Another first for the boys!
Rick Parker had never ground driven either Zeloso or Zelador. Rick started the arena work today with ground driving. Our boys respond to “turn right”, “left”, “straight”, “to the wall”, “along the wall” and “whoa”. I decided when the boys first came to Winsong Farm as weanlings in 2004 that Zeloso had lived 500 previous lives and was at ease with everything. Zelador had one previous life. In that one he was a raging bull. With that information in mind it’s not a surprise that the command Rick used for Zelador to walk on was a whisper, “walk on”. With Zeloso Rick had to add a “cluck”.
Zelador was quite happy to walk calmly forward and not startled when the cart stayed behind.
Zelador had a long time to chill out while four people placed the harness on his back. Then I fetched the cavesson so that the leadlines weren’t attached to his bit.
Here are the first steps Zelador has ever taken pulling a cart. Sue and Rick Parker are helping Bill and me.
Here’s Zeloso. Sue and Rick Parker helped Bill and me. Today was Zeloso’s first time pulling a cart.
Both Zeloso and Zelador noticed that Rick is TALL. At 6’4” he commanded a certain respect, instantly, from the boys whose owners are mere mortals standing at 5’6” and 5’10”. To say that Rick is head and shoulders above the rest of us is an understatement.
Rick had never seen Zelador sit on the bean bag. And, Zelador had never sat on it in his stall. Both were accomplished after pulling the cart. I told Sue and Rick that I never thought I’d be able to teach (or help teach) Zelador to sit on a bean bag or to pull a cart. Both of these happened with help from Sue and Rick.
