Finding time when you work full-time

Reading Jackie's post this morning made me think I should post about my time. I work between 35-40 hours a week away from home. When you add in driving time you get 40-45 hours away. Then have to do chores before and after work....well you get the picture!

Anyway, what I have been doing is spending my feeding time doing small tasks. This is especially important for *Jack (rising 4), *Leo (rising 2) and *Babe (pregnant but touchy). It may only amount to 5 minutes per feeding time (10 per day), but hey, in 6 days that's an hour!

So, I write it on the wall calendar and then when I've got an hour of time, total, I log it and record the days. Sometimes I really only do 5 minutes with a horse, instead of 10, so I note that as well.

With *Jack he already knows lots of little things, so I work on refining. Lifting feet more quietly, letting me rub his sheath without moving away, walking next to me without trying to "round me up" but cutting in front of me (lol). We do all of this at liberty.

On *Leo I really concentrate with lifting his feet, but also in respecting space. He is a "typical" young goof-ball baby stallion and thinks everyone is a playmate. He is exuberant and happy so wants everyone to play...and how does he ask? Yep, a nip; so we work on that ALLOT!

I also do de-spooking exercises with them by bringing in odd items for them to examine and have rubbed all over their bodies. I'm fascinated by the different temperments of these two. *Jack is normally laid back and attentive; bringing something new in results in a wicked SNORT and several steps backwards until he has time to ponder it and come to it on his terms. *Leo is bouncy, flighty, and STOIC. He is one to freeze (if he hasn't taken off). It takes one or two times with a new object and he becomes "ho-hum"; but he will freeze first. I would think he would be one that could explode if he hasn't been given the time to become ho-hum. Something for me to be watchful of as we progress.

With *Babe I am primarily working on approach and retreat of that udder. She doesn't appreciate titty-tickles whereas both *Walker and *Glory always loved them (as in spread their legs wider to I could get to all their spots, lol!). I tell *Babe she is getting "effleurage" for her pregnant belly while I rub her. Once I feel confident that she will allow me more liberty with her body, I will do some withOUT her eatting! And don't think that I haven't handled her before; but she quickly reverts to the "don't touch me there" behavior if not handled many times per week (I've learned to my chagrin).

So this is how I manage a bit of ground-training into my busy schedule. Once we've warmed back up (-30F this morning) I hope to do a bit more lengthy things on the week-ends.