July 2- Saddle and Farrier

This week we've been working hard on getting this good horse a name. I think we have hit upon "Sherlock" after many a Seussian conversation- fox in socks, box of rocks, hawks on clocks... Show name Smarty Holmes. Time to sign up for a TIP number.

My farrier also came on Monday and got those toe grabs off the back feet. His feet are a little "bullnosed", which means the outer wall curves out instead of being nice and straight. Should be fixable with time and trims. His hoof wall is nice and hard and healthy. And his farrier manners are atrocious. He's anxious about holding his foot up, which I have already been working on and have been getting better relaxation with less pressure. But by next visit, July 22, I need to get him used to holding his feet up for shoe pull and a trim.

We've been working on lunging, doing better both directions and I plan to get him on the real lunge line and get to trotting and cantering real soon. It has been so brutally hot that I have wanted to take it easy. He enjoys walking the tour of the ranch, not scared of the buffalo in the least anymore and even viewed the longhorns with minimal reaction.

Farrier M just came from a weekend Parelli conference and judged Sherlock a left-brain introvert, a pretty active one as he's a young TB. I do love a left-brain introvert, Lissa was one. Sherlock just loves to play with stuff- he keeps picking up the fly spray and throwing it down- I got him a traffic cone and I hope he likes it.

Took my saddle out today, with the biggest girth I have and an extender. Didn't need the extender, and it seems like a good fit. Walked the place and worked on lunging both directions plus reverse, which he is getting good at on voice command. He was already a bit sweaty under the saddle after that light work, I'm glad we took it easy.
A week's vacation coming up soon, I'm keen to get up on him before I leave for a week but trying to be patient. If I can get him a few reps of trotting on the lunge line or free-lunging in the round pen that will build his knowledge quite a lot.