Milton Opts Out of Lunging, Morning Walk Stories

Awareness of the outside world. Diario AS: Who are Triplets Ghetto Kids, the Ugandan children who will dance with Shakira and Burna Boy at the Spain – Argentina halftime show? Tikitakas, Jul 19th, 2026, & USA Today: The Muppets highlight star-studded World Cup halftime show, Brinkerhoff, July 19, 2026, for the Muppet video.

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{Backstory. Each morning, people & horses go on team walk in the pasture. Current iteration is one-mile, unmounted, & off-lead.}

I said yesterday that Milton’s shoes are fine. They are. The foot, maybe not so much. He was fussy with the blacksmith. He was giving small signs around the barn that something might be bothering him. Bit of a mood? Summer grot? Time for his annual foot abscess? Our imagination?

We decided to lunge him during the morning walk. Check for soundness. Milton said no. Nope, nope, nope-ity, nope.

How does a horse say no? I’m glad you asked.

Further background. The walk is five laps back & forth along one side of the pasture. They get cookies at each turnaround.

First lap. Walk out to corner. On the way back, Milton picked up a trot halfway through the ring. This is unusual behavior for the Gray Wonder. Other barn minion says Milton saw the lunging equipment that was waiting on a barrel in the middle of the ring.

Second lap, heading out. Milton power walked – seriously, I had to stretch to keep up – through the riding area. Milton slowed down to a more moderate walk as soon as we exited the ring.

Second lap, heading home. Horses were still at liberty. Other barn minion stood in the ring to catch Milton for his soundness check. Milton swerved. Milton reconsidered the possibility probability that stopping meant treats. He wavered. Lunging. Cookie. Lunging. Nope. Milton cut a hard right, flung his feet, and galloped off. Rodney joined in.

They did not run back to the barn. They both stopped at the cookie spot and waited for the humans to catch up. Dispensed cookies. Finished rest of walk. Sans lungeing.

I’m happy that we didn’t need to force the issue. He was sound at trot on a straight line. Good enough. No need to see more. If he felt that strongly about communicating his opinion, I’m glad we were in a position to listen.

Onwards!
Katherine