Lessons learned the hard way

Yesterday was the day I had decided to go to the doctor. Fortunately, it was also the day that I woke up realizing I had gotten my normal six hours of sleep, and I wasn't coughing as much. My temperature was 97, like it was supposed to be.

I'm going to live for another day!

As a result of my being "under the weather", I haven't been outside with the horses much. Friday I worked with Libby for awhile, and got kicked for my efforts.

"Did you yell at her for doing that?" Cliff asked.

No, I didn't. Because it was really my own fault.

Libby has been so laid-back and perfect that I've let my guard down. Not the thing to do with a horse, especially a young one.

Since I've learned that a two-year-old horse is too young to ride, I plan to work harder on gentling her, and on ground work. Somewhere in my Google searches, I read that before you ever think of getting on a horse, you should have her to the point that you can touch her anywhere on her body... including the udder area (or sheath, in the case of a male).

Well, Libby has become pretty numb to my hands on her body, but I had never gotten quite that personal. Might as well go that one step further, right?

I was beside her stroking her legs and under her belly, and when I ventured a reach farther back between her legs, she switched her tail and raised her hind foot in a little kicking gesture. This was her way of saying, "Quit that, I don't like it."

When I ignored her warning and reached for those nether-regions again, she cow-kicked me, striking my upper left leg with a karate blow that was unreal. Once I was done moaning, I got something long enough to reach her udder area and rub while I stood at a safe distance, which is what I should have done to begin with. Duh.

Lesson learned.

I kiss my horses on their noses. Libby didn't like this when I first bought her, and would jerk her head back. I kissed and kissed until not only would she put up with it, she'd meet me halfway for a kiss. Cute, I thought.

Next thing I knew she had her head in my face every time I approached her. So I have stopped enticing her to meet me halfway for kisses, and she has stopped being so pushy.

Lesson learned.

I have always hand-fed treats to my horses with no problem, although many experts say this can cause them to be "mouthy", even nipping at people as they look for treats. I've never had a problem in this regard, but I've always dealt with mature horses. I soon realized Libby shouldn't be hand-fed treats for now; this mistake went right along with my kissing training, and was keeping Libby's face all over me way too much... "in my space", so to speak. It only took a couple days of giving her treat to her in a tub for her to stop that behavior. She truly is a fast learner.

If only I learned so fast.

As I limp out to go for my walk this morning, I will thank the good Lord that Libby's kick struck me on the leg, and not elsewhere. I'm sure such a blow to my head would have cold-conked me!