Hello everyone, Sonic Boom would like everyone to know that he is giving up eating meat unless he accidentally eats a fly (does that count as meat?) that he was trying to bite off himself.....yes, he did that at the lake and judging from the look on his face, it was NOT very tasty! Ptooey!
We also went to a friends indoor arena to play a while....
I put together a video of his adventures so far.....can't wait to add to those adventures!
This was the first time I free lunged him in a big area - and the first time he has been in a bigger area since he came home. I expected him to take off bucking and farting and just get the kinks worked out. Nope....what you see here - him free lunging around me is the first time I asked him to move. No crazy stuff at all! He was amazing!
Gotta go....I am running late!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Until later, Karen and Tripp who says he doesn't miss an opportunity to take off running bucking and especially farting for fun! :-)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Video of my first ride on Sonic Boom...
Since we had rain tonite, with lots of lightning, I opted to NOT take Boom to the wildlife area for a walk. I don't mind getting wet...I do mind the lightning. So I made good use of my time....I played with video!
Watching this still makes my heart flutter....what a great feeling to see where we are.
Tonite was pretty awesome too....the rain slowed down and I just hung out with Boom. I stepped back and he actually looked at me with his ears up, as if to ask me where I went. That was the first time he has asked to be close.....he then took a step towards me and when he was right by me, he stopped. I rubbed and scratched on him, and moved away again to see what he would do. Same thing...he moved right next to me. Uh, yeah....that was us NOT getting attached. :-)
In spite of the weather it was a great night.
Until later...Karen and Tripp who just doesn't see what the big deal is...he comes to me to be petted and scratched too! (snicker snicker)
Watching this still makes my heart flutter....what a great feeling to see where we are.
Tonite was pretty awesome too....the rain slowed down and I just hung out with Boom. I stepped back and he actually looked at me with his ears up, as if to ask me where I went. That was the first time he has asked to be close.....he then took a step towards me and when he was right by me, he stopped. I rubbed and scratched on him, and moved away again to see what he would do. Same thing...he moved right next to me. Uh, yeah....that was us NOT getting attached. :-)
In spite of the weather it was a great night.
Until later...Karen and Tripp who just doesn't see what the big deal is...he comes to me to be petted and scratched too! (snicker snicker)
Sunday, July 25, 2010
I rode Sonic Boom....what a great feeling!
.....and what a great feeling to learn that he really was ready, and he did not feel the need to escape the crazy thing on his back. :-) Again, I saddled him without the lead rope. I don't expect every session to be like that...but it sure is a rush when it does. (I really do expect it but won't be too upset if I don't get it)
Friday night was the first time I got on him. Saturday's goal was to get him to move his feet a little bit and to get used to the feel of a top heavy load on him.
On our mark......get set.........
GO!!!!!!!!!!
We bow to ye......okay, not really....got an itch. :-)
Brian was out there keeping an eye on me to make sure all went well. The original plan was to have him in the pen with me when I got on, but Boom is still jiggy about having more than one person too close, so I got on solo, and once I felt we were comfortable Brian came in. It really is funny because sometimes Boom acts like he has not seen Brian before and he snorts like crazy! Once Boom relaxed Brian started walking around and Boom followed him. I would flip the lead rope back and forth over his head to try and guide him one direction, then the other. It was a great lesson and he earned a nice cooling off session and a first time to hang out in the yard with the rest of the horses without my supervision. My boy is growing up! :-)
Water hose at first was not so great...but now he is thinking this is pretty good stuff!
Very hot and muggy....need water.....and I am happy to say that Boom finally took something out of my hand! Sort of.....he drank water from the hose. It took some doing but he finally got those cute little lips opened up so I could lightly squirt water in his mouth then he drank.
Boom was even okay with his face being sprayed! This surprised me the most.
Boom is so happy he just has to GIGGLE!!!!!
