Cows Are Running the Show

Blessi and I went to an arena sorting clinic.  We had done some cattle sorting previously so I knew Blessi wasn't afraid of cows.  However, cattle sorting is performed in two small round pens so there is less space for the horse to run around in if he gets too excited.  I wasn't sure how "excited" Blessi was going to get when he got the opportunity to chase cows in a much larger arena setting.

Since this was a 2-day event, I took Blessi to a new stable for overnight boarding.  I thought he might like to run around the big arena for a bit before he was stabled for the night.  The cows (calves really) were penned right next to the arena but separated by a 5-foot solid wall.  I turned Blessi loose in the arena, he smelled the cows, and ran.....right to the separating fence so he could put his head over the solid fence and stare at those cows.  Well this seemed to be a good sign.

Here's a video of Kathy riding Blessi during his first day of cattle sorting.  This is the first time Kathy is riding an Icelandic.  She rides Western and Blessi is trained English.  Sometimes, you will see Kathy point at cow so Blessi knows to chase it.  Kathy said she had so much fun that she laughed so much that her face cheeks hurt for the next 24 hours.  As you can see by the video, it seems like the cows were running the show.