Goodness me now I have a lovely hack as well. Ace has responded incredibly well to the dual approach of "cook him first" and "don't fight him". We had a smashing hack in spite of more ice on the roads than I have ever seen. He picked his way through on the safe bits just where I told him to. When he slipped, he stopped, no panic, and waited for me to tell him where it would be safe. On a safe piece of road on the way home he started to argue a bit, so I dropped the reins and within seconds he had dropped back into a swinging walk. When I get off, he drops his head and cocks it to the side and looks at me as if to say "I've been a good boy, haven't I? ..... You like me, don't you?"
His paces are getting bigger and bigger with his warmer back and stronger frame as he matures. He's just fantastic! Interestingly, if you remember how he was lame with the splint in front and then slightly lame on the diagonal behind?, he has a splint on the hind leg. Sound as a bell, so all done and dusted and nothing to be concerned about.
I had no energy to do anything else and will probably skip hunting Saturday even if they go, for the same reason. It's snowing now anyways !
I am still hoping to get Woody to the farm ride on Monday though. The forecast is good at the moment.
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How nice to have an Ace to make you feel better! What a wonderful transformation both with the warming lights and the new "ignore the spook" approach.
ReplyDeleteAnd honestly, I think his appreciation of your approval is really important to him. He wanted you to like him but just couldn't tell you why he was naughty.
He loves it that I like Jean, he's basking in my approval. Poor boy. It only took me nearly two years to work him out.
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