Ickle Pickle

Where do we come up with the nick names for our horses?

Fike's Angle Fire was called Fire when I got him. . . ick! I was not going to call my gelding Angel, so that was out of the question. I was left with Fike. . ehh, shorted it to Ike. How I started calling him Pickle, I have NO idea. LOL. Ickle Pickle has stuck though, poor guy!

I am so excited that I set off the check to Sugar Rock Farm, the makers of my cart. I should get the new shafts in a few weeks! I am so anxious to drive him now. I am so much more confident to drive him. I just want to drive up and down my street and start to actually work a horse from some place other than the ground. Have goals for the horse and not just myself.

When I first got Ike he was 3. He bought him from a video. I ordered a little easy entry cart and my little harness and away we went. I drove him some and let him sit some because I was basically clueless. I think I have told this story before but one day I was driving him, nervous all the time about it too because I didn't know if I was doing it right or not, and Ike took off. I could steer but that was about it. As I am tooling around I am thinking, gee, I can't do a one rein stop. Then I headed him toward a fence. Nope, didn't look like we were going to stop. So we went out to the road, a quiet road. He ran, I was pulling but I was afraid of pulling his jaw off, so we ran. I took him to a grassy area and ran. Eventually he slowed and I got control back. It was a trip and I realized I needed to learn a few things.

It took me all this time to actually find a trainer to teach me to drive. Already I know that I could have brought him back under control by making a big circle. Also once he was under control I should have kicked him back up into a canter, made him work. I have learned so much more and I know the next time I step in that cart behind him I will be so much more prepared.

And so will Ike. We have been working around the yard with a "stone boat" (in quotes because it is really a plastic sled but works for a mini). I haul a barrel around. We also take out the garbage and bring in the cans. We are learning to stand, to pull, to gee, and haw.

Yea, I am a gee and haw person. Just a farm girl at heart. I even want a little wagon and a team of minis. I want to drive to town and get the groceries. Wagons have lots of advantages over those beautiful little carts.

When those shafts come, R is going to come out and help me make sure that I have it all together right. Get Ike hitched up and maybe we'll even go for a trail drive. Woo Hoo. I had hardly wait. Seriously, I am going to be watching for the UPS man like a hawk now!