Mustang Saga

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

I haven't written much lately, I know. I really haven't done much with Tonka. I worked with him a bit today, just to work out the kinks from too much time off, and get some more hoof trimming practice in. Just a couple circles to get his attention in some situation, I don't remember what, caused his leg with the splint to hurt. So it's obviously not healed. So I toned it WAY down and started working on his feet. With splint boots on, although I'm not sure that really helped. I only worked on his front feet because the kids got bored and wanted to go in. And we had to take a break in the middle because Liam got shocked by the fence. Poor kid, it really popped him.

I picked up the feet, fiddled, rubbed, patted, flexed them out away from his body, then brought it around through my leg like the farrier does to work on the bottom of the hoof. Fiddled more. Brought the hoof forward over my knee. Got the hoof stand and did some minor rasping. Brought the hoof around between my legs again and pretended to nip. I was very careful to occasionally obnoxiously "accidentally" bump him under is belly. That's where they seem to jump and misbehave the most, when you goose them.

He did very well.

I'm off to play Backyardigans with two very sleepy boys.