"Look, Ma, no hands!"
This entry could also be headed, "Who's the cutest little horse in Nova Scotia?"
After I longed Mitzi (nobody was around and anyway she seemed sluggish on a hot day) I took off the longe line to do some look-ma-no-hands leading.
She was good, walked along well, whoaed when I turned to face her, backed and spun when I asked her to.
Right at the end I asked her to turn right away from me, in a loop. When we straightened out and walked forward, she was still thinking "turn," so when I turned in to whoa her again, as soon as I was facing her shoulder she began to turn. She caught her mistake when I continued to turn into the "whoa" posture, and whoaed.
At that point her forehand was about thirty degrees out of position. I stepped forward as if she was positioned correctly for a backup.
She took one crooked step and then, God love her, she squared herself around and backed straight. So I halted her, assured she was the cutest little horse in Nova Scotia, and called it a day.
(She was quite herself when she came in for supper later, so I don't think there's anything to worry about.)
Anyway. I've said she's cute, right??
After I longed Mitzi (nobody was around and anyway she seemed sluggish on a hot day) I took off the longe line to do some look-ma-no-hands leading.
She was good, walked along well, whoaed when I turned to face her, backed and spun when I asked her to.
Right at the end I asked her to turn right away from me, in a loop. When we straightened out and walked forward, she was still thinking "turn," so when I turned in to whoa her again, as soon as I was facing her shoulder she began to turn. She caught her mistake when I continued to turn into the "whoa" posture, and whoaed.
At that point her forehand was about thirty degrees out of position. I stepped forward as if she was positioned correctly for a backup.
She took one crooked step and then, God love her, she squared herself around and backed straight. So I halted her, assured she was the cutest little horse in Nova Scotia, and called it a day.
(She was quite herself when she came in for supper later, so I don't think there's anything to worry about.)
Anyway. I've said she's cute, right??