Today Boo wore a bridle for the first time. I suspect he wore a bit of some sort as a weanling; many of them do at the Keeneland sales, especially the little hot stud colts. But he'd been hanging out on the rescue farm since he was a yearling and was, I assume, minimally handled (though gently and with love!). He's got sweet manners, just no great refinement.
So far, what I've worked with him on has been basic basic stuff, grooming and leading and w-t-c transitions on the longe line on the halter. He's willing, though he tests, out of laziness and a suspicion that he can get out of having to do unpleasant things. But he truly doesn't have - that we have found - a mean bone in his body. Well, unless you're a neighboring horse at feeding time, but that's different.
He took to the bridle really well, no drama and no fuss. Went out and worked like a pro. M. worked him for me, so that I could watch and so that she could work him through a couple things we were stuck on. What I saw was a horse that's starting to blossom like WHOA, from a scraggly unbalanced youngster into a potential athlete.He showed us a trot today that had serious balance, and a canter that made me want to weep. It's good that my nerve for jumping is pretty much nonexistent, because this horse should (and will) never jump (pasterns and feet) - it's Russian Roulette - but oh, God, to see the potential starting to show through now that he's got good sole on his feet and some muscle and some balance - well, yeah. *drool* The breeding is beginning to be evident.
I love my boy, and I continue to be excited about him.
His Flickr set has been updated with new pics from today as well as from a few weeks ago; but furthermore, I'd like to present for comparison:
July or August:
This was Boo, the second time I met him. You can see that he's footsore and not too sure of where his limbs belong (look at the space between the front foot and the ground - he perpetually stood on 2 feet; I thought he was crippled).
Today:
We've come a looooooong way! (I credit EasyGait with much of this improvement; but a lot of it, too, is miscellaneous tiny changes and practices, everything from consistent in-hand work to teach him where all four limbs are and how to use his right side as well as his left, to walks on varied surfaces like pea gravel and asphalt and hills, to little dietary tweaks that are starting to show in the new growth in his feet....)
...comments and constructive criticism are welcome both here and on the flickr album.
