More video of that trot please! What’s your riding discipline?
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I love when old horses get a wild hair and have a tiny antic and act like they’re hot stuff. “Did you see me? You see what I did? I’m wild! I’m free! I’m the baddest thing in the valley!” You go on with your bad self, Bo.
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I bought one of these on Etsy and use it to keep my hands forward, but it also serves as a useful neck rein! If I don’t use it for that purpose, the big tassel also disrupts flies on his chest. And it’s pretty!
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Amen & Hallejulah!
I was a tad late feeding this morning - maybe 1/2h? - & was greeted by my 20yo TWH & 22yo (23 on the 15th) Hackney Pony doing their version of Rodeo Bronc W/Airs Above 
Horses! 
Mini did not participate in the display.
He has a smidge of dignity 
You, GO, Bo!!!
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He was pouting, because I had to shoo him to get more than a closeup of his nostril… whenever I take him out on a lead and try to take pictures of him he believes he must stay THISCLOSE to me. 
It’s not insecurity, clearly someone trained him to be that way - which is fine - but he’s going to have to learn how to pose eventually.
I’m not sure what I qualify as at this point, considering I haven’t been to a show in (has it been that long?) like 10 years now I used to be an eventer, I think it’s still in there somewhere. Elmo is disinclined to heft his stocky body over “jumps” and he is about the least bold horse I’ve ever met, so I’ve just been doing dressage, mostly in my backyard, for the last couple years. I still enjoy galloping around the fields.
You know, I still don’t think of him as “old”. It did make me laugh a bit, because after his little WOOHOO moment he was like ‘OK, back to business now, I’m over it’.
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A new horse has recently joined my horse’s turnout group, and Newbie lives in hope that one of these laid-back senior horses will play with him. He has spent the last two days trying to get them to play. Last night, my 27-year-old was spotted doing a handstand and kicking out at Newbie when five minutes of snake faces did not do the trick. I guess his SI is fine.
Fair enough. You’re only as old as you feel- aforementioned 27-year-old comes 28 next week and if you ask him, he is 4. I start using the word “senior” when they get old enough to vote. With age comes privilege, such as “okay, you’ve always tolerated having your mane pulled, but you’re old enough to object, so I’ll cut it forevermore.”
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I think since there was so much question about his age the first few months, and nobody has really given a solid answer besides ‘probably over 20’, I just never looked at him as an old man. It helps that he’s relatively sound and energetic, not creaky.
I wish I could capture on video the sounds he makes when Elmo tries to instigate bite-face games with him over the fence. I think it’s supposed to be a squeal. LOL
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Most stock horses are trained to grow roots with “whoa”, including ground tying.
Perhaps an easy refresher course in whoa and ground tying? Drop the lead on the ground and command so he knows he’s working, not schmoozing.
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Not this one. He 100% does not ground tie, not in his vocabulary. He will stand while I groom or pick his feet but if I get more than about 3’ away he’s pretty insistent about following me. He will hard tie all day though. The whoa-ing is a thing we are going to start working on, but since he’s not ‘in the program’ currently, I’ve just been feeling out what he does know while letting him stretch his legs a few times a week. We will start getting more serious about skill building soon!
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And for your mid-week enjoyment…
Bo escapes into the front yard.
Like I usually do, I took him back to his paddock and I did not close the door behind us because I always let them go well away from it and somewhat facing it. I took his halter off, got distracted pulling at a clump of loose hair that was stuck in his mane, and he slo-mo ducked me and moseyed out the door. He has not yet learned the UH-UH! noise that the other horses know, and was like BYEEEEEEE I’M GONNA GO EXPLORE NOW! But he sure did look pretty for the 10 minutes he got to bounce around while I followed him.
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What a change since he came home. and what a booty!!
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Look at him GO!
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He got a sense for humor and is curious 
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Someone was clearly upset that they were left behind.
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Proof that fresh air and food are good for the body and soul.
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He’s checking out his neighborhood. Haha. He looks so happy and a 100000x’s better than his original pics.
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Elmo goes into drama llama mode any time one of the other horses leaves his comfort zone (which is quite small LOL). I thought having multiple friends might help that, but no - just more friends for him to keep tabs on! Ironically, he’s an angel if HE is the one leaving. They all are.
He went to the fence to see if there was a way he could get over to visit my neighbor’s devil ponies (both mares). Thankfully they are currently contained [for now] and not roaming the roads as usual, or it I’d still be out there trying to catch him!
I am a bit sad I didn’t get video of him galloping back up to the house, looking powerful but effortless at the same time. I hope to not recreate this situation in the future
I am vaguely considering putting the first exploratory ride on him this weekend, if the weather/ground situation is ideal and I can find a saddle/pad configuration he feels is acceptable. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, but if it dries up quickly I think the ground should be good enough. Waiting for the weekend because while I may be impulsive at times, I do have enough sense to not climb on an unknown quantity in an open field without another adult on the property And also, I need someone to video!
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oh how exciting! Its so fun to see his “wild man” side. Sending good jingles for a safe and fun first voyage - can’t wait to hear how it goes!
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Gahhh!! Bo looks fabulous, but oh my! did that view give me anxiety!
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Lol LoL So much for Mr Staythisclosetoyou
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