October 20, 2008 – More leading practice

Red King must have been taken. I did check the database for both CSH and CWB before I sent in the form - neither had a Red King. I looked up TBs too and there was one way back in the early 1900s.

We had a little leading practice on the weekend after he'd eaten his lunch. At first all was good, then the other horses finished eating and wandered off to the hay at the other end of the field. Rory wanted to go too and started off a couple of times. He did stop when he hit the end of the leadrope. We started walking after them and he got a little too excited so I circled him, stopped, backed a couple of steps and walked on again. After doing that twice he behaved for the rest of the walk over. Mum nickered at him as we walked by. I led him this way and that, and did some yielding ie. move bum sideways away from a touch. He was very good and I slipped the halter off after a few minutes. He stayed for a scritch and then wandered over to his mum.

August 13, 2008 – A growing boy

Rory was sleeping when I went into his stall last night. He had been sleeping, he was awake, but still lying down. I wanted him up to eat his cal-pi and let me check his bum and he was very uncooperative. I had to pull him flat several times before he finally got up. He ate all his pellets as well as licking up the powder.

I gave him a little grooming and picked up his feet. On the right front he backed up and dropped down to see if I'd let him go. I didn't, just followed him as he went down and scratched him when he finally came back up and stood quietly. He wiggled on the right hind too, but mum was scritching his back with her lip so it threw his balance off a bit. I put some more zinc on his bum.

I gave mum a bit of a scratch (a pretty good one actually) with a curry and she enjoyed that. She wanted to mutual groom, but I was out of reach (and don't let her groom me anyway) so she went for Rory. She's pretty rough when I get a good spot and he gave a little buck and ran round her bum to escape. He was good and didn't try to nibble me while I was occupied with his mum. I did keep an eye on him and give him the odd scritch with my free hand when he got close.

He struck me as very big last night when he finally got up. I'm not sure why. But taller and a little more substantial. Maybe it was just that he took up most of the stall when he was lying in the middle.