Animals
- The Tale Of Oliver Twist
I have to tell you....I had a little apprehension yesterday when I dedicated a blog post to Moonbeam. You see, whenever one of the equines get just a little more attention that the others,they all get their panties in a knot.Then the whining and the...
- Tiny Horse...big Attitude!
What do you do when you've spent too much time indoors? You bundle up and go out to visit the animals.After all... if they have to stay outside in this weather,then I should certainly be able to spend a little extra time with them.It only seems...
- Boys Will Be Boys!
Each and every time I go out to the barn to do chores,there is always something happening...something that makes me laugh or smile.Yesterday morning it was this.... This is Sam and Ollie's favorite game.And although Sam is always the instigator,Ollie...
- A Boy, A Ball, A Whole Lot Of Fun
What is it about little boys and balls? It must be genetic...even amongst the animal kingdom! I found an exercise ball and blew it up for the "Littles". Each morning, when they go out to the dry lot or the pasture, they run and play...
- Rainy Silliness
Yesterday afternoon I ran to town to do some Christmas shopping. I left the Littles in the front pasture for the afternoon, as the weather was cold and cloudy. Sometime while I was in town, however, it started to rain. This is what I came home to......"Hey...
Animals
Jumping For Joy
Yesterday was "well drilling day" at the barn
(our old pump destroyed by lightening,
the old well walls collapsed).
Because of the noise, the horses spent the day out in the pasture...
a little longer than usual.
I had been wanting to work with my tiny mini, Ollie, in the arena.
With jumps set up, I thought it a perfect time for his
first lessons.
Ollie is my 2 year old orphan mini. We have had him since he was 3 weeks old.
By the time he was a month old, he had jumped a bale of hay to escape his stall,
so I had an idea he might make a great jumper.
Upon arriving at the arena, we surveyed the jumps....
I took Ollie by the lead rope and led him around to look at all the scary things.
Then I took off his lead and let him kick up his heels a bit.
Round and round he ran, avoiding all of the jumps.
After he got that out of his system it was time to work.
Back on the lead, I led him to the cavaletti poles on the ground.
At a slow jog, I jumped over the poles and Ollie followed behind me.
"Jump", I said, and as Ollie neared each pole, he jumped to avoid them.
Each time he jumped the little poles, he received a treat.
Now it was time to try a real jump.
We have a chute set up on one side of the arena with cavaletti poles in an X formation.
Ollie stared down the chute at those poles.
I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head!
With Ollie on lead, I took off running.... him following on my heels.
Over the poles I jumped.
"Jump!" I said.
Ollie put on the breaks.
We tried it again.
Again he stopped at the poles as I jumped over.
Finally, I showed him a treat from the other side of the poles.
From a dead standstill he jumped...and cleared the poles.
"Good boy!" I sang...and handed him the treat.
"Aha!"....he understood.
Next time down the chute, he hesitated, but jumped.
The third time....no hesitation.
Each jump was rewarded with treats.
Now it was time to try it without the lead rope.
Together we ran down the chute, me jumping first,
Ollie following close after....no hesitation.
"Good boy!"......Treat!!
Ollie was so proud, he was beaming!
Over and over we practiced.
Over and over Ollie jumped...
following me over the poles and around the arena.
Well, almost every time.
At one point he figured out that there was an easier way!
But.....no treat!
Sam was our audience...
but too tired to try jumping.
"OK, I get it....if I jump, I get the treat!"
I am sure that Ollie had just as much fun as I had!
What an amazing time we had.
For that short lesson period I felt like we were on the same page.
This little mini who misses no opportunity to nip or kick at me
may just end up being my best buddy.
(Orphans have a tendancy towards bad behavior because they have
no mother
to
discipline them.)
- The Tale Of Oliver Twist
I have to tell you....I had a little apprehension yesterday when I dedicated a blog post to Moonbeam. You see, whenever one of the equines get just a little more attention that the others,they all get their panties in a knot.Then the whining and the...
- Tiny Horse...big Attitude!
What do you do when you've spent too much time indoors? You bundle up and go out to visit the animals.After all... if they have to stay outside in this weather,then I should certainly be able to spend a little extra time with them.It only seems...
- Boys Will Be Boys!
Each and every time I go out to the barn to do chores,there is always something happening...something that makes me laugh or smile.Yesterday morning it was this.... This is Sam and Ollie's favorite game.And although Sam is always the instigator,Ollie...
- A Boy, A Ball, A Whole Lot Of Fun
What is it about little boys and balls? It must be genetic...even amongst the animal kingdom! I found an exercise ball and blew it up for the "Littles". Each morning, when they go out to the dry lot or the pasture, they run and play...
- Rainy Silliness
Yesterday afternoon I ran to town to do some Christmas shopping. I left the Littles in the front pasture for the afternoon, as the weather was cold and cloudy. Sometime while I was in town, however, it started to rain. This is what I came home to......"Hey...