he had to do that a number of times before he realized the jig was up. You have to be very careful when you have them on a long line to a post. I was knocked down once because I got caught in the bite of the line. I had it tied up too high, I think, and will put it down so it is easier to step over next time. He finally gave in and we called it good, but he was in a sweat by then, for sure, which meant that he had to then let me rub him down with a towel. That’s what he gets for being a pill.

Mar 19

            Finally got a chance to get back to Sam and Treat. This time on the lunge line I got after Sam if he tried to buck. Only took a couple of times and he figured out that was a No, No. I was working on stopping and going and standing while I come up to him and then go away from him. He was pretty good and I think we will be doing this until he does it without a problem. He is good with his feet and hopefully will be good for my ferrier on Monday.

            Treat tried his twirl and dash thing one time and I tied him to the post again. He did it one more time and hit the end of the line and then didn’t do it again, although I know he was thinking about it. I made him go to the right, because I knew that was the way he didn't want to go. To the left he seems to be quite comfortable. I have found that these guys are very one sided, so that is what I am trying to work on, even in their stalls. They always seem to present one side. Treat was good with his feet and I have been able to clean front and back without too much trouble. As long as I take it easy he isn’t worried.  I was pleased with him today. I am finding that these guys are very smart and that you can’t let them get away with something very long until they use it against you. Good in some ways, but means I have to stay on my toes.