Slice of Shortcake

Nov
11


What a gorgeous thing she is.

Short update on Shortcake: We moved Zip and Shortcake (along with the donkeys, who resent being treated parenthetically so often), back out to the pasture now that the weather’s back to normal for this time of year. No sense wasting hay when there’s still grass in the meadows. I have extra hay, but I have to reserve that for the cows, who are up at the barn earlier than they would be normally.

Meanwhile, Shortcake is collecting burrs again, so I meandered out there to clean her up. And she let me walk right up to her and leisurely spend 10 or 15 minutes combing out the burrs from her mane. I was so impressed with her friendliness! Of course, I wasn’t holding a halter in my hand, and she was standing in an open field, and she’s no dummy. An open field and nothing in my hand is Shortcake’s comfort zone. But I’m calling it progress just the same!

I left while she was still wanting me to pet her, just to leave her hungry.





Comments

  1. Remudamom says:

    Yea! I know a lot of the big name trainers, CA included, say not to give your horse treats when you’re catching them. But you know what? I’m old and it makes my life so much easier when my horses see me coming and head towards me because they know I have something for them. Sometimes I walk out with a halter and treats and catch someone long enough to just turn them loose again. Life is hard enough.

  2. walkersrun says:

    When I have a horse that doesn’t like to be haltered in the field, I put it on my shoulder, like a pocketbook and the lead rope around my neck…I pet and rub and then throw the lead rope around their neck to hold them and then gently put the halter on, so far this has worked everytime 🙂 I also have found “most” horses can be lead with just the lead rope around their neck and I don’t have to worry with the halter at all. 🙂

  3. Larry Eiss says:

    Suzanne, I am not a horse person at all–cows are more my area. Would you explain why the horses are not always wearing a halter? I have always assumed halters were just left on all the time. Thanks!

  4. Larry Eiss says:

    Thank you, Suzanne. Suicide will never do!

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