Mine! No, mine! No, MINE!

Most people have argued with a two or three year old. "MINE!" is a recurring phrase that they learn early and, boy, do they learn THAT concept well and thoroughly! We adults sometimes wish that other concepts took hold as well, but it is probably just as well that they don't--with any luck, it would be the incorrect ones and then we'd have problems. After all, supposedly we have been taught better and we don't do so well sometimes. I think it's mostly laziness that makes us wish this--so we wouldn't have to work so hard at training them. But then we wouldn't spend the time with them and isn't that sort of the point in the first place?

I digress--the "mine" that I refer to is Nikolai's hind feet. Apparently, somebody was remiss in telling the young boy that his hinds WERE to be picked up, handled, and so forth.  He's not ugly about it--just rather emphatic that those are his and not any business of mine. We have a difference of opinion. What His Tarpaness has yet to Grok on is that my opinion trumps his. His toes need a trim and will be.  

So--while I waited for the water tank to fill, I played Friendly Game with him and blew his mind by playing with his tail (very tense).  Flexed it vertebra by vertebra, circled in both directions, pulled it, and just played.  His ears were all over the place.  Didn't have the first clue what to do about all this crazy stuff. Then scratched all over but especially around the ears--apparently going to be a favorite. This guy's a thinker--but he has some extrovert in him, too.  Definitely LB--no question.  Just take my time and let him figure things out.

By the time the water tank was full, I had both hinds up and quietly over my leg (not at the same time, of course!).  We'd had to have some discussions which mostly consisted of the fact that I would-if necessary-beat him-which he seemed to take into consideration. The farrier comes in a few days.  We'll see if it comes to that.

In the meantime, I need to convince Nikolai that his hinds really are mine because he is mine now.  You have to put it into a partnership context for them--Tarpans do not believe in ownership of horses--people, yes.  Nikolai hasn't decided about ownership of me yet--and may not.  They choose their own.  Humans have to live with it.  I know--it's weird. But I've done this before--so take my word for it.