Had a funny time with Dancer's Boss (QH) yesterday. He showed me his itchy spot on his tummy and between front legs. I was scraaaatching...and then got to cleaning sheath. He just moved so my hands were back at the itchy spot and the lip was just a-going. He kept getting lower and lower, and trying to lean on me. He is so funny.
I went then to Exy and scratched her whithers and her chest. Also she likes right between the udders. This gets her to spread her legs and sigh. What a hussy. The lip was going immediately and her head went way down as the front feet went right out in front as if she were parking out. I was laughing before long. Wish I'd had my camera.
Fiona next. She likes a good scratch between the udders, too, as well as right at the girth line. She's more covert about liking it and although she puts her head down she rarely puts her lips out and makes faces. She will watch me and put her belly right back where my hand needs to be if I move it. Miss Subtle.
O'Rion likes anywhere scratched. And he's HUGE so it's pretty funny...I usually get up on the fence so I can reach him and he'll back up to the fence for a good bum scratch. He loves his withers and belly done, too. And ears...he LOVES his ears scratched. HE makes all sorts of funny faces if you do the ears. I'm teaching him to hand me things and he's getting it pretty quickly. He hands me his bowl as well as branches and a jolly ball. Smart boy!
June 25, 2009
June 19, 2009
Pushing Passenger on Dancer's Boss (RBI)
OK. I've said before that I had not realized what I had in Boss. He's a GEM. I have been scratching his belly a lot lately and he is hilarious. LEANS toward me...and if I scratch somehwere else he puts his belly right next to me. I move to the bum or tail, he moves so that his belly is right there. (I admit to scratching other things just so he'll show me his itchy spot. After all these years he has FINALLY done it and I'm so pleased).
Got on him the other day with a cushy saddle blanket under my bareback pad (he's an old guy and sort of bony although I'm working to get him more of a fat layer) and we did it after lots of scatches and treats. He was fine with it. I did pushing passenger and tit for tat. Then I did let's go here for a great grazing spot, let's go sideways to that grazing spot. Let's back up--and graze. He is a smart cookie and got it right away. We did this for about an hour and I had a fantastic time. Rode in the herd and had to swing a savvy string to keep O'Rion and Exy away..they were really happy to see me and wanted to come over to mess with me (ORion is too mouthy and I might get a nip)--not to mention I was leading/defending my herd of two. Boss really licked and chewed when I drove them away. :)
I feel ashamed that I wasted all these years with such a great potential partner and I thought he was a jerk. He USED to be very dominant and scary at times. Now that I can speak horse (thanks Pat and Linda! Get the Horsenality DVD right now if you don't have it!)he's so much better and we are forging a new relationship. He actually looks happy when he sees me and nickers really low in his chest. Makes me smile SO BIG! I nicker back.
Any problem of his--it was MY PROBLEM and I'm sad. But I thought, what the hay, I'm going to enjoy him if he's ok with riding. he seems to be! Especially when I take my magic bag on my waist with the treats! And we have really lush grazing right now (unlike the blasted heat of hell that we'll have later on in the summer) so I'm going to take him into the woods for a trail ride soon.
My friends from Scotland are coming this week! Julie, Chloe, Iain, Rosie, and Stuart. When I visted my friend Shelley I was able to bring Julie and it was the first time she had been around horses in years. Her Mum used to be a jockey, too. so you can perhaps know what that meant to her. Thanks, Shells! I can't wait to hear the lovely accents once more! I'll try not to greet too hard when they leave!
Anyway, back to my adventures.
Went to have a tire fixed off the horse trailer and the guy had TWO HUGE tractor tires and he gave them to me for FREE! We had three men load them in the truck. Albie unloaded by himself (what a stud) and we have yet to place them in the playground. I'm very chuffed about having more tires!
Got on him the other day with a cushy saddle blanket under my bareback pad (he's an old guy and sort of bony although I'm working to get him more of a fat layer) and we did it after lots of scatches and treats. He was fine with it. I did pushing passenger and tit for tat. Then I did let's go here for a great grazing spot, let's go sideways to that grazing spot. Let's back up--and graze. He is a smart cookie and got it right away. We did this for about an hour and I had a fantastic time. Rode in the herd and had to swing a savvy string to keep O'Rion and Exy away..they were really happy to see me and wanted to come over to mess with me (ORion is too mouthy and I might get a nip)--not to mention I was leading/defending my herd of two. Boss really licked and chewed when I drove them away. :)
I feel ashamed that I wasted all these years with such a great potential partner and I thought he was a jerk. He USED to be very dominant and scary at times. Now that I can speak horse (thanks Pat and Linda! Get the Horsenality DVD right now if you don't have it!)he's so much better and we are forging a new relationship. He actually looks happy when he sees me and nickers really low in his chest. Makes me smile SO BIG! I nicker back.
Any problem of his--it was MY PROBLEM and I'm sad. But I thought, what the hay, I'm going to enjoy him if he's ok with riding. he seems to be! Especially when I take my magic bag on my waist with the treats! And we have really lush grazing right now (unlike the blasted heat of hell that we'll have later on in the summer) so I'm going to take him into the woods for a trail ride soon.
My friends from Scotland are coming this week! Julie, Chloe, Iain, Rosie, and Stuart. When I visted my friend Shelley I was able to bring Julie and it was the first time she had been around horses in years. Her Mum used to be a jockey, too. so you can perhaps know what that meant to her. Thanks, Shells! I can't wait to hear the lovely accents once more! I'll try not to greet too hard when they leave!
Anyway, back to my adventures.
Went to have a tire fixed off the horse trailer and the guy had TWO HUGE tractor tires and he gave them to me for FREE! We had three men load them in the truck. Albie unloaded by himself (what a stud) and we have yet to place them in the playground. I'm very chuffed about having more tires!
Can't Get Rid of Exy!
I'm thrilled. When I walk in the field (10 acres) if I turn suddenly--oops! I bump into my lovely Exy's nose! She goes with me EVERYWHERE and is such a pocket pony. I love that. We've played some games at liberty and she is doing a lovely job. Her weakest game is porcupine but I'm working on it. (her mother was a draft horse..Percheron...you could porcupine her for days and she'd just look at you...I tried!)
I do have to work not to ask too much of this RBI girl (as a learner) or she'll shut down. But if I WAIT WAIT WAIT she gives so much. I'm having fun with her. When I feed her I put all my weight on her back and it's a non event. LOTS of scratches with that, too. I rub her with my leg while I sit on the fence and then put the leg over (maintaining my grip on fence) and LEAN. She's ok with it. I'm just afraid to take it to the next level. MUST work on myself more.
I do have to work not to ask too much of this RBI girl (as a learner) or she'll shut down. But if I WAIT WAIT WAIT she gives so much. I'm having fun with her. When I feed her I put all my weight on her back and it's a non event. LOTS of scratches with that, too. I rub her with my leg while I sit on the fence and then put the leg over (maintaining my grip on fence) and LEAN. She's ok with it. I'm just afraid to take it to the next level. MUST work on myself more.
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