Necessary Evil

Over the last few weeks our grass has really started growing. All the horses are on a schedule of one day dry lot, then one day pasture with muzzles. Depending on how they look we may even go to two days dry lot, then one day pasture. Roscoe as a 2yr old does not really bear the same risks as the older ones eating the grass, but we are muzzling him too. Having experienced a founder horse before, I never want that for any of mine. Muzzles require care and maintenance, but save lives.

Roscoe asking Mom "What's up with this?"

So yesterday Roscoe wore his muzzle for the first time. Even though he is grey hound skinny right now, the grass is too rich to just put him on it. The muzzle will help wean him into it after two weeks of no grass. He played up pathetic really well. He even tried coming up to me and putting his head down asking nicely for me to take it off, like we would his halter. Eventually he went to try to eat. The good part, Roscoe cannot take off the others muzzles or pick off pieces like he did last year.
This morning he was doing the Winston pout, butt to the fence with a leg cocked not eating. I led him to his stall and freed him from the torture device. He immediately started on his hay bag like a starving pony.

"Okay I ready for this to come off now"

Trying to be like DaVinci and Winston

I reluctantly took him away from his hay to work on walking onto the trailer. Armed with a banana we were able to get him to walk on and back off a few times with only a little hesitation. I'll take that for now. During the process DaVinci about raised the roof with a neigh, thinking we were taking his buddy away again. Not this time, but soon Roscoe will have to go.
Fortunately for us, Dottie does not seem to be in raging heat any more. So Roscoe does not get teased as bad. He had a moment the other day when he seriously thought about rearing and tearing towards the girls. I could see him work through it and nix the idea. Soon I got him moving around me, then sitting and turning. He settled into the work and even ignored Dottie when she talked to him. Score one for early, consistent training. This bodes well for him staying a stallion.
Roscoe is definitely happy to be home and boy are we happy he is there :)