Oh bless.........

So, I have a fantastic new tub to soak the haylage in for this summer to make sure Ace doesn't get laminitis this year and so that all of them can have a bit of daytime food in the barn. It's just outside the barn door, where Radar and Jazz were waiting to be let out so they could get their breakfast. I opened the door and out stepped Radar and strode purposefully across the yard and into his stable.

Jazz stood in the doorway looking at the tub. I went and let Ace in from the field where he was waiting - sensibly, he did not follow the other two when they left the gate and went all the way around the back and into the barn - they were then further away from their food, why they did it I have no idea!

I went back to Jazz and tried to encourage him to come out past the tub but he was having none of it. I went in and stood by his shoulder and patted him and walked out, expecting him to come with me now that he had some support. No. He couldn't face it.

So I fetched a piece of string and put it around his neck, and then he walked gently out with me past the tub and into his stable. Now, what good did he think a piece of string was going to do either of us? Could I control him with it? No. Could it protect him from a horse-eating tub? No. But it made all the difference as far as he was concerned.

Bless .......   Oh well, he is only ten this year!


C


ps I schooled Ace adn jazz, but the best I can say is that 24 hour turnout seems to have left them both rather flat and unwilling so I settled for what I could get without a battle and waited for another day.