After watching Achieve's videos I wanted to try to teach Mag to rest a hind leg - to take weight off of it with the toe raised. But when I tied Mag up, he was too fidgety to do anything with, bouncing around.
When he finally settled down a little bit I groomed him and then for some unknown reason he gave me all four hooves with no problem. Not in a perfect fashion, but good enough.
Then I started to do some desensitizing work with a large cardboard tube, touching him all over with it and letting him bite it if he wanted to. Then I did the same with a soft rope, swinging it all around his body and curling it around his legs. No problem. Huh.
Then I started cleaning the stall and realized Mag was shivering. I think it was partly the wind but partly nerves, because eventually he stopped. I hate to torture him by tying him, but I'm making it as easy as possible for him, making sure the donkey is right there, and talking to him, giving him snacks. So although he hates it, it seems to me that it's the most critical thing for him to learn right now (and forever) - to hold still - and this is the simplest possible scenario.
I actually left him tied unattended for the first time today, just a couple minutes.
Today I decided to put up a fence to keep my animals away from the street except for special occasions (like weekends when they'll get the most stimulation from bikes and dogs and walking stick people). I don't like my animals to be able to hang out by the street, their favorite spot, because it turns to mud by the gate, and I don't want the fish guys to have to walk through mud to get to the ponds. And I honestly just don't like having a mud pit right there.
It took me an hour to take down one grazing strip fence and move it to the front, but it looks great and seems to hold them so far.
When I finally let them out at 10, I experienced the same problem as ever - Mag is afraid to go through the path to get to the pasture, probably due to being shocked when he blasted through the fence. So even though he watched the donkey sedately make her way to the field, he couldn't manage to do it. I got a piece of baling twine and started swinging it around, trying to herd him that way, but that didn't work. I got a lunge whip and very carefully tried to push him that direction, but he started to escalate and act panicky so I quit that idea. After a while I just put a halter on him and led him halfway through the path and then let him loose. He could see the donkey at the field, but he lost his nerve and went back to the paddock area. But not to the barn exactly because that's where he hit the fence. He felt very trapped.
What to do. I went out to the pasture with the donkey and just hung out. I'm learning patience.
I called him and pleaded with him and then after an eternity, he made his decision and came trotting full speed through the path, spraying mud everywhere. It was quite impressive. Overjoyed, I ran around a bit with them and showed them the new fence. They do not approve, but they have so much room, it's no big deal.
At 3 pm Bellis came in. Early. The horse did not. He fussed out there in the field, prancing around, and once the donkey was in, I shut the wire and gave her some grain to keep her quiet, which did not work, she brayed and brayed for him.
He refused to come in. I thought I'd give him an hour to make up his mind.
The lady with the fancy arena wanted to come meet him so she came over in her Deutsche Telekom winter jacket, and I apologized, "He won't come in. Let's go to the field to see him."
She wore her fancy work shoes into our muddy pasture and admired Mag as he came cantering straight at us, and hung out with us, and then cantered the other way, and then back to us. He was glorious, she admitted. She admired his face and his thick legs, but couldn't see much more, he was blanketed because it's stormy out.
I was a little discouraged that he refuses to come in. She was impressed he lets the donkey leave and wasn't acting too crazy. True, he wasn't running flat out panicked.
She suggested I try to lure him in with a bucket of grain. I said we tried that. He doesn't seem to like our grain, not enough to be bribed.
She said, "I have something he'll like. I'll go get it."
She drove home and 5 minutes later showed up with a big sack of horse feed. RACEHORSE feed. *lol* She says she gives it to her horses twice daily. She said, "No worries, it has no oats in it so it won't make him crazy."
No, but it's full of corn, and it's "FOR RACEHORSES IN FULL WORK".
How can someone...what? There are people who... huh!?
I know, her husband worked at the track for years, and his father before him, but does that mean they think ALL horses should eat racehorse grain?
The situation is hilarious to me. I'm so appreciative to her, but it's like rocket fuel, right? Rocket fuel for a VW bug that sits in the shop.
Oh, and it's also By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen. No kidding. I didn't know there were horse foods for the queen. I have a horse brush for the queen, but never food. I'm in awe.
And I finally have something to mix the vitamins into that he'll eat. Of course I'll be very careful, only using it to get the vitamins in and mixed with my "mostly by-products" grain and beet pulp.
