BLM adoption, Quills and Wildairo

On-line Adoption update:

The BLM site is back up but many of the bidders have disappeared. I'm still there and I'm the only bidder on Wildairo's home boy. I'm sure bidders will return to the site but I hope they don't bid on our boy.

Stupid Airedale update:

I have been pulling quills out of Bobby's body since Sunday. These are the quills that have gone through and I pull them out the other side by the pointy bit. I've pulled several out of the inside of her mouth, near her gums. One in her gum! One beauty had gone clean though her swollen black nose and came out the top. Three quills had gone through the meaty part of her leg. Right now I can one feel that's gone down through her nose, through her lip and is trying to go into the gum. It's at a very difficult angle to pull out. I found some in Monties paws. One had gone between her paws and was getting infected and two were wedged between her toe nail and skin. Ouch!

Wildairo is so eager to learn. I couldn't find the lunge line I haven't used since 1989, so I bought another one. He didn't do anything silly during his first lesson, no kicking out, bolting, rearing. He was trying to do what I wanted but I couldn't do what I wanted because I can't put much weight on my ankle.

Once I saw he was super fine with it I stopped before thing's went south. When my ankle has improved some more and I can lunge him where there's no rocks we'll resume our lunge work.

I have never been around a horse that is so honest. Wildairo is a totally clean slate. He is trying so hard to fit in with his new herd and to please us. When he first came to live with us he was aggressive I had to react quick to stop it and he learned what the word 'no' meant. It's like a light bulb went off in his head. I watched him interact with the other two year old's from his herd, he'd approach some of them with his ears flat back in an aggressive pose and they would move out of his way very quickly. He never approached his best friend like that though. They would put their heads over each others backs and stand quietly together.

When he first came here, out of habit, or maybe he was testing me, he would come at me with his ears flat back. Once he found out that wasn't his place to do that he stopped, but he still didn't like or trust me. After weeks of talking to him, brushing him through the gate and giving him all kinds of tasty treats his attitude changed. I remember when Brad was with him in the corral scratching his back and I went in there too, he looked me right in the eye with his ears forward in happy mode and left Brad, walked right up to me and gently put his head over my shoulder and stood quietly while I put my arms around his neck and snuggled him. I knew then he like me.

It amazes me how such a large strong once wild animal can be so gentle, willing and eager to please. I know and he knows that just one kick could really do me in. I notice now how he perks up and is happy when Brad or William walks up to join us. We're his little herd and he's loved and wanted and he knows it.