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12/07/2002: "Indy Weather"

Finally, cold weather and some SNOW sez Indy! He obviously loves the weather we’ve been having lately. He and Ami were sunning themselves in front of the barn the other day, and the next thing I knew, Indy had flopped down and was dozing on the ground! Needless to say, Ami didn’t join him down on the hard, frozen ground LOL!

Actually, although it’s been fairly cold, there has been so little snow that neither Indy nor Ami have been eating their hay in earnest. Indy is eating more than Ami, and he’s just nibbling. Mostly, they still rely on the grass for most of their nourishment. And here we were worrying that we didn’t have enough hay to get us through the winter and still have some for Ami next spring when we’ll have to start restricting her grazing again.

Speaking of next spring - I’m going to HAVE to exercise some Tough Love on that girl and get some of that BLUBBER off her body! I realize I say that every year, but I think she’s fatter that ever, and, although she’s sound, all that extra weight is NOT good for her compromised feet. Oh, Horse Gods, let me be strong!

We had a bit of excitement last Saturday. There was an estate auction a couple of miles east of us, and we could plainly hear the auctioneer’s chant. It DID sound strange indeed, and you can be SURE both Indy and Ami were alert to such strange goings on! In fact, Indy was so intent on his role as Protector that he didn’t want to come inside the barn and eat his lunch!!! Normally, missing one meal wouldn’t be a big deal - Indy’s not fat, but he’s not thin either - but lunch is the meal in which I hide their daily vitamin supplement. So, I really did want Indy to put his Duty aside long enough to scarf this down. I mean, it only takes a couple of minutes. But no, so I ended up putting on his halter and lead and bringing him in to his feed tub - several times. He would grab a few bites and REALLY want to go back outside. We went back and forth. BUT - we went back and forth because I allowed it, NOT because Indy forced the issue.

Even though he was really quite “worked up,” he quietly allowed me to halter him, and he was always VERY soft in my hands - even the times when he could have been pulling on me to get back outside, he was soft and responsive to pressure on the lead. I was IMPRESSED. I truly believe I could ride him in his halter and be in complete control.

Yesterday afternoon, during our grooming session, he did another “advanced leading” maneuver. Often during a grooming session, especially a long one, Indy will let me know that he needs to do something and wants me to untie him. Usually, he wants to relieve himself and wants to go outside to do so. Far be it from me to discourage his desire to go outside to do his Whatever. So, I untie him and let him show me what he wants to do. Sometimes, however, he just wants to recheck his feed tub for a morsel he might have missed the first several go-rounds. This was one of those times.

After checking his tub, instead of turning back toward me, he turned the opposite direction. I let him keep going until he had completed his “outside” turn and the lead rope was wrapped around his body to its full length. THEN I put pressure on the lead. After a moment of figuring, he reversed and turned completely BACK around to face me. WONDERFUL BOY! Is he good or what! And he keeps his stall clean to boot. What more could I possibly ask :o)