One More Time Around
The stronger bit for Violet has arrived! HA! Horse!
Try spinning me off again!
But before that, Ruby will be my steed. But Ruby is “barn sour”, “pasture sour”, “herd bound”, “buddy sour”………………….by any name, it’s a pain. And it’s a sorrow.
I haven’t ridden regularly for so long, they have all gotten used to reclining in the pasture, eating alfalfa and bon-bons…………………..while sipping on sweet tea
.
And then I get my last (hopefully) joint replaced and I’m ready to squash their sorority-sleep-ins and afternoon naps.
Ruby and I have only gotten as far as the hitching post. At present, I don’t think I would be able to get her out the driveway without someone else from her herd to be her buddy and security.
So I’ve been employing patience, a cross-tie and hopefully a lot of boredom on her part, coupled with hours of just standing there.
Her latest habitual-nasty has been to stand there and start power-pawing and striking with her front hooves in a very dramatic nature. Where horses are concerned this is a very bad habit. Bad. Bad.
And not so great if she’s tied off on the side of an aluminum horse trailer either.
But, if I enter this situation intelligently and with an arsenal of equine-weaponry, I should come out the other end relatively unscathed. Bruised, hoarse, but skeletally intact (organically and artificially speaking).
Some of my more experienced draft horse friends had shown me a nifty little trick to discourage chronic-spoiled-pawers. It’s quite simple, but effective.
You use the horse’s pawing-action against them. Attach a chain to a dog collar and then buckle the dog collar around the front hooves at the indentation of their fetlock. That way, when they start pawing the chain slaps them on their lower legs. Causing them to ouchie themselves……………………poor, poor, peevish-ponies.
Well I tried this arrangement with Ruby. She has small tree trunks for legs, so the dog collar chains were inconsequential to her. I decided to take things up a notch.
I asked my husband to make a run to our local Ace hardware and purchase four pieces of their 3/8″ chain, cut to about one foot’s length. I intend to attach two chain pieces to each dog collar with quick links and then buckle each personalized charm-bracelet to Ruby’s front feet. HA!………………(Photo Time!!!)
Any regular horse would probably have a problem getting those chains off the ground. I have faith in Ruby. I also, not so silently, hope she bruises her shins with them quickly and learns to stop her icky, bad habit.
My point is this, this dobbin was striking so high she was almost catching her hoof OVER the hitching post! Not good! Not good! Nicht Gut!
I WILL maintain my skeletal integrity and I WILL win and she WILL be a pleasant pony again………………to quote another favorite movie…………….”Here’s Johnny!”
I intend to be their worst disciplinary nightmare. But I need to approach this intelligently and remember I am the one with the opposable thumbs (and hopefully good reflexes), so I don’t end up with (another) dent in my skull from a Ten-Ton-Tessie’s hoof. (But that’s the subject of another, future post.)-(And hopefully I’ve learned something from that lesson)-(It may have had something to do with mediocre bourbon; a bet on my vet’s birthday; and a bareback race………………but I digress…)
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Back At The Ranch………………………….which is———reminding my horses that they need to behave in an Emily-Post-Manner………………………….knowing the difference between a fish fork, a finger bowl and a 2″ x 4″ between their eyes and a fundamental understanding that the rider with the biggest-ported bit wins………………………..I’ve been eyeing a mule bit made of welded bicycle chain. HA! (I kid you not!)
It’s not their fault. But things are going to have to change.
They are just too big to know that they could so easily be in control……………….and I will employ my philosophy that I use for all of the critters that have ever been in my life or are currently on this farm…………………
They have to know their place………………………..and they don’t pay the mortgage.
