Beautiful Spring weather beckoned the girls to the barn where they began to wash and groom the horses.
Juby is now confident enough to wash this pony by herself.
Natalie spent her time clipping this little guy. In the winter months, horses grow a thick warm coat. As the weather heats up, they shed in patches that are unsightly. Clipping the pony eliminates the shedding process. I should have taken a picture before we swept up the hair pile which was huge!
See how smooth and nice he looks after his haircut!
Most nice barns are lucky enough to have a wash stall like this one. In beautiful weather though, it is more pleasant to bathe outdoors.
As you can see, horses actually seem to enjoy the process and the hands on care. It is part of their training to tolerate patiently the attentions of their handlers. If they get fussy during a bath the girls will discipline them usually by a sharp command or by a strong pull on their halters.There is no room for personalities when bathing a 1000 pound animal.
After all that work, it was time for some fun. Natalie gave Juby a lesson on freshly clipped Two Bits. I am always amazed that a horse lesson is extremely verbal. It is a constant stream of instruction and encouragement from the teacher who is standing in the center of the ring. " Head up, chest out, heels down...Go to the edge of the corner, get Him past the gate...." The rider keeps making subtle adjustments in accordance with the directions which help her to improve her technique.
Of course no cleaning would be complete without this most necessary chore which hardworking Tori accomplished willingly!.
