Saddling and Working with Distractions

Dewey is learning new stuff every day.  I put his saddle on again, and he was still a little goosey when the girth was tightened.  He looks at me to ask if the equipment is safe, and when I confirm it is, he just settles right down.  He has a bit of frisky in him when we first get to the round pen to lunge, but he very quickly gets to work.  Such a contrast to Highboy who will wrestle and play at top speed for hours...  Dewey is quite reasonable and quiet and just want to do the right thing and earn praise. 

For example, after lunging a little in the round pen Dewey and I went to the arena to walk around so Dewey could check out some of my "toys".  I have tires, jumps, barrels, poles, and all kinds of tumbleweeds I can't seem to keep out of my arena.  Dewey looked calmly at everything, and even followed me over the poles and little cross rails.  The tires took some investigating, with a lot of snurrfling and pawing at them with his hooves.  Once he figured out they were just another obstacle to walk through he followed me right over.  He also followed me around while I toted the muck bucket and pitchfork all over the arena to pick up manure from the previous ride.  When I told my husband this story he was surprised at how settled Dewey is, and how well behaved.  Highboy STILL likes to run and buck and jump around for the first half hour he's in the arena, and he's been living here since September when we moved in!  My husband keeps commenting on how easy and quiet Dewey is, and I have to remind him that for my own horses I tend to pick the biggest, hottest ones I can find (Highboy, Thai, Major, Cecil).  Really many more of the OTTBs are like Dewey, quiet and eager to please and just want a job, those just aren't the ones I tend to pick for myself.  Dewey will be such a great ambassador for how re-trainable and mild an OTTB can be!

I also have been working with Dewey in the evening, when my working student is busy feeding everyone.  This way Dewey gets used to being required to focus even when there are lots of other distractions.  It's hard to think straight when all your buddies are getting fed and you are being asked to stand quietly to have boots put on and being told not to step on the human who is handling you, but it's a necessary evil.