August 9, 2008

This was a good week working with Billie. The highlight was Thursday when Matt Wilkie, the farrier, came over to trim her feet. She'd started on a flare on her left hind, and it was starting to make that hoof look funny. I was really nervous, not sure what to expect from the experience. She's been pretty good round penning and working on the end of a lead rope, but I just wasn't sure how the whole holding her hoof thing was going to work out. Before Billie came to me, she had been trimmed by the BLM. From what I've read, I gather that usually the mustangs are penned into a narrow chute so that they cannot move side to side and yet the feet can be got at to trim. It's not as horrid as perhaps it sounds. I've kept a couple of spare panels on hand myself just in case we needed to restrain her for the vet (or farrier), but we've been lucky and the panels have just sat waiting.

For Billie's trim, I put the rope halter and lead on her and just held her as I normally hold my horses for trims. I pick up her feet just about every day, so this part would not be a surprise. But the farrier needs to trim her hoof, sort of like trimming your own fingernails, so he holds on a bit longer. Matt is the best, however, and extremely patient. I've not seen anything faze him so far. He tells me he has quite a temper, but I've never seen him use it. He's always been kind with each of my horses. He made his way around my little filly's feet trimming away. She got a bit more fidgety with each foot, but nothing bad. Matt just held on and continued trimming and filing. He started with the front left, and that was no problem. He next went to the left hind, the problem foot, and that went pretty fast, too. Halfway done and they were both still standing! Third, he trimmed the right hind. This one was a little more tricky since Billie seemed more ready to say cut that out. Still, Matt just held on and trimmed and filed quickly. And it's funny that he never seemed to rush; he just worked quickly. With each new foot, I'd move us to the shade, but Billie kept moving us out to the sun, where she'd stop hopping around and Matt could finish. Matt finished up with the right fore. This one was tougher since Billie definitely had had enough. Matt was holding that hoof, and Billie started to hop hop hop. I finally woke up and bumped her with the halter, and after a couple of times, she let Matt finish. He just held on while Billie was hopping. And then he was finished and set her hoof down. It was interesting since Billie did not seem upset, she just had this expression like "what was that all about?", and she knew it was over, too. No hard feelings.

So now my filly has been trimmed. Her flare looks much better, really not noticeable. Hopefully it will grow out more even this time and after another trim be gone.

Round penning is going okay these days. I think she's become de-sensitized to me sending her almost too much. She still goes the direction I ask for, and I can get her to turn into the circle to change, or get her to halt facing in and then we can play follow the leader. But I've been getting the hint that she's not all that impressed with me these days. I got some rump my direction today a couple of times, like she knows I don't want to approach that end so she's giving it to me to worry about. I'm thinking we need another Bev tune-up. Billie seems sweet as can be, but I want to be certain she knows/respects that I am the leader.

She's not so pushy at feeding, so maybe I'm really okay. I do remind her each time I go into the pen with feed that she's to stay back, and I do not let her rush the food when it's in her bucket. She has to stay back till I walk away. I wonder, do horses let you be in charge some of the time but not all of the time? Does she respect me when I'm feeding but not so much when I'm round penning?

I'm wanting to get her outside the pen in the next few days. I'm not as competent ground working her as I like. I can send her back and forth through the gate between the pens just fine, but cannot seem to get her to go past me with enough space when I stand in the middle of the pen. Bev will be able to help me with this. I want to have this part down a little better before traveling outside.