Remember this horse?

December 27th, 2010

Well, now he looks like this:

May 8th, 2011

The spring grass has done Seamus a world of good and he is getting out and lunging a little. Bodywise, he puts me sooo much in mind of Secretariat, which of course he is both a great-grandson (dam side) and a great great grandson (sire side) of Big Red. Seamus has more white of course, but sometimes he just has the same expression on his face as he looks over the stall door or a gate. Maybe I just see it because I always was a Secretariat fan? I dunno... but I think it's awesome to have my own little piece of him, for however long that is.

Yesterday he started lunging over some low raised cross rails (about 12") then he graduated to a 18" gate jump. The cross rails were low enough that he didn't feel it was worth the effort to jump except once or twice, the gate meant he had to actually jump it LOL

1st jump attempt

I didn't have the camera today (just my cell phone for the next pic), but he did the gate jump at 18" again and then took a few tries over the 2" coop I have. The coop is solid and daunted him at first but then he "got it" and started taking it like a champ! We only did that an handful of times and he got lots of love and praise for his efforts :)

And around here, the mares both know how to "stump," IOW to put their front feet up on whatever I ask them to. It starts small- usually on a bridge obstacle I have that is about 5" high, and then progresses to an actual STUMP that is about 14" or so (haven't measured it). Seamus tramped all over some boards laid on the ground so we decided to work on the stump. I asked him for a hoof and set it on the stump, then asked for the other hoof. After only a couple of tries, he had both front feet on and stood quietly for a photo. Then he was asked to back off quietly and he did so, to much love from Cindy and I for a job well done! Gave him a minute to think about it, then I asked for one foot again which he allowed me to put on the stump and then he followed with the second himself... smart boy! I think he will be doing it just by setting him in front of it in no time :)

Future circus pony?