Monthly Progress Report 3-19-10

Date: 3-19-10
Age: 10 months
Height: 13.2½hh (54.5in/138cm)
Height Gain: 1 inch
Weight: Approx 610lbs (276.6kg)
Weight Gain: 48lbs (21.7kg)

Progress: Wow! Even with cutting back how much SafeChoice Chrome was eating this month he grew an inch and gained 48 pounds! I'm so glad I'm keeping this record of his measurements because it can be a very helpful tool as well as just being very interesting! Chrome is doing fantastic. I haven't felt any more heat in his joints and there hasn't been any swelling at all. He still shifts his weight sometimes, but I'm going to stay optimistic. I didn't get x-rays for now because I don't think they're necessary at this time. It's something we can do at any time when we think we need to. I wasn't expecting to work on any clicker training but I did! He knows how to target perfectly, I just need to add a voice cue. Other than that we've just spent time hanging out and enjoying each others company. He still tries to nibble at my hands but he hasn't tried to nip at all.

Goals: My goal for this month is to continue working on clicker training. I want to put a cue to the target stick. After that I have to decide what I want to work on. I should probably work on basic voice cues like backing up, walking forward, maybe trotting. I would like to work on smile or picking up his Jolly Ball. I'll just have to wait and decide after I read my new clicker training for horses book. I don't want to make plans and then completely change them. So for now I'll just stick with clicker training as this month's goal. :)

On a different note, Chrome got to taste his first watermelon today! He loved it! There was no hesitating like he does with other treats. He ate a bunch of the meat from the rind and then lost interest. At that point I gave it to Zeppelin who devoured the whole thing. Here are some pictures. :) Ignore me in them. I'm in my ugly work uniform and I look weird, probably because I'm laughing and hunching my shoulders. You're supposed to look at the horse anyway lol. ;)

After losing interest he rubbed his muzzle against the fence. I have no idea why, but it was cute!

Now here are the pictures of Zeppelin. I'll get the video posted sometime over the weekend. It was cute.

That's all for now. I'll have some very exciting news to post on my Living a Farmer's Life blog tomorrow night, so be looking out for that. It's not horse related, but it is animals related. :)