Mustang Saga

May 23, 2006 - Day 3

I didn't play with my boy as much as I wanted to. I am just so sick with allergies and I think I'm developing asthma. I finally had to break down and make a doctor's appointment. Hopefully they can make me more able to work.

Anyway... In the morning I worked on rubbing his front legs. He was very uncomfortable about it and did try to move away some, but then I was rubbing all the way down to his coronary band and hooves, and patting his hooves. Picking them up was a thought of his, but a very scared thought, so I encouraged him not to do that yet. My foot bumped a feed pan (he hasn't figured out what the stuff in it is yet though) while I was rubbing him, and he bolted, but he repsponded to the lead, came right back around, and we did it some more. Minus the feed pan. He'll need to get used to that sort of thing some time, but now I want to set him up to succeed. So his little bolt showed me that he is afraid and unsure, but just very good at controlling himself. Which will be very good for us both when we get out on the trails.

I got to look at his teeth a bit, and he definitely has all baby teeth on top, so they were for sure correct on his age. His knees also seem immature to me, but I'm not an expert. I guess it doesn't matter too much since I won't be riding him right away anyway! I'm afraid he's going to be huge! He could still have a lot of growing to do. I'll just have to either limber up or buy a mounting aid that I can take with me on the trails.

I introduced him to Soxy. He was very interested in her, and she was kind of interested in him, but mostly interested in what was in that discarded feed pan. They munched grass nose to nose under the fence. They seem to both love to eat. Which is good for the new guy. Soxy could stand to lose about a hundred pounds though!

As you'll see in the pictures, I was able to change his halter. This one has softer rope, although it's a bit too big, but it won't hurt his face as bad. AND he's graduated to not wearing the drag rope!!!!! Hopefully in a couple days he'll be able to lose the halter.

What to work on now: Continue touching, concentrate on comfort with head and legs Halter on and off (over the other halter). Approach and halter without grabbing his halter, as if he didn't have one on already Circle work, get him "with" me Rub bamboo pole with soft glove on end on hind legs, to get him used to touch

That's a lot, we may not do all of that, I will as always watch to see what he's comfortable with. And I have miss Emma to doctor, with a huge abscess that needs to be soaked, and I'll probably have to start her on antibiotics, so that will be less time with him.