31 March 2011

It's Been Raining...

...started Monday. Today's Thursday. At first it was kind of fun, but now my paddock is a mud hole, my pasture has rivers of drainage flowing to the pond. Sigh...


No, I'm not complaining, but the mud part is a rather yicky deal that I could do without.  So I'm back to wearing my tall rubber wellies and sloshing through the weather to keep everyone fed.

To train, I go out in the wellies, gather a horse up, slop back to the barn and change into dry buckeroos. The gathered horses tag along, completely unconcerned about the footing.

When I gathered Compa up for his session today, he was very concerned about my footing... the wellies, I mean. As I approached him, with my jeans tucked into the tops, he snorted and stared hard at my feet. I stopped some distance away to give him a minute to figure it out.

He couldn't.

When I started toward him again, he backed away - concern turning to terror.

How interesting! First that he would even bother to notice what I had on my feet. Second, that it would bother him so much (he's incredibly brave). Third, this was the third day of wading out to him in my chosen footwear.

What was different about today? Well, I guess this was his first time noticing my feet!

Rather than get all frustrated about having to catch a horse who normally walks right up to me, I decided to use the time for training. The way I figure it, this will not be the last time he sees someone in wellies, so he might as well get used to the look, sound and smell of them on a human body.

No better time than today to get that job done.

I just love how horses blatantly show us what they need to learn...

4 comments:

  1. How silly! I really enjoyed reading this!

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  2. Ha HA! Maybe its a fashion critique- he is worried you are going to wear them all the time!
    He was OK with a couple of days!

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  3. Some laces you never get out of your wellies most of the year! I used to ride in them in a colder climate. Wellies can be great. When its not hot. How about those wet, wet summers when we have to wear them in 90F weather!? Ugh.

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  4. @ Pam - I imagine in England they are the footwear of choice, but like you said - MUCH cooler there. I dread wearing these this summer.

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