Groomed and worked Newt in the arena. Newt enjoys being groomed. When I brush his tail, he will back up, just to be a little closer. Today I started requesting him to stand in the isle for grooming without being tied. He had the initial tendency to move forward so he could graze but seemed to respect my request to stand still. I certainly would not say he is trained to stand for grooming, but it seems like that will work with Newt if I am insistent with my request. Something like this takes time. They do not instantly become trained but gradually get accustomed to doing it the same way all the time. I walked Newt to the arena knowing that today would include some surprises for Newt. Newt accepted the cattle with a little more confidence than Magic did. I expect Newt has had a little more bovine exposure than Magic. When one came up behind Newt, Newt showed her how he could kick if she got too close. They seemed to understand each other. When we lunged, all 18 of the cattle stood in a circle watching. I guess they don’t have much entertainment in the Oak pasture. Newt put on a show with a little bucking and kicking but mainly he showed them his beautiful extended trot. He was not disobedient, just showing off for the the audience. I do enjoy watching a horse get puffed up and showing off. Acknowledging that Fate needs no temptation, I did not ride in this environment.
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