Mystic Ranch

Step Up, Rasping and Leading Outside

Today, we started with Intimacy Bucket, then halter please, then hoof please, then rasp please, then I introduced a concrete block and asked Antares to step up on it, with his toe over the edge and allow me to rasp the toe of his hoof. He picked it up quickly and seemed relaxed allowing me to rasp the toe while Val fed him cookies. It is not a hoof stand, but it is a beginning.

Next up, Val snapped on a lead line and led Antares on a loose line, first in our small area, then in the larger arena weaving some cones, then out in the pasture, opening a gate and leading him through it, turning him around and repeating the exercise, asking him to back through the gate. With repetition, he did it all calmly, on a loose line and greater flow. Val next led him to the obstacle course, to weave the cones there, walk over the cavaletti, and around the outside of the reverse round pen. He was a little concerned when he got stuck and she lifted her supporting hand to encourage forward motion, but he considered, then tried forward motion again. We also had him step up on the low pedestal and pivot both left and right, keeping his hooves on the pedestal. While he had done that months ago at liberty, this was the first time he had done it when on lead! Val opened the obstacle course gate and led him back to the training arena, relaxed and licking and chewing and not once thinking of bolting away from her. We were blown away by this seismic shift in trust and try from Antares. How could we not love this horse?

Step Up, Rasping & Leading Outside Step Up, Rasping and Leading OutsideToday, we started with Intima...