EQUINE SOCCER SCHOOL

The ball is finally ready for use.

The directions said to add small amounts of air and then let it rest.

After a year and a half it was blown up to capacity!

Libby was not impressed!

She thought it was a chin rest.

And ignoring it, might make it go away.

Using it for a belly scratcher made her eyes roll back.

Maybe I can eat my way out of this.

Since I was not getting very far very fast, from the ground,

I got the trusty ole saddle out and we went to work!

I had to do a lot of forceful encouragement to get Libby 

to walk in to the ball to make it move.

She got it!

But she was lazy about it!
The more I praised her
the better she got.
She did so a lot of licking
Which I was happy to see.

We ended on a good note, when she gave the ball a good push!

Then it was Poncho's turn.

He had been watching us the whole time.
He keeps a vigil over Libby, and she could care less!
She is such a beeawch sometimes.

So I think he learned something.....?

He thought the belly scratching was relaxing.

He smelled it all over, and even licked it.

I know he thought he had died and gone to heaven

and this was the biggest horse cookie and Libby was not around

to interfere!

But then the belly scratching was nice too.

Ummmm...COOKIE!  COOKIE!

So I put the saddle on him too.

Poncho got it!

The more excited I got with him,

and telling him he was a good boy!

He moved that ball!

It started out, he would push it with his nose,

then he accidently kicked it with his feet,

and I was all over him, praising him!

Rubbing his neck!

Giggling!

I think he kicked the ball just to hear me giggle!

Yep! I think a few more times, and he will

be a SOCCER HORSE!

I was hoping that Libby would stand and watch us,

and hopefully learn, but you can see in one of the pictures, 

She was more interested in eating! LOL

It was a good day! 

I only wished that my round pen was bigger.

The ball kept getting stuck in a corner, 

(Yes I have a CORNER in my ROUND pen)

and while I moved it with my foot, 

or reached down to give it a push to the center,

Neither horse spooked or shied away from it.

They both did well.

Libby got a C for effort

and 

Poncho got a B for a good performance!

And I now know, 

Poncho is not as good in a halter as Libby!

:))

But it was do-able in the round pen.

Soon we will be ready for a team!

Maybe.