And we’re there...

Oo someone's getting too big for his boots! I put his bucket down last night and told him to wait (as I do every day), and as I turned to put hanks bucket down he tried to shoot through the gap between me and his bucket, I reached out and clicked my fingers in front of him and he spun his butt on me, and not in haste to retreat, he even took a step backwards towards me 🤬 a few choice words and a growl and he thought better of it, his halo definitely slipped a bit!
 
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Main thing is he didn't follow through. Probably muttered under his breath at you though.
 
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Halo is back in place :D I figured I would bridle him up last night, just to practice a little flexing, then decided standing above him to do it would be better. Trying to get him used to everything I did lots of bouncing, climbing up and down hanging onto mane and wither, flopping over his back when I got up there, and flexing from riding position hands. My friend happened to show up as I was tinkering, she took one look and asked if I wanted a leg up given he's so chilled with it, I declined, I'm trying really hard to stick to my guns of not doing anything until the new year.
 
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Turd. He got his full Arab on this morning, tail up over his back, nose in the air, hooning about and he clipped the wooden gate post (only thin as for electric fence) and clean snapped the bugger off 🤦‍♀️ Good job I keep a stash of spares! He and Hank carried on charging around, both lost their back ends a couple of times, it was extra raucous today!
 
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Gosh it’s been 7 weeks since I really did anything with Niko, I’ve been so busy or the weather has been pants! But tonight I figured I’d have a little play, it was after dark and the field is pretty waterlogged so was limited to in the barn.

I gave him a groom and slapped the saddle on him (I think it’s the 4th time I’ve saddled him and I wasn’t vaguely cautious, I want him to be ok with my less than by-the-book habits), carried on grooming then spent a couple of minutes jumping around at his sides, wiggling and hanging on the saddle, and he didn’t move 😁

I was hoping to get some ground work and lunging done with him over the last week and to be on board by about now but it’s going to have to wait until the weather is more reliable. It’s funny I’ve been in no rush to get on him, but because I decided I would I’m now a bit disappointed I’m not. A bit more time will do him no harm.
 
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I think my biggest problem with backing Niko will be Jessica!
Moved her from the sand pit to the grass paddock this morning so I could lunge Niko, she was grazing but as soon as she saw the saddle she starts charging around, absolutely full of it, regardless of the fact she’s currently lame 😒 which of course then set Hank of, who brought Niko in on the fun, which winds her up even more. Put the saddle away and she settled to eat 🤦‍♀️ I don’t have a stable to put her in, though she’d just loose her shit anyway shut in and she would do the same tied up. Bloody mare!
 
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I think my biggest problem with backing Niko will be Jessica!
Moved her from the sand pit to the grass paddock this morning so I could lunge Niko, she was grazing but as soon as she saw the saddle she starts charging around, absolutely full of it, regardless of the fact she’s currently lame 😒 which of course then set Hank of, who brought Niko in on the fun, which winds her up even more. Put the saddle away and she settled to eat 🤦‍♀️ I don’t have a stable to put her in, though she’d just loose her shit anyway shut in and she would do the same tied up. Bloody mare!

So that fact she had grazing didn't even distract her! That's a tough one, I use food as a distraction for things similar, but it doesn't sound like it's going to work with jess. Hmm. Mares indeed.
 
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I honestly think she thought the saddle was for her, I’m not sure if she was excited or trying to avoid it 🤣

I got Niko lunged though (minus saddle as I didn’t want a repeat), put her back in the sand pit and lunged him on the grass, not ideal but needs must!

He was a very good boy. His previous half a dozen lunge sessions were about learning the cues, this was his first proper sesh for exercise. I think I worked harder than he did 🤣 not that he won’t walk/trot/canter on cue, he’s just a minimum effort kind of guy so there’s not much energy in it 🤣 I’m not used to a horse with more whoa than go.
 
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Hank is teaching Niko all the bad tricks 🤣 I went to get hay today, as I’m unloading Hank came to supervise/quality check 🤣
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Then he went on to check what was left in the trailer
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What I didn’t expect was Niko to squeeze though the gap beside the car and follow suit. Thankfully the trailer ramp is strong, but Niko’s weight on a single axle trailer bounced the car around a lot and I was too busy panicking to get any pictures, he just sorted himself out though and scuttled off after Hank 🤣😁
 
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Lunged monkey again tonight, first trot with a saddle on and not a single falter, he’s such a good boy, especially as it was feed time.
Excuse my poor form, I was trying to manage lunge rein and whip in one hand to video.
 
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Doing the ponies in the dark this morning and Niko's normal shadow like presence was missing, I found him quietly stood down the bottom of the field, he was very happy to see me but when I went back up he didn't follow, hmm, odd!

I start looking around (with my shadow close behind) and the bottom strand of electric was down on the far side of the field, I went up and turned power off (minus shadow), back down to fix the fence (shadow back) and then I had to hold the poor little souls hand to walk back up because he was too worried 🤣 the bit of fence that was down was the opposite side to the gate/track back down to the hay and the rest of the gang, I've no idea why he was worried about it.
 
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Next doors horses were having a hoon tonight, Niko was tail over his back stood on tip toes and goes for a snort, but he sounded like muttley choking 🤣🤣🤣 maybe he’ll grow up to be manly one day 😆
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