After his cooling off time I let him loose in the yard with the other horses and donks. He ate grass for a while then went to the barn lot - this is the dry side - and when I came out to check on him he walked right up to me. When he gets nervous he breaths hard and fast. I call it his 'having a baby breathing' and he was doing this. I don't know if it was too hot or all the hoopla was a little much....so I took him back to his pen. He went under his canopy, got a drink, and munched his hay.
ROUND 2!
When I went back out to play again before the rain hit (they were calling for chances and I thought it would hit later, but just in case....) and this weird cloud was behind the barn.
I got him saddled back up and this time I got the purple lead ropes out to match his halter. I really didn't order two purple leads to match the halter....it just happened. :-) Kinda funny....I hate shopping for my own clothing but I don't mind seeing what matches for the horses.
Anyways, I was trying to get a picture and he kept following me around. Finally he gave me this look and a BIG sigh with those cute little nostrils flared. We could hear the thunder in the background and I am sure he was wanting me to get on with it....
Finally! The shot from up above.....woo hoo!
Madison was pulling the wagon by and he watched.....
Here is a purdy picture with the dark sky coming in and him showing off his purple.
Then the wind picked up and I bet the temperatures dropped a good quick 30 degrees! It went from hot and muggy to downright cold! I did not hear about any tornadoes so that is good...but conditions sure were right for it. All I know is we went from a whole lot of nothing to a whole lot of something! The dust picked up and birds all headed back to the chicken house and Boom ran around the pen a couple of times. He was surprised to see a herd of birds run thru his pen right in front of him! Hee hee! I wonder what he was thinking when they all came running up the hill and into his pen...
Brian came outside and once the heavy winds settled down I got back on and showed him what we had been working on. He is learning what the 'GO' cue is....we can walk, we can walk over the board and we even started to 'WHOA'. He and WHOA just were not getting it with me on the ground and I figured the one rein stop will help with the WHOA when I got on, and it did. Some friends gave me ideas on how to work with the WHOA on the ground so I will be trying that.
See the blur in the background? It is because we are going FAST! Ha ha!
Boom has had a real problem with someone/something walking behind him. It is that I can see you, then you are in the blind spot, then you pop up on the other side from out of nowhere. Brian worked on him the other night when we took our walk at the wildlife area. I held him and Brian walked around him several times. It started close but it was too much for Boom, so Brian backed WAY off and went back and forth. I did this Friday night and Saturday. Saturday evening I got closer and he figured out how to watch and listen for me. I think he did great with it!
We were done showing off for Brian and I gave Boom a little face massage....he is starting to show his pleasure at getting rubbed and scratched.
Here is Tripp saying hello to everyone!!!!
After the lesson was done last night it poured rain! I got Boom fed and it started coming down! I ran around giving everyone else their feed then hung out in the barn and watched it rain....and lightning....and listened to the thunder. Brian joined me and we hung out together until it slowed down to a normal rain. I can't believe how much came down in that amount of time. What a weird year for so many different regions.
Here is a story that isn't so funny - Saturday morning when I was feeding I start with Tandee and Batman and work my way outside and down the row. The llama is a pain in the butt and he spits on the others and body slams them all the time. Wyoming and Jester the donk are very afraid of him and steer clear. The llama was standing outside the barn door and I could not get Wy and Jester to go out - so I headed out there and ran the llama off. I walked out and both boys were following me. Then all of a sudden WHAM! and I was on the ground! I knew I had been body slammed but was not sure by who until I looked up and saw front hooves land in front of my head (this is where I am internally freaking out and waiting for a stomp to the back or head), I say a couple of choice words that reflected my displeasure and surprise, then there go the rear hooves! HOLY SMOKES!!!! The only thing I can figure is the llama came at Wy and Jester, Wy slammed me then JUMPED over me, and Jester was beside me trying to be very careful. When I looked back at the llama he looked 'innocent' with the look of "What????" on his face. All the llama has to do is LOOK at Wy and he loses all sense of reason. Wy has pushed me out of the way before with just a look from the llama.....so we are going over our options. I like having the llama around but not if he is going to cause turmoil as he gets older. The llama has not spit on us yet and I am not afraid of him at all....he backs off when I go 'crazy girl' on him. But we have stood back and watched him body slam the donks for no reason. He and Batman play fight a lot too....hope he doesn't teach Batman bad habits.
