Monday, January 7, 2008

The Mojo Maneuvers


Unless you know him, you cannot know how momentous an occasion it is to have young Mojo haltered and acting like a normal person.

This miracle occurred Sunday nite. I have been asking Barry to get him hatlered and out to the round pen forever, but it never happened....I did not want to see him go nuts like his sister Rondee does when she is in a stall for any time at all.

Finally, Barry got on it, and within ten minutes, he had it done. Mojo calmed right down fairly quickly and even got his first lunging lesson in---he caught on really quickly to it.


I told Barry I would be shocked if he was still in the round pen today, instead of out of it and into the middle pasture, via that low panel back there. Do I know my kids or what? LeaAnn called this afternoon and said he was AWOL, but that she had lured him easily back into the round pen. That shocks me as much as getting him there in the first place.

This gelding makes me insane, as he is a challenge in so many ways. Then again, the really intelligent ones usually are and he is definitely that. His athleticism is so impressive to me as well--he just ripples with muscles and scoots around like I have rarely seen. He is as likely to have his belly on the ground and his butt up as he is to be standing normally, but when he runs and stops hard, he folds up like a clam. I have already seen him pull tail hairs out, and that is hard to do when you only have a yearling tail!

6 comments:

Holly said...

Paige this is the colt you need to start using the clicker on. My guess would be that he's smart enough and probably motivated enough that he'll pick it up quickly

Paige said...

Exactly what I thought Holly, so I am off to order one. He IS smart. He acts like he is terrified, but I honestly do not think he is, I think he is just odd.

So I am off to order one (or some, knowing me)

Holly said...

Make sure you post how he does and what are you going to work on first???

I'm so excited I can't stand it.

Paige said...

Hell if I know, I was going to ask you to tell me what to do. I cannot start until the weekend, so you might as well get cracking on the directions!

Holly said...

how does he make you insane?

Paige said...

I have never had a horse like this. In a 14 x 16 stall, you cannot catch him. He has to be roped, and even then, it may take 30 minutes to be able to touch him with your hand. I HATE THAT. No wonder he is wound, but something has to be done--what if we had to doctor him for something? The roping is quiet, not cowboy at all, we just run him into the loop--which is easy as he spooks from us

His haltering Sunday was 10 minutes and it was a miracle, as it has been un-doable for the last two weeks. His exercise since he has been stalled is opening the gate, letting him run, and luring him into another stall. To move him, he has been roped, and then will walk like a gentleman, as long as you do not touch him.

Tuoching him is a no-no, but if you get that far, he likes to be scratched, as long as you stay behind the withers. Barry is the only one that can do anything with him--I think his size helps get some respect from Mojo.

He is disrespectful as all hell, but no wonder, as he has not been taught properly to respect us. How could we?

He lunged nicely and will stop to face us--he picked that up in one session, and shows me that he NEEDS stimulation.

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