Spring......... and Colts........

What is it with boys and springtime? They don't even have to get close enough to a mare to smell her to know that something is up. I swear the sun just needs to come out for the colts, and some bigger boys too, to be acting ridiculous. Screaming, rearing, striking, all kinds of boy play abounds in the springtime, like it or not. This just might be the reason I consider myself to be a mare person.

Today was a beautiful almost warm spring day. After the wet, cold spring we've had, temperatures in the lower 60s felt warm. For the first time I was able to shed my long underwear when doing something outside. I actually got down to real short sleeves for the first time this year. I couldn't believe it.

I decided to take advantage of the dry day by working colts. I've been trying to up the number of horses I work each day but Mother Nature has just not cooperated at all so I figured I better not let this nice day slip by without beginning some kind of work routine with these boys. Heaven knows they need to have their brains exercised if they're going to be manageable.

Considering this winter and spring had not been conducive to work time for any of them, I knew I would have testosterone boiling out all over the place. Since even the slightest disruptions can cause the boys to loose their brains, I figured the best line of defense was to be prepared. That meant I used a chain on each of the little buggers when normally that's not something I do.

I started off with Andy who unfortunately has been on the short side of the kind of work I normally do with my colts by the time they reach his age. The lawsuit last year and the nationals campaign the year before but he and his brother on the back burner. Now, I am paying for that because he's near mature size and very full of himself. His playful antics aren't that cute in a big horse.

I have to give Andy credit. The horse is smart. That chain under his chin speaks directly to his brain. The colt just couldn't help himself but rear when the geldings lined up along the fence line to view the show but the minute that chain rattled at him, Andy was back to work and being mostly a good boy. Of course he couldn't completely resist a few ground slapping strikes as he resumed working but it could have been so much worse. I was pleased with his behavior considering........

Then getting him back to his stall, he was good until he spied Legs and thought maybe he should challenge his dad. After all, the broodmares were all out in the back field and mom's not shaking her head THAT BAD! Oh...........boys...........

I lunged each of them until they began to break a sweat. Depending on their level of excitement over the sunshine, mares outside and gelding gallery, that was anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Then I hosed them off before putting them away.

Each had at least one incident standing on hind legs and pawing the air trying to convince me that they had better things to do than listen to me. Nothing was particularly aggressive towards me, just more a show of how " See how big and strong, I am, mom!" They always come down with a stern word from me and most don't like seeing me shake my head knowing it means they're in trouble.........or silly.........which is equally embarrassing when you're trying to show off for the girls.

I worked six colts before the weather changed. After Andy, there was Patriot who has been equally neglected and was equally rebellious just in a different way. Then the ones with more handling who were all a bit naughty too. Rhet came out of his stall like a star then tried to run past me through the door. When he had to do it over three times to get it right, you'd think he'd have figured out rushing me wasn't going to work BUT he was full of himself so he had to try. Suede surprised me with a little rearing too. He's normally pretty laid back but that springtime air just got to him. The older, supposedly wiser, Reflection was pretty animated until he figured out it was about work. Once the geldings lined up to watch his humiliation, he was working like a western horse about out of steam. Storm made up for Reflections lack of enthusiasm but used it all to scream what I think he believes are love calls to the girls..........who just couldn't be bothered.

When it was all said and done, I was exhausted and so were the colts. I took a short break to recharge before I put Legs on the lunge line. I figured he'd appreciate the chance to stretch too but before I could get back out there, thunder storms moved in. The rain is currently beating down and the lightning strikes are telling me I shouldn't be on the computer so I guess that Legs is going to have to wait for a break in the weather tomorrow to get his time and I'm going to shut down my computer before Mother Nature teaches me a lesson I don't want to learn. Hopefully, it won't be another month before I get to work with these boys again. Heaven knows they need it regularly.........