How DO we train, all of us? How do you start a colt? Maybe we could briefly outline our early steps with a youngster. My youngest ever to arrive at my place was nasi, and I just let him be a baby. He was four months old. But I took him out and had him stand for grooming, took him for walks like a dog. had his feet done regulalrly. kissed him and smooched him. Smacked him good for biting, would stand firm and act menacing when he would gallop from the other end of the pasture right for me like he wanted to see if he could scare me. made him stand at the cross ties for a couple of hours while I tried to cut his winter coat with scissors until I would wear out three pairs of scissors and my hands would be a mass of open oozing blisters. Wet him down and made sure the electric fence was on so that the next time he decided to run through the electric fence into the next paddock where there was a giant domineering walking horse gelding and his three mare harem waiting to kill him he would get zapped good. never worked. he got zapped at least twenty times a day and still broke thru wire fences. Like he had immunity from them, like electric wire meant nothing to him. I took him for rides in the trailer and would leave him parked outside walmart so he could get used to traffic sounds and car doors slamming while i shopped. took him to subway and starbucks. Walked him over flapping sheets of tin and plywood. Waded into the creek with him. walked him along busy roads, up to bulldozers running and fires burning. Up and down sand piles, into black sucky mudpits.
Then year two. more of the same, but ponied him once. let him wear a saddle around in the yard. Now he is almost three and bwaaahaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaaaa his torment shall begin in earnest! I am gonna pony him on a trail ride with Teev soon! Janice yipie tie yie yo
