I've got a monkey on my back
I think I must be related to Jeff Dunham’s friend Walter. My body seems to be trying to “get me out of my marriage one body part at a time.” Odakota, Buckshot, Pogo and Star have all been suffering from MY old age. Between the Covid, some kind of infection that took me to the emergency room with 104 fever, torn rotator cuffs on both shoulders (one of which has totally given up the ghost not allowing me to lift my left arm except from the elbow), and continuing lower back pain, the poor horses have been going without much training. They do continue to eat, however. Oh well. I will say that is one thing I appreciated in my days riding and racing motorcycles. When I got off of them, they stopped eating.
These guys are like one person told us: “Well, they haven’t been missing any meals, have they?” But, though the training here on the farm has been slackened, the times have recently been very rewarding.
Odakota (Lakota Sioux for “Friend”) came to our place as a TIP horse. He was a last choice for me because another TIP trainer had taken all of my other picks. Odakota was the pen bully and was biting and kicking all of the others in the pen with him. I saw nothing other than a very handsome trouble maker. I brought him home anyway (Dummy) and originally called him “Spooky” since he was afraid of his own shadow and everything else. But, when he made the change; HE MADE THE CHANGE! He is the sweetest, calmest, most compliant horse I think I have ever had. When it came time for him to be adopted out, he cost me a lot of money because I decided to keep him. I’ve never regretted it. I had Sandi ride him a couple of times, but because she has had no more time on top of a horse than Odakota has had with someone riding him, it was not working out well. So, I decided he would be my horse, since he had already bonded strongly with me. He now has had three rides on him and he is so gentle and soft that I am amazed.
Sandi is riding Buckshot, w
Odakota's 2nd round pen ride.
Things continue to progress at the old homestead......NOT without adventure. The horses had all suddenly gotten spooked by the rustling of plastic sacks. Sooo we decided to give them a session of shaky sacks. Star whizzed through like a champ and so did Buckshot, but my dear, sweet, calm, easygoing, Pogo barely survived the sack attack. She ran and ran and ran until I decided to take more control and put the lead rope on her. She made rapid and marked improvement. There was still fear, but she was much less reactive.......until.......I was working close with her on her spooky right side. She was circling and I was moving with her circles. All of a sudden the circles got faster and smaller.....until......she veered right into me. I weigh over 200 pounds, but it is absolutely no match for her 1000+ pounds. I went flying.....again, landing on a small mound on my left side ribs. Our round pen is natural earth and not sand. Have you ever tried to say "I'm ok" when you can't get any air? Well, I am ok, but my ribs feel either heavily bruised or cracked. Just one more thing for old folks to get over, right? Sandi asked if I was through. I told her "no." I worked Pogo a little more and I really think she was ashamed for plastering me because she really really tried to comply and we were able to end on a good note.
Now it was Sandi's turn to be scared. She was going to the round pen for only her second time. She had warmed up Odakota in the smaller loafing shed but we moved to the round pen. Odakota is still so stuck on me that he will hardly move without me being in front of him. You will see on the video that he flexes very well, but has not figured out that he can turn along with it. I was making a move back to my right while looking in the camera. (Don't text and drive) I tripped over a milkweed plant and you will see the results on the video. Please excuse the moment of fright on my wife. Sometimes fright temporarily overcomes propriety, however, I
Odakota's second ride in the round pen.
Things continue to progress at the old homestead......NOT without adventure. The horses had all suddenly gotten spooked by the rustling of plastic sacks. Sooo we decided to give them a session of shaky sacks. Star whizzed through like a champ and so did Buckshot, but my dear, sweet, calm, easygoing, Pogo barely survived the sack attack. She ran and ran and ran until I decided to take more control and put the lead rope on her. She made rapid and marked improvement. There was still fear, but she was much less reactive.......until.......I was working close with her on her spooky right side. She was circling and I was moving with her circles. All of a sudden the circles got faster and smaller.....until......she veered right into me. I weigh over 200 pounds, but it is absolutely no match for her 1000+ pounds. I went flying.....again, landing on a small mound on my left side ribs. Our round pen is natural earth and not sand. Have you ever tried to say "I'm ok" when you can't get any air? Well, I am ok, but my ribs feel either heavily bruised or cracked. Just one more thing for old folks to get over, right? Sandi asked if I was through. I told her "no." I worked Pogo a little more and I really think she was ashamed for plastering me because she really really tried to comply and we were able to end on a good note.
