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February 13, 2014: The Great Baboo

Tonight I looked up the phrase The Great Baboo because this is what I call Jokla. It is a term of endearment for a female. Charlie Brown’s sister Sally, when waiting for the great pumpkin to appear, called Linus the Great Baboo.

Today I called Jokla Whizbang Baboo, because she is so very fast. Dick, her owner, was not at that point in time in a mood to laugh at my naming-related insight. It was sort of like when my friend Brandi said that Raudi was a firecracker waiting to explode – it was, I think, one of the first times I rode her. Raudi is not a Great Baboo. She is a firecracker.



I need to digress. What a day. The whole day was full of go, go, go. I was very active, and it was really intense. I need a day to chill and just hang out with my animals but this is not going to happen for a few more days.

I didn’t expect the morning to be the way it was. I expected it to be more relaxed and low key. Maybe this is because I’m no longer used to working with people who are driven. I’m used to working with relatively calm Icelandic ponies. When I’m calm, they’re calm.

Pete and I got up early, and after eating we trundled outside with the intention of setting the agility course up in the horse pen. Last night I’d put the stuff we needed by the side of the pen so this speeded up the setting up process.

We made yet more modifications to the narrow thing. I had put the sawhorses up on rubber feed buckets so that the narrow thing would have the right dimensions. Pete said no, and instead dragged the pallets that were to the side of the compost facility into the pen and nailed them to the sawhorse.

We then did about four video takes with Raudi. She of course had to check out the new narrow thing that was different than the old narrow thing. And there were a few times in which her feet nicked (take your pick) the hula hoop, ground pole, and labyrinth. I say, “grr, grr, grr. Nice horsey. Here, have a treat for being so patient.” What else can you do?

Then, as we were doing this, Dick and Jokla arrived. I right then decided to call agility quits for a while. As he was saddling up Jokla, Vickie arrived. She rode the five miles from her place, had Hunar pull a tarp the entire way. I quickly made an out-of-the-pen agility course for Vickie, one that consisted of two barrels and a pole, L ground poles, a piece of plywood, the corn oil containers, and two tarps.

While I gave Vickie an assist, Dick worked on the inside course. Vickie didn’t do any ground work.

I spent the better part of the day going back-and-forth between the two friends. They did, towards the end, do a few things together, for instance, Vickie had Hunar go under the hanging streamers with Dick following on Jokla. And Pete and I worked with both on going through fun noodles, Pete and I holding them up and both horses going through them. I stood on a muck bucket and Pete stood on the mounting block.

Then, finally, Pete and I set to (again) making a video with Raudi. This time, I first did the course with Raudi, just walking beside her. She did wonderfully. Then I did it with her on-lead. Amazingly, we breezed right through the course. There were a few things we might have improved upon – but hey, she went right through the narrow thing, stopping when asked, and then following me when I put my hand in my pocket. (This was a secondary reinforcer). I called it good because it could not have been any better.

We wrapped up the day’ work by doing the whoa and ho game – Pete riding Tinni and ponying Hrimmi, Vicki riding Hunar and Dick riding Jokla. Whizbang Baboo wanted to haul ass, finally Dick had to get off and walk her. I realized that we should have called it good after the arena work. What he needs to realize is that Jokla’s progress has been incremental – but she is coming along.  

After the animals were all put away and on their way home, I went to town for writing group meeting. I am sharing poems about chickens because my reading longer stuff is counter-productive. There isn’t enough time.

Then after the meeting we met one of Pete’s colleagues and his wife for dinner. I want to get to know Caroline. She’s an artist, very intelligent – has lots of good ideas. Also, like me, she has a limited intellectual life.

Well, tomorrow is another day. I am going to the Stoffels early, and we are going to the trail trials. I will be a support person. For me, the real challenge is going to be getting up early. Yeah, I know, I lead a rough life.

Next: 45. 2/14/15: The Great Baboo Wins a Blue

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