We've been bringing the horses into the barn during the daytime, to escape the heat, flies and smoke. In the evening, we turn them back out so they can stretch, and roll, and shuffle through the dust that coats everything in September.
Yesterday, as I was tying my boot laces, bent over to the ground, sitting on our old green mudroom bench, Brett said "I think you should bring Tex into the barn at liberty." I laughed, shook my head, and muttered, "yeah, right."
But, as I walked out to the barn I kept thinking about it. I poured Tex's mix of vitamins and carrots into his stall grain bin and realized that Tex's stall would be a reward destination -- full of hay and carrots and tasty vitamins. Tex doesn't love the barn (unlike Lucy), but he does love his bucket in the morning.
We brought in the other horses first. I wanted to make sure that the barn was someplace Tex would want to go. I wanted him to be successful. After Brett slid Flash's stall door shut, I went down to the pasture to get Tex.
Tex did so well, that I walked him at liberty back to the pasture that evening. And back to the barn this morning. I'm thinking he's a pretty awesome horse.
Very nicely done. What a good horse Tex is.
ReplyDeleteYes, he is at his core, a good horse. Its just hard to get to that core sometimes.
DeleteThat's awesome! He is choosing you rather than submitting. I love it. Honestly, that's how every step should be, but it takes patience and time. So much more rewarding in the end. No doubt, we've pushed B too far, too fast. I'm slowing it down now.
ReplyDeleteI think B would respond really well to this kind of work. Its such a different way of being with the horse -- and such a fulfilling one.
DeleteReally lovely - Tex indeed does rock! (and your willingness to work with him in a way that allows him to blossom rocks too!).
ReplyDeleteI think its partly a benefit of getting older. I'm not driven anymore in the way I once was so I haven't minded in the least that this is a slow journey.
DeleteYou have done amazing training with him.
ReplyDeleteSure feels good when they want to be with us. Awesome Tex (and you)! Oh my goodness, the weather! Hasn't it been awful? Our weekend, and for a little over a week actually, we've been in the upper 90's - low 100's with so much smoke. We've got fires burning to the north, south and now east, right in the Columbia Gorge which carries the smoke directly to our valley with those west-bound winds. Last night we watched as ash came down and settled on everything. Our air quality has been very poor for so long, I'm looking forward to Fall more than ever before. And I sure hear you about September being hot, dry, dusty and smoky! Summer, summer go away...
ReplyDeleteThe weather has absolutely been horrid. We've been 100-104F (38-40C) for the past week. This week is supposed to be cooler, with the smoke leaving tomorrow as well. I'm tired of orange sunrises, orange sunsets, and hazy brown days.
DeleteWow! Just wow!! Congrats on your partnership -- such a wonderful accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteGood boy, Tex!
ReplyDeleteEverytime you called him, his attention came right back to you!
Wonderful job!
You have some funny sounding chickens(?) or something. I can hear some sounds but I'm not really sure what kind of animals they are coming from! ha ha!
Those are the goats. They want all the attention all the time so whenever they see us, they make a lot of noise.
DeleteWow, those are some very interesting goat sounds! ha ha!
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