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05/07/2003: "A Banner Day!"
Yesterday was one of those days you dream about - fantastic weather and some major training steps accomplished. Mr. Indy got even more hugs and treats than he usually gets, and believe me, that’s quite a few!
We played with the saddle again. As far as putting the pad and saddle on his back, Indy is ready for the big leagues LOL! While I was positioning the pad, lifting the saddle onto his back and snugging the front of the pad up into the gullet of the saddle, he couldn’t have cared less. In fact, he started nibbling hay from his feeder during this process. He’s still a little wary of girthing up though. He’s not cinchy or anything like that - it’s more inexperience and worrying how tight I’m gonna pull that thing! I’m sure once I find the right spot and stop tightening at that place, he’ll relax and be fine.
In this respect, Indy is totally different from DJ. DJ loved to be ridden, but he did NOT like the tacking up part of the deal. Where Indy almost fell asleep, DJ would be making faces, fidgeting all over the place and generally using all the body language at his command to say, “I HATE THIS!” He didn’t mind the girthing up so much, but he truly DETESTED having the saddle placed on his back, no matter how carefully, and pulling the pad up into the saddle gullet? Arrrrgh! He had learned to endure it, but he still made his feelings known.
DJ also hated being brushed anywhere near his sides/flanks. He loved being curried - the harder the better - but brushing just seemed to be an irritant. All we could ever figure out was that he was just plain old ticklish, and a light touch was extremely unpleasant to him - strange as that may seem. This is one area in which I’m GLAD Indy is not like DJ. It saves us both a lot of grief, since I HAD to brush and tack DJ whether either of us enjoyed it of not.
While Indy had the saddle on yesterday, I climbed onto the stall rail - so that I was above him - and played some games from there. I put my legs across his neck; I scratched his butt with the toe of my boot; I kicked the stirrups around and pounded on the seat of the saddle with my fists. Indy nodded off. I scratched his ears, which relaxed him even more. Finally, I jumped down, landing right in front of his nose. I don’t think he even blinked.
Later, after I’d taken the saddle off and groomed both of them, I sprayed Ami and played the sprayer thing with Indy. I let him sniff it, wiped some spray onto his face, then walked around the stall spraying away from him. He accepts all of this just fine now.
As I was standing behind him with the sprayer, I was watching two flies that had settled on his butt. I wanted to nail ‘em SOOOOOOOO bad… I sprayed into the air close enough that some would land on those darned flies. I could tell Indy felt it, but he didn’t get agitated at all. Hmmm… I got a bit bolder and sprayed over his back. No reaction. I sprayed directly on his side. STILL no reaction. I came around to his head and gently held his halter while I sprayed the other side. He was intently aware of what I was doing, but he did NOT get excited. I couldn’t BELIEVE it! Of course, I will be VERY careful, and I’m sure we’ll probably have some set backs, but considering that he used to PANIC at the very SIGHT of a sprayer, this was nothing short of miraculous!
Having accomplished so much yesterday, I just hung out with the both of them today. That was good too. They both seemed to know that I needed their company especially strongly today. This would have been DJ’s 25th birthday.
