The farrier came out to reset Curly's shoes yesterday. To the casual observer, Curly appears to be well mannered while the trimming and shoeing process is taking place. But in reality he is quite naughty and is constantly leaning down on whatever foot/leg the farrier is working on. Very passive-aggressive! He even willingly lifts the hoof when requested, but will immediately begin exerting downward force once you have your hand under it. Eventually, he pushes hard enough that you just have to drop the foot.
By the third hoof, our kind-hearted farrier had had enough so Curly was put to work with the lead line and made to do some turns and backing and other movements for 5 or 10 minutes, all meant to refocus and re-adjust his little attitude. He quickly learned that it really is easier to just do your job to begin with!
I think a small portion of the problem is that at the end of each farrier session, we have always released Curly back to his stall/pasture. So he wants it all to end as quickly as possible so that he'll have his freedom back. Yesterday, I had E change this expectation up a little by making her work with him in the round pen as soon as the farrier is done. Hopefully that will help keep Curly from "running back to the barn" before we are really finished with the job at hand.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Scratch
Second 4-H show of the season was yesterday...and E decided that she and Monte were not quite ready for the competitive arena yet, so she scratched. We trailered the horse out to the venue anyway to help him get used to the hustle and bustle that accompanies a show.
I expected Monte to be nervous but he surprised us all by calmly taking it all in, only pawing at the ground when he got a little too bored at the trailer. E rode around with the other girls as they warmed up their horses and he again did better than we expected. He was attentive to her and she felt safe and in control the whole time.
I think they are beginning to form a good bond. He's got some of the reactive nature that I would expect in an Arab, but he appears to be a willing partner in most respects. Plus he's just so darn cute!
I expected Monte to be nervous but he surprised us all by calmly taking it all in, only pawing at the ground when he got a little too bored at the trailer. E rode around with the other girls as they warmed up their horses and he again did better than we expected. He was attentive to her and she felt safe and in control the whole time.
I think they are beginning to form a good bond. He's got some of the reactive nature that I would expect in an Arab, but he appears to be a willing partner in most respects. Plus he's just so darn cute!
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