todays stuff....

Cleaned out Daisy's hooves, she was very good, no resistance at all today. she got one pellet for each hoof. maybe that helped?? LOL a little incentive for being a good girl.

then I haltered Martha, who was in the stall, she was very good, let me put it right on her. Then i used the carrot stick to start touching her legs. Going very slowly and praising her when she let me put it on her legs. She did step back a couple times but nothing big, she soon let me touch them with no resistance.
I gave her breaks in between. i'm going very slow with her. She seems to get overwhelmed easily if you go to fast or ask too much.

She then was standing in the doorway of the stall. I petted down her left front leg a couple times praising her for when she stood still and accepted it. I was very soft with her. Then one time she picked up her leg, so i gently held it for a second, gave it back and praised the crap outta her! LOL. I did it a second time but held the leg a little bit longer! I praised her for the smallest amount of try.

I repeated it on the right front leg, i didn't get to hold it, but she got rewarded each time she let me pet it down to her pastern. Kept it all short, soft and lots of praise when she did well. I think she's getting it.

good day with the donks.

feet cleaning, rope work.

I went out and cleaned Daisy's feet. had her tied to the pine tree in the pasture. She did great on 3, but the last hind she wanted to fight. Reminded her that she can't do that, then picked it back up and cleaned it out. I swear sometimes she's a butthead and thinks she forgets stuff. pfffft.

while i had Daisy tied I went and brushed Martha a bit. I also tried to see if she'd let me touch one of her front feet. NOPE. So i untied Daisy & used the lead rope to kinda 'sack' out Martha a bit. First i asked her to hold my rope LOL I just put it on her back. let her think about it a little. Then i took it off & started gently swinging the end of it so it was touch & swing around her leg. At first she thought that wasn't cool. But I kept at it, every time she'd stand still and allow it I would stop & tell her what a good donk she was. I kept each little sack out session short. there was probably 4 sessions in 5-10 minutes. Just gave her breaks to think about it. the rope didn't eat her. LOL.

I thought i was done so i started heading back, but Martha was following me. LOL. so I went back to petting her, throwing the rope around her legs, and even tossing the rope over her back. Flopping it on her sides a little. She did great at that.

This time when I brushed her I almost got to her rump, got the sides pretty good, and to the front knees and just a hair past. Even got some girth brushing in there too. This is all VERY short brushings, maybe a minute each time. I always step away from her when she's calm & relaxed. And usually she steps back towards me for some more.