Blackbart the Outer Banks Pirate (arrr! arrr! arrr!) will arrive in two weeks. Vinnie will too, but Vinnie is basically a slightly-spoiled two-year-pony who needs his basic handling skills honed. He can be led, sorta/kinda, but it shouldn't take long to work through those things. I can tell he's a quick study, with a great sense of humor and a lot of curiosity - I think he's a pony that would melt Janice's heart. I'm hoping to start my independent-study FCPTA Level 1 journey with Vinnie.
Bart's another issue. He doesn't know anything. He's also older. He was recently taken from the "wild", while Vinnie has been in domesticity since he was about six months. I think the one session in the round pen when we visited him last month is the only one Bart's had. Basically, he was picked up in the wild, injured, taken to the vet clinic, and he's been in a stall since. That said, he's easy...well, easier than I would have ever imagined an injured, wild, mustang stallion would be. (I can't believe I keep using those four words in sequence...like that's something we have as an everyday occurance around here.) He's not spooky, and he seems to be a phenomonally quick study. If that weren't the case, he wouldn't be coming here. I enjoy a little challenge...but I also would like to live a few more years! There's a limit to my bravery, I can assure you. Bart doesn't know how to lead. He doesn't know to stand to have his halter put on and taken off. He's worn the same halter since he was sedated to be worked on, May 6. We have some basics to cover. I made progress touching him in the stall, even running my hand down his leg, but his stall was small - only about 10x10. You just can't push a horse too much in a space that small if the horse doesn't have any clue about a signal to move away. Bart is sweet and wants to get along, but he's basically a blank slate when it comes to horse/human manners. I have a round pen, and I use it a lot...but I don't do a lot of "round penning" if you know what I mean. In other words, it's a convenient place to check new saddles and tack. It's a nice place for kids to take their first rides. It's shady and in a spot that often catches a breeze, so it's a nice place to work on small tasks when it's hot. And since it's not too big, I splurged and put down "footing" in it - I would never spend the money for any special footing in a full size arena - it's too expensive. So, I can use it in the winter when other spots are muddy. For the first time in a long time, I think I need to use my "round pen" as a "Round Pen". Before I try to do much basic training of Bart in close quarters, I'm going to need to be confident that I can send him away if things get...tense. We're bound to have some moments of confusion, as he learns to speak human and we get to know each other. I just hope to keep those moments to an absolute minimum. Yesterday, we took the extra panels out, so it's no longer a small oval riding area, but is back to being an appoximately 60-foot round pen. We took the extra panels, plus two new ones, and made a shute from the front of the barn to the RP. I'd never thought of this before, but at the beach, the herd manager had to funnel Bart down the barn hallway to the trailer parked at the end of the barn, then drove him in the trailer for about 100-feet to their round pen, backed the trailer up, and unloaded him. What an ordeal...but there really was no other way that I could see. I hope to be haltering and leading Bart soon after he arrives, but until I see the best way to get to that point, at least I can just open his stall door, and encourage him forward until he's in the RP. I hope he's about as exciting as Cali was when she got here... :) Janice, when can I expect my FCPTA DVD's to arrive? Karen Thomas, NC
