Taters is turned out with two geldings: a 2 year old TB and a 25 year old QH (who is her mini-me). Everyday they glance over at the luscious green grass in the top pasture. One would think it would be every horses dream to run free and eat the succulent, glorious grass.
Not Taters (but really, did anyone think she would make something easy?)
For the three days that they have been up there (the groups rotate so they are up for 2 hours to get used to the grass) all she is doing is pacing. Pacing back and forth. Not eating. Not drinking. Not beating up on other horses. Just making a dirt path along the fence line from walking back and forth. Not comfortable being that far away from the barn when there are other horses closer (even though she is with her boys).
SO, it is true. She is a worry wart. She comes from a long line of worriers though. I, for example, am a huge worrier. I alway assume the worst, it is just in my nature. My grandmother, yup, a worrier too. I'll never forget when I heard about how when my dad was born she gave away their bird. Why, you ask? Because she was afraid it was going to let itself out of its cage, fly over to my dad, poop on his hand, and then he was going to eat it. Yes, I am being serious. I laughed, but as we were laughing I was thinking about how I would probably do the same thing (I do need to point out that the only time I would choose a human baby over an animal would be in the case of birds or fish, because I just don't like them very much). I am sure the worrying goes back further than that, but I don't have the time or energy to go back and look for it. I am too busy worrying about other things.
So obviously, It only makes sense that my forever horse would be a worrier.
Anyway, today they joined the pony herds together into one big, happy family. So now Taters, Dan (2 yr old), Tori (25 year old) and two more mares Penny (8 yr old Standardbred/Perch cross) and Seneca (5 yr old QH) are all together. They had a lovely time. Taters still was not 100% care free, but it was much better. Tori decided that Taters is his (I think he is a little old for her, and she doesn't need a Sugar Daddy unless he wants to start paying for shit) so he spent the whole day creating a barrier around her that no one could cross. I personally love this idea because 1) Taters is very independent and doesn't necessarily want anyone close to her anyway and 2) Taters needs a bubble around her in order to avoid injury.
After her t/o we did a little bit of jumping. I set up three trot poles to a crossrail then two strides to an elevated pole. She did great and I really do see good things for her in the future...assuming that we can canter properly at some point.
OH and then I gave her a bath. She likes baths, but hates the washstall. Everytime I have taken her in there in the past she has broken her halter (it is a breakaway). So I decided she needed to go in there with a non break away halter to learn that she cant just snap her halter and be free (it literally was just a step back and pull head non-chalant break, not a freaked break).
Anyway, three rears and pulls later she realized that she could not break her halter and then stood still
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