Okay, here we go. I am behind where I want to be, but that is about to change. I have just got two weeks added back into my "Copper Account" that I did not think I would have. (That story will be another blog entry) It was time to step up the pace a bit to see how he handles it...I have a tendency to be kind of cushy...don't want to scare them, upset them, etc. Frankly, he handles things pretty well...he is still nervous and jumpy sometimes, but isn't that to be expected? Enough of this kind of stuff and he will continue to be less and less worried.
Copper has not wanted to walk over anything, the metal bar that is on the ground at the gate, the low wooden bridge, the tarp...okay, we just introduced the tarp and that one is understandable, but he just did not want to mess with the others. Even Batman could not get him out the gate. Yes, I am resorting to using the young'uns! :-)
Sunday morning Brian and I put the tarp on the ground and put his hay box on it - which we should have done before now. He could reach over the smaller tarp without touching it, so we brought out a bigger one.
Batman is my Assistant Trainer today...he is showing Copper that the tarp is not a big deal.
Copper thinks it is a big deal...he just knows he can stretch and get a nibble...and he did! Look at him strain to make it without touching! We moved the box a little closer to the bridge, which was Brian's idea. He either had to touch the tarp, or go over the bridge to get to the hay box...
So he heads to another angle...stretches some more...and gets a nibble! We decided he could reach the edge, and eventually he would have to get on it more to get to the middle of the box.
Finally! Front feet on tarp, and it did not wrap itself around him. He finally got all fours on there and was stomping flies which also made weird tarp noise. Good! This was a breakthrough!
How easily I get sidetracked...this is my sunflower patch. There are two rows about 50 ft long. Someday I hope to have enough room for a whole garden area of sunflowers.
Bee's enjoying the sunflowers...
Okay, back to topic...I have never had or used a surcingle before. I always thought they looked cool, but that was as far as it went. A couple years ago we got a bunch of horse stuff from an auction, and this surcingle was in there, so I tried it out! It worked quite nicely to get him used to the snug part of the girth. My friend Jill suggested I get an umbrella for training...he is checking that out too.
COPPER SAYS: "HA HA!!! Look at the girl try to figure out how to work that contraption!" (I am not graceful when it comes to umbrellas)
After a while of playing with 'stuff', this is where we ended up. Umbrella to block the sun from a hard day at work, Dummy Legs to simulate extra weight on him, and the tarp in case it rains and I need to cover us up. Okay, I made that part up...
I mentioned the bridge...after all of the other 'stuff', I went back to asking him to cross the bridge. WE DID IT!!!! WOO HOO!!!! He will go from his left side, but not his right side. It is a right hoof left hoof thing we have to work on - A LOT!
Like always, I grab the first little kid I can, and this time it was Madison. I had her leading him around the pen, and he was doing great at dropping his head a bit when she went to pet his forehead.
That is all I have time for now...
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer as much as possible!
Until later, Karen and Tripp
2 comments:
Cooper is looking great and you've given me some things to pass on to Kirstin-I think Tuff will be introduced to an umbrella and I like the dummy legs.
Glad to hear that ya'll are coming to Ft Worth in Sept. TAZ would love to go back to Ft Worth also.
Your umbrella is prettier than mine. And you made that look easy in short order. Hmmm. And miniature horse Batman is Number 1, wherever he goes and whoever he meets? He is a big horse in a small package it seems. I love your surcingle, it looks like a really nice one. And finally, OMG you are going to be riding Copper before we know it!
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