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Q's post was so much easier to write than Griffin's!
I
started to look through old blog entries with Griffin to see what goals were
with him so I could note on them, but it became too daunting. He was honestly so
much of a clean slate that to remark on every tiny little change would be like
writing a book on “how to start the young horse”. I think the biggest
noticeable change for this little guy is his health, his growth, his developing
personality. Yes, he has learned a lot, and I will note everything he has
accomplished so far, if anything, just for my own later recollection.
Health:
Obviously this is the most noticeable change in my little guy. He came to me a few hundred pounds
underweight and his nutrition requirements weren’t being met on quite the level
they needed to be. He immediately had a pelleted grain introduced to his hay
regimen and some added vitamins and minerals. In addition, he had time to spend
in a stall in a barn out of the elements for a few days so he could “get a jump
start” on his new life.
As time
wore on and his diet was steady, he really started to pack on the pounds. His
coat still took forever to shed out due to poor nutrition in his past, but once
it did, he shed out into a nice, shiny, healthy, summer coat.
A summer
of grass and running and playing over 40+ acres with his little herd helped him
out so much. His buddy Oliver, a year older, has been a great playmate – a very
tolerant playmate as Griffin is quite the bother!
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| August 12, 2012 |
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| August 31, 2012; stretched out a bit awkwardly...but its the best I could get with flies/dog pestering everyone around |
Throughout
his time of increasing weight and health I worked several days a week with
Griffin. The horse that couldn’t pick up his feet now picks up his feet without
incident and lets me trim them. He’s developed some hardy little feet, though I
do hope to work on getting his heels down just a bit.
He can
still be impatient if left to stand for too long tied, but he hasn’t dug to
China yet. He’s relatively well-mannered when left tied for any length of time.
He is very respectful of me and my space when I’m working around him when he is
tied or otherwise. He moves as I ask and doesn’t pester me to death. Quite the
little gentleman.
He’s
become a little king of the round-pen and long-line work. He knew how to go in
a circle in the beginning, but stop? Go? Speed up? Slow down? Turn? On
command?!?! Concepts that just blew by him. Now he is a champion! I doubt Q
will top his responsiveness.
He has
remained soft to pressure throughout everything and we’ve been able to apply
this into our work with driving. We began driving with just a side-pull halter
but have progressed to bit and bridle. He didn’t like the bit at all in the
beginning. But now he accepts it like an old pro. He began as not-so-soft with
it but has since realized what I’m asking for and has returned to giving to the
pressure with nary a signal from my hand. Sometimes its like he reads my mind.
He flexes well to both sides with or without the bit and bridle, and he accepts
a saddle without any issue – but he always has. We’ve put a variety of objects
on him or around him since the beginning. He may give a wide eye, but he trusts
people to not hurt him no matter what our crazy whims. (Though he still thinks
I might be a monster when I dance spazztically around him. I’m not sure if this
is his version of an insult to my dancing or what…)
He’s the most loving and willing horse I’ve ever been
around. Despite not graining him for months now, he still is the first to come
(and now the only to come) when I whistle for the horses in the field. He
follows me when I bring Q in and mopes at the gate when he is left standing in
the field. He soaks up any and all attention. He’s the most willing little
worker ever. It was hard for me to be a leader and not a best friend to him at
first, but the benefits of it are paying off and then some now. He tries
whatever I ask of him and is a very honest little guy. Cross that stream? Okay.
Walk through that scary dark tunnel looking area? Okay. Jump over this little
pipe? Okay. Trot those scary ground poles? Okay. Go over this strange striped
jump thing you have out here? Okay.
That last one was a really big surprise to me the other day. Jeanna was out
while I was getting the horses and Griffin – of course – came in first. She
joked that I should see if he would do the jumps. We both didn’t think he
would. Little guy scoffed and went over all three when asked. (No excessive
requests for speed, form, or repetition, just a mere “try this”. I won’t risk
him an injury by putting him through something like that very rigorously before
he is “of age” to do it. What little we did was no different, or perhaps even
less stressful, than when he jumps the creek in the field.)
I'm so happy with my little guy and so excited to continue the training process as he grows. I don't know what his specialty will be yet, but I do know he will give me his all in anything I ever request of him. He's such a willing, honest guy, I hope I can find a job he loves.
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