I had my first major brawl with a horse this morning, I was out in the far pasture with the dogs and the sheep, and I saw that Chloe was out in the brush behind us gorging on scores of apples that fallen from an apple tree that had previously been barren. Apples have sugar and too many are not good for horses,  so I went to lead her out. I used the clucking and other noises we are told gets horses moving, but she quickly got irritated and kept avoiding me, running away and then circling around.

She would run one way, then the other, she seemed irritated at the thought she ought to go back to the other pasture. I came up behind her with my arms out, tapped her on the butt, but she kept running out and circling around me. She very clearly had a mind of her own, she was visibly irritated with me, she even snorted and pawed at the dogs, clearing them out of her way.

This went on for 10 or 15 minutes.

Eventually, Maria came out to the back pasture and the two of us began moving towards here. She snorted again, and then took off at a full gallop back across Lulu’s Crossing and towards the near pasture.

Maria brings a bridle when she needs to move Chloe and usually the sight of the bridle will get her going. She clearly knew what I wanted, and just as clearly was letting me know I wasn’t going to get it without a fight. When she ran out the donkeys followed, and then the sheep. Interesting how independent minded ponies are, and how disinterested they are in being told what to do.

They are like donkeys in at least one respect, I think, and that is if you press them long enough and continuously enough, they will eventually succumb and flee rather than fight. The nature of prey animals. You just have to keep telling yourself that you are as smart as they are, and just as stubborn.