The weather was simply awful today....dropping temps from a high at midnight of 50 to around 18 by noon, with huge winds and brrrrr wind chills. Not to mention everything having turned to ice, I opted for some simple ground work with the youngsters versus braving the elements for a trail ride....yep, cluck, cluck....a chicken!
So after turning almost everyone out to pasture, five of us spent a lot of time in the foaling stall working as a group on various basics....whoa, then standing still, not eating the blanket and not being frightened of it, backing, space issues, etc.
Matte, although coming 4, and having been blanketed practically daily for the past month (she is having issues with a couple of small balding spots so I am worried about frost bite) decided that big, cozzy blanket had suddenly turned vicious and was going to eat her. That or she was irritated that she didn't get to go out with the big horses so playing a game of hide (behind one of the other three) and seek, or ring around the foaling stall, was one way to have a good laugh!
Eivissa, coming long 3 year old, seemed a bit jealous and wanted the blanket for herself. She insisted on nose diving under it every time I attempted to place it over Matte. More likely she just wanted me to give her all my attention.
Her "cousin" Bombay, coming 2, well her only interest was to eat the blanket and attempt to pull it off Matte every time I managed to get it on without Eivissa under it as well.
And Dovea, coming yearling, and not yet weaned, but spending nites separate from mom, just stood in awe of everyone's different reactions. I think that kept her from realizing mom was no longer in the adjoining stall!
It was great to finally get all four lined up and standing still. We even managed to take two steps forward on command,...together. YES! Backing together, well, that was another story, but three of four in sync was good enough for that lesson.
So out of the stall we went....
Good time to work on crowding and respecting space, especially while mom is caring a bale past everyone. Eivissa was persistent (an extreme!:~) and determined to snatch a mouthful every chance she got. Finally everyone else stood still at a distance....until I made it out the barn. It was so funny as I thought, they aren't crowding up behind me....they are being so good! OK, they weren't crowding me, all four had bee-lined it to the remaining bale I left in the barn aisle! Stinkers! But how could I complain when they were doing what I had asked! We will work up to longer moments of personal restraint.
All in all it was a productive new years day afternoon spent bonding and working together.
Didn't get any photos, but will try to remember to do so next time.
I can picture it in my mind, Lesly (Annie), all those goofy youngsters acting out their parts. Good for you for getting out there! Most times in the biting cold, I have no ambition. I think your IL cold is heading our way, but for now, it is actually RAINING here in Maine!
ReplyDeleteBlah, rained here too, Susan, what a slushy muddy MESS! I'm so glad I got outside yesterday! It will be ice-city tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time I put a sheet on Ana. She was SO EXCITED to have one of her own and be like the other horses, she stood so proudly for me to put it on and turned to look at it on herself admiringly. Then she walked, and it went "swish, swish". She looked back at it and bucked. It didn't come off, so she turned and looked at it again, and kicked. Then she took one canter across the field, stopped, looked at it and it was still there. Then she just walked off and gave up. LOL!