Thursday 24 February 2011
Breaking in gets all too much . .
In the summer of 2010 it was time for baby Button to be broken in. After a week of being tacked up and walking very very slowly (under no circumstances is button to be rushed!) to the indoor arena for some lunging practice it was time for some side reins.
Standing in the small indoor arena, moon silently snoozing after only 10mins work, I gingerly attach the side reins, nice and loose. Off he wanders round on the lunge, dragging his feet as usual. No reaction. Fab. After a small trot we turn in to tighten them up a touch. A little twisting of his head from side to side but he seems happy enough and off he goes again, round on his circle. A little more headshaking and a few stops and starts but he gets to the first corner, then it’s all too much, “NO! No! My poor brain cannot take any more of these confusing straps". He stops, paws the ground and starts to lower himself towards floor. "Too much!" he thinks "time for a lie down". . . . Not likely with your saddle on! I rush towards him brandishing the lunge whip and he reluctantly trots forward a few steps. Phew!
Once again my laughter is premature; he only makes it to the next corner and starts lowering his body to the floor again! A few circuits chased round and he forgets all about it and just trots round having a nice stretch. So we all know what to do when it gets too much people - have a nice lie down!
Tuesday 22 February 2011
Welcome to Blog for Button - and Introduction to Button logic
Welcome to the blog set up for the most amusing horse I have ever had the pleasure to know.
Button (or Moon / 'retard' / 'get off my foot you stupid horse') is a 4 year old; bay would be event horse with a very special brain. His antics regularly have us in stitches so I thought we should have somewhere to share his hilarity with all horsy and non-horsy people out there. Such humour should not be wasted on just a few!
Just as a taster we will start with the story of Buttons first bath. . .
All waterproofed up ready to get soaked, as any owner who has tried to bath a four year old has done we get the hose (snake) out and prepare ourselves to be trampled in fear of the new green reptile. No movement from button, he is quietly eating his hay, unaware. We switch on the water, it sputters and the noise is enough to alert button of the presence of the new killer reptile. Slowly and carefully I aim the water towards his legs, still no leaping around, his legs are getting wet and the hose it still spluttering nosily. A miracle I think, an easy horse to bathe without any training!
Too soon - moments later the 16.2hh giant is stood lowered, front legs splayed, head low to the ground (think bambi on ice and double the size) and he's snorting at the ground with a look of fear in his eyes. I step back carefully and asses the situation; water still hitting his body, hose still spluttering, he’s not bothered by this but he's staring at the ground? Then it clicks, the concrete beneath his feet is changing colour, getting darker with the water, and it might just swallow him up whole. You know, as many owners lose their 16h horses to horse eating concrete!
Laughing, I carefully continue hosing his legs while he snorts at the floor. Suddenly the snorting stops and I quickly check he’s not on the verge of leaping in the air and sending me flying. Nope, he sniffs the horse eating floor and very very tentatively sticks his tongue out, and gives it a lick. Yes, the way to test the floor is still ok is to lick it. The first example of Button logic. . .
Button (or Moon / 'retard' / 'get off my foot you stupid horse') is a 4 year old; bay would be event horse with a very special brain. His antics regularly have us in stitches so I thought we should have somewhere to share his hilarity with all horsy and non-horsy people out there. Such humour should not be wasted on just a few!
Just as a taster we will start with the story of Buttons first bath. . .
All waterproofed up ready to get soaked, as any owner who has tried to bath a four year old has done we get the hose (snake) out and prepare ourselves to be trampled in fear of the new green reptile. No movement from button, he is quietly eating his hay, unaware. We switch on the water, it sputters and the noise is enough to alert button of the presence of the new killer reptile. Slowly and carefully I aim the water towards his legs, still no leaping around, his legs are getting wet and the hose it still spluttering nosily. A miracle I think, an easy horse to bathe without any training!
Too soon - moments later the 16.2hh giant is stood lowered, front legs splayed, head low to the ground (think bambi on ice and double the size) and he's snorting at the ground with a look of fear in his eyes. I step back carefully and asses the situation; water still hitting his body, hose still spluttering, he’s not bothered by this but he's staring at the ground? Then it clicks, the concrete beneath his feet is changing colour, getting darker with the water, and it might just swallow him up whole. You know, as many owners lose their 16h horses to horse eating concrete!
Laughing, I carefully continue hosing his legs while he snorts at the floor. Suddenly the snorting stops and I quickly check he’s not on the verge of leaping in the air and sending me flying. Nope, he sniffs the horse eating floor and very very tentatively sticks his tongue out, and gives it a lick. Yes, the way to test the floor is still ok is to lick it. The first example of Button logic. . .
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