This morning after completing our chores, we started working on the fly traps. They are these weird contraptions that Pat made, and we cleaned them up and fixed them where they needed fixing. It is a box, mostly made out of screen, with a funnel up from the bottom with a small hole at the top. They fly into the funnel, and then can't figure out how to leave. They can check out, but they can never leave, as the saying goes.
Pat made some fly catching "soup" made out of horse poop, honey, and applesauce. We dug a hole in the ground, put in a container of the soup, and placed the trap over it with room for the flies to enter. Location, location, location. Pat says that if you put the trap six feet away from a good spot, you might not catch any flies. So location doesn't just belong to real estate!
We went out to check on the fly traps later this afternoon, and there were a few flies in them but not many. Pat said that once flies start going in and buzzing and stuff that more flies will hear them and come over. I guess it's word of mouth that gets the fly traps going!
Before lunch we gave each horse an examination. We had a chart of several activities, and then we had a rubric that showed how they would score. Some of the activities were: being touched all over, picking up a hoof, touching their ears, and being sprayed. Shawn was the judge, and Pat did some of the requirements to the horses like picking up the hoof, and Laura and I were the horse catchers. All of us earlier had put each horse in his own stall, so it wasn't difficult to catch them.
When it Chester the mule's turn, I brought him over and there was something he didn't want to do, so he just walked away from the place we were doing it. I held on to the lead rope and after he dragged me for a few feet I got control of him and brought him back. During his exam, Pat was holding the lead rope and he did the same thing to her! So, we got what is called a stud chain and put it on his halter. A stud chain is a chain that works a little bit like a choke chain on a dog, except that it goes across their nose. Chester was much more manageable after that!
After dinner time, we all went back out and got an animal. Pat already had my baby Chaco, so I took JDancer. We were supposed to make them go around us in a circle at the end of the lead rope. JDancer did really well, but I thought it was more him than me, so I asked if I could try Cracker which everyone had trouble with. But, I was able to get him to do it, also, so I'm getting better at this horse stuff. A lot of it is making them realize that you're the boss, but doing it in a gentle affirming manner.
After that, we came in and watched a couple horse videos that were really good. I enjoyed them.
No comments:
Post a Comment