Seems like I haven't blogged for an entire month and probably haven't! I logged today and realized I've worked my horses 3 days this month! Shame on me! But I've been really busy and the weather hasn't exactly cooperated either.
No pictures this time, but wanted to share a couple of things that qualify as "obstacles." Earlier this week Corky was playing with another gelding and all of a sudden he laid down to roll. I was working in my office and could see him and wasn't paying too much attention, but then looked up and realized he had rolled next to the gate, towards the gate and his rear legs were caught in the gate! Yikes! I gasped and my husband went into panic mode and I wasn't far behind him, but trying to remain calm. Corky doesn't panic and I know this because this is the 3rd time he's rolled and gotten caught in a position where he couldn't get up on his own. And I've only had him about 9 months! Thanks God I've been here every time to help him get back over! My husband and I went out and together grabbed all 4 of Corky's legs and turned him away from the gate and he got up. He didn't thrash or panic just waited until we had him where he needed to be. The gelding he was playing with was more concerned than Corky was about the situation. I am fearful, though, that some day we won't be here and it could be dangerous for him, so I pray that won't ever happen.
After Corky got up he acknowledged both of us thoroughly and then went to follow us out the gate like he had become a human and could just roam! He is such a neat horse! I realized afterward that was an obstacle in its own right, because Corky could have panicked and made everything very bad for all of us, but he remained calm and let us help him without incident.
Today I bathed Corky and did a little bit of groundwork with him. One thing I did was ask him wade through a ditch full of water. He approached, sniffed, drank and then walked through it. I was pleased. Corky hasn't rode on the roads much yet and that is a goal for him this year, so I did walk him down the road and a car did go by at about 40 miles per hour, I really wish they would go slower, but he did spook a little after it went by, so it was good for me to do it this way initially.
After Corky, then I got Rocky out and groomed him. Rocky has sort of been on a vacation because of his illness, but it's time to get back to work. He remembered the flexing to the left, but not right, but remembered the right before he made me too dizzy. Thanks goodness! Then we walked down the road and I thought I would ask him to do the ditch thing too. I did cross a smaller ditch with him last fall and he did fine, so I didn't think it would be a big deal. Boy, was I wrong! We waited quite awhile with me on one side and him on the other, before I decided the ditch on the other side of the road might be a better choice since there wasn't so much water.
Rocky approached that one and decided he would jump it......right into me! Wrong response! I let him know that too. Tried it again, same response, jumped at me...wrong! I gave that a couple minute break and asked me to walk in the shallow puddles in the ditch on that side and he was avoiding it left and right! What the heck! Going to have to work on this! Now, that he's feeling better, he's not as cooperative! Bummer! After he did what I asked in walking in the puddle, I asked to come across the ditch and this time he did it right! Yay! Let's do that again, Rocky, and he did! So we ended on the good note and called it a day.
Janeen, Corky and Rocky!
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