I love Chrome!

Chrome at five months old in 10/09.

I can't believe how much my baby is growing up. It's exactly six months before he turns three years old. :) I can't believe it's been so long already, yet I can't remember my life without him. Today a friend was dropping me off at my house after we spent the day cleaning up her new house and we went out to hang with the horses for a minute. Chrome had wedged himself between the corral panels and the fence because he's weird and likes to squeeze himself in there. I've never seen a less claustrophobic horse in my life lol.

So anyway I climbed up the corral panels beside him and swung my leg over his back, resting it across his back and on top of the fence next to him, with my butt on the corral panel. My weight wasn't on him except for my leg and I just rubbed him all over the head, neck, shoulders and haunches. He was so great. He didn't care at all. I finally moved him out of the corner because I figured if he spooked backwards he would probably pull me off the fence. He was completely relaxed, but there is no sense in pushing it.

I led him (no halter or rope) to the pedestal and used it to hop up onto his back, laying across on my belly with my head on one side and my feet on the other. I've done this probably five or six times in the last two months. He's been fantastic every time, even when I do it while he's eating. Normally he just stands there though. He seemed unbalanced whenever he would try to walk. Today as I lay across his back I reached up and patted him on the butt asking him to walk on and he did. He walked all the way across the round pen to the gate and stopped. He was so perfect!!! He never spooked, hunched up, tried to spin, nothing. He didn't act goosey, scared, upset, angry or unbalanced. He just walked across the round pen like he's been doing it his entire life. :D I love my horse. Of course as soon as we got to the gate I slid off because I don't want my weight on him too much before his growth plates have closed in his legs.

I can't wait until he's three!! I've never worked with a horse that is so sane, calm, laid back and accepting. I just have to remind myself that just because he is smart and accepting I can't push him too fast, too soon mentally, which since I'm being so super careful with the physical part it's probably pretty much impossible. I just don't want to skip any of the basics, no matter how ready he seems to be to move on. Luckily clicker training is all about breaking things down so we should do fine. :) I'll also be wearing my helmet and a body vest (if I can find one that is affordable) because as fantastic as he is he's still a baby and they can be unpredictable. :)