Sid is a dude

[Jane&Ziggy]

What a sweetheart this horse is.

He's been with me 6 weeks. He's not been ridden much, but my goodness, he has a lot done to him. Today was typical.

• Groomed him. He likes being groomed. He got a chest massage.
• Tacked up with bareback pad (still no working saddle, hey ho) and bridle (no noseband or browband, perfectly functional). He doesn't mind the bareback pad but still swishes his tail when it lands on his back and swings his head as if to bite every time I do the girth up a hole. I'm not surprised, he's got a big rub on one wither from a too tight saddle, his withers are still sore all over and so is his chest.
• Once I've got it all on he gives a huge heaving sigh when he realises it's not going to hurt today.
• Today we did 20 minutes' work on standing at the mounting block. 2 weeks ago he would swing his quarters away from the block when he arrived at it, when I moved around to the mounting side, when I lifted the reins over his head, when I put my hand on his withers, and when I stepped on the block. Today he stood perfectly still and relaxed until I leant over him and bounced up and down, then he moved his quarters. I put him back sharpish and after that he stood like a pro.
• I took him to the gate to try him with our little portable steps. Still a pro.
• Back to the stable, tack off, smoothed soothing lotion into his wither rub. Such faces of ecstasy!
• Now to the feet. 3 times around. First time, pick out feet and spray soles. Sid holds up foot for me.
• Second time around, rubbing Heal to Hoof into all keratosis and mud fever areas. Sid tilts hoof and lets it go floppy so I can manipulate it to get into all the little folds behind his fetlocks. Doesn't move when I rub behind his knees, even though some bits are still sore.
• Third time around, he stands still while I paint his feet with hoof moisturiser.
• Put on rug (heavy rain due tonight and I fear that a horse that gets mud fever might get rainscald too). Fiddled with leg straps for about 10 minutes. Sid stands perfectly still, rolling his eyes. He already knows I am a tack dork.

Not a cross word throughout, apart from saddle on and girth up. Happy face, perky ears. I left him in the shelter with a net while I fed Mattie and poo picked, and every time I went past the door he stretched out to sniff me and get a tickle.

I love him. He is such a dude.

 

[Doodle92]

I agree he sounds like a dude

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

He is just great