Now it was Sandi's turn to be scared. She was going to the round pen for only her second time. She had warmed up Odakota in the smaller loafing shed but we moved to the round pen. Odakota is still so stuck on me that he will hardly move without me being in front of him. You will see on the video that he flexes very well, but has not figured out that he can turn along with it. I was making a move back to my right while looking in the camera. (Don't text and drive) I tripped over a milkweed plant and you will see the results on the video. Please excuse the moment of fright on my wife. Sometimes fright temporarily overcomes propriety, however, I
Oh no, not a “buck!!!!” Well, we finally got it and hopefully got it out of our system. Today, Odakota finished his breakfast while wearing his saddle blanket. He figured out that that horrible thing did not restrict a great activity like breakfast. That was good. So, we decided to put the saddle on again and see how he reacted to it today. The beginning was typical. Odakota started off apprehensive as usual like “What in the world is that awful looking thing you are bringing toward me?” I let him smell it. He really wasn’t interested. He only became interested when I started to toss it on his back. It is so funny to watch his whole side scrunch up as it approaches. Success! We got it on……and off……and on……and off…. and on again. Well, the last time wasn’t so bad. I banged around on the saddle and popped the stirrups up and down to see what he would do. All he would do is yawn and say “that again? I’ve seen that before.” “You’ll have to think of something new.”
So taking his suggestion, we went to the round pen where I decided to stand in the stirrup on one side and see how he handled that. “B- O- R- I- N- G,” he said. So, I tried his right side. “B- O- R- I- N- G!” I thought well, if he would not react adversely to that, maybe I could make him act up some other way. I took the lead rope off of him and began swinging it round and clucking at him at the same time. He took off in a trot in a clockwise direction. He made several rounds that direction, although he indicated he’d like to stop several times, yet kept going as I instructed. I popped out in front of him with lead rope whirling and pointed back clockwise and he made a fantastic and dramatic turn and continued his trot. He acted like he was born with a saddle on. I let him stop and he immediately turned and came to me. We rubbed and petted and then we started the trot in the round pen again. Now mind you, I was trying to make him lope
Oh no, not a “buck!!!!” Well, we finally got it and hopefully got it out of our system. Today, Odakota finished his breakfast while wearing his saddle blanket. He figured out that that horrible thing did not restrict a great activity like breakfast. That was good. So, we decided to put the saddle on again and see how he reacted to it today. The beginning was typical. Odakota started off apprehensive as usual like “What in the world is that awful looking thing you are bringing toward me?” I let him smell it. He really wasn’t interested. He only became interested when I started to toss it on his back. It is so funny to watch his whole side scrunch up as it approaches. Success! We got it on……and off……and on……and off…. and on again. Well, the last time wasn’t so bad. I banged around on the saddle and popped the stirrups up and down to see what he would do. All he would do is yawn and say “that again? I’ve seen that before.” “You’ll have to think of something new.”
So taking his suggestion, we went to the round pen where I decided to stand in the stirrup on one side and see how he handled that. “B- O- R- I- N- G,” he said. So, I tried his right side. “B- O- R- I- N- G!” I thought well, if he would not react adversely to that, maybe I could make him act up some other way. I took the lead rope off of him and began swinging it round and clucking at him at the same time. He took off in a trot in a clockwise direction. He made several rounds that direction, although he indicated he’d like to stop several times, yet kept going as I instructed. I popped out in front of him with lead rope whirling and pointed back clockwise and he made a fantastic and dramatic turn and continued his trot. He acted like he was born with a saddle on. I let him stop and he immediately turned and came to me. We rubbed and petted and then we started the trot in the round pen again. Now mind you, I was trying to make him lope
It has been an eventful week at the old homestead. Odakota is ready to find his forever home. He has turned into such a lover and a very trusting horse. Today we wanted to get a video of him loading in the trailer. He did great, but the cinder block holding up the front of the trailer did not. As we went to the front, the block broke dropping the trailer suddenly. Odakota handled it better than I did. My wife, of course, started laughing. He unloaded super even as the trailer tilted back when we exited and he just stepped out casually. In the video note that Odakota is the second body to enter the trailer and is the good looking one. The leader and ugly one was me.
After the trailer exercise, we decided to clean out feet. He stood like a statue as I did this with a screwdriver, since all the hoof picks were down at the barn. I decided to trim his feet since they were so grown out and bless his heart; he stood for it except my arthritic old hands would not squeeze the nippers. I fell and hurt one of my hands Saturday and it is pretty weak still. We have a farrier coming tomorrow, but he certainly would not be necessary if I were in better condition.
