Oh hey look, an update!

Hey folks!

Back from my trip to Washington State.

First off, the best news- Solomon has gained another 30 pounds! He's up at least 70 pounds since we started stuffing him to the gills. Maybe more than that. He's actually getting a little bit jiggly.

Solly was very excited to see me, nickering up a storm like he does when I'm gone for a while. I always feel like he's telling me just how much he missed me and how I oughtn't be away for so long, hah!

I roundpenned him, and after some light work when I whoaed him, he came in... and refused to go out again, shoving at me with his chest.

Now, I'm pretty forgiving with Solomon, and I let him get really touchy feely, especially since I am with him, but there are still boundaries, and he crossed one. I don't ask much of him, but what I do ask, he has to do.

Since I started formally training in martial arts, I've found myself being more assertive, and I've found that the horses have been more convinced when I have asserted myself. So when I growled at Solomon to get his grey spotty butt back out there and cracked the lunge whip, he spun on his rear and took off like a bat out of hell!

And then he went charging around the roundpen. Around and around and around. His ears weren't pinned- one was on me, and one was forward. His eye wasn't rolling. His head was high, but it always is when he canters or gallops. Always has been. But boy did he run.

After a couple of laps, I put the lunge whip down and stopped turning with him. I just stood still, and normally he stops when I do that, but this time he just kept tearing around in circles 3 or 4 more times, and then he trotted around me in circles for a while. Then I whoaed him, sent him back out, and got him to walk for me.

Once I had done that, and whoaed him again, he came in and stopped a very respectful distance away, head low, blowing in a placating fashion. So I scratched his head and told him he was a good boy, and then I turned around and walked. He followed me, of course, knowing well what to do, but he didn't crowd me or push on me. He was, in fact, quite respectful the entire time.

When I took him back to his pasture, he stuck by me and happily accepted loves. He followed me to the gate, but didn't try to force the issue.

After that, it started to get really hot, and Teddy Bear had been working really hard that morning for someone else, so I went in and messed around with computers whilst chatting with Bo.

I headed toward home, but stopped in Vallejo where I played Monopoly with Sensei and his son. When it comes to board games, I am ruthless. Completely without ruth. Muahaha!