New Boots

After being dewormed, probably her most unflattering picture.

Artemis has been really good lately, but I've also become a bit frustrated.  It's not really her fault, it's my lack of knowledge.  I've never worked with a horse her age before so I'm not sure how good she should be or how far along her training should be.  She'll throw temper tanturms sometimes, like when she's alone in the barn, and that's not something I would accept from Socks or Jimmy, but her mental state is just not where theirs are.  She's fairly good about respecting space, but as soon as she gets distracted that kind of goes out the door.  She does get disciplined for it since I don't want this to be a behaviour that continues, but can I discipline her with the same intensity that I would with Socks or Jimmy?  I knw this is a very good learning experience for me, but it does get frustrating at times.

Socks, April 2008.

Socks has been pretty good lately, but I can definitly see where Artemis gets her temper tantrums from.  I bought a pair of skid boots for Socks to help protect her legs while we barrel race.  We've moved up from the trot to a fast lope, so I figured it couldn't hurt to get her a pair.  When I first put them on she kept lifting her legs up high and kicking out, not far, but like she was trying to shake them off.  After she walked a few steps though, she was fine. 

However, a few times going around the barrels she knocked her back legs together (which makes me extra glad I bought these boots to protect her legs) and my reliable, awesome horse started to throw a little temper tantrum.  The boots make a noise when they knock together and I think that with the feeling of when she knocks her legs together just made her angry.  She crowhopped and swished her tail as her ears went flat against her neck.  She did it twice so after that we worked on circles.  We started out large and then slowly got smaller and smaller.  We worked on Socks being aware of where she put her feet down and she hasn't been hitting her legs in the last two rides.

These are the boots I got her,

http://www.horse.com/item/professionals-choice-ventech-slide-tec-skid-boot/E000519/

We have them in the red, since that's her colour and I'm a little crazy about getting everything in her colour.  I have a picture to post of her but I'm too lazy to go get my camera so that'll have to wait.  She has a red halter, red boots, red saddle blanket and a red saddle pad.  And a red bucket. 

Jimmy, April 2008

Jimmy's been pretty good lately too.  My mom had one really good ride on him and then the next time I rode him.  He does listen pretty good until you want him to trun right.  He just...doesn't.  Most of the time, some days he will, most of the time he doesn't.  E worked with him a little bit.  We had just finished our ride and were letting Socks and Jimmy finish their sweet feed when we began talking to T and E.  E checked the ponies teeth for us and they both need to be done pretty quick here, so hopefully within the next week or so we can get the vet out.

Ever since my brother last dewormed Jimmy, Jimmy's had issues with his mouth.  I'm not sure if you guys remember, but Jimmy is not that great to deworm.  When my brother did it...he was even worse and though my brother is good with most horses...he just doesn't get Jimmy.  My mom and I have been working on this with him.  We take time each time we see him to play around with his mouth.  He doesn't like it but then he calms down and lets us.  However, when E was trying to check his teeth, Mr. Stewert was not a fan of it.  So E had to carry through, and he did.  He was able to check Jimmy's teeth and then he kept working on it with Mr. James while we talked to T.  He also decided to work with Jimmy on backing up, which we didn't mind since that's something we're also working on. 

In all honesty, E working with Jimmy was a little random but I was grateful.  He does know what he's doing with horses and I know he would never hurt them.  And his own observations about Jimmy only confirmed what we were already thinking.  Jimmy does rear, as you know, but they did agree with us it's not out of aggression but out of fear.  That's how he tries to get out of a situation.  That doesn't make it less dangerous, but it helps us to know what will trigger his rearing.  They also agreed with us that he's a very smart horse and he learns extremely quickly.  E worked with him for ten minutes on backing up and the next time we were out when my mom did it with him, he remembered.  The combination of us working with his mouth and E working with his mouth has made a huge difference in him.  It's going to be time to deworm him again soon but this time I'll be doing it, not my brother so hopefully it'll go well this time.  I didn't deworm him last time because of my concussion and I honestly regretted it. 

As a little side note, there's a chance Thor might be coming down to the stable in the spring for me to work with.  It's not for sure, as a lot can happen between now and then, but my dad's plan is to sell him.  Alex and I don't really want to but we'll worry about that when it comes to it.  My dad doesn't really have the time or patience to give Thor the desensitization training that he needs.  The training my mom and I did with Jimmy has made a huge difference with him so hopefully it would do the same with Thor.  Either way, anything I did with him would make him more appealing to potential buyers or it would make him more appealing to my dad to keep as a reliable trail horse. 

Jimmy and Sev when they were 7-8 months old.