DAY ONE

This is Gulley's Training Blog - Welcome.

I plan to use this blog to log my new horses training day by day and also to keep notes of any challenges I face. Please feel free to comment and add any hints or tips you may have.

Day 1.

Today was Day 2 of owning Gulley but Day one of his training.

Today I went out to see him and found him in the field with the other horses. He was suppose to be in a separate pen as I was unsure if I could catch him in a field at this point.

I had brought carrots and apples as really today was get to know you day. I simply want him to know I am a nice person and see me more as something good than as something that means work.

Turns out Gulley has either never had an apple or simply doesn't like them. The same goes for Carrots. Tomorrow I will bring molasses and crunchies.

never the less after a little bit of moving around I was able to get him focused on me and up to his shoulder to catch him.

Some things I have noticed right away about him are that he seems to test slightly before giving. Never to drastic but enough to let me know he is a "tester"

Once I caught him and got him into the other pen I offered him his treats and he really wasn't to interested in them. Instead I just scratched him. I played a little bit of follow the leader with him and just let him stand next to me while I chatted with John.

I noticed a couples of things - he drops food when he does eat it. I will have to find out if his wolf teeth have been pulled.

He is good around the ears and all over his face and his neck. He relaxes easily and is content to just follow me around which is nice.

Its hard some times to remember that he is NOT broke and needs to be given the proper respect for his size.

He is really skinny and has a dully coat. He is coming off a winter in a large herd and I dont get the impression he was high man. He needs to be wormed.

The farrier is going to need to work on his feet. this is something I like to do myself however his feet are a bit rough so I will let a professional get them looking like a foot then I can take it from there.

The pen he is in is really wet I am a bit concerned and might move him.

I think most of all it was nice to have a horse again - Tomnmrow I will need to do a bit of feet work with him.