Milton & I set out for a walk around the pasture.
He stops, ‘I don’t wanna.’
I make him walk on.
He stops again.
I make him walk on.
He doesn’t move, ‘I gotta poop.’
Me, ‘Don’t care. Shoulda thought that the first time you stopped.’
Milton is not pleased.
Halfway around, he is still pissed.
Just as I’m thinking how annoyed he looks,
… he spooks spooks violently away from the woods outside the fence …
… bangs into me, causes me to
stumble,
lose my glasses (!),
and let him go.
Take two.
We reunite at the barn.
Let’s try that again.
Nose chain the first time.
This time, I add a motivator.
A nice long one that reaches his side from my left hand.
I explain acceptable horse behavior.
I explain how acceptable horse behavior applies to him.
Milton gives me the stink-eye.
Milton gives me the stink-eye so badly I wonder if I ought to be wearing a helmet.
I double down on the obedience.
In short order,
‘Yes, Ma’am.’
We finish the walk attentive, if alarmed.
Granted, any horse can get you.
Milton is not as tough as he thinks he is.
~~~
Gratuitous Cat
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
Just like children. You have to be firm. Hard, but it works.
I love it when they spook violently at something they’d normally see and/or hear any day of the week just hanging around the pasture doing normal horse stuff. But put a halter or bridle on them and add a person to the picture and suddenly that something becomes a big threat? I honestly don’t get it. I don’t even try anymore. Now that’s progress! 😉
Don’t make me angry. You won’t like it when I am angry.
Funny, people say that about me…………
There was some confusion about this. I was referring to the Blog Goddess when I said don’t make me (her) angry . . . . . Don’t really care whether or not M2 is angry.
I don’t find it hard to be firm. Horses are often surprised how fast I go from zero to bitch. ‘You may outweigh me, but you WILL NOT fuck with me.’
As for spooking, it’s amazing how things are scarier when they are working in their stiffer direction. Don’t wanna work. Don’t wanna work. Aha, SPOOK! Although, in their defense, I read that horses have few crossovers in their brain. It really is a whole new world when they turn around.