Skeletor had, somehow, gotten free from his halter.
We'd been leaving a halter on his head as he's not been the easiest to catch as he didn't REMEMBER anything from when he was little!
My 4-H meeting got canceled due to equipment not working at the extension office...so home I went.
He got it off a couple days ago, but with it getting PITCH black by the time I get home I hadn't had a chance to work his little butt and catch him!
I knew it was going to be a 'fight'. I mean, I knew Skelly was going to have work quite a bit before he came into me. It had been a while (damn weather) since he'd been worked.
Changed clothes.......and away to the round pen I went. New halter in hand.
Something at our neighbor's was making him run laps....so he'd already had a warm up by the time I got there!
One lap......two lap......step away from him.... what a good boy he turned to the inside.....
Switch Directions...
One lap.....two lap.....step away...turned to the inside..... GOOD BOY!
Switch direction......
Switch direction.....
step away......
Skelly stopped.
I walked to him......he stood still while I approached...licking and chewing...
GOOD BOY!
Halter on and good to go!
Spent the next 5 or 10 mins doing some desensitizing.
Swung end of rope around and around...... in front of him....right side...left side.....lather, rinse, repeat about 4 times......
ended on a good note!
Good boy!
Halter came back off.....
He won't be wearing one 24/7 anymore.
Showing posts with label round pen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label round pen. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Play with Skeletor
Although I didn't get out to the round pen till well after dark last night, I did take some time to go play with Skeletor with OUT putting medicine on his owie.
It took him a few minutes to realize I was 'ok' in the dark and I wasn't the big, bad boogie monster.
I took some treats.
Rubbed his head, scratched his ears....made loud noises by 'slapping' his blanket and scratching it....undid and redid his Velcro (he use to HATE THAT). Made him lower his head to pressure behind his ears (getting ready for the bridle at some point) He wasn't perfect. He did stay right with me though. He jumped sometimes, at somethings. But I've never messed with him in the dark before, and he hasn't been messed with THAT MUCH in the daylight!
Why bother? Because I don't want him to think every time I go out there I'm going to do something he sees as 'bad'.
It's like the cowboy who can't catch his horse. When asked how often he catches his horse he replied "only when I need him to work". DUH, if I only came to you when I needed you to do something for me....don't you think about the 3rd or 4th time I saw you coming, or saw your name on caller ID I'd run the other way or not answer? Damn Skippy!
Horses are no different. Creatures of habit, hello!
So...Skelly and I played last night. I think he enjoyed it. He followed me all over..and tried to follow me out to gate!
He's a good boy, and quick learner!
It took him a few minutes to realize I was 'ok' in the dark and I wasn't the big, bad boogie monster.
I took some treats.
Rubbed his head, scratched his ears....made loud noises by 'slapping' his blanket and scratching it....undid and redid his Velcro (he use to HATE THAT). Made him lower his head to pressure behind his ears (getting ready for the bridle at some point) He wasn't perfect. He did stay right with me though. He jumped sometimes, at somethings. But I've never messed with him in the dark before, and he hasn't been messed with THAT MUCH in the daylight!
Why bother? Because I don't want him to think every time I go out there I'm going to do something he sees as 'bad'.
It's like the cowboy who can't catch his horse. When asked how often he catches his horse he replied "only when I need him to work". DUH, if I only came to you when I needed you to do something for me....don't you think about the 3rd or 4th time I saw you coming, or saw your name on caller ID I'd run the other way or not answer? Damn Skippy!
Horses are no different. Creatures of habit, hello!
So...Skelly and I played last night. I think he enjoyed it. He followed me all over..and tried to follow me out to gate!
He's a good boy, and quick learner!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday AM Meds
Ok.....this is a test
A test to see what Skeletor learned yesterday
I got up at 6:15 and said...well...I might as well get out there....this way if he's bad I've got almost an hour to work with him before I have to get ready to leave for work.....
I gathered up my stuff.....meds....water spray bottle.....grain with mushed up meds...and headed to the round pen...
I opened the gate.....i set the bucket down...I closed the gate.....I turned around.......I set the bucket in his food bucket.....I turned around......I walked up to Skeletor and he.....
