A Few More Pieces to the Puzzle

This week has been a week of change. Cut Across and I are finally building a partnership, we are a working team. I have been using the carrot stick to walk up and be able to touch him. Now I can just walk up to him and touch him.

I have been trying to get him ready for the web halter to come off and the rope halter to go on. With him being so head shy this task has been proven to be a little complicated, but I am not giving up. We are going to work through this together.

I use my stick to touch up on the top of his head and under his neck and chin. At first he flinches and takes his head away, but after a few times with the lung wipe, I started using the carrot stick. Finally I got to use my hands. He stopped flinching as bad and was not pulling his head away as much. It seemed to be a good place to stop. When I went to walk out he acually started to follow me.

 

Friday I only had 15 minutes with him, since it was Team Penning night. My schedule is crazy. I work from 8AM - 4:30PM then I get him around 5PM to help hook up the trailer, load horse and tack and make the drive to Rosamond, CA. Hopefully we have time to warm up the horses, fugure out the teams and pay for our runs before it starts at 7:30PM, Then we all team pen till about 10PM or 11PM.

So with my limited amount of time I knew I needed to do something with him so I decided to intoduce a brush. He let me brush his shoulder and down his side, up on his spine and down to his belly, from his chest to his butt. :) Then I got a comb and brushed out his mane! For an Appy he has a GREAT mane.

So Saturday after work I was in such a good mood, I was preparing myself to be out there for a long time. I took in my comb and rebrushed his mane and his body. I did add a few elements. All down his neck to his chest. Then under his neck and to his chin.

 From his chin to his cheek.

Then I intoduced the lead rope. I would rub it on his back and his shoulder then his neck, chin and cheek. After about the third time I tried to clip it on. After I went a little slower and spent a little more time on just rubbing him than clipping it on. I actually got it on.

After I got his lead rope on we started working on giving to pressure. That was interesting. He would rear up and go over and bolt away. Eventually, after a few rope burns and unsucessful attempt a being domestic, he took a step and looked at me. So I left him alone. Then I decided to braid his mane.

Then I needed a NICEpicture of the two of us together :) I asked Hailie to come out a help get a good shot. I actually really liked them.

Walking up to put the halter on him.