THE BIG ESCAPE

 Shaman, Rascal and Ranger in the Lead

Another wet and wild day today, but as soon as the rain let up, I went out to ride. I was going to ride Rascal, but Black Elk was looking at me so longingly, and came up and put his head in the halter, so I took him instead. After yesterday, I though he might need a day off, but this morning, he did not seem to think so.
I figured we'd work on mounting, or to be more specific, standing still while mounting. We did some ground work, then off to stand by the mounting block. Before doing anything, I stood with him and tried to breath with him. Then to slow me down and to make me remember what is really important here, I sang to him. 'All I want for you is forever to remember me loving you'. This song, or chant is actually a Sufi dance and I used it alot while gentling Black Elk. It really helps me get into the right frame of mind.
Then we got to do our dance. Moving in, moving away and Black Elk's job was to stand still. Then moving in and getting up on the mounting block and off, while he stood still, then up on the block and hanging on the saddle. I added my clicker to reinforce his good behavior and made him circle if he moved. The dance continued, when he was able to stand still with increasing pressure, he got a bite of apple. Up and down, up and down, petting, singing, circling. Eventually I moved the block so it was parrell to the fence so he could go frontways or backwards but not swing his butt out.. and Success!  I got on. He got a bite of apple.  Once on he was fine, a bit more energetic than yesterday, but fine. Later I realized he had quite a bit of pent up energy. We kept the ride short, working on figure 8's and turns on the forehand. All coming along very quickly. Meanwhile it had started rainning just about the time I went out into the arena. I took my phone with me in a plastic bag, and I was getting wetter and wetter. So, we called it a day, or so I thought.

 RANGER AND RASCAL

I put all four of the horses out in the arena and went in for lunch. Oh boy, with the wind and the rain, those guys were putting on quite a rodeo. Black Elk seems to be gaining confidence from the riding, because he is initiating a lot of the horseplay. Prior to actually getting anything to eat, Black Elk was pushed through the fence by Ranger.  I just moved that fence. Quess he was not used to the space being a tad smaller..and they were loose!  Yahoo.. the big escape, how they love being wild again. After 4 days of rain, our pastures were saturated and they had a blast ripping them up. Then off to the neighbors and down the road. Fortunately they have a favorite place to go; Rob's place. He's usually there, roasting Coffee and loves our guys, why I am not sure.  Perhaps their escapes to his house adds some excitement to his day, while I am mostly worried about the holes in his lawn.

I got my boots back on and down the road I went with an apple in my pocket. There they were on Rob's nice green lawn. I walked right up to Rascal and put the halter on him, and then Rob lent me a rope for Black Elk. Then, I realized I should get the halter on Black Elk and the rope on Rascal, so I switched. Down the road we went with Ranger trotting along behind and in front.  I had managed to capture Shaman and put him in the arena,  so he was home yelling his head off about the indignity of being left alone.

KIGER SHAMAN