I feel the need to nod off to sleep (still kinda sick)… so I will make this short and sweet.
First off, some of you readers gave some good alternate ideas for ice packs and soaking hooves after reading yesterday’s post (thank you!).
Here are a few:
1) If you add a teaspoon of alcohol to the water in the glove baggie ice pack (from yesterday’s post), it will remain soft and pliable.
I thought that was a great idea because the ice pack would wrap around the foot more easily than stiff ice!
2) Another reader wrote this and sent in pics!
This is a Davis Boot over an IV bag wrap. Davis Boots are Great! Everyone should have a Davis Boot on hand. They are durable and water tight.
Here is another variation of the IV bag soaking wrap.
MY FRUSTRATION
Well, it is all my fault, really…
I have been too busy to attend to my Wild Mustang, Rojo, and he is reverting. He started snorting more and acting evasive almost immediately after I quit working with him regularly…
He had only been civilized for 4 months, so… what was I thinking?!
Silly Owner!
A bribe
I KNEW IT
I’ve known he has been reverting for several months now. Knowing that he was reverting and that I should do something about it, I took the lazy route and kept him in the pasture closest to me so he would see me all the time – but I hadn’t actually worked with him.
Why?
Making hay while the sun shines, as they say… (work,work,work)
Anyway,
I knew it was time to get him back. My goal was to start with him May 1st.
In preparation, Sunday I moved him into a singular pasture.
I got his flymask on and then he ran away from me – but not too far.
CATCHING HIM
I remember the day I picked him up from the BLM holding tank out in Carson City. The wrangler said that he was excellent except when you tried to catch him.
Hmmmmm.
Yup. I think you can guess how it went today…
On Sunday, it took about 5 minutes because
a) he didn’t know that I was going to separate him
b) he is a sucker for a face rub
So, I caught him fairly easily – except at the time, I thought it took too long.
That was until I compared it with trying to catch him yesterday and today – after I had put him in his own paddock.
HE WAS PISSED.
A pissy Mustang is not a good thing.
He was not going to let me catch him yesterday under any terms. Especially after what I did to him the last time I caught him! The indignity of being on his own without his harem really was too much…
How dare I?
Rojo is very, very upset with me.
He acted like I wasn’t there while he ate – not like him. He used to be very interactive.
THE FLIES
However, Rojo hates flies more than he hates me… and yesterday, the flies were out.
I calmly asked him if he would like his flymask (I know he likes his fly mask…).
ROJO (snorting): I DON’T TRUST YOU OR ANYTHING YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND
Me (singsonging): It’s your flyyyyymask…
ROJO: I hate you and don’t trust you.
Me: Ohhh, those yucky flies are on your face… Isn’t that bothersome… lookey what I have…
ROJO: I think I hate you and I think I don’t trust you.
Me (reaching for his muzzle): Ohhhhh, let me wipe those flies off of your face… isn’t that better?
ROJO: I… won’t… let… you.. do …
Me: Awww, handsome, strong Mustang… let me pet your face
ROJO: You are messing with me and doing some human mind melding thing and…
Me: Here you go… let me just put this over your face and
Me: Aha! it is on! Now, that wasn’t so bad…
ROJO (pretending to be upset but not moving): I don’t trust you but you can rub my face…
I reeeeaaaach to pet him.
AND SO IT GOES.
For three days now, he has told me that he doesn’t remember anything.
I cannot catch him.
I can only put one certain kind of fly mask on him (his) and if I do put his on him I have to do it the special way.
He won’t take any food I give him unless I don’t look at him while giving.
He will not let me fly spray him.
He has forgotten how to tie.
I cannot brush him.
He doesn’t want me to use a comb on his mane or tail.
I cannot pick up his feet.
Sigh.
And so it goes.
Back to the drawing board with my wonderfully smart and very special boy.
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
I admire the empathy & patience you are showing your horse. Good on you. :)
Hi Jessica:
I hear you. Rojo is emotional but not disrespectful. He will come around… I just have to start back at the basics. If I was him, I’d be leery of me, too. Keep watching as I will continue to write about our journey. Thanks for caring.
Sounds like he is being quite disrespectful of you… maybe moving his feet in a small area, such as a roundpen or small paddock with lots of changes of direction and disengagement of the hindquarters… and never letting him turn away from you without consequence (being rolled back into the fence just the way he came)…. and only being invited in to your space when he has a pleasant, friendly attitude…. Just like in his wild herd… acting like that to one of the leaders would have gotten him separated from the herd until he was begging to come back in…. in this case, you’d be his only herd and source of rest and comfort…. At least, that’s been incredibly successful for me…. with many many horses.
awwwwww. Hang in there. My mustang is just as opinionated. They would not have survived otherwise :)