Roo Is Growing!!!

I noticed today while working with him that Roo has definitely grown. Even more so than what is shown in this photo. He stands about 15.3 now, and he has begun to fill out in his shoulder area.

Today we worked with the tarp. Roo hasn't seen the tarp since he left Vermont, but he hasn't forgotten it. Today he stood on it like a trooper, chased it, and then let me put it on him like a little blanket.

He free lunges quite well now, staying on the circle around me even though we have a full arena. And today for the first time, Roo trotted on command and came to a halt on whoa, without any prompting other than voice (no props, no body language).

My vet was at the barn today as his daughter takes a lesson with the owner every Saturday at 5:30. He watched Roo work and couldn't believe how good he was. He said that Roo was a very nice horse, with a great personality!

Roo has also learned to stand away from the stall door consistently when you bring a wheelbarrow up to clean his stall. And, he will stand there now even if you let his door wide open and move away from it. Unless you halter him, he won't come out.

He also knows I won't feed him treats from my hand, and when I enter his stall he moves immediately to his bucket and waits for a treat. I've been working on him more in his stall. I groom him there, and put on and take off his blanket there. I also do this in crossties, but I've been spending alot of time on stall handling as Roo would often put his ears back at anyone entering his stall. The "stand" command comes in handy when I'm taking his blanket off.

Despite our unseasonably warm weather, our rain, and our mud, Roo is very clean. His sheet/blanket keeps his body dry and clean, and I pick out his hooves, and clean his feathers every day. He is great to groom in the crossties, because he loves being groomed, particularly being scratched at his withers, and he likes to stand out in the aisle and see what is going on around him.

Tomorrow we are expecting sleet and freezing rain into the afternoon, so I'm not sure we'll get to work together, but Roo is in very good hands when I am not there. All of the horses stayed in today due to bad weather and will more than likely stay in tomorrow, so when that happens, the owners put Roo and a buddy in the indoor to play for a while as they clean their stalls, then they are put back into their stalls when they are clean. Roo definitely likes to play!

What Do You Mean--Christmas Is Over?

Christmas just got here, and now it's over? Hi, this is Roo. My mom has been lax in writing in this blog because she was very busy during the holidays. But I still saw her almost every day, even on Christmas Day.

She's been making me do some different things. I definitely know how to stay in my stall when the door is open now, even when she is picking out my stall. I don't try to leave it. Mostly, I tried to leave it because I was curious, but now I know I'm supposed to wait until my halter is on to leave the stall. I know the difference.

I am also very very good at coming to Mom in the field when she squats down on the ground and puts her hand out. My buddy Sam has learned the trick inadvertently and he sometimes beats me to her! Sam's owners are very glad he is in my field, because he is learning good things from my Mom too!

Mom is trying to teach me something I don't understand yet. I can explain it though. She takes me off lead in the indoor arena and walks behind me and twirls the lead line a little and says TROT ROO and I just look at her. I don't think that is what she wants. So then she takes the lead line and touches my butt with it a little and says TROT and she starts jogging in place and I start to jog away too and as soon as I do she stops. So I stop. Then I get a pat. We did that about a gazillion times by now. I have noticed something though. When Mom says that word and jogs in place, and if I move out jogging myself without her touching the lead rope to my butt, I get a treat! But if she touches the lead rope to my butt, I just get a pat. Not that a pat isn't a good thing, but that treat is the BEST! She was very happy with me the last time we worked on this, so I must be doing something right. I got 3 treats out of 5 times! Hmmmmmm......I have to think about this.

Mom says she has a picture of Pepper Pony trying to escape the paddock in Vermont. Maybe he is trying to come and see me? I don't think my buddy Sin would like him. Sin is very grouchy and doesn't like anyone, but he does like me.

Mom gave me a slight hair cut. She posted it on the board (Roo got a haircut) because she knew she had to break it to everyone gently before they saw me....I kinda like it myself. Mom says there are some burrs in the field where I am and I always seem to find them for her. I don't know what she is talking about.

Mom tells me that after she is done teaching her intersession class next week, we are going to start on using a bit while we work. Whatever....she says all these words I don't really understand, but it makes her happy.

I got lots of treats at Christmas. I will never be able to eat them all......uhm.....yes, I WILL! I also got a new Himalayan Salt block.

I have a sheet and when I wear it I keep it very nice. I don't rip it or dirty it. But, I do like to chew on Andy's sheet. I don't let anyone bother mine though.

I hear someone else I know has a blog! My Mom is going to read it soon and catch up with happenings in Vermont, where I came from.

Well, I'm tired. It's a hard day for us babies you know. Grazing, playing, visiting the horses in all the other fields along the fence line. The weather is so warm here. It was 60 degrees today! I didn't wear my sheet in three days because it has been so warm.

Oh, one more thing. The farrier checked my feet and said they are very good! He liked me and told me I was very good and very handsome. He had a friend with him who also liked me. So far, the dentist and the farrier have both checked me and said I don't need their services yet, so that is good.

Goodnight!

Roo