Bringing Up Baby--What and When and All That Stuff
Eileen Morgan
years as there are trainers. :-) I've done things a little differently
from foal to foal, some things with good success, some not so much so.
This morning we led CC in with Dancer following for the first time,
rather than the other way around. I think I was a little quicker with my
prior three to have them leading away from mom sooner, and I also did a
little more with leading lessons by this age than I have with CC. This
has as much to do with the wild work schedule I had during middle to
late June as it does with any theory, FWIW. Anyhow, CC gets led to and
from the barn 2x a day, sometimes more when we've had weather blow in.
Carl can bring her in and out with a kid to handle the mare, or the two
of us, or I throw the mare's rope over my shoulder and concentrate on
the foal while she ambles along with us. She has graduated from the butt
rope to just being led by either side, although I did a remedial butt
rope day once this week when I had the two by myself and she did not
want to come in. :-) She has learned when she sits back and won't budge,
doing her best donkey impersonation, that I will just keep the tension
on until she pops forward, getting an instant release. She is coming
along nicely with following us, and has started moving nicely forward or
to the side to release tension in the lead rope/halter. She's been led
through puddles and what not, but nothing too complicated yet. I did
lead her over a plank and she didn't care at all.
I've been lifting her legs every day since she hit the ground, so that's
no big deal. While she was loose in the stall or pasture I've tossed a
towel over her back, and I hung Rain's longeing surcingle on her
(obviously not done up!) while I was itching her. Ropes have slid around
her butt and legs, her head and neck, around her back, etc.
Today for the first time I did our first tying lesson--I positioned her
where the tie rope is in that stall and ran the lead rope around the
post and back to my hand. Then, basically I kept her in the grooming
area with the rope, but if she had been upset it could be slipped to her
so she would not hurt her neck struggling. She did not set back at all,
just followed her typical response to leading pressure--leaned on the
rope for a moment while she thought about it, then stepped up to release
the tension. I used a nice rubber curry brush, a hard brush, a soft
brush, got into all the nooks and crannies and down the legs and the
face and she was happy to be fussed over. Then I picked her hooves for
the first time, rather than just lifting. She was super with both backs,
a little fussier on the front but quite good while I rooted out some
pebbles and mud. Then we had a nice scritch and I turned her loose.
She's 4 1/2 weeks old, and I figure I will start doing a tying/grooming
session once a day, continue with the leading and maybe start to add
some things to it as we get better. The mare loads well, so I could do
some loading while she is at side or wait. I taught Bard to load with
his mama, Belles and Rain learned after weaning. If they lead, they load.
So what do you like to have had accomplished by this age?
Eileen Morgan
The Mare's Nest
http://www.themaresnest.com
Tamara in TN
>
> She's 4 1/2 weeks old, and I figure I will start doing a tying/grooming
> session once a day, continue with the leading and maybe start to add
> some things to it as we get better. The mare loads well, so I could do
> some loading while she is at side or wait.
> So what do you like to have had accomplished by this age?
>
honestly ? you sound like you are right on track...loading and going
will be good for her to
learn now...lots of things are easier with mama right there :>
Tamara in TN