Feet Trimming -- Before the Trim
Before the last trim there was also something that happened that I think is worth mentioning. It was one of those first cold, blustery, damp days of fall where the feel of winter is in the air. When I went to catch Gunny before the trimming, I was filling water tanks. I caught Gunny and one tank was full. I decided to bring Gunny along to switch the water to the other hose. On the way to the hydrant we had rattley snorts. "Rattley snorts" is a term I came up with to describe this certain type of noise that Gunny makes when he is tense. This is a warning sign that he is on the verge of spooking big. I mentally noted that we had a big NQR, but I also knew that we would only be by the hydrant briefly. (The hydrant was only about 100' from where we were. So I took him over, rattley snorts and all, shut off the one valve and went back towards his comfort zone by the gate. Once we got back to the gate he chewed immediately.
We turned around and headed back to the hydrant because the other tank was now full. No rattley snorts. This time he still was a little tense. We returned to a spot nearer to the gate but further away than the time before and paused. Again he chewed immediately. We leisurely turned around and headed towards the arena. We got further this time but the rattley snorts came back. So we slowly turned around and went back to a spot closer to his pen but further than the last stopping spot. This was because he was calm for part of that distance so that meant that he could be in his comfort zone from further away. Again he chewed immediately.
In this way we made our way to the arena. It took about 6 or 8 minutes compared to the 2 or 3 minutes it would take to walk straight there. But when we arrived, Gunny was mentally in the arena with me and he was calm.
For me the moral of the story was that it was worth taking the time up front to get Gunny calm and happy with being led to the arena. It actually saved time because if I would have just taken him to the arena and then tried to get him calm, it would have taken much longer than that 4 to 5 minutes extra that I spent on the way. And it would have been more work physically for me as well as for him.
We turned around and headed back to the hydrant because the other tank was now full. No rattley snorts. This time he still was a little tense. We returned to a spot nearer to the gate but further away than the time before and paused. Again he chewed immediately. We leisurely turned around and headed towards the arena. We got further this time but the rattley snorts came back. So we slowly turned around and went back to a spot closer to his pen but further than the last stopping spot. This was because he was calm for part of that distance so that meant that he could be in his comfort zone from further away. Again he chewed immediately.
In this way we made our way to the arena. It took about 6 or 8 minutes compared to the 2 or 3 minutes it would take to walk straight there. But when we arrived, Gunny was mentally in the arena with me and he was calm.
For me the moral of the story was that it was worth taking the time up front to get Gunny calm and happy with being led to the arena. It actually saved time because if I would have just taken him to the arena and then tried to get him calm, it would have taken much longer than that 4 to 5 minutes extra that I spent on the way. And it would have been more work physically for me as well as for him.
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