Two Trick Ponies

I think one of the best things I am doing for my horses right now is playing games. After we ride, they get bathed, then while they dry, I do some dumb thing with them.

What we are all learning is to stack skills.

I taught Pepsi to come pick me up on the mounting block. Then I taught him to drop me off and pick me up from the running board of the trailer. He was pretty proud of doing this, but for anyone but an old fat woman (me) it might not be the most useful skill.

Today's Silliness

Remember I said stacking skills? Tuesday. Jeff was hooking onto the trailer and had missed the alignment on the ball by about an inch. I rode Pepsi to the truck where he lined up and stood so I could step over onto the flatbed, then he stood like a rock while I pushed the gooseneck over and Jeff dollied down the jack. The trailer fell on the ball, I banged the latch shut, and this little three-year-old stud colt with thirty rides, never moved a foot, never got concerned, and walked forward, back, toward and away from me with voice commands, all because we had played games and he understood the elements of what I needed him to do. We put all the little skills together and did work. Pretty cool!