Mustang Saga

 Tonight I put away all my excuses (I'm tired, it's too much work, it's boring riding at home, he's not Tonka, what's the point anyway) and I got Scout out to play.  First thing I noticed was that although I trimmed him recently, he needed a trim again.  I hadn't pared out enough dead sole last time to get the hoof where it really needed to be.  The sole was volunteering to come out very easily this time, so off it went, and now his hooves look very nice.

I opted to do some groundwork before I hopped in the saddle.  I figured it's cold, he's young, he's fresh, he hasn't been worked in how long? and so it was necessary.  I'm glad I did.  He had some defiant bucks and goofiness at first, and then when we moved to another area he was worried about a couple things and bucked again.  Then we checked those things out rather than making him continue to circle near them, and all was well.  Especially because one of the scary things was hanging from an apple tree, which has very sweet apples still on it.  :)

I rode for a bit, nothing special.  Just walking around, following the dog, letting the dog follow us, following the dog, turning big round corners and small tight corners, keeping his ribs where I want them and his body as straight as it needs to be.  He's still afraid of dogs.  Which is probably not the right way to put it.  He's not afraid of dogs, really.  He'd like to stomp on them, yes.  But when he jumps because of a dog, it's the motion that spooks him, not the fact that it's a dog.  He didn't spook today, but then Blue was staying in the field with us, not coming running up out of nowhere.

I took a couple pictures when we were done, because what's a blog without pictures?

I like this one because his nose is cute, but I don't like it because it's his bad eye, which is pulled in a bit, and it looks like a little pig eye.

I like this one because he's being very curious and interested.  Very engaged.  But it's a little blurrier.

 

 Neither one is excellent photography, but it's a fun way to document the day.  :)

 While Scout and I were working, Pedro was wearing the bit again.  He doesn't like it.  He throws a little baby fit.  He chases Bob around some, stomps on his feed pan, and generally acts like a toddler.  But by the time I got back to him he was just standing quietly, hoping I was there to feed them.  

Bob gave me the CUTEST bray!  It was kinda warbley like a whinny.  I can't describe it, and I'm sure I couldn't imitate it.  I tried to get a video but of course he was already done.

I checked out the donkey hooves more closely today, especially Pedro's bad front foot and Bob's bad hind.  I still can't do any more fixing on Pedro's yet, he needs to grow them some more.  I don't think his coffin bone is far off the ground on that one.  But he was so good for me!  I didn't even have to halter him, he just stood and let me pick out all of his hooves very carefully.  Bob has a nasty infected frog on the foot that's been popping strangely.  It's not your average thrush, it's white and puffy and way too flexible. It's obviously painful so I'm guessing the popping is coming from him stepping wrong to protect the frog.  Plus that poor frog isn't doing much to support the inner structure of the hoof.  I'll get more active about getting that healed up.