Training days

So it begins…again. There is a natural ebb and flow to things when running a breeding program that relies to a great degree on the showing of our top production for marketing and promotion of our farm.  Having retired a fair number of animals from the show string that went out this past April to the North American — though particularly a core group of really strong yearling females all of whom have since been bred — this fall there is a whole new group of critters who will make their debuts in the show ring. Out of a possible 19 animals that will be part of the abbreviated road show this October, 8 of them had never seen a halter or lead prior to this week. Some of those animals are admittedly alternates who we train in case someone gets sick, injured, or frankly is just having a bad hair day the week prior to a given show. Jen and Kim worked out some females yesterday and today they have switched gears and are concentrating on some of the newbie boys. Yours truly doesn’t go anywhere near the rookies until they are ready just to be walked. There are those of us that have an innate sense of calm and then there are those that don’t. I fall into the latter category and therefore stay away from the round pen work altogether whenever possible. Play to your strengths or at the very least know your weaknesses! In any case, all things being equal this should still leave us with 14 +/- days to work out any kinks before we head to Syracuse and the Empire show on the weekend of 10/13.