The Stall and This Old House

The stall is done! Finished!

Last night I put Fred and Mica [the elderly mules] in the stall for the first time. I was surprised that there seemed to be no fuss. They got to the business of eating. I'd given them plenty of hay and they each had a bit of sweet feed.
Our weather last night was to turn cold and snow/rain mix. This morning we do have snow on the ground.

In a little bit, as soon as it is light out, I'll give them their 'breakfast' and then turn them outside when I get back from CrossFit.

So there it is, not a masterpiece, but it is done. I put the plywood on the front and one side so that Fred will not put his head through the rails and try to lift them! Yes, they are heavy and anchored down, but Fred is Fred.
However, it seems he is content to be inside as long as he has company.

I have Amanda and Daryl to thank for finishing this up with me. The panels are heavy an awkward to move, but two people did it easily.
I learned how to use Rich's cordless drill and made holes in the plywood and zip tied them in.
I can add another skill to things I've learned this year!

On Sunday morning, I took my friends someplace different since the sunrise was just rather mundane.
I took them to the Abandoned House.

This looks like a winter shot but it isn't. It was taken in Infrared.

It was cold and frosty, however, here it is in living color with my friends acting as if they just found their dream house.

We walked around the house and peeked in the windows. The wrap around porch was long gone. In fact the first time I'd ever seen this house was at night in 1996 while Rich and I were coon hunting with our hounds. The dogs treed next to the house and we had to walk back to it. I have always wanted to come back and take a look inside since then.

At one time, I think it was a pretty grand old house.


~~~~~

Added note.
When I got out to the shed Fred decided he'd had enough of the stall and proceeded to literally try and tear things down.
Hmmm.
On to plan B.

Sundance Day 3

Now I don't have a lot of photos because basically I have my attention on Sundance and Sundance only.

Consider this. I want the training to go quietly and without much excitement. I don't want her just to accept what I am doing and be very ho hum about.

Yes, eventually we will be in the woods and on trails. But that is where I want her to have it in her head that she can still be calm.

The blanket was an issue again. I walked her into the round pen and let her loose. I grabbed a brush and began to groom her. She stood quietly. I then tapped her feet and asked for 'give it' and cleaned out each hoof.

I consider this pretty good. Rich used to be able to be the only one to handle her feet and she wanted to 'shake hands' with you and pull the foot away. She even gave our farrier some issues one time. I dislike that in an animal.
So before I get on my soap box of how there is no excuse for not being able to do hoof care...I will change the subject.

I grabbed the Big Black Blanket and approached. She stepped away and flinched. I let her stand and then approached again. She didn't turn her head but watched me anyway.
I stood far enough away that I had to toss it.

She bunched up as it landed cockeyed on her back. And then played statue. So I walked up and let my hands do the complimenting and I spoke very softly. "You are a good girl."

I stepped away from her and walked to the middle of the round pen. Sundance thought about it. She stared at the gate. Fred was screaming out for her. It was almost as if she made a decision.

She walked to me.
I rearranged the blanket and asked her to walk around the round pen. I asked her for a direction change and a whoa.
She did it nearly perfectly.

I stood. She stood. She looked at me and then looked away.
Finally she sighed and walked up to me again.

Again. More gentle hands on her and sweet little murmurs.

"Would you like something new?" I asked.
Sundance didn't answer. She just watched me with quiet eyes. She was diggin' the attention.

I showed her Sunshine's & Fred's bridle. She smelled it. I took my time and put it on. Gently over the ears, gently the bit went into the mouth. I adjusted it so that she could play with the snaffle bit with her tongue.

It was statue time again.
Note the stuff in the purple sled by the gate. Those are grooming tools a spray bottle. If things get too boring, I pull the sled around in the round pen and Sundance watches from a distance and approaches when I stop.

She will eventually pull this behind herself calmly. At least that is my intention.

Since she was being so compliant, I began to toss other old blankets on her. I was met by the same ho hum attitude.

She did walk around for me and stop and turn while playing with the bit.

I did this for about 20 minutes and then pulled the blankets off. Sundance followed me while I was hanging the blankets back up.

I was sorely tempted to try a saddle, but then decided to do some more prep work.

I hooked up a rein to the right left of her bit and put a bit of pressure onto it. I watched her feet and as soon as she moved her muscles and lifted her hoof, I eased up. After several repeats she anticipated the movement of the rein and sidestepped towards me.

I switched to the other side. Sundance was left 'handed'. Of course that made sense from all the years of leading her from the left side. Now on the right side she resisted. I held the rein and waited. I saw the muscles flex in her shoulder and stopped.

After 3 more repeats, she moved her legs and side stepped slightly. I stroked her neck and praised her.

I moved her back to the center of the round pen and took off the bridle slowly, letting her chose how to spit out the bit. More murmuring and more soft stroked on her poll, withers, and neck.

I put the items away while she watched and then we left to take a walk up the driveway together.
She was alert and looked around as if to look for her herd.
I considered separating her for training but since she seemed pretty content with me once she was away from the others, I decided to let her be with the rest of them.

Another boring training session.
I like it.

Next session will involve some of my body language with Sundance. I want to see if I can use a method of relaxation to keep her attention on me and not what is happening outside.
I've used the Horse Stance in Tai Chi before and it works well.
What the heck, at least I will be super relaxed!

Busy day

El Nino hasn't been kind to us.  Sure the weather is milder and wetter, but we are swimming in mud and goo.

According to our farrier most of the equine he has had to trim have been in the sticky muck.  As he then said, "Hey, I chose this job."

Before he arrived we got each of the donkeys and gave their feet a bath and then put them in the round pen picking them out so our farrier wouldn't have to.

Not all of the donks liked getting their feet washed, but we got it done anyway.

Two hours later when Dewey showed up he was pleasantly surprised and very happy that we'd taken care and time to wash and clean the feet so he wasn't handling gooey mud caked hooves.

After Dewey finished, we talked about Siera and her frog issues on her one foot. We decided to see how trimming and regular 'in hand' exercise would work before we decided to go with special shoes.

I love Siera and she is a great ride.  Everyday I get her out, clean her up and either hand walk her up the gravel road or lunge her a bit in the round pen.  She enjoys the attention and the work so much that she trots to the gate every time I am in the yard.

Lil' Richard had his second training session.  In the first one, he was full of nonsense.  I put a rope halter on him for this session and we lunged on a line.
Between the last session and this session, he must have decided that he was going to be a smart pony and work very intelligently.

His Whoa became instant.  He learned to walk to me with finger pressure on the rope.  He learned to back up with finger pressure on the rope.  In all of his years with us, he has just been led around, trimmed, and basically had no formal training.

He took to this like candy.  He even took on the ever fearful blanket.  Lil' Richard gave it the stink eye, then walked over it after only a few minutes.
I put it on him and he smelled it and stared at it and then promptly ignored it.

He is a very quick study.

At the end of his session, I spent a bit of time with grooming.  He still has burrs in his forelock and in his tail from his late summer grazing.  He stands like a statue when I work on these.
Of course I've done this for years with him, so I didn't expect anything else.

He may make a great little mount after all.  He won't be for anyone who weighs over approximately 115 lbs, but that is fine because he'll work for me to get little short rides in.

My feet will only be about 3 inches off the ground.  My inseam is 3 inches less than his height.

I'm looking at an older donkey to start under saddle and with this mild winter I may have time to do that also.

So I guess El Nino may have some good things after all.

I look across the pastures and see Pedro, one of my favorite not trained mules. I'd started him quite a while ago but had that ended when I had to have multiple shoulder and elbow surgeries years ago.

Hmmmm.