If you have thought about adopting a mustang, this is one you really ought to consider. He is going to be something special. All his TIP requirements are met and he has even allowed me to lie out on his back while he was unhaltered. He learns quickly and is still learning a lot. Get your application in to the BLM and for only $125.00 you can adopt an American Legend that is really special. I just love this horse.
Odakota Loading & enduring the crash.
It has been an eventful week at the old homestead. Odakota is ready to find his forever home. He has turned into such a lover and a very trusting horse. Today we wanted to get a video of him loading in the trailer. He did great, but the cinder block holding up the front of the trailer did not. As we went to the front, the block broke dropping the trailer suddenly. Odakota handled it better than I did. My wife, of course, started laughing. He unloaded super even as the trailer tilted back when we exited and he just stepped out casually. In the video note that Odakota is the second body to enter the trailer and is the good looking one. The leader and ugly one was me.
After the trailer exercise, we decided to clean out feet. He stood like a statue as I did this with a screwdriver, since all the hoof picks were down at the barn. I decided to trim his feet since they were so grown out and bless his heart; he stood for it except my arthritic old hands would not squeeze the nippers. I fell and hurt one of my hands Saturday and it is pretty weak still. We have a farrier coming tomorrow, but he certainly would not be necessary if I were in better condition.
If you have thought about adopting a mustang, this is one you really ought to consider. He is going to be something special. All his TIP requirements are met and he has even allowed me to lie out on his back while he was unhaltered. He learns quickly and is still learning a lot. Get your application in to the BLM and for only $125.00 you can adopt an American Legend that is really special. I just love this horse.
Momma Gives some pats!
Leaps and Bounds: that’s what it IS! The leaping forward continued on Saturday. After the TIPs finished eating separately again, I worked with Flash a little and she did well. She is becoming more solid on “face-up” but Odakota is the prize winner of the day.
He has taken what he has learned already and just refused to take those 2 or 3 steps back. It was briskly to the launch pad and zoom; the rocket is off. In just one more day of work Odakota has just about made the transition from wild to domestic. I had let him eat in the round pen away from everyone else. I went in and he stood for me to approach and give him the jaw rubs. He stood so solidly and comfortably that after a couple of minutes of rubbing, I decided to see if his training had, in fact, held. I stepped away from him and pointed to my right and clucked and he took off at a canter immediately. I stepped into his line of sight and pointed left with a cluck and the canter reversed field immediately. I called out “Whoa and Face up” and he halted and turned toward me and took a few steps my direction. I praised him vociferously and he relished it completely. We worked on walking up to him on his side and he always turned to face up no matter which side I approached. He would stand like a statue while I groomed him on either side all the way over his rear. We moved to the loafing shed. He played “dodge-‘em for just a couple of minutes and then headed for the gate and went in. I followed and he stood quietly when I walked in very near to him. I closed the gate and turned to him and he just squared up and let me rub his right jaw.
We played in there for only a few minutes and I decided to put the halter on him. That went almost as smooth as butter. It is still new, but he trusted me not to hurt him and we got it on very quickly without any resistance. When the halter was on I attached a lead and stepped to his left and he just turned with me. I then turned back to the right
Momma Gives some pats!
Leaps and Bounds: that’s what it IS! The leaping forward continued on Saturday. After the TIPs finished eating separately again, I worked with Flash a little and she did well. She is becoming more solid on “face-up” but Odakota is the prize winner of the day.
He has taken what he has learned already and just refused to take those 2 or 3 steps back. It was briskly to the launch pad and zoom; the rocket is off. In just one more day of work Odakota has just about made the transition from wild to domestic. I had let him eat in the round pen away from everyone else. I went in and he stood for me to approach and give him the jaw rubs. He stood so solidly and comfortably that after a couple of minutes of rubbing, I decided to see if his training had, in fact, held. I stepped away from him and pointed to my right and clucked and he took off at a canter immediately. I stepped into his line of sight and pointed left with a cluck and the canter reversed field immediately. I called out “Whoa and Face up” and he halted and turned toward me and took a few steps my direction. I praised him vociferously and he relished it completely. We worked on walking up to him on his side and he always turned to face up no matter which side I approached. He would stand like a statue while I groomed him on either side all the way over his rear. We moved to the loafing shed. He played “dodge-‘em for just a couple of minutes and then headed for the gate and went in. I followed and he stood quietly when I walked in very near to him. I closed the gate and turned to him and he just squared up and let me rub his right jaw.
We played in there for only a few minutes and I decided to put the halter on him. That went almost as smooth as butter. It is still new, but he trusted me not to hurt him and we got it on very quickly without any resistance. When the halter was on I attached a lead and stepped to his left and he just turned with me. I then turned back to the right
