Echo likes me again.

Phew! It was touch and go there for awhile but Echo is friends again with me.
Here he is going over his first jump.



I made little jumps of various thing's like pipe and rope and the little darling went over them all. Although he had no refusals, after a few clear rounds he started racking up the faults by not clearing the fences. It was fun. I cheered him when he got a clear round and booed when he kicked over the jump or stepped on it. About 35 years ago I was at the Royal International Horse Show in London when I watched a horse and rider clear a 7' wall but training this wild little Mustang to jump is way more fun.

Echo has finally forgiven me for going to Oklahoma for a week. I really felt bad because I thought the bond we had been forming was lost forever. I'd sit in my lawn chair and he'd hang out with the boys the other side of the corral and ignore me. Last night when the moon was full I rode my bike to the corrals and spent sometime with him. He enjoyed the company because today he was pleased to see me and so tonight I went to see him again when the moon got high. This is what he looks like at night.



He does something very strange. After he's eaten some carrots he does this sucking. He holds his lips tightly closed and sucks his cheeks in and makes loud slurping and sucking sounds. He half closes his eyes and almost seems to be relishing the carroty goodness. I hold my hand on his lips and I'm sure he's not sucking in any air like he's cribbing. I hope he doesn't have a dental problems. He only does it when he eats carrots. I'm trying to get him to eat apples but he acts like I'm trying to poison him. He has started eating grain and he loves it.