I was out playing with Rory on the weekend. He got groomed and a little leading practice. Yesterday he took a little nip at me (without connecting) when I insisted he walk beside me and not crowd or rush past. I growled and threatened him for a few seconds and he didn't try it again.
He's so dusty that I took my spray bottle of water out to help keep the static electricity down and get the dust onto the brush. He was perfectly fine with being sprayed when I was braiding his mane for the shows that it didn't occur to me that it might bother him. But we all know horses. He decided that it was scary and tried to walk away from me. Good thing it's just water and I could keep spritzing until he settled. He stood still and just rolled his eyes at it after a minute or so. He looked so good with the dust off. Of course I couldn't get all the ground in dust out of his coat so as soon as I scritched him for being good I brought up a new layer.
He's getting the feeding thing figured out. I go out and dump the other mom's feed first, then Rory's mom, then the other mare's, and then hang Rory's bucket on the fence. He follows me around from tub to tub and then back to the fence to get his feed. I've been hanging out with him at a gradually increasing distance, just staying close enough to warn off any of the mares (mostly the foaless one - she always finishes first as she doesn't get that much feed) if they try to bother him. Rory doesn't get very much so he's usually done before the two moms are.
The other foal came to see what we were doing during yesterday's leading lesson, and stuck around after I'd slipped the halter off Rory. So he got a little leading practice too.
We're getting close to weaning time soon. The BO's are working out turnout plans for the winter. We're looking at another 3-4 weeks before weaning day. Rory's up for gelding on Friday (if all is well) so he'll be healed up by weaning time. The other foal's scheduled for later. Which is actually a good thing. That way the healthy foal/weanling will be able to chase the recovering one around and help keep things draining. At least that's the plan.
He's so dusty that I took my spray bottle of water out to help keep the static electricity down and get the dust onto the brush. He was perfectly fine with being sprayed when I was braiding his mane for the shows that it didn't occur to me that it might bother him. But we all know horses. He decided that it was scary and tried to walk away from me. Good thing it's just water and I could keep spritzing until he settled. He stood still and just rolled his eyes at it after a minute or so. He looked so good with the dust off. Of course I couldn't get all the ground in dust out of his coat so as soon as I scritched him for being good I brought up a new layer.
He's getting the feeding thing figured out. I go out and dump the other mom's feed first, then Rory's mom, then the other mare's, and then hang Rory's bucket on the fence. He follows me around from tub to tub and then back to the fence to get his feed. I've been hanging out with him at a gradually increasing distance, just staying close enough to warn off any of the mares (mostly the foaless one - she always finishes first as she doesn't get that much feed) if they try to bother him. Rory doesn't get very much so he's usually done before the two moms are.
The other foal came to see what we were doing during yesterday's leading lesson, and stuck around after I'd slipped the halter off Rory. So he got a little leading practice too.
We're getting close to weaning time soon. The BO's are working out turnout plans for the winter. We're looking at another 3-4 weeks before weaning day. Rory's up for gelding on Friday (if all is well) so he'll be healed up by weaning time. The other foal's scheduled for later. Which is actually a good thing. That way the healthy foal/weanling will be able to chase the recovering one around and help keep things draining. At least that's the plan.
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