That is all the adventure around here right now....
Hope everyone had a great weekend...
Until later....Karen and Tripp who wants everyone to know he loved the water hose first! :-)
Friday night was the first time I got on him. Saturday's goal was to get him to move his feet a little bit and to get used to the feel of a top heavy load on him.
On our mark......get set.........
GO!!!!!!!!!!
We bow to ye......okay, not really....got an itch. :-)
Brian was out there keeping an eye on me to make sure all went well. The original plan was to have him in the pen with me when I got on, but Boom is still jiggy about having more than one person too close, so I got on solo, and once I felt we were comfortable Brian came in. It really is funny because sometimes Boom acts like he has not seen Brian before and he snorts like crazy! Once Boom relaxed Brian started walking around and Boom followed him. I would flip the lead rope back and forth over his head to try and guide him one direction, then the other. It was a great lesson and he earned a nice cooling off session and a first time to hang out in the yard with the rest of the horses without my supervision. My boy is growing up! :-)
Water hose at first was not so great...but now he is thinking this is pretty good stuff!
Very hot and muggy....need water.....and I am happy to say that Boom finally took something out of my hand! Sort of.....he drank water from the hose. It took some doing but he finally got those cute little lips opened up so I could lightly squirt water in his mouth then he drank.
Boom was even okay with his face being sprayed! This surprised me the most.
Boom is so happy he just has to GIGGLE!!!!!
After his cooling off time I let him loose in the yard with the other horses and donks. He ate grass for a while then went to the barn lot - this is the dry side - and when I came out to check on him he walked right up to me. When he gets nervous he breaths hard and fast. I call it his 'having a baby breathing' and he was doing this. I don't know if it was too hot or all the hoopla was a little much....so I took him back to his pen. He went under his canopy, got a drink, and munched his hay.
ROUND 2!
When I went back out to play again before the rain hit (they were calling for chances and I thought it would hit later, but just in case....) and this weird cloud was behind the barn.
I got him saddled back up and this time I got the purple lead ropes out to match his halter. I really didn't order two purple leads to match the halter....it just happened. :-) Kinda funny....I hate shopping for my own clothing but I don't mind seeing what matches for the horses.
Anyways, I was trying to get a picture and he kept following me around. Finally he gave me this look and a BIG sigh with those cute little nostrils flared. We could hear the thunder in the background and I am sure he was wanting me to get on with it....
Finally! The shot from up above.....woo hoo!
Madison was pulling the wagon by and he watched.....
Here is a purdy picture with the dark sky coming in and him showing off his purple.
Then the wind picked up and I bet the temperatures dropped a good quick 30 degrees! It went from hot and muggy to downright cold! I did not hear about any tornadoes so that is good...but conditions sure were right for it. All I know is we went from a whole lot of nothing to a whole lot of something! The dust picked up and birds all headed back to the chicken house and Boom ran around the pen a couple of times. He was surprised to see a herd of birds run thru his pen right in front of him! Hee hee! I wonder what he was thinking when they all came running up the hill and into his pen...
Brian came outside and once the heavy winds settled down I got back on and showed him what we had been working on. He is learning what the 'GO' cue is....we can walk, we can walk over the board and we even started to 'WHOA'. He and WHOA just were not getting it with me on the ground and I figured the one rein stop will help with the WHOA when I got on, and it did. Some friends gave me ideas on how to work with the WHOA on the ground so I will be trying that.
See the blur in the background? It is because we are going FAST! Ha ha!
Boom has had a real problem with someone/something walking behind him. It is that I can see you, then you are in the blind spot, then you pop up on the other side from out of nowhere. Brian worked on him the other night when we took our walk at the wildlife area. I held him and Brian walked around him several times. It started close but it was too much for Boom, so Brian backed WAY off and went back and forth. I did this Friday night and Saturday. Saturday evening I got closer and he figured out how to watch and listen for me. I think he did great with it!
