Really, I'm alive

So my computer and the Internet had an argument and aren't talking to each other. I need to take it into CUS to get it fixed, but who knows when that will happen?

I was at the barn on Wednesday and Thursday (today). Wednesday, the morning consisted of me holding horses for John, the farrier. Necessary and fun, he's an interesting guy to talk to, but it takes a while between each horse because John smokes a cigarette or two. I find it entertaining to hang out with Robert and John because they occasionally forget I'm there and the results are hilarious, like this gem from last time:
(there's a quirt on the trash can)
Robert: What's that doing there? Being thrown away?
John: Why would someone throw it away?
Robert: Maybe a girl was tired of her boyfriend hitting her with it.
John: Or maybe he *wasn't* hitting her with it.
[then the oh-crap-teenage-girl-is-present awkward moment of silence]
Robert: Uh... sorry Alyssa, forgot you were there.

Robert mentioned that we needed to start working with Honey, the pinto weanling, because she's gotten pretty wild. You can touch her face and her neck with some work, but she's not halterable anymore etc. I had about an hour, and some of that needed to include food, so I figured I'd go in and see how she was doing. Clever me, I remembered that horses like food, and tried doing some clicker training with her.

Honey approves of carrots. Very much. She also approves of targeting objects for carrots. She does not approve of me when she says she touched the target and I say she didn't. At the end of the session, I think she was getting tired of me (I need to remember that the longest a session should be is 20 minutes, she doesn't really have the attention span for longer and she doesn't need to at this age), but she would target a tupperware top regardless of where I was holding it, or on the ground. Star, on the other hand, was not pleased with Honey's clicker training. I'd shut Rocky in and worked with her out in their run, and Star spent the entire time resting her head on the fence with her ears back. She knew there were treats and they were NOT going to her.

Then I had a few more minutes so I pulled out Sadie, Honey's mom. She's a little spooky in her stall but mostly sensible. She caught on pretty fast to how I wanted her to lead.

We worked Dylan, he was pretty hyped up but has figured out what longlining is. It was good. No crosstie freak outs, just impatience and a little pulling.

Then, since we'd cleared out the wisteria and discovered the fence to the hay barn was unplugged, Robert had us go in and clear the wire of plants. Not very far in I realized I should have brought gloves to throw the thistles and blackberries onto the other side of the fence, but I still didn't go get them. It was good though, when we were in Sadie's run she was following me around more or less politely. Turned the electricity on, fed, went home.

Thursday I woke up ten minutes before I wanted to leave, so I opted to take the later bus.

This turned out to be a sad thing. 18 year old shirtless country boys were stacking the hay in the barn (GOOD). Unfortunately, they'd just about finished when I arrived (BAD). But they loitered around the hose while I tacked up horses nearby (GOOD), and surreptitious glances sufficed. Too bad it'll be creepy for me to do that in another couple months.

Jerry and Imp had a lesson, and I wanted to drive Comet, so we snuck in on their lesson. I don't know that we learned anything, but it was fun! Comet is an adorable little white Section A Welsh. As in, if you took a unicorn, amputated its horn, and shrunk it down to be an 11hh pony, this would be Comet. So cute. Also has major Short Man Syndrome and powerwalks everywhere to show the world that even if he has little legs, he can keep up with anyone he wants to! We did pretty well in the arena, his mouth is really sensitive and it's work to keep my hands light enough. Then we went outside and trotted most of the way around the field. He was definitely okay with that. There were a few strides of canter at the beginning, but I think we made an agreement that as long as he sticks to the gait I ask for, I leave his mouth alone as much as possible. We did the twisty part of the trail and that was a lot of fun, though not nearly as scary as it is with a "big" horse like Reno. We'll probably do a couple laps tomorrow and Saturday, partially to get his energy out and partially because we both really enjoy it; I don't think Linda has nearly as big a place and Comet seems to like striding out for the long sides.

Then came more work with Honey and Sadie. Honey will target the halter pretty happily, and will almost stick her nose in through it. I wish my computer wouldn't have died just now, because I really don't entirely know what I'm doing with the clicker training. I think I might need three hands, one to hold the target and clicker, and two to hold the halter out so she can stick her nose through it to touch the target. Maybe? I'm sure Gillian will have ideas for me, since she's the one who's really researched it.

Sadie also did very well. Nowhere near the hesitance of yesterday, picked up front feet easily, stood very still to be curried and followed me around, led very well, did fine out of her stall. Robert says the woman who brought her here was riding her around, so I'll speed her up a little bit. I don't know her background pretty much at all, and I don't know how trained she is, so I just want to make sure if there are major holes in her training, I'll be aware of them. Her feet smelled pretty bad, but I wasn't sure if it was just because they hadn't been picked out since the farrier was there or if there was thrush. I was very pleased with her when Robert and I came in to check, he asked if we needed a halter and I said no, she'll be fine. She only moved so far as she backs up a step to give you her hoof. She did spook at someone opening a door and ran out of her stall, but she clearly didn't want to run us over.

Minis are really adorable. Dylan did really well with his longlining today, not near the attitude of yesterday. He's really a boy who needs to get out every day.

Robert and I sat for a while and talked about genetics? I'm not good at explaining without being able to write it down and edit for clarity. He wanted to know what Luca could produce. Buckskin is confusing to him. I think I explained it all very poorly, and the probabilities that he carries chestnut is confusing to someone who doesn't know a lot about genetics.

Fed horses, went home. Found out! That Luca's 2003 full sister is a chestnut. So there's a 50% chance he carries the chestnut gene, or rather the red-coat gene-- both his mother and his father had one. Robert will be very pleased about this. I don't know when the Texas A&M studies will get back to him, but at least this'll make him happy. Thanks, CLRC!

I hope to remedy my not-being-on-a-horse-for-several-days tomorrow, but I sort of doubt it. Maybe I'll take Papillon out, or something.