Groomed and worked Magic today. I lunged him in the round pen. Again, the limp is not noticeable. I am happy about that. I probably will not ride again for a few days to insure this recovery. We worked with the clicker at the trailer. I am training Magic to “target”. The target is an old plastic water bottle secured on the end of a stick. I will present the target, the rest of the time I hold it behind me, and when he touches the target with his nose, I click the clicker, and then give him a treat. The click tells him quickly / immediately “this is what I want” and “you will be rewarded.” I provide some purchased horse treats but I need to remember to try animal crackers on Magic. Most animals like them, they are cheaper, and I can eat the leftovers. It seems that Magic is more interested in the 2nd treat than he is in the 8th. Six may be the optimum repetitions. When I get the targeting working like I want, I just move the target further into the trailer and he will follow.
It started to rain when Magic and I finished. I did not work Newt.
I am noticing a lot of deer in the pastures. This morning there was one in Magic’s little pasture. After I turned him out I noticed 4 deer just over the fence from him. He walked towards them and stopped about 100 feet from them. He just looked and then started grazing. I am glad he is getting this exposure to wildlife as I doubt there was much at the racetrack and he will see lots of stuff later when we are riding trails. Right now there is new grass, short and potent, showing up in the pasture and I think the deer are attracted to it. This grass is potent and horses inclined to founder usually founder on grass when it is in this stage. Mara’s ponies are confined to “dry lot” to protect them from this grass. I will let them out when the grass gets tall and tough.
Afternoon: It rained this afternoon. The horses were wet and eager to come into the barn. Magic was feeling his oats. No sign of the limp. This was the most playful I have ever seen him. He was running, jumping, bucking and rearing. To me he seems very athletic and very balanced. Lisa Molloy’s (New Vocations) only reservation about Magic was something like “he’s just not the best mover”. She explained that the flat knee, extended leg is what they all want and Magic just does not have it. So I have looked carefully at his movement both on the videos and ever since I got him. I just do not see the limitation. Magic does bend at the knee significantly. Sonny Parker, an old roper, saw the video and I mentioned Lisa’s comment. Sonny’s comment was “A horse that bends his knees is not so apt to stumble on rocks.” I always see the conflicts: like “Look before you leap.” and “He who hesitates is lost.” I respect Lisa’s experience and knowledge, after all she talked me into selecting Magic, but I just cannot see Magic’s limitation in motion. And I’ve seen lots of horses at New Vocations that I said “I don’t like the way that horse moves.” so I’m not inclined to accept a horse that does not move good. Magic looks good to me, really good. Especially when he is not limping!