The Invisible Squirrel

When your human is riding you, an easy way to get out of doing something you don't want to do is to spook at something. Humans usually are not able to tell when you are faking it and when you are truly scared, so you need not worry about your acting abilities.

Let’s say your human wants you go down part of a trail that you do not like in particular. Not wanting to go down it, you have two choices. You can be defeated by your rider and go down the horrible path, or you can pretend to be scared of something.

 

Razzle would rather go back to the barn.

When you are pretending to be scared, be sure to remember the three S’s: Stop, Stare, and Shake.

Stop moving. You need to basically become a rock and freeze. 

Stare at something. Just pick a random object to look at. It can be invisible; it really doesn’t matter.

Shake a little—just enough to make your rider feel sorry for you. If they start to urge you on, shake a little more and refuse to budge. Keep your legs spread out evenly and stay planted to the ground. This will usually convince your rider that there is some big scary monster up ahead that only your super senses can detect.

If there are other horses riding along side of you, be sure to use the international horse signal for pretend danger: invisible squirrel. This will alert your horse companions that there is not really any true danger up ahead, but that they need to pretend there is to keep up the show.

That’s our two bits!

 

The Art of Mud Rolling

Imagine you just got relieved of your saddle after a long and strenuous ride, and you get let out into the pasture to relax. Now, what’s the very first thing you want to do?

Many horses would say “ROLL!” For some horses, mud rolling isn’t just a way to stay warm in the cold winter months.

There are many reasons for you to decide to roll in a dirty spot. One, it does keep you warm in the winter. Two, rolling in mud or dirt can relieve the itchiness you feel after a ride. Three, when your human sees you completely covered in dirt, they usually get annoyed. And finally, many horses roll just for the fun and excitement of it.

 

Our friend Kat has clearly mastered the art of mud rolling! (By the way, Kat is supposed to be yellow!)

Sadly, this country has come to a point where horses no longer appreciate the art of mud rolling. In a poll taken at the barn where we stay, over 80% of horses agree that they can do a thorough job of getting dirty with just a few seconds of thrashing around in the dirt. This is a complete outrage!

To thoroughly cover your body with mud, you must spend at least 30 seconds working on it, if not even a few minutes. These are three key steps that will change the way you roll from now on.

1. Be sure to pick out a very good spot. Often there is a certain place in your pasture where you and the other horses usually roll. Most likely this will be the best place for you to take a dirt bath, but it is wise to check the area for better spots. The lower your rolling spot is in your pasture, the more likely there will be mud.

2. Once you have picked out your perfect spot, proceed to the lying down position. Start with one side of your body and thrash around in the dirt, making sure to drag your neck up and down through the dirt. When you have finished one side, pause and catch your breath, and then flip over to start on the other side. Cover this side just as you did the first side.

3. Now the last and hardest step to master the art of mud rolling is to carefully get up and without shaking. When you shake, too much of the dirt or mud comes off!

A very important factor in mud rolling is the presence of actual mud. Horses with access to mud will obviously do better than horses with only dirt. Don’t be discouraged if your pasture has no mud, though. We have taken plenty of rolls in dry dirt with great results.

 

Caddy getting good results in a mixture of dirt and grass.

That’s our two bits!