Seven acting up, again.

[lucky seven]

After my breast removal surgery, my hubby has been taking care of seven completely. Now my little man has reverted back to his old, bad behavior. In the morning he mule kicks at my hubby and one day he walked up to the fence line and bit him on the arm. Von has a nasty bruise that went through his carhart shirt and hoodie. As soon as drains and staples were taken out, I went out and my little "darling" mule kicked at me. But when I asked him for a kiss, he left his hay and held his head to be kissed on his forehead. If he was a riding horse, his behavior wouldn't be tolerated, he would be down the road. With chemo coming up, I don't know how much work I will be able to do with him to put him back in his place. I told Von to be assertive and not let seven get the upper hand.

 

[7fluffyfriends]

To say you are going through a lot right now is an understatement, my thoughts and prayers go out to you and to your family. As a care 'buddy' for a family member who went through a similar process (and is doing very well) I did notice that energy levels definitely had their ups and downs, but you and your husband hang in there - there is light at the end of the tunnel !

Your statement about Seven being "down the road if he was a riding horse" was, I thought, a very honest sharing of where you feel you are at with him at this time. Sometimes we have an emotional attachment to a horse that really makes no logical sense. We all know of someone, or are "guilty" ourselves of hanging in there with a horse that just does not seem worth the time, energy, and sometimes trauma he/she presents.

Is selling or trading Seven an option for you?

If not, is it an option to basically 'let him be' while you are completing your treatment program? You know... the old 'throw the hay' over the fence and make sure his water is good along with his mineral/salt block. "Benign neglect" under these circumstances may have benefits down the road. It can be hard for family members to take over and manage some equine temperaments and also be safe themselves.

You may already be doing that and I apologize if I am not understanding correctly!

If Seven is a horse you want to hang on to, maybe use your treatment time as an opportunity to jot down and list your experiences with him, the training you have done, the results you have seen and your hopes for the future ... rehash the whole thing as your mental energy allows you and focus on your future goals and how/if Seven fits into them.

Maybe Seven is simply remembering the behaviors he practices the most - if that makes sense. If he is a smart little guy, and they usually are, they can be quick to take advantage!

I am such an amateur myself but I do wonder about the kiss on the forehead...maybe, for now, that should be dropped as that may be too much in your space. When you are able to do so, simply brushing him would be comforting to you both. Perhaps tying him up for about 10 - 15 minutes while you putter, or just sit in the barn and watch Mother Nature, would be good for him and remind him that he actually isn't ruler of the universe

Thoughts, prayers, and hugs all going your way and to Seven too !

 

[lucky seven]

I wish there was a like button. What you said makes so much sense to me. Right now we are just feeding him and making sure his water is full and clean. He is basically a buddy for our first horse who is a full size lawn ornament. I had hoped to train seven to pull a cart but after he foundered my farrier said he should be a companion only. That is the main reason why I keep him. It wouldn't be fair to pass his health problems on to someone else to manage. I don't know what the problem is with my computer today. I didn't want this to be underlined.

 

[7fluffyfriends]

That's funny about your computer - maybe it needs to be hitched up for a few minutes a day

You know, we have a riding horse that foundered and he was used for work until the past few years - he is officially an 'old fellow' now. Comanche had a serious round involving the vet, farrier, x-rays, medication and the whole nine yards. That was about 10 years ago and while he has had a few episodes and we monitor him daily he was ridden - lightly but still used.

It may be worth throwing that question out to the more experienced folks on this forum - does anyone drive a mini that foundered in the past? This maybe something you have already asked and if so - my apologies!

I respect my farrier's opinion also but none of us have all of the answers to anything, no matter what our experience.

Even if driving is not a safe option for your little guy, have you thought about showmanship? I think about it quite a lot for one of my minis and I think this year will be the year I throw myself at it - maybe one little open show this summer has our names in it - in our area any equine can be used in the open shows. How does that work in NY?

I also hear memory work is good for the aging brain ..

.. will let you know how this goes!!!!

It's a good thing minis can't actually talk - I'd hate to read what they have to say about us and our harebrained ideas!

 

[lucky seven]

I wouldn't want to know what Seven thinks of my ideas! He is happiest standing by his big friend soaking up the sun and looking for his next meal. Up here, they don't include minis at the shows. Even our county fair discontinued showing minis. Can you believe this computer? Now the line is in the middle. Hopefully, tomorrow the line will be gone.

 

[7fluffyfriends]

Well, your computer is certainly having a snit ! When you say discontinued showing minis - does that mean you cannot do showmanship using a miniature horse in the open category?

Sorry if this is a really dumb question but just trying to clarify! If so, is that the case in other states as well?

Always 'assumed' that an open show meant any equine was eligible as long as suitable for activity - regardless of breed.

Back when I was a kid in Northwest Florida the open shows allowed any size horse - again as long as suitable - no adult barrel racing a pony for example. Not sure what the rules are in FL at this time though - things change.

 

[lucky seven]

The shows for minis are in other parts of the state. The woman I bought him from said at the beginning I could show him in halter. Then later on her attitude was "you don't intend to show him, do you?" My boy is a grade mini and his conformation isn't show quality. I thought he would be better suited as a driving mini. He is 9 hands and stocky like a qh. Next spring or early summer, depending on my health, I will have my vet check him over. If I keep his weight where it should be I'm hoping the news will be good as I had already found someone to train him.

 

[shorthorsemom]

if you hover over any of the icons in the top blue part when you are doing a reply you will get funny stuff. I can write small...I can write tall...I can write with strike thru...

I too can underline and strike thru or I can just underline. I can write italics.

I have goofed quite a few replies. Do a reply and look at the little things in the blue space above. If you accidently click any of the boxes, you have to click it again to unclick it or all your text will be weird.

best wishes. Hope this was helpful and not annoying

You can experiment with another reply to see what I mean, but I don't think it is your computer.

 

[lucky seven]

I tried playing with the boxes and look! No lines! Thanks Shorthorsemom