We started on the road early Saturday morning. I had a bag of tools (horse tools), the stock trailer, gloves, and a few ideas in mind on how to load the two year old gelding. On first meeting (for this year. I have met him when he was a baby and again as a yearling) he was hungry and mad about the dogs. He easily put his head into the halter. We did give him a little ace just to help with the process. We then left him alone and set up the trailer with three panels behind it. We put the dogs up. We also grabbed about a half scoop of his grain. I put the grain in the front of the trailer. We had the trailer backed up to a hole so the back end was almost flush with the ground.
Then we lead Whiskey over to our three panel pen. He did try to push me once. Just tried to get ahead of me. I pulled down and said no. Then backed him up. Instant licking of the lips and respect given. Yay! We put him in the pen and I did try to lead him into the trailer at first. He put two feet in then backed off. Not aggressively but I figured I would let him check the trailer out. So I took my lil’dog to go play with the yearling cattle for a few minutes. I could hear the clomp clomp of hooves in the trailer! Yahoo! He walked right in!!!! We closed the center gate and the back gates. He didn’t spook AT ALL. I was 100% shocked! Not gonna lie! We decided to leave him in there with hay and feed for a bit before getting on the road. He never pawed. Just hung out. Ok then… let’s hit the road!
I did end up haltering him and tying him in the trailer simply so he would have something to lean on. Three and a half hours later, we were home! This is when it got interesting 🤔. He didn’t want to come out of the trailer!!! He doesn’t really understand back. I tried. But it was not clicking in his brain (will be lesson one today) so I let him turn around. You would have thought the driveway was made of lava and the trailer was the “safe zone”! Never have I ever had one that would not come out face first. This was a new one for me! After about an hour of working on one foot at a time, we decided to get the butt rope out. Nothing like pulling a 1000# horse out of a trailer 🤷🏼♀️. But alas, he came out like Bambi on ice and stood there as if he didn’t get what just happened! Zero injury to horse or human!
Next step was to lead him to his new pen. It’s my round pen. Sandy with grass. I had it all set up for him. Well, he didn’t want to step up into the round pen 🤣. Legit from grass to grass… a little butt bump from a lead rope and he finally came on in. I released him and he just followed me around. I put some grain and hay along with water out for him. Tada! First day win!
This morning, during feeding time, I chose to feed him last. He nickered but that is about it. I dumped his feed and just watched him for a few minutes then decided to go into the pen with him. He left his feed to come greet me! Followed me around and then I picked up the whip. Rubbed him all over with it and he just stood there. So I pushed him around a few laps. He is a tad lazy but it’s ok. I finally left him alone and told him to go eat!
Today’s goal is to teach him to back and to move off. I also need to put topical medicine on his sweet itch. More to come!
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