- Jan 25, 2008
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Owner's bragg!
So I struggled with a round bale of hay this morning to get it out of the very back of the barn and out into the pasture and then into the hay shelter for the horses to munch on while we're on the mountains. After 20-30 minutes struggling with that, I got it accomplished and then went to lunch. Upon coming home both horses were munching on the hay, but Blackjack had his head ontop the barrel looking over it, in what seemed a strange position, but whatever.
A few minutes later he's still in the same position, I realize what the little booger has done. The hay shelter is a 6'X10' pole barn in the middle of the pasture, designed to enclose two round bales of hay, keeping the animals from trampling(and relieving themselves) in the hay, and keeping the hay out of the rain. Well, little fat Blackjack had squeezed himself(and I mean SQUEEZED) into the shelter, past the hay bale and into the back of the shelter. A 90 degree turn forward with no room to manuever or turn around. For those with experience with horses, KNOW they tend to panic in tight spaces, being naturall claustrophobic. I sigh and walk closer to evaluate the situation, I chase the older more dominant horse away(probably why Blackjack FORCED himself into such a tight spot). Visions of panicked horse and a broken hay shelter are going through my head, I imagine like most horses would, he would panick and try to charge through the shelters boards to escape.
A little background info on Blackjack. He was a rescue case, I got him when he was almost 2 years old and he was completely emaciated and NEVER had ANY hands on him. So basically an emaciated wild 2 year old stallion. He wouldn't let people get within 15 feet of him. So after a few days of getting him accustomed to being fed, we started a practice to where we would stand over the buckets and eventually, they had to eat from the bucket we were holding or they wouldn't get dinner. It worked and we were able to get a halter on to him. It went slowly from there, but after 2 years he is now a 4 year old stallion who loads, picks up his feet, grooms, bathes, and saddles. I'm waiting on gelding to begin actual riding. He is a foundation bred black quarter horse, who could be registered, but I'm gelding him and not about to pay $1000 to get papers on him I'll never use. He even has Man O War in his bloodline, isn't that cool?
Okay, so a 4 year old ground trained only stallion wedged in a hay shelter, his only SAFE escape is a 90 degree turn backwards and a tight SQUEEZE BACKWARDS to get out. Not halter, no rope. I go to his shoulder and tell him "back", he starts to wig out, but he does it and has now made the corner. Now for the tight squeeze(he has a HUGE grassbelly(broodmare about to give birth HUGE)), I figured at this point he is going to "try" and jump out forward or will listen and back. So I tell him back again and he backs until he feels the squeeze and starts forward again, so I say a little louder "back!" and he does it. Wedges himself out backwards. Gets out into the opening and stops and looks around sheepishly and then walks away to graze.
THAT is my kind of horse. I love my level headed, no worries quarter horse. This is the same horse, that was taught to load with just a scoop of oats and zero hesitation.
I was beaming with pride and had to share...
So I struggled with a round bale of hay this morning to get it out of the very back of the barn and out into the pasture and then into the hay shelter for the horses to munch on while we're on the mountains. After 20-30 minutes struggling with that, I got it accomplished and then went to lunch. Upon coming home both horses were munching on the hay, but Blackjack had his head ontop the barrel looking over it, in what seemed a strange position, but whatever.
A few minutes later he's still in the same position, I realize what the little booger has done. The hay shelter is a 6'X10' pole barn in the middle of the pasture, designed to enclose two round bales of hay, keeping the animals from trampling(and relieving themselves) in the hay, and keeping the hay out of the rain. Well, little fat Blackjack had squeezed himself(and I mean SQUEEZED) into the shelter, past the hay bale and into the back of the shelter. A 90 degree turn forward with no room to manuever or turn around. For those with experience with horses, KNOW they tend to panic in tight spaces, being naturall claustrophobic. I sigh and walk closer to evaluate the situation, I chase the older more dominant horse away(probably why Blackjack FORCED himself into such a tight spot). Visions of panicked horse and a broken hay shelter are going through my head, I imagine like most horses would, he would panick and try to charge through the shelters boards to escape.
A little background info on Blackjack. He was a rescue case, I got him when he was almost 2 years old and he was completely emaciated and NEVER had ANY hands on him. So basically an emaciated wild 2 year old stallion. He wouldn't let people get within 15 feet of him. So after a few days of getting him accustomed to being fed, we started a practice to where we would stand over the buckets and eventually, they had to eat from the bucket we were holding or they wouldn't get dinner. It worked and we were able to get a halter on to him. It went slowly from there, but after 2 years he is now a 4 year old stallion who loads, picks up his feet, grooms, bathes, and saddles. I'm waiting on gelding to begin actual riding. He is a foundation bred black quarter horse, who could be registered, but I'm gelding him and not about to pay $1000 to get papers on him I'll never use. He even has Man O War in his bloodline, isn't that cool?
Okay, so a 4 year old ground trained only stallion wedged in a hay shelter, his only SAFE escape is a 90 degree turn backwards and a tight SQUEEZE BACKWARDS to get out. Not halter, no rope. I go to his shoulder and tell him "back", he starts to wig out, but he does it and has now made the corner. Now for the tight squeeze(he has a HUGE grassbelly(broodmare about to give birth HUGE)), I figured at this point he is going to "try" and jump out forward or will listen and back. So I tell him back again and he backs until he feels the squeeze and starts forward again, so I say a little louder "back!" and he does it. Wedges himself out backwards. Gets out into the opening and stops and looks around sheepishly and then walks away to graze.
THAT is my kind of horse. I love my level headed, no worries quarter horse. This is the same horse, that was taught to load with just a scoop of oats and zero hesitation.
