Spring Fever!

Unfortunately the rain did not hold until I had finished working with Linus today so I was unable to get some pictures. Linus had a serious case of P&V today! I think he is getting fed up with this weather and is longing to be on pasture. So I finally had a chance to really work him and bring him from a high down to a cooperative low. I'm not at all interested in breaking his spirit. I love that he is playful but I don't think just anyone could go in and handle him on days like this. Today he was a full blown youngster boy!! It was fun though. I worked him until he was no longer bothering with Allie and was 100% on me. I had him standing within a foot of some fresh grass and he was not even looking at it. We had a really great connection after a few minutes.

Once he came down to his usual self I groomed him. He thought he didn't want to pick up his right hind for cleaning so I smacked the carrot stick on the ground while he was moving his feet and kept it up until he stopped. Then I stopped and picked his leg up and clean out the hoof without any fuss from him at all. Boy does he like to test his handler! I'd be in quite a mess if I gave in to his shananigans!

I then swapped his halter for his bridle and we did some reining exercises from the ground. He actually turns better right now to a rope around his neck than with the reins but he is getting there. He is very good at go, whoa and back up. We did about a ten or fifteen minute reining session. I'm keeping his lessons there short and sweet so he doesn't not enjoy what we are doing.

I swapped back to his "leisure" halter and hand grazed him for a bit. Last year if I hand grazed him it was an awful fight to get him away from the grass and back to wherever he needed to go. Our relationship has grown and he was not a problem today to put back in his round pen. He even patiently waited for his grain. He's a gentleman and let Allie have the first pail and he waits for the second pail. They have their own pail and will not eat out of the other one. They actually get along really well.

Let's hope for some sun soon!

Donna & Linus

Lunenburg, ON Canada