CrazyWestTexasFarmGirl
Active Member
Here we go again..... sorry for being so dumb about all this.
So... input needed on if I should worry.... came home yesterday to Levi limping... seemed to be favoring left front and maybe left rear, we cleaned his left front hoof to check and make sure nothing like a rock or anything was in it. Nothing there... no swelling in the leg, joints etc... I had to have hubby hold him still to do it so probably threw all my hard work of him letting me pick up his feet and clean them... he flipped out when I tried to do the back... i decided to just let him be and watch him. He wasnt hobbling just favoring both a little. A little mopey and depressed acting and extra lovey dovey... Before that he has been tearing around leaping and bucking and being a crazy thing every day sooo maybe he was sore? ... Went out this morning and he trotted right up with no limp at all..... Of course now I am watching him like a hawk.....
#2 issue... halter breaking.... everyone helpfully told me what to do and I am still lost.... he WONT let us put the halter on... no amount of scritching or praising gentleness... I needed it on yesterday so I held him (luckily hes small enough I can hold him still. ) and put it on. I took it off later... but being easy and nice and slow isnt working with him.... do I just need to be matter of fact and walk up hold hime and put it on like i had to do yesterday until he is used to it? I want to start teaching him to lead and I dont want him to hate the halter! I was thinking of just catching him each day and putting the halter on him before we let him out to graze in the evening.... he is raring to get out ot graze so my thought is he would eventually realize he has to submit and have it on to get out to graze? Am I thinking right?
I dont want to ruin this little guy..... and I feel so inept... it seems so doable until I am out there trying to work with him....
Should I just be pushier?
Also... when he is playing zipping around like a crazy thing and jumping and kicking he zips past me bucking and "shows me his butt and the bottoms of his feet" as he goes by... he looks at me as he does it... is he being bad doing this or should I do anything about that? he makes eye contact and everything when he does it..... making me think he is intentionally being rude/testing his place in the "herd"
I need insight from the more experienced.....
So... input needed on if I should worry.... came home yesterday to Levi limping... seemed to be favoring left front and maybe left rear, we cleaned his left front hoof to check and make sure nothing like a rock or anything was in it. Nothing there... no swelling in the leg, joints etc... I had to have hubby hold him still to do it so probably threw all my hard work of him letting me pick up his feet and clean them... he flipped out when I tried to do the back... i decided to just let him be and watch him. He wasnt hobbling just favoring both a little. A little mopey and depressed acting and extra lovey dovey... Before that he has been tearing around leaping and bucking and being a crazy thing every day sooo maybe he was sore? ... Went out this morning and he trotted right up with no limp at all..... Of course now I am watching him like a hawk.....
#2 issue... halter breaking.... everyone helpfully told me what to do and I am still lost.... he WONT let us put the halter on... no amount of scritching or praising gentleness... I needed it on yesterday so I held him (luckily hes small enough I can hold him still. ) and put it on. I took it off later... but being easy and nice and slow isnt working with him.... do I just need to be matter of fact and walk up hold hime and put it on like i had to do yesterday until he is used to it? I want to start teaching him to lead and I dont want him to hate the halter! I was thinking of just catching him each day and putting the halter on him before we let him out to graze in the evening.... he is raring to get out ot graze so my thought is he would eventually realize he has to submit and have it on to get out to graze? Am I thinking right?
I dont want to ruin this little guy..... and I feel so inept... it seems so doable until I am out there trying to work with him....
Should I just be pushier?
Also... when he is playing zipping around like a crazy thing and jumping and kicking he zips past me bucking and "shows me his butt and the bottoms of his feet" as he goes by... he looks at me as he does it... is he being bad doing this or should I do anything about that? he makes eye contact and everything when he does it..... making me think he is intentionally being rude/testing his place in the "herd"
I need insight from the more experienced.....