Stood still......let me catch him.....and attach his lead rope.....
Lots of head scratching and licking and chewing......
We pulled his blanket off......
I started spraying......
Robert sprayed the medicine with only a slight sideways step....
He put the baking powder over it with only a slight flinch....
Blankets went back on
neck cover went back on...with lots of Velcro noise
he stood nice and still
pressure behind ears lowered head and got some licking and chewing
on both sides
we backed up....walked forward...backed up....walked forward....
scratches on the head...licking and chewing....
and then I let him go to eat his breakfast.
What a good Skelly, good boy.
Skeletor, the Round Pen, Sweat, Houdini
Now.....that's a mouth full!!
Arrived home last night with about 20 mins of daylight left. Skeletor had been soo good I figured NO problem!
Grabbed the WATER spray bottle, the medicine spray bottle, and the baking powder....and his dinner,m his blanket and off I went.....
I walked into the round pen, set down the bucket. I turned to shut the gate.....turned around and the flight was on! Skeletor wouldn't get near me. He would run the other way and swing his butt my direction...nope...nothing doing.....
Around the round pen we went. I started using 1/2 the pen...turning him to keep him away from his bucket (which hangs on the side of the round pen) and his blanket which I'd laid next to his bucket.
Over and over he'd swing his ass my way. Over and Over I'd turn him, over and over he'd turn his butt. When he did turn towards me...I wouldn't send him away quite so hard.
When he'd turn into me 2x in a row...and turn my shoulder in and ask him to stop.
I'd approach him and he'd run...
Lather, Rinse, Repeat for a good 30 mins.
It's dark.....I can't see all that well....and he's still going......
He'd stop and let me almost get to him and take off....
and Around and Around we'd go....AGAIN.
Finally, FINALLY after about 45 mins he turned into me when I asked him to stop....licking and chewing and stood stark still as I approached. I rubbed his sweaty head while he licked and chewed. I clipped the lead rope on him and we walked to the gate.
He was huffing and puffing and was sooooo tired! Poor guy.
Bless his heart. It's not his fault he doesn't know anything.....but he learned a great lesson tonight.
He was too hot to eat and too sweaty to blanket.
I took him over to his old "pen" and tied him to a tree to 'chill' out while I went to feed and blanket the others.
I fed and blanketed one and went back to the pen to check Skelly. He'd pulled his rope and was munching some grass on the ground.
I went back to the pen and shortened his rope and left him in his pen.
I went to the front to feed Cam, Pissy, and Momma and blanket them.
Momma no problem....Cam, no problem. Pissy on the other hand wanted no part of being caught or blanketed. She ran around for about 5 or 10 mins. Long enough for Cam to eat his dinner and get his blanket on. I took her grain and blanket and left the pen. No catch, no dinner. That simple. She wouldn't change her mind. There's a big round bale in her pen...she's not starving.
I walked back to the feed 'barn' and as I rounded the corner I glanced at the pen where Skelly was. He was running around his pen, no halter or lead.
SHIT!
What happened?
I dropped buckets, blanket, flashlight and walked to the pen. He'd pulled on the rope and slipped his halter off. GREAT!
He's had his halter on for a while now. It's the only way we can catch him. He's NEVER going to let me get a halter back on him.
I hung Pissy's bucket on the fence....
A few approach and retreat and approach and retreat....a little patience on my part and Skelly let me put his halter on. He just stood there and let me put his halter on.
What a good boy. He'd learned something in that round pen session tonight. People aren't so bad. Mom is in charge.
No longer huffing and puffing but still a bit damp we walked to his round pen. I put his blanket on....he stood very still.
I decided he needed his neck cover.
It's pitch black....has been for over an hour.
He walks calmly beside me back to the feed 'barn' to get his neck cover....
He stands still while I put it on. That means undoing the Velcro....Velcro use to scare Skelly. He doesn't budge.
We walk calmly back to the round pen.
We back...we walk forward...we back....he's light and responsive. He lowers his head to pressure behind the ears....first on the left, then the right. We back one more time. Perfect....
I rub his face between his eyes. He licks and chews....
