amysflock
Loving the herd life
We decided to try Annabel's first halter training session last night while she and her mom were in our backyard for Bridgit's nightly grain session.
We always rope Bridgit's horns, and I can only imagine Annabel is used to the feeling of her mom's rope over her head (she is forever trying to get her head into her mom's bucket), because we got the halter on her no problem!! Well, actually, we got it on, took it off, put it back on, several times because we kept putting it on wrong.
Once it was on correctly she got a little wild, bucking and kicking, but then settled down and drug the rope behind her as she grazed our lawn.
We then grabbed the rope (after about 10 minutes) and got her over to a sturdy post in the middle of the lawn (no idea what it was for, but it makes a dandy halter post!). She threw only a little fit and went down on her knees, but learned that if she doesn't pull against us, she gets some slack. We tied her low to the post with a few feet of rope and left her for 30 minutes.
For the most part she was very patiently standing there with slack. She did fight once and flipped herself clean over, and pulled a few times, getting a foot hung up, but she chilled out, stepped forward for slack, and lifted her foot out.
When it was time to lead her back across the yard to the gate, she *mostly* led like a little lady! We took the halter off once inside the paddock rather than letting her drag the rope. We'll try again tonight during the graining session and she how she does on the second day. (This is all practice for next Wednesday when the vet comes for her vaccinations and tatoos, oh boy!)
What a smart little girl, just like her mama!! Once I'm satisfied with how she's leading, I'll walk her around the property, maybe even out to the mailbox.
We always rope Bridgit's horns, and I can only imagine Annabel is used to the feeling of her mom's rope over her head (she is forever trying to get her head into her mom's bucket), because we got the halter on her no problem!! Well, actually, we got it on, took it off, put it back on, several times because we kept putting it on wrong.
Once it was on correctly she got a little wild, bucking and kicking, but then settled down and drug the rope behind her as she grazed our lawn.
We then grabbed the rope (after about 10 minutes) and got her over to a sturdy post in the middle of the lawn (no idea what it was for, but it makes a dandy halter post!). She threw only a little fit and went down on her knees, but learned that if she doesn't pull against us, she gets some slack. We tied her low to the post with a few feet of rope and left her for 30 minutes.
For the most part she was very patiently standing there with slack. She did fight once and flipped herself clean over, and pulled a few times, getting a foot hung up, but she chilled out, stepped forward for slack, and lifted her foot out.
When it was time to lead her back across the yard to the gate, she *mostly* led like a little lady! We took the halter off once inside the paddock rather than letting her drag the rope. We'll try again tonight during the graining session and she how she does on the second day. (This is all practice for next Wednesday when the vet comes for her vaccinations and tatoos, oh boy!)
What a smart little girl, just like her mama!! Once I'm satisfied with how she's leading, I'll walk her around the property, maybe even out to the mailbox.
