Speaking of fat, lazy and grumpy...
Bugs is starting to think this 'working horse' thing is for the birds and today he decided to pitch a fit.
Bugs was notorious for pulling back for no particular reason and he don't quit until he breaks a leadrope. He hasn't done that for quite some time but today he showed he's not entirely over it. I have figured out it is a temper issue with him but I thought I had him over it. I guess it's back to the tie blocker for him and keeping my buggy whip handy.
Ya know, I know the horse is body sore, but I'm doing all I can to alleviate his discomfort...grooming, massaging, liniments and I am even applying Sore-No-More mud to his knees, hind fetlocks and stifles. The fact is, the horse is soft. Like marshmallow soft. He's 12 years old and never worked a day in his life. And it's not like I am riding him hard either. In spite of well-meaning but completely stupid people telling me I need to ride him up a few mountains to get the blubber off of him, (eyeroll) because he is so out of shape, I have either been ponying him or going for an hour to hour and a half WALK out in the desert. It's flat out there and yet he comes home dripping in sweat. His body is just not used to regular, forced exercise and it is pissing him right the heck off.
Bugs is at the same point Frosty was last year. I started to wonder if I was EVER going to get Frosty to slim down and take shape. It's just harder on and takes longer for these older horses to come around...and they are generally none too happy about it while it's happening. But since both Frosty and Spooks came through their PT pain and are much better, happy and healthier horses because of it...so to shall Bugs!
I just might have to buy some major stock in a leadrope company. LOL
13 comments:
Poor Bugs - lol Hopefully he gets through to the other side without having too many tantrums on you!
As someone who is a bit out of shape myself, I get where he is coming from... lol
I'm sure I'll be facing the temper tantrums this spring with my gelding too as we both try to get into shape... :-S
Well I had to laugh- I sure sympathize with Bugs, bein' an older, out of shape gal! I'd be cranky if someone put me on a fitness regime, and if anyone dared say I should haul my butt up and down hills I'd eat 'em for breakfast!
Oh well, I have a lot of excuses like my bad back.... I wonder if Sore-No-More would work on me!
I swear to you, when I first saw your post in the list, I asked myself, "Why does she have a picture of Killian on her blog?" That is his favorite pose!
Bugs looks a lot like Lostine in that picture. I suppose you can fatten him up more so that it's too much of a strain for him to pull back. Just kidding. The vet told me my horses need to go on diets, so I've been cutting back on their hay slowly, but Lostine just wolfs hers down and steals from the others, so I have to start locking her in her stall during meal times.
Bremuda blend pellets is how I can regulate and cut the weight on Kat. He likes going out though so keeping him in shape isn't so much the problem- it's me. Finding the time to get me in shape- Hahahaha you were kidding right?
Oh man, I have one JUST like that. He got started late (at 9) and now he gets offended every time he's asked to work. Darn quarter horses!
smazourek-That is the ONE problem I have run into with starting older horses. Most of them 'start' just fine, but they sure seem to resent having to work. And it takes 2 to 3x's as long to bring them into shape. I started working on this guy last year and it is just taking forever to break up the hard fat on him. Not to mention the snap, crackle and pop going on in his joints as they have started to free up and getting his tendons and ligaments to start having some elasticity.
I'm just praying he'll end up being worth it in the end. I think so or I wouldn't keep going, but dang...I feel bad for the poor horse.
Right up to the point when he starts acting like a jerk and then I'm over it. ;-)
Poor guy!!LOL, you will get him there!And to the folks that suggest he be run up a mountain to get fit, tell 'em, you first! I hate to see an unfit horse pushed too hard , it takes us time to get in shape , them too
Poor boy's been taken to bootcamp and he's trying to get back to the nice soft life at home - lol! Sure am enjoying your down south stories :)
Poor Bugs indeed!! I can sooo relate to his attitude. Humbug!!
My late husband had a trick for this and it worked quite well. Run a lariat around the barrel of the horse with the end of the rope coming out between it's front legs, then up thru the halter where you normally attach the lead rope. The lariat needs to be right behind the withers. Then tie the horse as normal. He always did it with nothing on the horse but the lariat and the halter, so be sure you tie short and high enough that they can't get a leg over the rope. We had a very stout tree whose first branch was high enough to be over the horses head, then tied around the truck and above the first branch [using it to keep the rope from working down the trunk]. He would then move around the horse in a quick manner while never looking directly at the horse until it would set back. Then it was just a matter of letting them figure it out on their own. Most horses only took one time of really throwing a fit and having the lariat dig in all around their barrels. Only a couple of times did he have to repeat the movements to get them to spook...and finally they would snort and blow but NEVER set back again. Needless to say make sure it's a good hard twist nylon rope. Hope this helps....Judy
Thank you Judy. I have used that method before and find it somewhat effective. In Bugs' case, he is not 'spooking', he is having a temper tantrum and he would probably kill himself with this method. When he sets back, if he cannot snap the leadrope the first time, he will come forward and then just fall back on it with all of his considerable bulk. Mikey witnessed his very deliberate and calculated efforts. In Bugs' case, the blocker tie is the most effective remedy because I can attach a cotton lunge line to his halter and when he sets back, the line just slides through the blocker and spoils his 'fun'. One of the first times I used it, he literally sat down on his butt and then fell over because he was expecting to hit the end of the rope and didn't. The expression on his face was priceless.
This deliberate pulling back thing seems to be a characteristic of this bloodline. Moon went through a faze where he would snap leadropes just for the fun of it. I fixed his wagon by sneaking up on him and whipping his butt a couple of times and that was the end of it.
Well...the little stinker anyway. Just proves we are dealing with thinking critters. Rotten, everyone of them is rotten [but I couldn't live without 'em!!]. Judy
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