Spring Training as begun

May 2, 2008

I am going to start a new series today. I am going to tell you how that human girl is training my horse, the Pretty Boy. I would tell you how she trained me but she gave up on that years ago so now I just do what she asks me to do or I don’t. Most of the time I do what I am told when I am told so I don’t have to wear a halter. When Randal comes to put shoes on us he puts a halter on me and ties me to a tree so I don’t eat all the stuff in the back of his truck or pick stuff up and carry it off. He says he can’t keep an eye on me and work on my horse, the Pretty Boy, at the same time. He calls it ‘Horsey Day Car’. I don’t mind just standing there but I really like going thru all the stuff he has in the back of his truck so I guess it’s a good idea he ties me up.

Today’s lesson is called ‘Pick YOUR FOOT UP!’

Everyday, twice a day, the Pretty Boy gets his right front foot soaked in a five gallon bucket of warm Epsom salts. Some times there is not a problem. Sometimes there is a problem. One time he kicked the human girls leg off right at the knee and she had to put it back on before she could come feed me. I couldn’t get to her to help her because my horse was in the way so I just waited till she got her self put back together. (Her leg didn't really get knocked off. She just got kicked and it dislocated her leg at the knee just a little bit so she had to lay there an catch her breath and figure out if her leg was going to carry her. This can take awhile because she says you don't want to rush off because it is a long way to go so you have to make sure you can make it before setting out.) A couple of days ago he caught her right on her knee cap. So apparently today she decided that play time was over and we were going to get to see who was the boss once and for all or till next week.

The lesson started like this….’Pick your foot up and put it in the bucket’. He just stood there. She leaned a little farther over an grabbed his leg in a different place. ‘Pick your foot up and put it in the bucket’ . Still he just stood there. She moved the bucket. She moved the bucket again. ‘Pick your foot up and put it in the bucket’. Nope. She stood up, turned around and looked him square in his eye that is on that side of his head. You could tell he was looking at her and could hear what she was saying but just not being very nice. Anyway she stood up, turned around and told him very gently ‘You are going to let me pick your foot up and put it in that bucket and you are going to do it now.’ She sounded nice but serious. She turned back around, leaned over and grabbed hold of his leg ‘Pick up your foot’. Nothing. She stood up and turned to him again and said ‘You will not win.’ She turned around for a second time leaned over and right when she grabbed his leg to pick it up she leaned her shoulder into him nearly knocking him over. That leg came up alright no trouble. She put it into the bucket and told him. ‘And you will be leaving it there please.’ He snorted at her but he did not take his foot out of that bucket.

Score one for the human girl! Pretty Boy didn't know even after living here for one whole year that that human girl could do what she just did to him. Most of the time she is very nice to my Pretty Boy. Most of the time when she wants him to do something she just tells him "Come on it'll be fun!"