Ready, Set, Go

Much to Lightning’s chagrin he got to help me kick off the 2015 Annual Body Clipping Marathon today. After procrastinating as long as I reasonably could I finally had to start clipping today. Lightning was chosen to be the first victim unwilling participant. He did the usual things to express his displeasure. He twitched his skin, he picked up whatever leg I was trying to clip, he swished his tail, he shook his head, he did all of the usual things.

Every year when I clip him I hope he will skip his ritual of urinating in the barn aisle, but true to form he did not. I used to try to stop him when he would start to park out and prepare to urinate. But all it did was make him even more fussy. He now has me well trained since I think this is maybe our sixth year of body clipping, and when he makes his preparations to urinate I just stand back and let him. He usually decides to urinate about halfway through being clipped. I don’t try to rush him to a stall (he just stands there and won’t pee), I don’t try to stop him, I just let it happen and sweep up the mess. He has never skipped a year with this charming ritual.

I now officially have one horse clipped and have many more to go.

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Lightning getting clipped