We don't have lights in the barn yet. That's okay, I'm kindof glad that I don't have to worry about electricity in the barn, and when I do something I hope to use solar panels to do it. Anyways, it makes barn cleaning after dark a little bit of a challenge. However, I am dexterous and hold a small flashlight in one hand to locate my targets, while also holding the pitchfork at the same time. I don't do this every night, but for mornings when I have to get up before sunrise to let the horses in while in a hurry to get out the door. I think what I need is a cap with a light on it to make things easier, but for now, the small light works. :)
In other news, Crystal is up to 975 lbs! (from 920) Her ribs are really filling in and the "shelf" near her spine is nearly gone. I can see the muscles in her hind end filling out. She has also been shedding quite a bit - reminds me of a foal with the hair shedding out around her eyes first. The hair underneath is so WHITE! Not a creamy white, but silvery white. It looks like she is going to be a gorgeous dapple gray!
In the meantime, she is the first gray I have had here with all of my bays and chestnuts, and it is interesting where all that white hair ends up. I noticed them covering the straps of her blanket and all over the brushes, me, my other horses when I groom them. Somebody should invent a gray horse brush with white bristles so you don't notice them so much. :) And then white blankets, etc. Who am I kidding - anything around horses is going to end up brown eventually!
Hoof-wise I noticed tonight that it looks like she's ready for another trim. The sole in her left front that I've been waiting for is half off - the other half should shed in a few days. But what I found interesting was that where I rasped around the edge of her hooves it now looks like the outside of the wall in that area has peeled off in the moisture. I'm sure glad I didn't rasp up very far at all! I can only assume it is the poor nutrition she had before I got her. I look at her hooves and see small ridges - not founder ridges, but nutrition ridges. I am not sure what they mean, but it looks like her previous owners fed her something nutritious about once a month... If I hadn't trimmed Arwen's hooves today, I would have worked on Crystal's.
In other news, Arwen is going to a month of training on Friday and I can't wait! Becky has been a pleasure to work with in the past, and I look forward to learning as much as I can while Arwen is there!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Texas Weather! *sigh*
Just when you're getting used to warmer temperatures and the horses are seriously shedding, mother nature throws you a cold front bringing the temps back down into the lower 30s at night - and the wind chill there during the day. My goodness! All the horses are warm in their blankies, but what a chilly day! The wind is whipping around at 30mph and the water on my bare hands made them feel freezing.
Sweetie came in this morning with a goopy nose on the left side only - I started her on SMZ and this afternoon it wasn't quite as bad when she came in. Hopefully the SMZ will clear it up, or we'll need the vet out here in a few days. One sidedness is always weird - could even be a tooth in her old age. We'll see. She's still eating fine, and her temperament seems normal. (I need to dig out my horse thermometer, too). Praying for something simple.
Stay warm!!
Sweetie came in this morning with a goopy nose on the left side only - I started her on SMZ and this afternoon it wasn't quite as bad when she came in. Hopefully the SMZ will clear it up, or we'll need the vet out here in a few days. One sidedness is always weird - could even be a tooth in her old age. We'll see. She's still eating fine, and her temperament seems normal. (I need to dig out my horse thermometer, too). Praying for something simple.
Stay warm!!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
A hairy morning and great ride on Rocky
This morning I went to the barn to ride Rocky and play with my foster horse, Arwen. It took a good 30 minutes to find Rocky under all that hair he is shedding, along with giving his mane a good trim. Finally, I got enough hair off to ride and off we went to the ring. Rocky was a little short-strided - and after looking at his soles I saw what looked to be an impression from some kind of rock - that had not been there when I trimmed his hooves this weekend. So I think he has a little bit of a sole bruise. We kept to walking and a little bit of trotting - he was much more comfortable on the sand in the ring. But I didn't want to work him too much. He backed very easily with gentle cues of asking verbally and a gentle squeeze on the reins. We only rode for about 15 minutes but it felt great!
Afterwards I continued grooming all his winter coat as he is shedding. But then I saw Sweetie, and had to groom her, too! She had tons of hair to come off as well, and it was time for her mane trim also. I know my hunter friends would give me a hard time for cutting instead of pulling, but I have to say that no horse I know likes to have their mane pulled, I'm not planning on going to any shows where their manes would need to be thin enough to braid, and I'm pretty good at trimming their mane so it looks natural instead of having the "chopped" look.
Two down, and then I groomed Crystal (I only had a few minutes left before lunchtime) and got lots of white hairs to mix with the black/brown & red hairs on the floor. My goodness! I look forward to when everyone is done shedding!
Oh, and interestingly enough, Crystal has shed the sole on her RF that was the worst of the two, and the LF sole is coming off more than it was, but is still there. Not for much longer! We'll see if I can't get to Arwen this afternoon! :)
Afterwards I continued grooming all his winter coat as he is shedding. But then I saw Sweetie, and had to groom her, too! She had tons of hair to come off as well, and it was time for her mane trim also. I know my hunter friends would give me a hard time for cutting instead of pulling, but I have to say that no horse I know likes to have their mane pulled, I'm not planning on going to any shows where their manes would need to be thin enough to braid, and I'm pretty good at trimming their mane so it looks natural instead of having the "chopped" look.
Two down, and then I groomed Crystal (I only had a few minutes left before lunchtime) and got lots of white hairs to mix with the black/brown & red hairs on the floor. My goodness! I look forward to when everyone is done shedding!
