But obviously it would be better to get him onto pasture where he can see other horses, and for a few weeks now the barn staff have been turning him out in a bigger paddock where he shares a fenceline with another horse.
They weren't trying to catch him at first, choosing to open the gate and let him run into his stall at night. (Ok'd by me - I am still royally embarrassed that my horse is such a PITA of the barn staff, so I'm happy to let them manage him however makes their lives easiest).
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| Playing hard to catch in July 2014: Photo by my mom. |
They did that until I showed them that he can be reliably caught with Mrs. Pastures Cookies. I call him, he comes to the gate, I give him a cookie, I open the gate, give him another cookie, I clip the lead rope to his halter, give him another cookie. If you don't make him believe he's going to continuously get cookies for the next 10 minutes of his life, he'll take the first one from you, spin and bolt away while figuratively yelling "Na na na na na na!". Jerk.
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| Minutes after this picture was taken he ducked underneath two strands of hot wire like a cat and ran into his stall in the barn. |
When I got back to the barn after CrossFit Regionals, my Mrs. Pastures supply was surprisingly low. I confirmed with FBR that the barn staff had been using them to catch him, and that my cookie supply hadn't just walked off. Guess I need to start buying stock in Mrs. Pastures! Anyone have a supplier? Want to buy in bulk with me? Ha!
I buy mine at riding warehouse Becuase I get 15% off with US rider. They have a sale going on right now too. Glad the cookies help catch him.
ReplyDeleteI just bought the 5lb bag for 15% off at RW thinking it will get me through before I can lay in a bigger stash! Great minds.
DeleteA friend bought me a really gigantic tub for my birthday - 25#? I'll see if I can find out where to get that! I'm still going through it six months later, and I suspect it will last a full year.
ReplyDeleteOh man, that would be awesome. As long as it's in a rodent proof container! Let me know. That would last forever.
DeleteI was wrong. Mine is only 15 pounds and I'm maybe halfway through it. It's a pretty sturdy plastic tub, but depending how determined your rodents are... I think you should be able to find it on Amazon, or Marys, Smartpak, and I think Dover. I'm not sure where has the giant-sizes offhand but I think those all had 15
DeleteThank you for checking! That's probably the size I'll end up looking into. Our rodents are determined, but hopefully not that determined, since there are easier targets out there at our barn.
DeleteIf this was me, I'd probably have a comparative spreadsheet going to find the cheapest per-cookie or per oz rate including shipping... And I totally don't have a google drive full of said sheets for everything from barn costs (including gas to get to each barn) to feed to supplements.
ReplyDeleteMy mares prefer the classic peppermint and are still barely chipping away at the 5 lb bag we bought them for Christmas. Amazon prime, perhaps? They have the weirdest compilation of horse stuff.
...would you laugh if I said I had a spreadsheet? Haha. Connor liked the peppermint okay, but man, the Mrs. Pastures he'd kill a man for.
Delete...would you laugh if I said I had a spreadsheet? Haha. Connor liked the peppermint okay, but man, the Mrs. Pastures he'd kill a man for.
DeleteI would not laugh if you said you had a spreadsheet. I have lots and lots of spreadsheets. Spreadsheets are life.
DeleteI may need to try some Mrs. Pastures, but I also just discovered that my new barn is right down the road from where they make German Horse Muffins...
ROFL. What a smart cookie!
ReplyDelete(terrible pun intended, lol)
Haha! I actually lol'd at this.
DeleteCookie Magic! Glad it is working out.
ReplyDeleteCookie magic is right! Me too.
Deletehaha seriously need to buy them in major bulk!
ReplyDeleteNooooo kidding.
DeleteYou can get them in a 50 pound tub...ask me how I know. :P
ReplyDeleteIs it a rodent-proof 50# tub? If the price/lb is good, I will buy it from you!
DeleteThe price per pound gets better, but the shipping gets crazy. They are in large plastic buckets, so depends on the mice...
DeleteI am not above bribery when it comes to critters. Whatever it takes!
ReplyDeleteLol, of course you're not, Paddy's bridle, haha.
DeleteConnor has good taste! Glad Fergie did not get that particular trait - she'll eat anything and follow you around thinking there is more where that came from.
ReplyDeleteWhew, you're lucky. He thinks it's SO MUCH FUN.
DeleteOh man. Kudos to you for figuring out how to manage it. Courage being hard to catch about broke me.
ReplyDeleteUgh, with you. It drives me crazy, there is nothing worse than standing there while your horse gleefully gallops around you.
DeleteOmg your pony has personality for days!
ReplyDeleteI know my last barn bought a 25lb tub from mary's that was always kept in the tack room with no rodent issues
ReplyDeleteMrs pastures cookies must contain horse crack. No two ways around it.
ReplyDelete