Worked with Muffin today. *pics & Vid*

[IrisGreen]

It's a nice day so I wanted to work with Muffin. I haven't done much with him in the past few weeks. It's been depressing weather or his pen has been too wet to work in.

Today was nice but I was a little nervous about working with him again. I haven't done much with him in a while so I didn't want him to push me around or spunk out and do something stupid were one of us gets hurt.

I like him calm so I started out with haltering a just tied him up. Got out his saddle and saddled him. I haven't saddled him in months so after a good dusting and putting the new back cinch I had made in a draft size on. I went out and tossed it on him. He was great. The problem is the saddle doesn't fit him. It pinches his withers and doesn't lay on his back evenly....I already figured he would get too wide for this saddle it's just going to be a pain to find one to fit him right. Yay, now I have to start looking for wide saddles...grr.. lol

In the mean time I giggled, slapped, moved and adjusted the saddle and cinches. He could careless. So, I took it off him.

Then I started working with his leading, Backing, yielding the hind quarters, standing while I slapped the whip on the ground, over his head and in front of him. He was great. Yielding his fore quarters was terrible! He doesn't like stepping away from me and he is not afraid of a whip so taping or hitting him doesn't work, I just have to push him over and ask for a step over. We will have to work on that.

I lunged him a little at the end and he liked that. Yep, he liked it. He was happy to trot around and show off. He was very good on a 10 foot lead and didn't pull, calm controlled turns and stop. He was great!! I didn't intend on lunging him but he started on his own in a calm trot around me so I figured why not even though I usually put a much longer line on him. He seemed content to calmly trot around me on a short line and changed directions, stopped and listen to my commands so I let him have his fun. He likes showing off how good he can be;)

So, I was very happy with how he did. For not being worked with in a while he didn't give me any trouble.

I even introduced him to the tarp today. He walked right over and ate it:rolleyes:. I put it on him and he just stood there playing with it pulling it off. I pulled it over his head and he didn't move at all. Just waited for me to take it off then wanted it back. lol

So here are some pics of him and his saddle and tarp. I didn't get any of me working with him. I didn't have a camera guy :) That spot above his eye is just dry mud.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/DesignersPet/Muffin%20Pics/NewMuffinPics007.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/DesignersPet/Muffin%20Pics/NewMuffinPics008.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/DesignersPet/Muffin%20Pics/NewMuffinPics010.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/DesignersPet/Muffin%20Pics/NewMuffinPics011.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/DesignersPet/Muffin%20Pics/NewMuffinPics001.jpg

It was an un eventful day but he sure made me proud! I was worried he was going to be a brat because I havent worked with him at all but he was just happy to be messed with. He's out there playing with his ball going nutz! He's been at it for a half hour!! Some guys just rode by on horses and even stopped to watch him go crazy with his ball. lol Muffin didn't eve notice them he was so happy chasing his ball.

I will post the video once it's done loading.....

[shewasmyshadow]

Man, he sure is a nicely marked horse and a drafty horse too. It doesn't get much better then that! :D

[vicklynn]

He sure is a good boy. Pretty too!

[HaveFaith]

That's great y'all had such a good session. He's very pretty. Shouldn't be spooky as much as he liked that tarp.

[alittleoffkey]

Legacy's a huge tarp fan as well... he likes to spook the other horses with them. :rolleyes:

I'm glad he did so well, I can't wait to see the video! :cowboy:

[IrisGreen]

YouTube - Muffin Playing with Ball and Tarp

There is the video. Sorry it took so long to upload.

Thanks everyone :) He did really good today. I'm not afraid of him I'm just nervous about him getting spunky because hes young and something happening. No ones here to help me if him or I get hurt so when I haven't worked with him in a while I get more cautious about being alone. But, He did really good so that set me at ease.

Now that I look at that picture of him in the saddle....Um, it looks like a pony saddle on him! It's a full 16" saddle! Plus, he looks fat with that big belly just hanging out. lol :) He sure was relaxed huh? hahah Poor Muffin needs to suck it in and look good for the camera...but he's lazy... He's on a diet:)

[IrisGreen]

Legacy's a huge tarp fan as well... he likes to spook the other horses with them. :rolleyes:

I'm glad he did so well, I can't wait to see the video! :cowboy:

Muffin would so do something like that!! Scare another horse with a toy! He scared a friends horse with his cone, he wasn't trying too. He was trying to give it to the other horse but it wanted nothing to do with the scary cone. Muffin was really confused as to why he kept taking off. LoL :) So, he tryed to be really slow, hold it high, low, kick it, and everything else to get the other horse interested but no way was he going near that that. lol

[alittleoffkey]

I don't blame you about being cautious - especially since he hasn't been worked in awhile. I'm always cautious when I'm working with the horses in the spring. After all, they haven't been worked in awhile and once they figure out they can get away from you, they'll keep doing it. ;)

I love the video! He's too cute! Papa used to keep a tractor in the field covered with a tarp, but Legacy decided the tarp was too cool - so Papa put it in a shed that's half-tractor-cover, half-sick-stall attached to the pasture... and the next day he went out and his tarp was missing. Legacy had pulled it off and was chasing the other horses around with it. :rolleyes:

It's nice not to have a big 'flight' reflex, isn't it? :D

Oops, I meant to add - I really want to get one of those balls for Legacy and Daisy. I think they'd really enjoy kicking one around (Legacy is a huge fan of soccer balls). :)

[IrisGreen]

