Odds and ends

It is pouring down rain right now. It is also supposed to rain tomorrow. I really hope the trails are open next weekend because I REALLY want to go again!!! I gave the horse the day off, I figure if John and I are sore and Charley is still worn out, the horse may enjoy a day of rest as well! I went out to visit him and doctor his various wounds. He has a scrape on the shoulder from flipping over backwards, a small nick on his back left stifle from something on the trail, and a few rubs from his halter around his nose from the frequent hard lunging lately. So, I put ointment on him and took him back to his paddock fora quick lunge and a carrot. Oh, Boomer likes carrots now! I brought a bag this weekend for cooking and knowing that he doesn't like carrots, I decided to investigate. He sniffs them, but is uninterested. So, I forced a piece into his mouth and held up his head so he had to eat it. He crunched it up, lost a few chunks and swallowed a few. Upon being offered another piece, he gummed it, then crunched it up and bobbed his head for more! He just didn't know how to eat them and after all of these years, he can be a real horse and eat carrots! Now, I'm not really a 'treat' kind of person, but I think it would be fun to take carrots on trail rides or camping adventures as a reward for being good in a foreign situation.

I am in the process of starting Part 2 of Boomer's Boot Camp. Part 2 is trailer loading. At the time, we can get him loaded by putting two panels of the portable corral behind him and he hops right in. However, I would really like to just be able to load him up with no fuss or force. So, off to the round pen. Last week it had a new horse in it for 4 days (grrr) and just today they took it apart and leveled it and put sand in it. I am happy for the improvement, but if someone else puts a horse in it, I'm going to complain about it. I want to back the trailer up to one of the two gates and then bring Boomer in the other gate. My plan is to get him working hard for a little while (cantering around the round pen), then stop him and offer him to get in the trailer (stand at his left side with him facing the trailer and point in the trailer), if not- off he goes (more cantering), I will repeat this until he gets in and then he can rest for as long as he needs. Hopefully, this will only take a few sessions and he will load up without much fuss. I am hoping that he will start to realize that the alternative to doing what I say is to work until he sweats. I hope to start Boot Camp Part 2 on Wednesday evening.

Tomorrow there is a trail ride planned for 6pm with a group. They will go down the road a ways to see some buffalo. I think it is about time for Boomer to get out on a real ride again. I figure if he acts up, I can just hang back and school him and that should take care of the problem. If not, we will just head home and I will lunge him until he hurts. So, wish me luck!