October 16, 2008

I ran around like a crazy woman last night. After biking 9 miles home in the rain and arriving home looking like a drowned rat, I played with the dogs, changed and headed to the nearest feed store. Because I'd never been there before, it was dark and it was raining, I drove right past it and had to double back. Ugh. I was able to easily find the feed I needed, plus wormer for the 20th and some aloe healing gel for the cuts on his forehead. I escaped for $38-not bad!

Obviously it was dark by the time I got to the stable. I checked on him, and when I got there he was standing at the far end of his small arena. He came trotting right over when I said his named and kissed at him. He sniffed me, and tried to nibble my fingers. I don't think I want to be giving him treats by hand anymore-he really goes for them and I'm afraid he could hurt someone. I threw some hay out to him and went to scoop the poop out of my BO's trailer from the other night. I couldn't see a damn thing, but I think I got it all. After he'd gotten to eat his hay for about 10 minutes (hay stimulates the salivatory glands which helps digestion of the grain/feed) I brought him out a mixture of 3/4 of his old sweet feed and 1/4 of the new feed (Purina Enrich 32). Now. My boy is a PIG. He loves to eat, like all the other boys in my life :) He wanted to come straight after that grain, but I wouldn't let him. Any time he came forward toward me without being asked, I tossed my arms at him and said BACK. After a few attempts he got it and stood still, but only for a minute. I poured the grain in the bucked and still asked him to stay away, only letting him eat when I was ready.

While he was eating both hay and grain, I just rubbed and scratched him. I need to find out where the BO is keeping the brushes I'm allowed to borrow. I'm hoping to pay for the grooming kit/bridle/bit I ordered within the next couple of days so they can get here ASAP. It's embarassing to borrow grooming tools for your own (ok, so not technically my OWN) horse. I guess they were planning to introduce im to the other geldings last night but the little colt Ben cut himself horrifically out in the field. Why they have equiptment out int he field with the horses is beyond me. :/

I'm headed back out tonight to hopefully walk him around and groom him, but those plans might get dashed if they're in the middle of introducing him to the other boys.