Almost a Rodeo

Dang Dude is so herd bound!

I left Matt loose, cruising around grazing today while I worked with Dude. Tied him up and bathed off the nasty wet poo. Then, I picked his feet, even the one he usually doesn't like me to do. Saddling was okay -- he stepped back and forth nervously, but didn't pull on the rope. On one swing of the hips he met my elbow in his side (oh, oopsie - not). I just stuck it out. He's the one who ran into it.

Bridling went very well. My clumsiness was the only holdup. Carrots were used throughout. I led him toward the mounting block and stopped to tighten the girth. He stepped on my boot, but missed my actual toe.

Anyway, I opened the big gate to the back and started to go through. I met all kinds of resistance, grunting, head tossing and, finally, some bucking! I took him back in the front yard and made him do little circles for awhile. Then, I started into the back again. I took mugwump's advice and stopped before we got to the balking point. I just sat there for awhile and then made him go one step forward, stop and rest some more. He tried some more balking and backing, but I kept his head up and made him circle and he finally got tired of that and we went forward the way I had wanted to go all along. the whole time in the back he was awful, jigging, balking, backing, but I made him do what I wanted for awhile, holding his head way up so he couldn't buck. Haha. After he settled down some I made him slowly walk to the front. then, in the front yard I made him jog and trot in all different circle configurations for about 30 minutes. Little bugger. He was at target heart rate for at least 20 minutes there, butthead. Then, we walked it out, me smoking and making him not cut corners and keeping him guessing which way we would turn next.

I couldn't figure out what the devil was wrong with him in the back at first, but then I realized it was because of leaving Matty. Jeebus, he is herd bound. It makes it really miserable. We're going to have to work on that. At least he knows he can't get away with cutting up with me. He's learning that, anyway. The bucks weren't very hard and I didn't come anywhere near to falling or anything. I was just praying my girth was tight enough and it was. The best things were I didn't panic and I didn't hurry. I just took it one step at a time until I got him going how I wanted. We worked at a really good jog, as well, that I could sit quite comfortably.

Whew, another productive day under our belts.