Milton’s Moments, Driving Practice, Liberty Work, and Bite of Hay, March 2020

Training Journal

If you’re riding a horse, you’ve already won.

 
Between rain, mud at home, and shipping Rodney, Milton has had a steady but low-key winter. Lots of long line work; pats on the nose on days when that wasn’t possible. Lately, he’s had a series of almost, not quite, a little bit of this, a little bit of that.

Driving
Cart moved to Stepping Stone Farm. Standing practice accomplished [Holiday Rides]. Potential hitch day scheduled … and he comes up lame. Dramatic on the step-off. Walks out of it quickly. We suspect he tweaked a butt muscle from slipping in the mud and/or while frolicking.

Liberty Work
One session. Worked about the same as he does on the long lines. Unlikely Rodney, who moves much more freely at liberty. Milton was chipper and sassy after. May be good for his brain, even if the work is the same. Will pursue.

Hay
Gets a small serving of alfalfa when Rodney gets his [Recap]. He also is managing to keep the lid on.

Rubber Band Horse
Tried a resistance band around his buttocks. Once in the barn for fit, once in work. Did not go hopping back to the barn, much to my surprise. In fact, when we tried it for proof on concept, he wouldn’t move. ‘Hey boss, my butt is tied in place.’ I didn’t see a difference in his work, but I’m not the local groundwork expert.

Band Posts
Cob Jockey: More Thoughts on the Equicore Concepts Equiband System
The $900 Facebok Pony: Gold Star for the Baby Horse

Riding
While he the team is making the transition back to driving, we decided not to cloud the issue with riding.

Milton & Me
I have been trying to spend more time with Milton, either doing bodywork, patting him, or simply sitting with him.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott