Ranger's Journey: Day 5
Well today was pretty quiet after breakfast. That special mealtime, complete with grain and girls, was a little rambunctious and disrespectful, however. You can NOT push your mother out of the way when you are getting your halter on without having to spend a little time running around in the icy mud. It's called, "Time Out With Movement." Anyway, we got through that even with Sami eating on the other side of the fence without waiting for Ranger to start on his grain. Both of them could use some table/dining manners.
After breakfast we practiced "Leading With Friends," with Steve Harrington leading Leia (another heart throb) ahead of Ranger as we walked out to the middle pasture where the big herd was eating hay. Ranger's job was to walk quietly along with me, and stay a safe distance behind Leia. It was obviously a "Big Thought Struggle" but he tried his best and did a pretty decent job. When I went to take the halter off he only wanted to look back at Sami who was whinnying away back at the barn, so we practiced, "Turn Away From the Distraction and Focus on Your Mother." That was much better, and he stood quietly when the halter was taken off, and then stood quietly beside me even with Leia leaving. He does try very hard when he understands the questions.
The big task of the day was watching the Budget video for the Wyoming Arts Council Grant application. Ranger said that even though he didn't understand much of it, he was really impressed with the grant, especially the focus on art (duh), because he is looking forward to having his portrait painted. He is practicing the carefree, semi-wild, "bad boy" look in his posing stances. He is keeping his hooves crossed that we get the money we need so the kids can practice drawing him. (He is very vain sometimes.)
Later in the afternoon I went out to brush him a little and he was very snuggly and went out of his way to walk over to me. He offered up his muzzle for an almost kiss which I thought was very sweet. He and Leia were snoozing a little in the snow but he was happy (I think) to have more company and stood quietly at liberty while I brushed his face. The rest of him was a pretty lost cause because of the snow, but the lesson was just to share space happily by choice.
That was his day today - pretty easy and simple, but that's where the best learning happens.