My First Vet Visit

Saturday we had the vet out to the barn for spring shots. While he was there, we were talking about Baby D and her training when I asked about her teeth. He stuck his finger in her mouth and promptly said they needed to be done. So, we get her drugged up and he began to float her teeth. After the floating, we had her wolf teeth pulled. Hubby is saving them and showing them to everyone who comes by... such a proud papa. He beams, they gag... LOL
By the evening, she was fully recovered from the anesthesia and hungry... we took that as a good sign and gave her dinner. She ate it all, so her mouth must not be hurting too much.
Dr E did say to give her a week to recover so she’s on some R&R and just being a baby this week. We took advantage of her being out of it and gave her a complete shave, nose, chin, bridle path and ears. She looks so cute now!
She is coming along so nicely that I’ve lent out her training saddle to TX for using with Acacia and I’m going to start putting my riding saddle on for our lessons.
My other mare Sugar has a favorite habit of rearing, so I had him look at her as well just to make sure there isn’t any medical reason for her rearing, and just as TX and I suspected, she’s just a spoiled rotten brat and rearing is her scare tactic for getting out of work... Dr E gave some very interesting ways to overcome that obstacle as well... I’ve tried the nice approach of rewarding good behavior, but I do believe that negative behavior has consequences as well.

Back at it again

Boy it has been a busy month. TX & I have adopted, retrained, and rehomed an abandoned horse from the barn. I found a stud horse for Sugar, and now it’s just waiting for the perfect time. (Am I ready to be a grandma?? LOL) and we have attended another show, where BOTH Sugar & Diamond did fabulous, Diamond went over the bridge in the trail class, (WOOHOO!!) and performed the rest of the obstacles nicely. She placed 3rd behind two older horses that are more experienced. Now it’s back to the daily training with Baby Diamond.
I have continued with our existing training regimen, consisting of exercise in the round pen, controlling her speed, direction, and movements, bitting up, tacking up in the cross ties, standing ground tied, lowering her head when asked, and ground driving. We have moved from turns and WHOA, to backing as well. And as usual, Diamond is doing great, taking to all of it nicely, and nothing seems to throw her for a loop into outer space. She is still leery of the clippers, but is getting better with each session.
We are working on the response and reward system. So when she stands quietly, the clippers go off, when she’s wiggling around, walking circles, throwing her head, I keep those clippers on, and touching her. The times of quiet standing are getting longer and longer, and it’s almost time to step it up a notch out in the round pen... If she stands quietly and let’s me clip her with the clippers, great, but if she moves off, then it’s lap time!