I unclip the lead and he follows me to his bucket. When I step away he started to devour his dinner.....
What a good boy.....
Very tired I gather buckets, blanket that should be on my filly and flashlight and put things away.
I go inside and find a hungry Tucker and company.
I feed the hungry dogs, and let them out....
9pm I'm making dinner for myself......
What a night!!!
Arrived home last night with about 20 mins of daylight left. Skeletor had been soo good I figured NO problem!
Grabbed the WATER spray bottle, the medicine spray bottle, and the baking powder....and his dinner,m his blanket and off I went.....
I walked into the round pen, set down the bucket. I turned to shut the gate.....turned around and the flight was on! Skeletor wouldn't get near me. He would run the other way and swing his butt my direction...nope...nothing doing.....
Around the round pen we went. I started using 1/2 the pen...turning him to keep him away from his bucket (which hangs on the side of the round pen) and his blanket which I'd laid next to his bucket.
Over and over he'd swing his ass my way. Over and Over I'd turn him, over and over he'd turn his butt. When he did turn towards me...I wouldn't send him away quite so hard.
When he'd turn into me 2x in a row...and turn my shoulder in and ask him to stop.
I'd approach him and he'd run...
Lather, Rinse, Repeat for a good 30 mins.
It's dark.....I can't see all that well....and he's still going......
He'd stop and let me almost get to him and take off....
and Around and Around we'd go....AGAIN.
Finally, FINALLY after about 45 mins he turned into me when I asked him to stop....licking and chewing and stood stark still as I approached. I rubbed his sweaty head while he licked and chewed. I clipped the lead rope on him and we walked to the gate.
He was huffing and puffing and was sooooo tired! Poor guy.
Bless his heart. It's not his fault he doesn't know anything.....but he learned a great lesson tonight.
He was too hot to eat and too sweaty to blanket.
I took him over to his old "pen" and tied him to a tree to 'chill' out while I went to feed and blanket the others.
I fed and blanketed one and went back to the pen to check Skelly. He'd pulled his rope and was munching some grass on the ground.
I went back to the pen and shortened his rope and left him in his pen.
I went to the front to feed Cam, Pissy, and Momma and blanket them.
Momma no problem....Cam, no problem. Pissy on the other hand wanted no part of being caught or blanketed. She ran around for about 5 or 10 mins. Long enough for Cam to eat his dinner and get his blanket on. I took her grain and blanket and left the pen. No catch, no dinner. That simple. She wouldn't change her mind. There's a big round bale in her pen...she's not starving.
I walked back to the feed 'barn' and as I rounded the corner I glanced at the pen where Skelly was. He was running around his pen, no halter or lead.
SHIT!
What happened?
I dropped buckets, blanket, flashlight and walked to the pen. He'd pulled on the rope and slipped his halter off. GREAT!
He's had his halter on for a while now. It's the only way we can catch him. He's NEVER going to let me get a halter back on him.
I hung Pissy's bucket on the fence....
A few approach and retreat and approach and retreat....a little patience on my part and Skelly let me put his halter on. He just stood there and let me put his halter on.
What a good boy. He'd learned something in that round pen session tonight. People aren't so bad. Mom is in charge.
No longer huffing and puffing but still a bit damp we walked to his round pen. I put his blanket on....he stood very still.
I decided he needed his neck cover.
It's pitch black....has been for over an hour.
He walks calmly beside me back to the feed 'barn' to get his neck cover....
He stands still while I put it on. That means undoing the Velcro....Velcro use to scare Skelly. He doesn't budge.
We walk calmly back to the round pen.
We back...we walk forward...we back....he's light and responsive. He lowers his head to pressure behind the ears....first on the left, then the right. We back one more time. Perfect....
I rub his face between his eyes. He licks and chews....
I unclip the lead and he follows me to his bucket. When I step away he started to devour his dinner.....
What a good boy.....
Very tired I gather buckets, blanket that should be on my filly and flashlight and put things away.
I go inside and find a hungry Tucker and company.
I feed the hungry dogs, and let them out....
9pm I'm making dinner for myself......
What a night!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)