Kalvin and Jackson, out in the pasture, took off at a run when they saw me coming. Seriously, Jackson. I understand Kalvin running off since he will spook at anything but you? Snorting, head high, trembling, bug eyed beast at me??
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| Sorry. You just looked so.... weird with that bag. I'm okay now. I think. |
He did eventually get close enough to take a cautious sniff at the bag.
Winston and Flash were in the barn. Winston spends the mornings inside eating his flake of alfalfa and extra grass hay. He's putting on weight nicely. Flash is in the barn to keep Winston company. They didn't care too much about the bag on my leg. Winston was bored and demonstrated his favorite game of "throw your halter on the ground." Or maybe it was a hint.
He begged me to ride him. I explained that I would love nothing more than to do that but it wouldn't be much fun for either of us at this point. I hugged his face, kissed his nose, and rubbed his forehead. He seemed to understand and forgive me.
Flash snorted at the bag and his blue eyes opened wide but he relaxed quickly. There isn't much that rattles him. After you've done fireworks and flares, a plastic bag is nothing.
such cute boys. yeah, my zim can't handle anything 'rattle-y' or plastic-y either.
ReplyDeleteMy kiddos come running when they hear plastic bags, lol! They think FOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not kidding... in the slightest...
ReplyDeleteI can go in there with a plastic bag full of shavings and dump them out, shake the bag to get every last piece out, and both of my horses will keep their heads in the feeders and an ear on me.
But they'll also chase the loud obnoxious lawnmower around as it shoots out the grass clippings. I've actually seen my 2yo gelding actually CHASE the lawnmower - at a canter - down the fenceline hoping for a tasty snack.
I feed my horses snacks from plastic bags but they still snort and run when they see and hear them. You've got good, sensible horses.
ReplyDeleteFantastyk - I sure hope so! I keep my ponies on my own land and I have a 3yo human child and 2 more on the way - they HAVE to be sensible, I can't risk dangerous horses around young children! But I did a LOT of desensitization with the 2yo when I got him as a weanling because he's a mutt and if anything ever happened to me, I would want him to be wanted.
ReplyDeleteMy husband (not a horse person) was concerned initially when he'd do things in the barn (building, sawing, cleaning etc) that it would spook the horses. I told him to do it anyways and to try to do things like that near them precisely so they won't spook if something odd happens. Now my horses mostly look at odd things happening as "Eh those crazy humans are doing something odd... again... oh well!"
Oh yes, I know "throw the halter on the ground" well. Also "shake the halter until sommmebody notices"!
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