Mule Cross

[Baileysno1]

Ryu is driving me nuts, see my post 'winter despair' anyway the latest is I've arranged with my boss to have extra time at lunch to fetch him in on a Tuesday and Thursday. Ryu was out both Saturday and Sunday for most of the day, in Monday. Today I got down got his bed prepared turned his friend out then came back for him, recently hes started stopping on the way to the field I've done all the usual positive walking, staying at his shoulder, flicking him with the end of the leadrope, flicking him with a schooling whip........
Well today he well and truley put the breaks on, would not budge tried everything, cicling the whip, tempting with carrots everything, in the end gave up and he walked happily back to his stable and popped himself in. I know its muddy and theres no grass, but surely he should want to be out, hes a horse! its more like having an expensive fluffy cat which doesn't like going outside. I don't mind him being in it saves me going down again, but I don't have time on a morning for a battle, and the other thing is if everything else on his row goes out he frets

(barmey I know).

I have bought a stable mirror today to stop the fretting incase hes left alone but I must admit I do feel uncomfortable about him being in all the time, but its going to be the way it'll have to be if hes going to show his muley side.

 

[Dogbetty141]

I wouldnt be worried about him being in all the time if this is how he reacts to being out in the field all day. I put my horse who has not been out since october out on sat only for an hour and i thought he would love it and wouldnt want to come in anyway after i had mucked him out went to tip barrow to only find him whinnieng to come in after 20mins i think he prefers to be in. He was like that in summer to didnt want to be out when the flies where bad. Would stand at the gate from mid day and someone would end up bringing him in because he was gate hogging. They really are daft sometimes. Try leaving him in for a few days he may get bored and decide that he wants to go out.