We were done showing off for Brian and I gave Boom a little face massage....he is starting to show his pleasure at getting rubbed and scratched.
Here is Tripp saying hello to everyone!!!!
After the lesson was done last night it poured rain! I got Boom fed and it started coming down! I ran around giving everyone else their feed then hung out in the barn and watched it rain....and lightning....and listened to the thunder. Brian joined me and we hung out together until it slowed down to a normal rain. I can't believe how much came down in that amount of time. What a weird year for so many different regions.
Here is a story that isn't so funny - Saturday morning when I was feeding I start with Tandee and Batman and work my way outside and down the row. The llama is a pain in the butt and he spits on the others and body slams them all the time. Wyoming and Jester the donk are very afraid of him and steer clear. The llama was standing outside the barn door and I could not get Wy and Jester to go out - so I headed out there and ran the llama off. I walked out and both boys were following me. Then all of a sudden WHAM! and I was on the ground! I knew I had been body slammed but was not sure by who until I looked up and saw front hooves land in front of my head (this is where I am internally freaking out and waiting for a stomp to the back or head), I say a couple of choice words that reflected my displeasure and surprise, then there go the rear hooves! HOLY SMOKES!!!! The only thing I can figure is the llama came at Wy and Jester, Wy slammed me then JUMPED over me, and Jester was beside me trying to be very careful. When I looked back at the llama he looked 'innocent' with the look of "What????" on his face. All the llama has to do is LOOK at Wy and he loses all sense of reason. Wy has pushed me out of the way before with just a look from the llama.....so we are going over our options. I like having the llama around but not if he is going to cause turmoil as he gets older. The llama has not spit on us yet and I am not afraid of him at all....he backs off when I go 'crazy girl' on him. But we have stood back and watched him body slam the donks for no reason. He and Batman play fight a lot too....hope he doesn't teach Batman bad habits.
That is all the adventure around here right now....
Hope everyone had a great weekend...
Until later....Karen and Tripp who wants everyone to know he loved the water hose first! :-)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Guess what I did tonite! I got on Sonic Boom! Woo hoo hoo!!!!
Does anybody have a saddle that will fit a large sheep? Boom has a back like a sheep - very flat. :-) I tried my CSI saddle pad on him and it was just too thick to fit him with the saddle. I cinched up the saddle and I pulled on the front and back of the saddle and it rolled around him. Yep, very bad fit. So I put the thin navajo pad back on and it stayed in place like it should.
It was another hot humid night, sweat was rolling into my eyes and I got a few horse fly bites! Ugh! But it was such a great night! I did some ground work with Boom then started preparing to get on for the first time.
It was time to get serious......
This picture looks like he is scooting sideways pretty quick, but he isn't. I got on and off 4 times, and there was only one time he jumped a tiny bit when I dismounted. Other than that, he would move a few steps, stop and I would get off and take him for a short walk to give him something else to think about real quick. Then we would do it again....
The stirrups on my saddle are not turned out so I can't just slip my toe in nice and smooth on the right side. I have to lean over to twist it to put the toe in. I did not do it this time because he sometimes panics with movement on his right....I have been working on moving back and forth behind him so he can learn what it is like to have something in his vision, then blind spot, then in vision on the other side.
I am so proud of him!
SEE? IT WAS NOT THAT BAD! :-)
Time to take the saddle off. He just stands there quietly while I get stuff unhooked and secured.
For me the getting on is not the scariest part. It is the getting off. Some horses get scared when you start to get off and the right leg swings back to go over their back side. I am less secure at that point than I am with my butt in the saddle. Out of the 4 times, it was the 2nd time that startled him when I dismounted, and it was a tiny blip....whew!
He did so good and has come so far. I am very proud of him!
Gotta go....
Until later.....Karen and Tripp who says he had no problem with me getting on him... :-)
It was another hot humid night, sweat was rolling into my eyes and I got a few horse fly bites! Ugh! But it was such a great night! I did some ground work with Boom then started preparing to get on for the first time.
