One Week Anniversary

It's hard to believe Roo has been with me a week. Time sure does fly by. Happy One Week Anniversary Roo!

Yesterday was Halloween and we had an unusually warm day (70's) which some said may have been our belated Indian Summer. Roo, who has a heavy coat, didn't like it this warm, so Lori noted he stayed in the run in alot during the day.

I gave him the night off last night because everyone needs some days off with pay (hay and grain...). Even when we don't work, I still groom, lift feet and visit with my horses. Last night Roo seemed to understand I was going to bring him out of the stall right after grooming Eagle. This has been my pattern since he came, and so he waits by his door while I take care of cleaning up Eagle and putting him up, because Roo knows I will be at his stall with his halter next.

Tonight was the clearest sign that Roo is identifying with me as his handler. Although he is friendly with everyone, and will come and investigate whomever looks into his stall, he now checks his feeder as soon as he sees me because he knows I sometimes throw three baby carrots in there in first passing his stall. I do not hand feed. It's a policy of mine because it encourages a horse to seek out your hands for treats at all times, and many people get bitten this way. So I always throw my treats in a feeder. If I am on the road, I put the treat in a smaller bucket that I carry in my trailer and feed my horses from that bucket. As a result, none of my horses seek my hands out for treats.

Tonight I started with grooming, feet and added a little ear massage. Roo didn't mind this at all. In fact, he leaned into the ear I was massaging, first right and then left. Tonight we worked on aisle manners and standing quietly by the handler until the handler decides it is time to move. I simply walked up and down the aisle talking to people as they worked either grooming their horses or cleaning tack, with Roo in tow.

There are oh so many distractions in a stable aisle. So many halters and lead ropes to investigate, so many other horses to sniff, but Roo understood to stand by me after one or two corrections. He waited patiently by the end of our journey to move onto the next adventure zone. When he had performed nicely for the last five minutes of his aisle work, I then encouraged him to seek out and investigate things on the floor and walls.

I get many comments on my horses handling manners because I use the same psychology you use in teaching a dog to heel--that is you ask for them to stand with you until you give them permission to move away. I use "okay" as the verbal for "permission to move away" and "stand" as the word for wanting the horse to stay with me. Since I use the stand command in a standing exercise I do in hand anyway, it just reinforces that when I say it I want the horse to simply stand with me until I decide the next move.

I have also tested Roo's cross tie tolerance by leaving him in them alone for a bit of time (maybe two minutes to three minutes) while I walk down the aisle, or pick out his stall, or find something in my tack trunk. He is very good about it. Just stands there.

We also watched another newcomer to the barn, Daisy, lunge today in the indoor arena. Roo just stood by me the whole time. We practiced back up and some showmanship turns in the aisle. Then I decided to introduce Roo to the wash stall...not to get wet, just to visit.

The wash stall at Painted Acres is concrete cinderblock with black pourous floor mats. The hose hangs from the wall, there are crossties, a window to the outside in the back of it, and some shampoo bottles lined up along the window. There are two scrubbing brushes in the wash stall. It is a small step up to get in, which keeps the water running into the middle drain and not all over the aisleways.

I simply walked in and let the lead rope dangle between me and Roo. He is so curious he just can't help himself. He lowered his head and sniffed the black mats, then put both front feet on them, sniffed them again, and then figured there was not much to them and came right on in. After investigating all of the shampoo bottles and brushes, we did a nice little turn and he was facing outward. I crosstied him there and stood with him for a few minutes, then undid the crossties and made him wait until I said "okay" and off we went.

He is just so good.

Lori reported to me that he is now patiently waiting for his halter to be removed in the pasture for turnout.

My farrier came up to our farm today to do my horses at home (I have four at home). He had been to Painted Acres and Lori had shown him Roo in the field. He thinks he is a wonderful looking horse and was happy when I told him how nicely Roo lifts his feet thanks to some really good training in Vermont, and how I was reinforcing that. "That's good!" he said. "Because he is going to be a BIG boy!" Let's hope so!

Here is a picture of Eagle, our Pinto, who also lives at Painted Acres with Roo.

Tomorrow we will do more lunge work after my lessons. I try to do no more than 15 - 20 minutes of work with Roo each night. This keeps his mind fresh and he doesn't get bored.

Our first week together has gone by quickly, and I'm looking forward to our time ahead!