I'm sure Leggy got used to the tarp on his own just with it out there on the tractor. If he's got the same kind of curious personality like Muffin and I think he does. He would be the horse to go steal it and "show" the other horses what new toy he got:)

I think Muffin got used to the tarp because I cover his food with it. So, he sees and hears it every day. I have just never put it were he could play with it or reach it tell today. I think also because I blanket him every night with a rain sheet he's used to me tossing that on him so he didn't even flinch when I tossed that tarp up on him. I guess he just thought it was a crunchy blanket? lol

The one thing I didn't know if he would be ok with was when I pulled the tarp over his head. I haven't done that before but he was fine with it. He's pretty mellow but I can't let that fool me in to thinking he can't spook. I have seen him spook before not that often but he can be quick on his feet when he wants to be. I try to teach him to spook in place but you never know so I try to keep on my toes. I got too relaxed one time and it got me hurt because I wasn't thinking or paying attention. I try to remember that, don't get so relaxed you stop looking out for your own safety.

[cloedoll]

You have fun with that wide saddle search, hehe. It sounds like you had a great day and the pictures are great, too. =)

[Kowgirlkate]

Way to go Muffin :)

[WP~Paint]

I love the videos of him playing with his ball! They are just too cute!

[Vibe]

Awww, he is so cute! Glad he did so well.

[HeartofSteel]

Muffin and Niko are crazily similar lol. I just introduced Niko to a tarp 2 days ago, undersaddle though. He just walked right over, wanted to chew on it lol. So then we drug it around beside and behind him with no problems. Niko needs one of those balls :) Where did you get it?

[IrisGreen]

Aww Niko, That's awesome he was so curious and took right to it :) I love the curious personality's. It can make some things easyer..except they tend to get in to everything! lol

I got Muffin a cheaper ball first. It was $50 and looked like a big yoga ball. It didn't hold up more then a few days. He popped it.

So, then I knew I had to get him the more expensive one. He liked it so much it was worth the price if it held up. So Hubby ordered one of the Equis Spirit Balls. There $120 but made so much better.

The bladder (rubber ball) is thicker and can handle Muffin laying all his weight on it. He crushes it under his chest. It has a case around the ball that protects the bladder from there teeth and hooves. It's removable and washable.

I already took the case off once and washed it in the washing machine. It was just as brown and muddy as it is in that video and it came out brand new. Bright white and red again just like a big soccer ball. I would highly recommend the Equis Spirt ball because they are made much tuffer for horses.

There nice too because you don't have to bring them in the house and deflate them after your done with it. The other cheap ball I got you couldn't leave out in the pen because they needed to be supervised playing with it and you also couldn't leave it inflated that long or it would stretch and get mushy so the horse could grab a roll and bite to pop it. With the Equis Ball it's designed for turn out. You can leave it out there all night and day and it's fine. You want to check it every few days and see if it needs a little air but that's it.

Here's the site for the Equis Spirit Ball: Scroll down to find the 40" size balls.
http://www.naturalhorsetalk.com/osc/index.php?cPath=44&osCsid=eb85729473f20b38a5f7af1f42523dc3

[doc_western]

hehe......muffin is so cute! i love how curious he is! :)

[Country Girl 43]

Oh yeah....I can see he is REALLY afraid of that horse eating tarp!!! :hysterical::hysterical:

He's such a good boy! Thanks for sharing those pics and video. My dogs started barking when I was watching the video...LOL they heard your dogs barking in the background.....silly animals.

[IrisGreen]

Country Girl,

Yeah, The dogs bark any time Muffin starts moving!! It's very annoying but I can tell them to "shuush" and they will stop. I just didn't want to be yelling at them while videoing.

I woke up this morning to find two of the dogs locked in the laundry room.... I asked Hubby why... He said Muffin was playing with his ball at 1 am and the dogs were barking at him so he locked them in! I just got them used to being out side at night and not barking but I guess Muffin messed that up last night...

Muffin does it on purpose sometimes. He antagonizes the dogs and runs back and forth with toys to get them all barking at him. Then I yell at the dogs for barking and Muffin trots around knowing he got the dogs in trouble! lol

[Me'N'Chic]

I love him and his curiousity!! So cute! I really enjoy watching him play with his ball!

[jeezitsjacki]

wow I never realized how drafty he looked until that last picture! loved the tarp pictures

[IrisGreen]

Yesterday, I took his ball out, deflated it and took the cover off to wash. So, I ran it through the washing machine twice with 2 towels (the towels help "scrub" the dirt off). Ran it through the dryer on No Heat and put the bladder back inside it. Aired it up, takes about 30 min's with my little battery powered air pump.

By the time I was done it was late so I left it out front on the patio. I have to fill it up outside because it won't fit out the door! lol

It came out pretty clean so I put it out in his pen today. He didn't get to play with it yesterday so he went hog wild on it today!! He ran, bucked, trotted and circled his way in to a sweat! I watched from in the house. He LOVES that ball!!

Sorry, No video. I didn't want to go out there or he doesn't play with it as much when he sees me. Tomorrow I will get some video if he's going crazy again. lol I'm sure he will. He plays with it in sessions every day it's out there.

Someone else on this forum needs to get one of these balls!! I would love to see more video of other horses having fun with this thing! lol He sure got a work out today, all by himself! haha I love it!

What I like best is it's teaching him to know where his feet are and watch where he is going. He has improved in his balance, footing, and slow canter just by playing with this ball. Plus, I'm sure it gives him a good work out.

[HeartofSteel]

I really want to get one for Niko when I have a little extra money :)