This week Beka asked us: Idiosyncrasies.
What personality quirks does your pony have? What makes him or her special?
It took me days to think of something! I guess because I'm around him everyday (and no other horses) everything he does just seems normal to me. I did finally think of a few things though.
When I'm prepping his food he paces into the barn and back out, along the front fence and around the round pen. I way prefer the pacing to pawing like my mare always did!!
When he's eating he likes to pick up one of his front legs and hold it in the air... almost like he's going to paw, but doesn't. He just holds it there and then switches out. So weird! He eats out of a bucket on the ground by the way.
Also between bites he rests his lips on the side of his feed bucket and then licks it. I think it started when I was feeding him really sloppy wet food and beet pulp and adding salt to it. I think. It almost looks like he's going to start cribbing, but he hasn't figured it out yet and I hope he never does. I need to get it on video. It's really weird.
That's all I can really think of. He does other stuff like nickering or neighing at me every time I walk outside, making happy faces when I scratch the underside of his neck, licking my hands, his love of his salt block, playing with anything he can get his teeth on, putting his head in his halter, etc. but that all seems normal to me. Also he greets everyone by smiling at them, but that's a trained behavior he does in hopes of getting treats and because I ask him to smile for new people he meets, so it doesn't really count I don't think. He has a lot of personality though and I love him! Once again great blog hop Beka!!
I wish mine would pace rather than paw. You're lucky he's such a good boy.
ReplyDeleteI'm very glad he just paces. The mare I had growing up absolutely destroyed the front fence with all of her pawing. I tried everything to make her stop. I think she eventually did, but I can't remember for sure why... It might have been because I taught her the ears forward cue to get her food (she was evil and pinned her ears, so I taught her to put them forward before she I would pour her feed in). Maybe she was concentrating on that so hard she forgot to paw lol. Or it may have been because I sprayed her with the water hose when she pawed. She hated water.
DeleteAgree with Olivia, if Kika didn't paw i mightn't have my worries over her being barefoot - the silly sod!
ReplyDeleteI wish Kika wouldn't paw so she could go barefoot!! If I remember how I got my mare to stop I'll let you know hehe.
DeleteFor the moment she is still barefoot. I have her in a boot on the foot she predominantly paws with (9 times out of 10). She wears the boot when in the stable and if i have to leave her tied in the cross ties for more than a few minutes.
DeleteShe really is her own worst enemy with no self preservation for her hoof!
I keep an eagle eye on her foot & watch/feel for lameness and the farrier comes regularly and is also keeping a close eye on her foot for me ☺
A boot is a great idea!! I didn't even think of that! I'm glad it's working out for you. :)
Deletehe sounds like such a personable guy! wish my mare was as happy to see people as Chrome is haha
ReplyDeleteIn my experience most mares are more independent, which is one reason I prefer geldings. That's not true of all mares of course, but it applies to a lot of them!!
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