Leading lessons.

Sunday I locked Wildairo out and opened the gates so Echo could go into his big corral. I gave Echo the opportunity of being led like a big boy, but he wouldn't budge. So he had to be lured down the alley and into the other corral with hay like a naughty cow.

I was interested to see if he'd let me approach him in such a large area. Well, before I could walk up to him, he walked right up to me and I was the other side of the corral, near the building. I was very pleased. No silliness at all!

I was showing Brad what a little stinker he is about leading and Brad thought he'd give it a go. First though Echo had to do his kissing ritual. Brad was a bit nervous about having a horse all over his face but he soon understood Echo is just a kissy face horse.



Echo likes to stand perfectly still with his nose as close to someones face as possible. If only there was a competition or event for only that....

Anyway. Brad tried his hand at Echo leading and discovered what I had, Echo only goes around and around on the same spot. So Brad came up with his own cunning plan. He would go around and around in bigger and bigger circles until Echo wasn't going in circles anymore, (except around the globe I guess).

Around and around they went. Brad mentioned a few times he was getting dizzy. At one point he announced what every loving parent hates to hear, "I really think Echo is incredibly *beep* stupid". I of coarse pointed out all the thing's that put Echo into the really clever category.

The following went on for ages.





Echo really wanted to get to the main event.


Hugs (sorta) and kisses.


If you ever see a horse advertised for sale with the following description;
'Dark bay (eggplant) sturdy 14:2hh BLM mustang. Good kisser'..you'll know it's Echo.



Brad did manage to get Echo leading around the corral, but it was difficult. What really helped was when I walked behind Echo..that seemed to really get him going. I was laughing to myself with visions of someone always walking behind Echo smacking him in the bum with a stick to keep him moving!

It was getting dark and Wildairo was pounding on the gate because his world had been turned upside down. He'd been banished from his own home and because Safeway was out of Bran Muffins, he was muffinless on Bran Muffin Sunday!



Then thing's got exciting. Wildairo pounded on the gate and at the same time Bobby went nuts barking and Echo attempted to launch himself into a low earth orbit. Brad was hanging on to him really well and I was yelling for him not to let him go. Brad was about to control him and I remembered how his breakaway halter is kind of stretchy and I remembered how once Wildairo's halter went in his mouth and how he panicked. So I yelled for Brad to let go. He said that he almost had him and I think he was having a bit of fun. I know I should have kept my mouth shut but in the excitement I decided to go on the side of safety first.

Echo raced back to the safety of his own home. When we got to him he had broke out into an all over sweat. He really scared himself but the good thing about Echo is that he avoids scaring himself so it was a good lesson in keeping his cool.