This weekend's trimming

So the girls got their pedicure this weekend. Daisy was excellent as usual, but this time we didn't separate the girls, or tie them LOL. Just started trimming away, that way Martha could be close to the sight & sound of the grinder. Daisy was done in a flash, so why my trimmer distracted her, her husband & I started on Martha.

We don't tie Martha when we work with her, she seems more relaxed knowing she can move around if she gets scared.  She's so good with her front feet now. I don't even have to remind her anymore, she's getting awesome manners about it.

but the REALLY awesome part is we used the grinder on her for the first time!! before we just rasped, I thought he was going to bring out the nippers, but she handled the noise of the grinder really well when it was Daisy's turn. I think it also helps that she gets to watch Daisy, and Daisy isn't upset or scared with this loud thing being put on her hooves. so she got her first REAL pedicure!!  Its so exciting!

Last month, we managed to pick up both back feet with the aid of a soft cotton rope. She did really well, kicked out a bit, but they were really piddly and with not much intention. So we decided to go and see if she'd let us pick them up by hand. K got back there and was giving her some good scratchings, she seemed to really enjoy it, all those places a  donk can't quite reach.

Then!! YES a back foot in a  human hand, with no resistance!! Of course the whole time I was clicking the crap outta her, and she got a big cookie after each foot. So as far as she's concerned, let the human do what they want, cookies are tasty.

So if that wasn't enough! K decided to go back ( by this point he had picked up both back feet by hand!!) and rasp a little, and she was GREAT!! Each back foot got rasped on & handled, I was sooooo proud of her!!

Later on, I had to go pick up more puppy food. While we were there my BF picked up a toy for the girls that I've been eyeballing for months - it's one of those stall snack balls, with the apple treat holder and the ball hanging off the bottom.  I was very excited & immediately put it up when we got home. Daisy went to town on that thing! OMG, poor Martha couldn't even get close to it!

We had some errands to run, so we went out, we got back, and I was shocked to see that Daisy ate the WHOLE treat!! GAH!! brat! I bet Martha didn't get one lick!! Needless to say I haven't put the second treat in it yet. Hmmm. trying to figure out a way to still put it out there, but make it so Daisy can't eat the whole thing in one sitting. I don't think they test alot of 'equine' toys on donkeys!! LOL donkeys make it happen!! Determined little fuzzbutts!!

So Here's miss D getting her pedicure - untied, just standing there cuz she loves K, and she knows he has cookies.

I gotta get some of Martha uploaded.....

Miss D's 'angry face' lol She tries so hard and all it does is make me laugh!!

Driving Miss Daisy!!

 I was little anxious to try on her harness I bought last year ( dirt cheap @ a tack sale, but I didn't know if it'd fit!)

Well it did!! Very well in fact, I only had it on the second hole on the girth. I took the crupper off for now, I thought the breeching would be sufficient for a jaunt around the pasture. I'm not really sure if I had everything rigged up right or not, but it stayed on & nothing was flapping about, so I figured I was good to go!!

the clicker training with Daisy is working wonders with standing still. I got her all tacked up no problem, no fussing or pawing like usual. Its like she stands there is constant wait for 'gimme a click, gimme a click, i haven't moved a muscle!'

So I think it went pretty well!!
I asked her to go forward, we went backwards for quite awhile!! but that first step forward C/T. kept working on it & by the end I had her walking a good 50'!! threw in some turns, she did well with those, at first she though they meant stop. But soon figured out I wanted her to keep going forward but in a different direction. I got some video, I still have to go through it and see if anything turned out. Overall I thought it was a great first driving lesson for her & ME!! LOL the only animal I've driven was Ashley.
So here's the pics!! yay.

oh ya, I also introduced the saddle blanket to Martha ( she was braying her head off the whole time I was working with Daisy, and Daisy could care less being away from her) she did really well on one side, then I switched to the other side, but stupid me I skipped steps. Then she was terrified of it for about 5 minutes. At the end she was ok to have it thrown on her back from both sides, I made sure to end on a good note for both of the girl's training sesh.