Haltering and Leading Work

I got a pretty good look at the tongue, but I didn't see anything unusual. It seems to get pretty narrow way far up, but that is probably natural. We didn't have much time until dark, so E was riding Matt - bareback at a walk only -- he is stiff in his right front now (yesterday it was the left, WTF?) I cut up some apple and worked on haltering Dude. He was all sweet and lowering his head and sniffing my cast (??) I found out that if the lead rope is around his neck first he is completely amenable to the halter, hmmm. Apple for that, anyway. Then, I led him around and practiced halting squared without swinging his butt around by halting along the fence. We went into the scary corner that he avoids for some mystery reason. I was just kind of being in the pasture while E rode. We also had to establish that Dude needs to start moving again when I start moving. It was harder to mark that as good behavior, but a "good boy" seems to work. Its hard for me to get a treat out when we are doing something on the fly.

I tried to give him a treat while riding yesterday, but he had no idea how to turn his head and get a treat while being ridden. Anyway, halter off with no fuss and lots of scratching and loving. And apple pieces.

Dude did not like me giving E apples to give to Matt -- his facial expressions were like "Hey, those are my apples!!" Tomorrow we should be getting home early because of a field trip and I am off from work to be a chaperone, so will probably ride. E will pout because I have to see how Matt is doing to see if she can ride him at all. I ordered some Keratex that should be here in a day or 2 so I hope that will help his hooves. Matt is without shoes for the first time in a long time because his hoof was cracked so bad when I got him that he had to be left barefoot by the farrier when he came. His hooves grow fast, though, so he should be ready for shoes in about 1 1/2 weeks. However, that is a long time for 10 year old with a new horse. Oh well, she will have to learn to be a good horsewoman who puts her horse first.