It was time to get serious......
This picture looks like he is scooting sideways pretty quick, but he isn't. I got on and off 4 times, and there was only one time he jumped a tiny bit when I dismounted. Other than that, he would move a few steps, stop and I would get off and take him for a short walk to give him something else to think about real quick. Then we would do it again....
The stirrups on my saddle are not turned out so I can't just slip my toe in nice and smooth on the right side. I have to lean over to twist it to put the toe in. I did not do it this time because he sometimes panics with movement on his right....I have been working on moving back and forth behind him so he can learn what it is like to have something in his vision, then blind spot, then in vision on the other side.
I am so proud of him!
SEE? IT WAS NOT THAT BAD! :-)
Time to take the saddle off. He just stands there quietly while I get stuff unhooked and secured.
For me the getting on is not the scariest part. It is the getting off. Some horses get scared when you start to get off and the right leg swings back to go over their back side. I am less secure at that point than I am with my butt in the saddle. Out of the 4 times, it was the 2nd time that startled him when I dismounted, and it was a tiny blip....whew!
He did so good and has come so far. I am very proud of him!
Gotta go....
Until later.....Karen and Tripp who says he had no problem with me getting on him... :-)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sonic Boom goes on a field trip!
More storms today and it was a mess when I got home. It was so hot and muggy...not two minutes later sweat was pouring off me....literally! I decided we are getting out of here, so I saddled up Boom and we headed to the wildlife area! This was his first trip away from home and I was pretty excited to see how he would act. He loaded up quite nicely and away we went.
Check this out! This is so different than the day we picked him up and he would not even give us the false hope of a glance. He was wondering what was going on but he rode like a gentleman! He is learning that forehead rubs mean things are okay. :-)
Sometimes we all do bonehead things....and the only reason I am fessing up is because someone might learn from it. The wildlife area is not too far from the house, so I hooked up the trailer and away we went. Boom moved around a little bit in the trailer and I felt the movement, but I also kept hearing a clunk. When I pulled into the parking lot I realized that I never switched the ball out from the flatbed trailer to the stock trailer! It is a smaller ball....YIKES!!!!! Before we took our walk I did some 'work' and got the balls swapped out. Thankfully it was not bad and I bet I don't forget to double check again! It gave me a little bit of a scare.....Boom was a Rock Star thru all this. He walked back and forth while I started the truck, turned it off, moved forward a little bit, backed up again....all of this and fighting the horse flies! I have never tied him and was not going to 'teach' it now. :-) He was watching me thru the window of the open truck door. I think he would have made fun of me if he knew how! Ha ha!
BOOM: "You can hunt deer? Isn't that meat? I eat meat!!!!! YES! Oh wait, I don't eat meat any more....I only nibble meat." (Thanks Mary for this one!)
BOOM: "Ummmm, let's go this way!"
I called Brian and left him a message that I was headed to the trails. He met me there camera in hand and took a few pictures. Thank you baby!
Boom and I are coming back from our short walk.
We are leaving the trail and headed back to the parking lot. Hey! We actually trotted! Woo hoo!
BOOM: "Look at me! I am a Punk Rocker! Now just need to dye my mane bright pink to match my tie-dye halter!"
BOOM: "The girl has some value. She swats flies. Oh yeah, she feeds me too."
Look at us! Woo hoo! We are out in the wild!
My eyes are changing so I only wear my contacts when I know I won't have to read anything. When I wear my glasses, which is most of the time any more, to see close up I have to peek under the lenses. After seeing this picture I realize why people laugh at me! I look like a dork!
This was the shot I was after while looking under my lenses and looking like a dork!
It looked better in my head....but it is still cool. I can see his brand.
Hee hee! Caught looking like a dork....and realizing it!
A girl and her horse....
The horse flies were horrible but the walk was great. When I first got to the parking lot and hopped out of the truck, horse flies were bouncing off the truck and trailer! Geez! We head to work in the morning and come home in the evening and horse flies are dive bombing the car. They are MEAN! I swatted as many as I could, and he is getting so good about letting me get them.
