Stable stories – new skills

Fun and games at the stables over the last few days. Christine’s horse Tristan is lame. He has an abscess on the base of his hoof. He has been kept on “box rest” (i.e. living indoors) for the last three days with occasional excursions to the small paddock just across the yard. Yesterday the vet took a look.

Tristan’s hoof has been bound up with a poultice, and he does not like walking, or receiving treatment. Because of this, and for other recent activities with his stablemate, Cesar, I have discovered new skills and seem to have become the de facto wrangler of difficult horses.

Yesterday Chrissy was trying to lead Tristan from the paddock to the stable block when he planted himself. After trying to assist from the rear I suggested we swap places and he started to move almost as soon as I took the lead rope.

This morning he absolutely refused to lift his injured leg for Chrissy. I had a go and he picked it up, rested it on my knee and kept it there almost without demur while Chrissy applied the soaked cotton wool, elastic bandage and gaffer tape.

I don’t know why the horses respond to me – a total amateur – rather than to those who know what they are doing, but Chrissy is now threatening to take me to the yard every time in case of problems.