Showing off for Bonnie

It rained Sunday, and it rained Monday, and it rained Tuesday and it rained today and it is going to rain tomorrow!! AGH! Enough already! Sigh

My friend Bonnie came over this afternoon. I had gone outside to groom Louie and Marie just before she arrived. Louie was feeling a bit fractious today. Not in a bad mood sort of way though. He was feeling quite full of himself actually. I was just grooming them out in the paddock loose and Louie was just barely tolerating this. He doesn't mind being groomed, he just didn't want to stand still, he wanted to do something. So, when Bonnie showed up, that was the end of it, he was looking for some action and to heck with getting groomed. I did walk him down and finish the grooming which he finally submitted to standing for. I didn't linger about this task. I put Louie through his paces today for Bonnie's entertainment. I started with having Marie bow. She is so close to doing it on her own now without physical assistance from me. She starts out good with lifting her foot but at the last minute will throw the lifted foot out in front of her with the other and bow her head between her legs that way. Looks funny! So, I still have to hold her lifted leg in the correct position but with very little pressure on the hold. I had thrown the rope bone in the feeder and Louie and picked it out of there and was working his way around to get my attention and give me the bone. But then he decided to offer it to Bonnie instead. I tossed the rope bone nearly into the barn and went back to working with Marie. I had dropped a whip over by the bridge. Louie went to get the rope bone, saw the whip and went over and sniffed that and considered picking that up instead. After a moments though, he decided on fetching the rope bone after all and brought that back to me.

I then had Louie do a few bows which he did very nicely. Then I asked him to come over to the overturned water tub to step up on. He was having nothing to do with that today. He ran off bucking and jumping. Marie came right over and she stepped up for me nicely. Usually that will bring Louie right over in an instant. He hates to see Marie getting all the attention. He stopped running around to watch but he did not offer to come over. I went into the barn and got his halter. Louie started to walk off but I tossed it out and asked him to fetch it and he did. I put his halter on him and then he went to the water tub with me. I did not have a lead rope on him but just putting on his halter was enough for him to submit to what I wanted him to do. He first bypassed the tub and stepped up on the bridge even though he knew I wanted him to step up on the tub. So, I went with that at first. I had him then put all four feet on the bridge and stop then off. Then back to the tub. He came over and stepped up for me finally. Good boy! He picked up my whip for me and then we finished off with a few more bows.

I then quickly poop scooped the run-in while Louie soaked up some loving from Bonnie. He is SUCH a love bug. Bonnie commented on how good he is looking now. He has really filled out and grown into himself nicely.