Pompadour

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Hot stuff

We have two young stallions at work. The younger one is two years old and currently being a bit of a sod to handle. A local man has told us that an old french trick is to heat up a jacket spud to boiling point and when the horse lunges for you with teeth bared - ram it in his mouth.
As previously our only form of protection was our voice and occasionally a whip we did consider this but were having a hard time coming to terms with the possibility of causing physical damage.
The other stallion who is three now is a nicer character, but still has his moments. His favourite trick is to grab the lead rope or lunge line so that your control is considerably lessened. Opening the fridge yesterday I noticed a tube of harrisa (chilli) paste sitting on the shelf and this bought a wicked smile to my face.
I went back to work and smothered the lunge line (a long rope used when you exercise a horse) with the paste. As usual he grabbed the line briefly before spitting it out and pulling a variety of odd faces.
Every so often he obviously forgot and went to grab the line before remembering and dropping it (like a hot potato?!!!)
I did feel marginally guilty when he got back in his box and started drinking like he had had a vindaloo.......

5 comments:

  1. What a brilliant idea, wish I had of thought of that when I used to work in the racing stud in good old Rhodesian days. Certainly do not even feel slightly guilty :) Diane

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  2. Well you could at least have given him the traditional British fifteen pints of lager before he got his teeth into the vindaloo!

    I used to find that a strong smell like wintergreen would ward off silly behaviour on the part of young stock feeling their feet...mark you, it would ward off any and everything else as well!

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  3. Do you have any video footage of the horse discovering chilli? Please say yes!

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  4. Sorry no video Alan - it was funny though!
    I didn't know you were into racing Diane and I am going to have to google wintergreen Helen, I've never heard of it - and I have to admit he seems to be developing a taste for the chilli paste dammit. I'll get onto google right now!!!

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  5. Oh goodness this made me roar with laughter! What a sight it must have been.

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