It isn't Pepsi anymore....it isn't even Fred! His new name is (drum roll please!)....
MASTER OF MISCHIEF!!!
Why, you ask? Because I came out today and, along with his slobbers, fungus, scratches, and everything else, he NOW has a giant welt on the right side of his body! GIANT I tell you! Giant!!
Will somebody PLEASE remind me why I love this horse.
Alex, in the next clinic can we please cover "How to Get Your Horse to NOT Hurt Themselves in the Pasture When You're Not There"?
Seriously guys, this welt is the the size of my cupped hand. And of course I have NO idea how he did it. (juby rolls eyes)
Anyway, we did some round pen work today and it went pretty well. I took him off lead for the first time since the clinic (I wanted him to be attached so if he tried to blow past me he couldn't) and that went ok. He warmed up nicely, then tried to blow past me once. I jumped in front of him yelling and swinging my rope and he turned and RAN the other way! Then he started hopping and bucking and generally being a goof because the deer were out there. He even tried throwing a kick at me a time or two. Of course, I was NOT having any of that, so he got put back on the lead and we continued working. Some side-passing, lots of jogging in hand, LOTS of circles and changes of directions. We worked while a scary tractor came out too- he tried to freak out but I just ignored it and made him work. He finally decided that it was MUCH easier to stand still and listen to me in this heat than it was to run around in circles.
In the wash stall I've been slowly winning the battles too. He still has a tendency to move his hind end back and forth a lot, but he KNOWS not to get in my space. If he does, he regrets it. Today I made a big leap with him though- he's been trying to move up when I ask him to stand still and I walk away a few feet (like to grab a brush or something) and he's still attached to the lead. Obviously, every time he does it I make him back up the step or 2 or 3 that he tried to take. Well, FINALLY today after making him back up 5 different times (I'd say he's a slow learner, but it's really just that he's freaking stubborn!) he actually stood still! Rock solid, not-a-foot-moving still. I walked around and got his brushes and treated his fungus and he was still standing still! :D Yay! He got a treat after that once we got back up to the pasture and he did some more haunches and shoulder over.
Yes, he still has his moments, but he IS getting better!
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7 comments:
Oh my goodness...did someone put a voodoo curse on your horse?!?! Seriously!! Pepsi has some issues. :)
I bet he's MAD as heck that you're still making him work despite his desperate attempts to harm himself badly enough to earn stall rest. You go, girl!!
Kate- if you had SEEN the kicks that horse tried to throw at me today, you'd think he was trying to get revenge on me like *I* was doing these things to him!!!
Seriously, he started hopping around the round pen and kicking out like nobody's business with those deer around. I figured if he felt that good then he could do some REAL work!!!
Btw- 'issues' don't even BEGIN to describe him......
He is just trying to keep you on your feet. He isn't as evil as he comes across. HAHA
I'm glad he is getting better about the wash stall.
Where did you FIND this beast??!?! I almost get the feeling he was dumped on your doorstep with a note that said "please, take him!" :)
Oh, Pepsi! What a beastie boy! A wild child!
Girl, you need to find the meanest cowboy around and let Pepsi hang out with him for a while. Seriously, that horse has no idea how good his life really is.
Sorry he got himself hurt again, but I'm glad you are still able to work with him even with his issues. :-) Sounds like he continues to give you a run for your money, but it sounds like he is also slowly learning from you.
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