***
After she left, with a piece of chocolate cheesecake that I made, I went out with a bucket of rocket fuel and caught my errant horse. He ate a few bites but is too tense to enjoy it, so I haltered him and he was very very polite walking behind me through the scary path and even worse, where he got shocked, to the barn.
When I removed his blanket he was sweaty so I gave him a nice grooming and amazingly, he gave me all four hooves tonight. His coat is taking on a shine from the grooming (I assume) and although he doesn't smell wonderful yet, it's better. He's also letting me groom him all over, which is good.
Oh we really need to measure him......
I gave him a bucket of beet pulp and the little bit of rocket fuel/vitamin mixture.
My husband came home from work 5 minutes later and went out and gave him and the donkey both mineral snacks, but Mag still does not like those things so J threw it into the rocket fuel bucket.
I love how my husband spends a few minutes with him every day, making him feel welcome...and popular.
***
All in all I see the ways things could be worse - he could be kicky about his hooves but he's not, he could be hard to catch instead of just scared to come in. I appreciate these things.
And he is as always so affectionate, I believe despite all this, people might still be his favorite thing.
Here are some photos of the rocket fuel sack, and hey, there's a Traber!
What does it mean, exactly, "oat balancer"? I get that it's to be fed in addition to oats, but I don't understand the concept of balancer.
And below, the only time I've seen him with a sleepy look on his face. This was Tuesday (since then the halter has been off).
I caught myself calling him "son" twice now, but in a slightly patronizing way (not as I used the word for Baasha). I say to Mag, "You'd better calm down son!"
UPDATE
We're having a windstorm tonight so he's pretty scared tonight, circling in and out of the stall and paddock, giraffing his neck constantly, wondering if it's the apocalypse. I know the donkey is just eating her hay in the stall peacefully so hopefully he'll calm down, but this storm is not very welcome, my new horse needs to feel at ease here. Not tonight, I see.
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11 comments:
I'm really enjoying your updates!
It sounds like he settling in, in increments. Now he feels safe enough to give you his feet. Just wondering: If Bellis goes down to the pasture, could you just leave Mag to figure it out? Maybe he just needs the quiet time to solve going down the path himself. He has hay and such in the stall, but the grass may prove more tempting than the fear. (But I admit to liking watching Major figure things out and be smart, like a rope over his head, or how to walk up the path to his pasture and wait by the gate for me).
As for the feed: yeah, not what he needs, but a little bit can't hurt. I call that horse crack, and Major gets a little bit when we trailer somewhere (mixed with beet pulp). Just as an after-ride treat. And how nice that fancy-arena lady liked Mag! Sounds like he was showing off too.
He'll get there. Without Rocket fuel lol. I recall my mares first week with us. A car accident with full compliment of lighted emergency vehicles had me struggling to get her in the barn!
Hi Lytha, I’m a first time commenter to your blog but a long-time Arabian lover. Congratulations on your beautiful Mag! Just wondering (and I’m sure you already have) if you’ve seen photos of his sire and dam – both so very gorgeous. I found these links to photos of each of them:
Dam (includes video) bred by Michalow State Stud - she's a Polish National Reserve Champion: http://www.prideofpoland.pl/horse/pustynna-roza Scroll down to read her profile. It’s interesting that under “Breeding Record” that your boy is not listed.
Sire: bred by Janow Polish Stud - http://www.prideofpoland.pl/horse/poganin Be sure to scroll down the page and read his profile and also see the gorgeous full body photo.
I don't own an Arabian but go to many of their shows and have visited the world-renowned Varian Arabians (Sheila Varian) a few times here in Caifornia. I'm looking forward to future posts about you and your boy. Take care, Vicki W.
It does sound like he's coming along, albeit slowly. The tying, offering his feet, coming to you for affection (and safety?) all bode well. It's only been a few days!
As for the "rocket fuel"-- I feed a pelleted "ration balancer"--essentially a vitamin mineral supplement to make sure that the horses are all getting the nutrients they need, that may be missing from my hay. I know I've read that oats alone don't have all the nutrients that might be desirable, so I suspect the balancer is supposed to make up for that. I also suspect (check the bag for feeding instructions) that a racehorse in work gets pounds and pounds of the stuff. Feeding Mag a handful or two as a treat doesn't seem like it would be detrimental.
Loving hearing to relate your "new horse adventures"!
Maybe being scared when you cleaned his stall comes from someone poking or shoving him with the fork while they were cleaning his stall. People can be so mean and rushing the horse until they are just plain scared.
Becky, I'm so glad! I hope I don't have too much excitement to post.