A couple of the main things we are still working on is his comfort zone with someone walking behind him, and a second or third person walking up to him while one person holds him. He is getting better but is still so very cautious. We will get there.....
Gotta go...it is late.
Until later, Karen and Tripp who thinks it was way too hot to go walking on the trail...okay, not really! Tripp is just jealous. :-)
Check this out! This is so different than the day we picked him up and he would not even give us the false hope of a glance. He was wondering what was going on but he rode like a gentleman! He is learning that forehead rubs mean things are okay. :-)
Sometimes we all do bonehead things....and the only reason I am fessing up is because someone might learn from it. The wildlife area is not too far from the house, so I hooked up the trailer and away we went. Boom moved around a little bit in the trailer and I felt the movement, but I also kept hearing a clunk. When I pulled into the parking lot I realized that I never switched the ball out from the flatbed trailer to the stock trailer! It is a smaller ball....YIKES!!!!! Before we took our walk I did some 'work' and got the balls swapped out. Thankfully it was not bad and I bet I don't forget to double check again! It gave me a little bit of a scare.....Boom was a Rock Star thru all this. He walked back and forth while I started the truck, turned it off, moved forward a little bit, backed up again....all of this and fighting the horse flies! I have never tied him and was not going to 'teach' it now. :-) He was watching me thru the window of the open truck door. I think he would have made fun of me if he knew how! Ha ha!
BOOM: "You can hunt deer? Isn't that meat? I eat meat!!!!! YES! Oh wait, I don't eat meat any more....I only nibble meat." (Thanks Mary for this one!)
BOOM: "Ummmm, let's go this way!"
I called Brian and left him a message that I was headed to the trails. He met me there camera in hand and took a few pictures. Thank you baby!
Boom and I are coming back from our short walk.
We are leaving the trail and headed back to the parking lot. Hey! We actually trotted! Woo hoo!
BOOM: "Look at me! I am a Punk Rocker! Now just need to dye my mane bright pink to match my tie-dye halter!"
BOOM: "The girl has some value. She swats flies. Oh yeah, she feeds me too."
Look at us! Woo hoo! We are out in the wild!
My eyes are changing so I only wear my contacts when I know I won't have to read anything. When I wear my glasses, which is most of the time any more, to see close up I have to peek under the lenses. After seeing this picture I realize why people laugh at me! I look like a dork!
This was the shot I was after while looking under my lenses and looking like a dork!
It looked better in my head....but it is still cool. I can see his brand.
Hee hee! Caught looking like a dork....and realizing it!
A girl and her horse....
The horse flies were horrible but the walk was great. When I first got to the parking lot and hopped out of the truck, horse flies were bouncing off the truck and trailer! Geez! We head to work in the morning and come home in the evening and horse flies are dive bombing the car. They are MEAN! I swatted as many as I could, and he is getting so good about letting me get them.
A couple of the main things we are still working on is his comfort zone with someone walking behind him, and a second or third person walking up to him while one person holds him. He is getting better but is still so very cautious. We will get there.....
Gotta go...it is late.
Until later, Karen and Tripp who thinks it was way too hot to go walking on the trail...okay, not really! Tripp is just jealous. :-)
Making the best of it in a wet muddy world....
This past weekend was pretty good! Brian's Dad and brother came down to help fix the barn canopy and it was done by 3:00 that afternoon! Wow! It has been a little warped and droopy for as long as I have known it, and now it is an issue with the insurance company. Now barn canopy is level again and insurance company should be too! Yay! In between the barn canopy and the guys running errands, I threw my heavy saddle up on Boom and we worked on flapping everything I could think of to flap. It was a great day! Then that night I put it back on him again, but no lead rope! We walked around a bit, but he finally stopped and I heave-ho'd that thing and PLOP! It was on!
Sunday we got storms early that morning so that really messed up my horse plans. Crazy storms yesterday too....driving winds and rain, trees down all over, flash flooding all over the place....just ugly out there.
