*BOING*

Lot's of boing, from both me and Ziggy!

We've been working on getting him to happily approach me in the paddock...minty bribes...er treats work very well for this, then getting him to let me touch his neck and face without him going waaaaaah and jumping back. All had been going really well, until he decided yesterday lunchtime that no, he didn't want to be bothered and within seconds span and went to double barrel me :-o

He got roared at and sent away sharpish with some strong body language. After a few moments I worked him at liberty from a distance and then asked him to stop and park. I threw the rope over him a few times and then with it draped gently across his neck did some close work, gave him some praise and then led him about as he happily let me attach the rope.

I decided today that the headcollar was actually becoming an obstacle, Ziggy was almost waiting for me to take a grab at it, even though I don't do things like that, nothing guaranteed to send a sensitive wary horse off than clinging on to their face!!

I caught him with the rope across his neck and took his fieldsafe headcollar off, put the training halter on, led him for a moment, took that off, let him stand loose and then offered him the headcollar which he happily let me put on again, clever lad! *Whoop!*

So off it came...*gulp* As with RD this is the moment when you wonder if you'll ever get within shouting distance ever again lol!

Well he surprised me by trotting over to the fence with RD when I came home from work this afternoon, so got some lovely scritches and a face rub. I popped in to get my saddle as I wanted to see how he'd feel about having a play with it on.
All very matter of fact the boys both sauntered over to have a good sniff but Ziggy walked off as I moved towards him. I immediately asked him to yield his quarters and stop and he did as asked and I popped the rope over his neck and led him to the gateway where he stood like an angel and let me put his halter on.
I let Ziggy have a good sniff at the saddle and he was completely fine to have it slid onto his back. I gently did the girth up hole by hole, just about to do the fourth and last strap and BOING off Ziggy bronced, bouncing across the paddock like tigger!
Bless him, he stopped dead, let me walk straight up to him, lead him back to the gateway and finish doing the girth up without batting an eye!

I popped him on a circle in walk and he happily walked out with no problems, phew! That was a great note to finish on, so we did his customary bow to put an end to the session, gave him some lovely scritches and a mint, what a good man!
RD was entertaining himself with the training halter and rope, so I popped it on him and did some basic baby circle work...Ziggy joined in!! So I had RD on the rope on a 15ft circle just walking out and Ziggy stationed himself on the outside and trotted round in time. Stopped when I asked RD to stop and changed direction as he did lol.
Lots of praise for both boys, when I'd finished laughing my head off.

The day was topped off beautifully when I got home from the yard after doing Bally and the rest of the herd and Ziggy trotted over to me in the paddock, let me pop the rope and halter on him without even thinking of moving away, got a huge hug, scritches and a treat, whilst I actually cried a little bit with with joy into his mane.
Just asked him to walk with me and he did his bow for a treat...job well and truly done and I'm thrilled to bursting point!