Irish, I tried that today but he wouldn't go, and flicking a rope around to try to herd him does not work at all, I won't do that again. He thinks he can't, so he won't. I watched with interest this afternoon as Bellis came in from the field to eat hay in her stall, getting out of the pouring rain, and the horse refused to follow, he just hung out in the pasture - for 2 hours before I went and got him because it was going to be dark soon. He's so good on the lead line, and about catching, I should try not to be so annoyed, but it's just ridiculous that I have to take out and bring in when it's not necessary. My husband reminded me, "It's your fault he's doing that." OK he's right. I'm thinking of opening up the back yard area under the walnut tree and letting him watch Bellis graze there all day to see if he can find the courage to pass through the scary spot.
Ninergirl04, thank you for that - I'd already seen the Poganin one but not the mare. That mare is Mag's grandmother actually, but the name is almost the same as the dam - Roza vs. Rosa. I watched the Varian Arabians Open Barn (Jubilee?) and got to see Jullyen al Jamaal prance around on YouTube. Ali Jamaal is my favorite horse of all time.
Evensong, that would imply that you have your hay tested regularly to know what it may be deficient in, right? I am one of those people who don't hate oats for horses. If a horse is in work, if not, just feed the hulls: ) My grain is considered cheap crap by some people, because it's almost grain-free, it's mostly by-products and beet pulp. I only use it to hide the vitamins that apparently only Baasha would eat straight! I did a little research today comparing the rocket fuel to my grain and it was interesting to see - twice the protein, one fifth the fiber. OF course, it's actually grain! But it's got Yea-Sacc in it and that's a good thing. Also, the queen apparently eats it. *lol* Tonight I was thrilled to see Mag finish his vitamins mixed with the racehorse feed, and even eat some beet pulp with my grain mixed in. Very soon I look forward to weaning him off these things and just feeding beet pulp and vitamins. He won't eat our mineral snacks, which I had always used for clicker training. So tonight we bought a kilo of carrots and my husband immediately took him 3 big ones and broke them up and fed him, and yay, he approves of carrots! It's so much fun getting to know him. I'm glad you're enjoying reading it.
Ellie, I've actually used my rake to get mud off of him and didn't get the feeling he was hit because he stood there very nicely. But I know what you mean about employees not caring about the mental state of a horse: (
Yes, patience It is so great you realize the importance of this. I think you did the right thing by leading him back and showing him it was safe. He's still young, a little bit of maturity and a lot of baby still. Maguire didn't start to grow up until he was 6. He was brilliant but had some "Arabian deficit disorder." And when I first got him, he wouldn't lift his feet for me. He'd look at me like, "This is all new and by the way,who are you?" So I just had to wait for him to settle in. Mag needs you to show him the ropes, show him that what you ask is what he can trust. That way you turn it into a win situation. "Oh, something is scary, but I can trust her to show me the way."
You have the ability to read horses, and believe me, that doesn't happen a lot in the horse world. I admire it a lot.
I just read your comments here. It's not all your fault that you are having to lead him now. His baby side is appreciating the sense of security he gets from you. It won't last forever. Remember what I said about giving them 6 months? What you are doing for right now to help him feel secure is ok. The time will come when he will own his pasture, realize that it is now his territory. It just takes time. You're doing a great job!
Love reading all your adventures with the new boy!
Poor guy! He will eventually figure out that it's safe. The fact that you can lead him through but not push him through almost makes me think he thinks you're opening a gate or turning the fence off when you lead him through. Horses are used to following and waiting for us to open gates. Now how to convince him there is no invisible gate?? Lol. Like you said, it's frustrating, but you have a lot to be grateful for. If he was hard to catch that would be a nightmare!!
That's too funny that suddenly he is doing well with his hooves. He just needed to settle in I guess. :)
I'm not a fan of corn products for horses, but a handful for his vitamins isn't going to hurt him. I'm sure by oat balancer that it means it has all the stuff in it that oats by themselves don't have to prevent an imbalance. I'm feeding a grass ration balancer, so it's intended to go alongside grass and/or hay to make up for the things that we are deficient in like selenium. I haven't had my hay tested, but after the Dallisgrass scare I'm feeding some lower quality hay so I'm sure they need the balancer. The lower quality (as in type of grass and field cut from, not bad like moldy or anything) hay doesn't hurt them since the whole point of it is the heat it generates more than the nutrition it provides. Anyway I'm tired so this is probably a really disorganized comment. Hopefully you know what I'm trying to say. :)
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