Well, I am losing my 'calm' so had to do something with Boom....something more than pet on him and spray him. He is ready for more too. The yard is soggy but we went out there anyways and even tho it was a short lesson, it was a real good one! Brian and Madison got here and they helped out with desensitizing Boom to people behind him and on each side. Madison mostly stood on the side just in case Boom decided to move her direction too quick, and Brian did a lot of the leading.
At first Boom has to snort and reaquaint himself with Brian. Once Brian takes the lead, he is fine.
Boom wonders what the shorter girl is doing...she must be up to something just like the rest of the two leggeds!
We have a couple rows of round bales lined up in the front yard waiting their turn to head to the real storage area...so Brian headed between them.
Between the rows on the tight end, and Boom is checking it out....
Out we come! Woo hoo!
Now we go in the wide end and head to the tighter end...
This is the tight turn, and even tho the stirrup pulled and flipped around, Boom did not miss a beat! Brian was so impressed with him! :-)
It is things like this that make me realize that we really have come so far! Wow!
Finally! My turn! Geez...sometimes I feel like I have to steal my horse back! Ha ha! Just kidding! Brian does not get the chance to mess with Boom much, so when he does we both enjoy it for lots of different reasons. Boom and I are being 'posers'! :-)
Boom wanted to pose by himself...and he would like to bring to your attention the purple halter. He is trying to decide which one he likes best...the black, purple, or the tie-dye. I think he looks great in all of them and it depends on the mood and the day as to what color we wear. Fun days - definitely tie-dye! Hee hee!
Nothing like a black and white...
I walked around the trailer and he made every turn except one. He ran into a tail light but that is because he crowds me, even when I am on the trailer, so this taught him to back off a bit when we made our second round. He is totally okay with me being above him.
I have been working on this with my mounting bucket in the pen. Do you realize how hard it was to be so close to the saddle and not try to slide on? But....no helmet, and not a smart move considering we are in the yard and the ground is squishy, so no good safe place to contain ourselves if he would panic. PATIENCE!!! :-) We will get there....just not today.
Putting weight on the saddle. I did this on both sides and he paid attention but didn't seem worried.
Did this on both sides too....kept my foot lightly in the stirrup and moved my leg around. If he would panic I was in it light enough to slide my toe out.
Trailer loading tonite was fantabulous! He went right in the first time! Wow! This was his first time in wearing the saddle.
This picture is not one of the best, but it is funny. Before I headed to the yard I was trying to get him to look at me for a picture in the pretty purple halter. He kept looking away and Brian started talking to him to get his attention. No luck - Boom looked away. So Brian then used reverse psychology. He said "Boom, don't you look over here, you look over there! Nope, don't look at us!" then don't you know it he looked at me and had this cute look on his face. Timing was perfect....and I am still convinced he knows some English and just plays like he doesn't.
He is getting so much more comfortable with me being close to his face. I even scratched the back of his ears tonite, and his ears have been a 'no touch' zone.
Relaxing after our little work out. I was so happy by the time we were done and so very proud of Boom.
Okay, okay,.....Boom wanted me to put in this picture too. It is his "I am a cow horse" picture. He wants you to picture him with a cowboy or cowgirl on him, standing on a ridge in the middle of nowhere looking over the herd of cattle in the valley below. No human words are spoken....because they are not needed. The future....friends with a two legged. Who would have thought it could happen? Surely not Boom if you ask him! :-)
We have more rain in the forecast this afternoon and again this weekend. Our garden is grown a lot of beautiful weeds! Isn't it amazing how the weeds grow when there is too much rain but the edible stuff drowns out? We have planted part of our garden twice because it got drowned out, and it really isn't doing as good as it could be. I will be happy with anything we get out of it. Cherry tomatoes are starting....now waiting for the big ones.
YIKES! Gotta get to work. I got carried away on here! :-)
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Until later....Karen and Tripp who says he looks good in purple too! :-)
Sunday we got storms early that morning so that really messed up my horse plans. Crazy storms yesterday too....driving winds and rain, trees down all over, flash flooding all over the place....just ugly out there.
