Hollywood Gets a Bubble Bath

I have been meaning to give Woody a bath since he arrived on June 14th, and since today is the hottest day so far this year, I decided why not today! I put Charlotte in the round pen so she would not bother us (which I knew she would) while I was bathing him. He followed me up to the barn (great rapport) and I haltered him and got all his cleaning supplies out. He did really well with me sudsing him, but he got a little worried when I was rinsing him. He started to move his feet around when I moved toward his hindquarters, so I approached and retreated, and I went from his chest to his rump, back and forth until he didn't mind. I realized that if I make it a big deal, then he will too. As Pat Parelli would say, it wasn't about rinsing his rump. We spent some undemanding time together while he was drying off and I learned that he loves Diet Coke. I brushed him and trimmed a bridle path for him, and released him. We had a good time and once he wasn't nervous about the water he loved putting his lips on the nozzle and splashing around in it!
Things to work on: Remembering to "take the time it takes, so it takes less time."
~Eden

My beautiful boy after he got his bath