He's Got PERSONALITY

Thursday May 8 2014

He's very important, and consequently, he's got a HUGE ego. He has opinions on everything (2 years ago, I dubbed him The Opinionator), and he always thinks he's in charge. He doesn't like to be told what to do, because he already knows everything. He always has to be in front (even on a cattle drive), or else he throws a tantrum. He knows he's the Grandson of the Black Stallion (since Connie remembers to tell everybody that about her horse), and if you bust his bubble, he's capable of great embarrassment.

Take today, for instance. I'd saddled up Finneas, Grandson of the Black Stallion, and led him though the gate into the paddock where the other horses were gathered around, since we were headed out in that direction. Krusty walked up, not that close, but Finneas thought he was too close, so Finneas pinned his ears at Krusty. I told him "No!" (as in, 'pay attention to ME, you're working now!'), and proceeded to gather up the reins to climb aboard him. At that moment, Jose walked up, not that close, but Finneas thought he was too close, so he pinned his ears and charged at Jose, with me standing right there almost underfoot.

Finneas may be the herd boss, but *I'm* the boss of Finneas, and sometimes he forgets that. *I* am not going to be run over by a thousand pound horse (it hurts to be run over!) just so he can fluff up his ego, so I smacked him and told him "NO!" and backed him up, and continued on with the business of climbing aboard him.

Finneas was mortified. Not just because he got in trouble because he was naughty, but that everybody saw him get in trouble because he was naughty.

I made him stand still there beneath me for a moment - while Krusty and Jose and the rest of the herd stared at Finneas (and… I'm not sure… possibly they said something to him under their breath, or stuck their tongues out at him). When I said "OK," Finneas bolted for the exit, took off at a fast trot away from the staring eyes. He literally cantered across the arena, across the creek and across the pasture to the far gate until he was out of sight. He was trying to save a little face by charging very purposefully out on his job.


Away from the "Neener neener!" stares of his herdmates, Finneas slowed down and his ego righted; I didn't mention any more about his behavior or humiliation, and we went on to have an excellent ride.

A re-acquaintance recently said to me, "I didn't know horses had such personalities!"

He hasn't met Finneas yet.

It Was a Good Day

Sunday September 2 2012

He's a funny horse… BIG personality, always expecting royal treatment (in the form of food and treats), always has to be in charge, bossy, generally having a very high opinion of himself. I nicknamed him The Opinionator. You get on best with him when you make him think everything is his idea…

Like when you want him to take a trail that turns away from home, and he doesn't want to go that way, you make him think that he really wants to take the Away Trail, by steering him wide the wrong way, then telling him what a GOOD BOY he is for choosing the correct Away Trail as he accidentally finds himself on it. Then he puffs himself up like a peacock because it was, after all, really his idea to take the Away Trail, and he's hearing, "Good Boy!"

I'm Connie's jockey when she's away, so I keep Finneas fit in Connie's absences. Usually the first time I take him out after he's had some time off, he's pretty enthusiastic on the trail, only objecting at the start to having to go out on the trail, and occasionally objecting if we turn onto one of those Away Trails. Today was his ride back after some time off, and not only was he agreeable to going out, he was completely ardent about it.

He took charge from the beginning, marching out away from home on the trail, trotting or cantering whenever he could, agreeing to turn even further away from home out on Spring Ranch Road, and then cantering all the way back up the wash - all uphill, some of it in sand - working hard. I let him roll because it was all his idea. He worked so hard, I let him choose the trails home, and pick his speed - which was still trotting and cantering, not because we were headed home, but just because he felt so good.  

And icing on the cake of this good ride was that Finneas found not only the water bottle that Sarah lost on her last ride here, but a red-tailed hawk wing feather.

It was the best ride ever on Finneas!