Well, I am losing my 'calm' so had to do something with Boom....something more than pet on him and spray him. He is ready for more too. The yard is soggy but we went out there anyways and even tho it was a short lesson, it was a real good one! Brian and Madison got here and they helped out with desensitizing Boom to people behind him and on each side. Madison mostly stood on the side just in case Boom decided to move her direction too quick, and Brian did a lot of the leading.
At first Boom has to snort and reaquaint himself with Brian. Once Brian takes the lead, he is fine.
Boom wonders what the shorter girl is doing...she must be up to something just like the rest of the two leggeds!
We have a couple rows of round bales lined up in the front yard waiting their turn to head to the real storage area...so Brian headed between them.
Between the rows on the tight end, and Boom is checking it out....
Out we come! Woo hoo!
Now we go in the wide end and head to the tighter end...
This is the tight turn, and even tho the stirrup pulled and flipped around, Boom did not miss a beat! Brian was so impressed with him! :-)
It is things like this that make me realize that we really have come so far! Wow!
Finally! My turn! Geez...sometimes I feel like I have to steal my horse back! Ha ha! Just kidding! Brian does not get the chance to mess with Boom much, so when he does we both enjoy it for lots of different reasons. Boom and I are being 'posers'! :-)
Boom wanted to pose by himself...and he would like to bring to your attention the purple halter. He is trying to decide which one he likes best...the black, purple, or the tie-dye. I think he looks great in all of them and it depends on the mood and the day as to what color we wear. Fun days - definitely tie-dye! Hee hee!
Nothing like a black and white...
I walked around the trailer and he made every turn except one. He ran into a tail light but that is because he crowds me, even when I am on the trailer, so this taught him to back off a bit when we made our second round. He is totally okay with me being above him.
I have been working on this with my mounting bucket in the pen. Do you realize how hard it was to be so close to the saddle and not try to slide on? But....no helmet, and not a smart move considering we are in the yard and the ground is squishy, so no good safe place to contain ourselves if he would panic. PATIENCE!!! :-) We will get there....just not today.
Putting weight on the saddle. I did this on both sides and he paid attention but didn't seem worried.
Did this on both sides too....kept my foot lightly in the stirrup and moved my leg around. If he would panic I was in it light enough to slide my toe out.
Trailer loading tonite was fantabulous! He went right in the first time! Wow! This was his first time in wearing the saddle.
This picture is not one of the best, but it is funny. Before I headed to the yard I was trying to get him to look at me for a picture in the pretty purple halter. He kept looking away and Brian started talking to him to get his attention. No luck - Boom looked away. So Brian then used reverse psychology. He said "Boom, don't you look over here, you look over there! Nope, don't look at us!" then don't you know it he looked at me and had this cute look on his face. Timing was perfect....and I am still convinced he knows some English and just plays like he doesn't.
He is getting so much more comfortable with me being close to his face. I even scratched the back of his ears tonite, and his ears have been a 'no touch' zone.
Relaxing after our little work out. I was so happy by the time we were done and so very proud of Boom.
Okay, okay,.....Boom wanted me to put in this picture too. It is his "I am a cow horse" picture. He wants you to picture him with a cowboy or cowgirl on him, standing on a ridge in the middle of nowhere looking over the herd of cattle in the valley below. No human words are spoken....because they are not needed. The future....friends with a two legged. Who would have thought it could happen? Surely not Boom if you ask him! :-)
We have more rain in the forecast this afternoon and again this weekend. Our garden is grown a lot of beautiful weeds! Isn't it amazing how the weeds grow when there is too much rain but the edible stuff drowns out? We have planted part of our garden twice because it got drowned out, and it really isn't doing as good as it could be. I will be happy with anything we get out of it. Cherry tomatoes are starting....now waiting for the big ones.
YIKES! Gotta get to work. I got carried away on here! :-)
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Until later....Karen and Tripp who says he looks good in purple too! :-)
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