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So I cruised out to the Bar H, where I keep Hawkeye, today.  Kat is up 
in Big Bear with family.  Lynne is up in NoCal with family.  Chris is 
who knows where.  Since Hawkeye is too young to be ridden we're working 
on ground stuff - manners, long line driving, walking faster while mom 
jogs - things like that.  Hawkeye inherited his mother's fear of 
noises.  Nothing bothers him until it makes noise, then he runs.  He's 
learned that he can only run to the end of his lead rope.  Then he has 
to stop.  So there is no more jerking away from mom and running Hell 
bent for election back to the barn.  This is a good thing.  Today I 
took him to the wash room/ tack area and gave him his supplements.  
While eating he heard the only other people on the ranch today, three 
of Chris's employees that were working on the perimeter fencing.  They 
were eating lunch out of eyesight, but we could hear them.  Hawkeye was 
a little perturbed that he couldn't see them, but not enough to quit 
eating his goodies.  When he was done I took him for a walk.  That's 
when the fun began.

Our first stop was the men.  They were sitting down by some heavy 
equipment eating sandwiches.  Hawkeye was up on his toes trying to make 
himself look bigger (he's already big), snorting, and feigning fright.  
All his weight is on his hind and he's ready to flee the scary men.  
I'm standing there pointing at them saying get up here.  He stretches 
out his neck and one of the men reaches up to pet him and Hawkeye 
nearly jumped out of his skin.  He didn't go anywhere, but he wanted 
to.  Now I'm making him come closer so the guy can touch him.  Which 
Hawkeye allows.  I go to the second man and Hawkeye allows a touch.  
Same with the third man.  Hawkeye is still snorty, but he's behaving, 
so I give him a piece of carrot.  Now we turn our attention to the big 
machinery.  Tractors, water truck, giant fork lift Etc.  I'm leaning 
against one smacking it with my hand encouraging Hawkeye to come touch 
it.  He finally reaches out with his nose and touches the thing.  I 
praise him and give him a piece of carrot.  We move to the side of the 
tractor and do the same routine.  Whenever he relaxes and touches the 
machine he gets a carrot.  Am I mistaken, or does he seem to be 
touching a lot of things he's never been frightened of?  All fear of 
the men and machines is gone so we go out to the cows (a dozen or so 
longhorn cows and calves Chris is breeding).  Hawkeye has never really 
been afraid of the cows, but he doesn't think they're something he 
wants to have anything to do with.  A neighbor lady has driven some 
family members over to feed the cows carrots so all the cows are lined 
up along the fence.  Hawkeye is once again on his toes a little 
prancey.  The lady asks if she can give Hawkeye a carrot.  I say yes 
but he has to do something to earn it first.  Since the lady is holding 
a plastic bag in her hand she must hold it up above his head and 
crinkle it.  When he calms down she can give him the carrot.  So 
there's Hawkeye with great big eyes, muscles ready to flee and he's 
reaching his nose out not to the carrot but to the bag!  As soon as he 
touched the bag he reached for the carrot.  Then he reached over and 
touched the fence.  Then he stuck his nose through the fence into the 
face of a calf and touched it.  Then the calf licked him and he 
demanded another carrot.  Then he marched down the fence-line trying to 
touch every cow and calf there.  Turning for a carrot after every 
encounter.  I see a mud puddle and decide he needs to go through it.  
No dice, but by God he stuck his nose in it!  Came up for a carrot too. 
 We started walking all over the ranch and he was sticking his nose on 
everything in sight.  Then I ran out of carrots!  Scratches simply 
would not do.  He wanted a carrot.  He's pushing on my butt (I keep the 
carrots in the rear pockets).  Pushing on my hands.  Stomping the 
ground when I pause for a breather.  Then one of the tractors starts up 
and gets moving off.  He comes unglued and starts snorting and prancing 
and invades my space just a little too much so I give a loud QUIT and 
he stops and looks at me.  Then he stretches his nose out and touches 
me and then asks for a carrot!  I've created a monster.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday.

Tori and Hawk-Aye (will work for carrots)


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