What does my horse know?

[relativecolor]

I decided to free-lunge Zane today. Finally, get his training program underway.

I put him out on the rail and cracked the whip to keep him out. He flew around a few dozen times. Then settled down. Didn't crack the whip again!

I asked him to trot, thinking I'd have to encourage him to go but he trotted off. I thought maybe he had it down from the leading. I asked him to canter, he cantered off. Now I never went over that. Asked for the trot, and he went into the trot. Asked for the walk, and he went down to the walk. Towards the end I tried "Whoa" and he halted on the rail and looked at me! He had his ear turned towards me the whole time! What a good boy! Even with the wind blowing so hard.

He needs a little refresher course but he knows so much. I don't think he did anything else besides graze at the second owner's ranch. So I guess he was taught at the track? He was handled very well I imagine as he has such a great attitude.

But the funniest thing was to watch him trot past a puddle in the roundpen. You could tell he was trying to be brave. He would walk up to it and stop, snort, go around it. Approach from the other direction, stop, snort. Finally he ran past it. Came back around, walked half-way, then ran past it. Then he found a stick and was running around, waving it in the air. I just sat and watched him.

Every day is a new surprise.

[Bara]

Wow. That's terrific! Err - what do you mean waving a stick in the air? Like a dog?

[niaru]

Fun! Obviously somebody taught him some good stuff!

Next time, bring a few barrels for him to push around the ring...I knew a Morgan colt who did that, it was sooo funny to watch. Of course I never had a camera on me when that happened. Did you try throwing him the stick?

[Laura]

I can just see him on TV.. LOL... Relative Color throws stick :horsie: brings it back.. :hahaha:

[relativecolor]

Yes, he was waving the stick by throwing his head in the air. I don't know where he got it from. I just looked up to see him running around with something in his mouth. Did I try to throw the stick to him? No. He got bored and dropped it. I tired to give it back to him but he loses interest pretty fast.

I taught my Paint to fetch carrots but, of course, he doesn't bring them back! I sat on the rounpen rail one day and showed him a carrot, threw it, he went and got it, munched awhile and sauntered back. It was very amusing.