We’ve all witnessed it in the stores. Children throwing themselves on the floor and screaming at the top of their lungs. Mothers totally embarrassed or just plain fit-to-be tied over their out of control toddler. They scoop them up into the air, some get a beating, some don’t. Some parents walk away and make believe they never saw the kid before.

Now I am no child expert by any means, but there is a break down somewhere, in the parent child relationship. Or there is a chemical imbalance in the child, I’m not going there. But there is a difference between a 15 lb. child who is throwing a fit and a 1000 lb. horse who is NOT happy.

We’ve all lived through horses who resist and just don’t want to do something. I don’t want to cross that puddle, I don’t want my saddle on, I don’t want to pick up my foot, and the ultimate one – I don’t want to get in that trailer. Usually they are very quiet about it. They just don’t want it and that’s all there is to it. Avoidance is their idea of getting away with the behavior. They will side step, back up, expand their belly. No major tramma or dramatics, just a quiet no thanks, not today. Maybe try me again tomorrow. We’ll see.

However, I have a horse with a different slant on “I don’t want to, please don’t make me do this.” There is always one in your life.

So here is the deal. He’s very reasonable about most everything. He may fling his ears back to tell you “I don’t think I like that” but no follow through. For instance, don’t bother me with my blanket while I’m eating. My response – get over it your getting your blanket on – like he never said a word. I usually just ignore him and go ahead with whatever I was going to do. When he sees I’m not paying attention to him, he just goes back to doing whatever he was doing that he didn’t want interrupted.

BUT this horse hates rain. Two drops and he’s up in the air, kicking, striking out, totally angry with whoever caused this to happen to him. Copper ignores him and goes to stand under a tree and Lou will bite him, push him, and blame him, that he is going to get wet.

So really, what chance do I have in this situation? I always try to get him in before it sprinkles. If it’s just going to be a passing spritz, I leave him out there to deal with it. However, if I know that we are in for a good steady rain, especially if there is going to be a lightening display, I try to get him in. With my luck it usually starts to sprinkle as I’m bringing him up. So let the games begin. I’m sure you’ve watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Well you know those big balloons that float down the avenues during the parade? That’s what I have on the end of my lead line. Now on a windy day they keep them close to the ground or they don’t even let them fly. Here is Lou, all fours off the ground, striking out, kicking, and carrying on. Shaking his head like it stings him. I keep telling him that he is not going to shrink, or fade. He goes into the pond and wallows, but a few drops of rain makes him crazy.

I do put a chain across his nose, and sometimes in his mouth. He normally is very respectful of a chain from his track days, but rain puts him over the edge.

I’ve left him out in rains that came on quickly, he will throw his tantrum and when he looks like a drenched rat, he will go stand under a tree. Still totally angry that I didn’t do my job properly, but I will hear about it when I go down there. I just smile and nod and tell him he’s fine, and he will sulk off to another part of the pasture.

I don’t know; some peoples children.