Harold Boy

I went out yesterday morning to get Harold out of the back pasture like I said in my previous post I was going to. And I wasn't expecting him to be perfect, maybe even not really good. Although I was hoping he would be. And he came through again! He was great.

I put the baby monitor as close to the other side of the house as I could and still hear my baby and then took off with my 2 year old in the stroller full of horse supplies and one arm full of my english saddle. I was hoping to get a chance to play dress up ;)

I grabbed my halter and stick and parked Shelby by the pasture with some kids YouTube on the phone and headed out to find him.

I brought a pocketful of horse cookies and a bucket in case they needed some encouragement to come see me, lol.

But they actually were right up near the fence! All except HAROLD. Sigh.

I called for him as I was opening gates but didn't see him. I was kind of worried. But as I topped the hill there he was just grazing by himself facing the opposite direction. I called pretty loud and I was fairly close before he noticed me! I had brought Biscuit along, my bulldog cross puppy (he's about half grown). He had never seen horses before but did pretty good! Harold walked up to see me and as biscuit started getting close to his hind legs I kind of growled at him and told him to get out of the way and apparently Harold thought I was talking to him and took off down the hill. I was like aw man! I hadn't even had a chance to show him his cookies!

But all he did was walk into the trees a bit down from the others. He really doesn't fit in with them. The boss horse Rusty doesn't like him so chases him off all the time.

Anyway I walked into the trees and caught him and gave him a cookie, easy peasy. I shook the lead rope at him a bit and he backed up good as you could ask. I did that a few times to make sure he knew I was on the end of the lead rope. Skip tried to come see him but I smacked my stick on the ground a few times and chased him off.

Then I took a deep breath and went for it. All three were up by the gate, so I let my lead rope slide a bit and started hollering at them and smacking my stick on the ground. Stormy tried to be a little cheeky, kicking up and running about but I got her chased off into the trees with the others. We hustled through the gate (just barely, Skip was right on his heels!!) and we're safe!

Harold was a champ through all of it. 

Never getting worried just following right behind. He probably enjoys me running about all the horses that usually run him around, lol.

So after we were safe I did a bit of yielding the haunches with him, some backing up. He did pretty good. And had no trouble leaving his buddies. We got almost to the gate before Chatterbox decided to come annoy us. I threw the feed bucket at him and smacked the stick at him and he took off to the manger. And we were out!

Sigh. I'm tired just typing all that! And THAT is why I haven't been working with my horse. And yes, I could have put him up there before now but we had no hay. And the grass in there is nonexistent. So! The father in law brought some out yesterday and we are good to go.

I worked him a little more up there and then brushed him down, checked his feet and then put him back out. Hailey had woke up and I needed to get back.

Tounge pic!

Shelby and Harold boy

Not a conformation pic, but shows you he's in pretty good condition for being out on pasture for two years!

Overall I was so pleased with him! And get this! He has his first massage appointment today! Yeah! The lady I'm going to ride with from my riding team was recently certified as a equine massage therapist so she was coming my way today. I said come check out Harold. I'm pretty excited, will definitely get pictures!  Until then!