Turning my brain on...

This winter my brain has felt like putty, in terms of horse things.

It's been COLD and windy and blah.

This weekend, when I went to play with Laz, this was our footing...

Up to his knee crusty ice capped snow. 

No thanks, I'm not going to ask my horse to trot or move in this crap just so he can hurt himself.

Yet, I want to play...!!! 

Allow me to back up, a few weeks ago a local Parelli trainer, Courtney offered this online class for whomever to join to work on collaborating as a group for moral support, while we learn, challenge ourselves as riders/horse people. For $50 you get a year of follow up, encouragement and advice. 

So, clearly we signed up! I needed some mental change.

After this Saturday image, I cried out "HELP...I'm so bored and I can't do anything physically with my horse right now due to footing/weather"

She responded with some great 'games' to play with Laz that we can do even in the barn.

"How about playing porcupine game? There are so many things you can do in a little space- leading by the leg, backwards by the tail, lead by the ear or mane/forelock, etc. Plus just getting all the basics working off as light a phase 1 as possible (going backwards, yielding the forehand and hindend, etc.). Get really creative with your touch it patterns just at a walk- can you get him to touch really small objects up high and down low? How about getting him to put his butt on something or a hind foot. Here's a fun one- experiment with teaching him to hold his hoof aka stand on 3 legs for farrier prep, etc."

I was game for anything!

So today, we did some of them.

J9 had a good one too, see if I can ask Laz to back into his stall. This is great practice for trailer loading, etc I thought!

Laz was all "Why we is in hur?"

We played this game...I would ask "hoof" and when he picked it up I would treat reward him.

Oh, yes, he's food motivated. Like brain on, willing and smart!

Eventually, he would hold his leg up...

Cool..this will come in handy for my trimmer, that's for sure! And for me!

Who knows, maybe if he's ever tangled in something..I could use this?!

(god forbid!)

Fraggle Rock begging to learn more so he could get more treats (ie three..yes three, grain nib-lets--FATTY)

Here is me asking him to back up, into his open stall

This took him a few attempts. One hoof back and then a bit unsure...

To eventually, he backed in and out of his stall with no issue.
I need to take more time to go slow...I have the tendency to push for more more more more more!

"I strikez a poze for a cuuukie?"

At the end of our 30 minute play session, he was licking/chewing, head bobbing then sorting and processing all with his man hood out. All signs of learning. 

Boys learn that way, don't you know ;)

I have to say, it sounds so trivial but it was fun and Laz seemed to have used his brain which is great and I'm sure he's starving for some variety in his life as of late too

Now, for my hoof nerds, my hoof trimming mind was BLOWN with these videos... I felt like I was looking at Laz's hoof (only still alive thank god)

and then I just wanted to channel my inner Pudgie and do this to figure it all out via osmosis...

PS Daylight Savings is coming soooooon!!!