Bringing in the Mini

Well today has already proved to be a busy day and its not even over! Mom and I left with the trailer this morning at about 9 to head over to look at the mini. The family who owned him went to my school so we knew them pretty well. Cocoa is a 6 year old miniature horse gelding who has the best horsenality. I rubbed on him some, then moved him around a bit and was willing to go forward pretty well. I led him around, and Terrie (she came with us to help) trimmed his feet, too. We then took him to the trailer and after investigating a bit walked right on. However, he has not been tied before so he was loose in the trailer. We had to remove the divider in the trailer, but once we did we loaded him back on just fine like a champ. We brought him home and unloaded him and he is so brave!! He calmed down after a couple minutes of calling to the horses over the fence and walking around. I brought him in the fence to a little corral we set up for him to be in, and the horses met him through the corral panels. Terrie suggested that we bond them together by putting them all in the arena and letting them run around a bit. They had SUCH fun in there it was hysterical. She and I had flags and we got them started and if they would kick at Cocoa or do anything to him, we would shake the flag. They ran and ran and ran around that pen bucking at each other and flying around cantering, they were having a good time. They stopped a couple times to eat, and eventually they showed they were ok together and we caught them again. I went to catch Cocoa, but he ran away so I "did some Harry with him" and followed him and finally got his attention back on me. I then walked up and haltered him. I also did a little porcupine from the nose and chest to get him out of my space and he is a really quick learner! We did a bit of Stick to Me in that he would walk ahead of me, and I would stop and tap his chest to back him up. He is a good guy who is willing to learn and boy do I have stuff to teach him!
The things we are going to start working on is porcupine in preparation for tying and also help him get better with being caught. Here are some pictures of the horses running around!

~Eden