More About Matt

Matt's 22, an old school master, and very standoffish with me. He almost always puts his ears back when I come near him, but submits and minds me when being led, etc. except when we get to the door of the trailer. Anyway, when he puts his ears back, I just scratch behind his ears anyway and call him a grumpy old bastard. I watched covertly today as my daughter bounced out the back door and went and hugged Matt's neck. He does not put his ears back for her. He's her horse.

Today I had to start getting Matt ready for the show on Saturday -- clean up bridle path, etc. I put him in the cross ties. He wouldn't put his big old head down, so I got a chair and stood over him. No adverse reaction to my climbing up on the chair, so, I continued. Now, remember, I've never clipped a horse before so here I went. Bridle path went okay. Then, I started on the ears. He did better when I put my hand so that it blocked some of the sound. I didn't take the tufty hair out of the middle -- just did the edges. Then, I did under his chin and his whiskers. I don't like removing the whiskers because I think they need their "feelers" but they'll grow back. I did under his chin some more and along the jaw line. Here's where I get confused... where do you stop, exactly? I'm going to put his bridle on and use it to draw a line along his cheeks with chalk and finish that later.

In the process, I found Matt's good, good itchy spots!!! Right on the jaw bones. I got a little plastic pocket comb and combed and combed there. He almost went to sleep. He seemed to like me better when I turned him out after that. Maybe Matt acts the way he does because he's vying for position with me.

Dude bosses Matt and Matt always submits, Matt has to be separated to be fed or Dude would steal all his feed. Matt would just back up and let Dude have it. I boss and squeal at Dude when necessary, like when carrying a bucket of feed past him and keeping him from attacking it. Dude respects my boss and squeal. Matt backs off even easier than Dude. But Matt almost always puts his ears back when I come around. ??