Did I get a new horse??? ; )

Ha ha. To explain...a post I put up in December was titled "Did you get a new horse?" (or something similar) and it was titled this because a handful of people who had gone a long time without seeing Linus did not recognize him because he had grown and changed so much! Today, he behaved so exceptionally well when we were out that I chuckled and wondered to myself maybe it is a new horse, lol.

Speaking of him growing, I measured him today and he is now standing at 14.1hh. I'm very pleased with that and with what it means in terms of his finished height. He's going to be one flashy fella when he's all done growing!.... No Lynn, you cannot have him back! : )

Linus was excited to get started today and met me with his head hanging over the gate. I used my "licorice" stick and we practiced our lunging before I turned out while I did chores. He picked it up like we'd been doing it on a daily basis! Then he walked like a dream right beside me to his pasture. Usually he is prancing and always backs up to the snow hill then rolls down it. Not today, he was really tuned in. When i brought him back up, we tried lunging again for a bit. I had some trouble getting him to reverse but I gave it time and kept at it and he got it.

We then headed back up to have his feet cleaned out and for him to get groomed. He was perfect with his feet today so I think he must have taken something away from yesterday's lesson...and he was also occupied with investigating the surcingle that I had obviously left too close to the pen!! Great news with the surcingle actually is that it fits him really well now without any manipulating. I used to have to attach it in my own special way but I now do not have to!!

We just went out today with the bitless, lines and surcingle. No other harness. It was really great. I like doing this every so often because I can pass the reins through lower set rings and practice our turning better. We did about a 6km round trip today and he listened so well to my voice commands and to my hands to move him over or straighten him out. He was frisky at first and wanted to follow the dogs who tagged along. But I "whoa"d him and set him off with "easy". If he got too frisky again, I did the same thing until we were heading off at the pace I chose. He was great! Then on the way back he had to inspect every mailbox we passed. It was funny. At one house there was a little boy in the front window with his mother. They got a big kick out of Linus inspecting their mailbox!

We headed back up the lane to the farm and he dropped his head for me to take his bridle off.. Then he got a good scratch all over, some hugs and a promise to see him again soon!

Waiting at the gate for me to come get him so we can work

I actually had to put the flag on this mailbox back up after he knocked it down....good thing I work for Canada Post!!

Finally - he poses for a pic!

Setting off

HUGS!

This is "MAC" - he is our 2 yr old Angus herd bull....the relevance of his photo to the blog was to show that I do have a critter on the farm displaying the "marcel" wave. You can see it on his neck. So even though Linus isn't curly doesn't mean there are no curlies on the farm!! : )