June 14, 2008

I'm really enjoying this experience of taming my mustang. Yesterday, I was talking over with Lucy my dilemma regarding wanting to put a holder for hay and Billie still wearing a halter. I really want to be able to take that thing off, but am worried about getting one back on. Lucy offered up the perfect solution: Practice putting on and taking off a larger halter over the one Billie is wearing...duh! Now, why didn't I think of that? Double duh!

This morning, after Billie had eaten, I tried out the larger halter idea. It worked pretty well. I offered her the halter, which she sniffed, and then offered it again by holding some grain in my left hand so that Billie had to reach through the nose-opening of the halter to get at the grain. Before long, I was able to pull the whole thing up her face, even tossing/slapping the end that goes over her poll across. I did this a few times and held it in place. Then worked on taking it off her face so that there was no head toss involved. I never actually buckled the halter, thinking that was something to save for another day. I'll repeat this a few more days and try buckling the new halter when I'm confident Billie is not going to freak out and run off and get a hoof caught in the larger halter! Honestly, I probably could have done it today, but why rush?

I'll be so glad when I know that I'll be able to take off her halter. Her little face is starting to lose hair in places where the halter must be chaffing. Either that or she's developed a fungus. Bound to be the halter, though.

Today I also introduced the grain I have my trail horses on. I've been feeding sweet feed and oats along with her hay up till now. But I think she's ready for Platform Pleasure. I'm real pleased with how my farm horses look on Platform and I'm hoping the change will fatten this little girl up. I also got a brush for her and was able to use that this evening. She seemed to enjoy it. I guess it really didn't feel much different from my hand--it's a soft brush. Tomorrow I'm going to try out the mane and tail brush, at least on her mane.

The final purchase today was a tub for the hay. I expect she's ingesting pooped on hay from time to time with it on the ground, and this tub is supposed to keep that from happening. Fat chance! She immediately tipped the tub over and pulled the hay out with her hoof, as if to let me know that it is normal for a horse to play in her hay! Oh well. I'll keep trying to put get her to leave it in there, at least till she starts pooping in it, too!

Charles took some pictures of me brushing Billie. I'll get those posted asap!