Oh, and interestingly enough, Crystal has shed the sole on her RF that was the worst of the two, and the LF sole is coming off more than it was, but is still there. Not for much longer! We'll see if I can't get to Arwen this afternoon! :)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Rainy day...
Today was a gray, rainy day so the horses spent the day in the barn with plenty of hay. I groomed Crystal in her stall and she stood so quietly and really enjoyed the attention. Tonight, it had stopped raining but there was a chance it would rain a little more, so I opted to put a blanket on Crystal since the temps will be about 46 and that would be cold in the rain! I took the blanket in to her stall and let her smell it first, and then gently put it on her back. She stood completely still and let me fuss with it a bit (tighten the belly straps). Did I mention that I had not put a blanket on her yet? She is SUCH a sweet mare!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Super Smart Crystal!
Crystal still has at least 100 lbs to gain before I ride her, so my goal tonight was just to do some walking exercises to see what she knew without any stress.
I only had the last few minutes of dusk-light to play, but I made the most of them! :) I had wanted to get out there all day but had other things going on with family to tend to. I haltered Crystal and curried some of that icky thick hair off of her and then led her out to the ring. The first thing I noticed was that she was not at all concerned about being out in the ring. With Arwen, her head went up and she was looking around, but Crystal had that "ho-hum" attitude. We practiced walk and halt on the lead several times. I wiggled the lead slightly if she went past me and she very quickly "got it" to stop when I stopped. I found a place with plenty of room and just had to see - I only had her on a 12' line, but wanted to see if she knew how to longe. After me clicking at her a few times with her looking at me saying, "are you serious?" she stepped off to the left and made a perfect circle around me without any trouble. I said "whoa" and she stopped on the circle and turned her head to look at me. I asked "walk on" and lifted the longe whip slightly and off she went at the walk again without any trouble. We did that 2-3 times to the left then I tried to the right. She started off just wanting to go to the left - a racehorse thing to do. But after insisting that she go to the right, she finally gave in and went to the right, and with a little help made a good circle. She again whoaed on command and then walked off again when I asked. I could hardly believe it :)
Although I know I should have done it first, I then asked her to give to pressure by gently milking the lead until she dropped her head - she totally got it and no trouble. I gently pulled the lead toward her chest and took a step towards her and she backed just as she should. Then I asked her to yield her hindquarters and front end without much effort both directions.
We longed both directions again at the walk one more time with a "whoa" and ask to move on again with ease. The last thing I tried was something I learned from Becky when she worked with Arwen a few days - to ask her to yield her hindquarters by holding on to the lead and walking towards her rump. The goal is to make sure the horse knows to use their near hind leg and move it across/infront of their other hind leg. She had no trouble doing that to the right, but to the left, she preferred to move her left hind leg behind her RH instead of the other way. After another try she took several steps the correct way and we quit with that.
Pretty amazing! :) I'm so excited for her and look forward to working with her through the coming months. She is going to be a great find for a lucky adopter!
I only had the last few minutes of dusk-light to play, but I made the most of them! :) I had wanted to get out there all day but had other things going on with family to tend to. I haltered Crystal and curried some of that icky thick hair off of her and then led her out to the ring. The first thing I noticed was that she was not at all concerned about being out in the ring. With Arwen, her head went up and she was looking around, but Crystal had that "ho-hum" attitude. We practiced walk and halt on the lead several times. I wiggled the lead slightly if she went past me and she very quickly "got it" to stop when I stopped. I found a place with plenty of room and just had to see - I only had her on a 12' line, but wanted to see if she knew how to longe. After me clicking at her a few times with her looking at me saying, "are you serious?" she stepped off to the left and made a perfect circle around me without any trouble. I said "whoa" and she stopped on the circle and turned her head to look at me. I asked "walk on" and lifted the longe whip slightly and off she went at the walk again without any trouble. We did that 2-3 times to the left then I tried to the right. She started off just wanting to go to the left - a racehorse thing to do. But after insisting that she go to the right, she finally gave in and went to the right, and with a little help made a good circle. She again whoaed on command and then walked off again when I asked. I could hardly believe it :)
Although I know I should have done it first, I then asked her to give to pressure by gently milking the lead until she dropped her head - she totally got it and no trouble. I gently pulled the lead toward her chest and took a step towards her and she backed just as she should. Then I asked her to yield her hindquarters and front end without much effort both directions.
We longed both directions again at the walk one more time with a "whoa" and ask to move on again with ease. The last thing I tried was something I learned from Becky when she worked with Arwen a few days - to ask her to yield her hindquarters by holding on to the lead and walking towards her rump. The goal is to make sure the horse knows to use their near hind leg and move it across/infront of their other hind leg. She had no trouble doing that to the right, but to the left, she preferred to move her left hind leg behind her RH instead of the other way. After another try she took several steps the correct way and we quit with that.
Pretty amazing! :) I'm so excited for her and look forward to working with her through the coming months. She is going to be a great find for a lucky adopter!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Beautiful day with Rocky!
The weather has been gorgeous this week - I'd say we Texans look forward to this kind of weather all year! :)
Crystal has been doing great out in the field during the day, and Arthur has been pouting in the dry lot while she is out.
Three days in a row now, I have been able to ride Rocky! He is so much fun! We walk and trot both directions, doing circles & figure 8's & serpentines. We've also been learning how to back under saddle, and do a turn on the forehand & turn on the haunches. I'm quite amazed with Rocky and how quickly he learns everything. I've been able to give much quieter aids for backing - I try to do it in stages. First I give the voice command "Back" and then lean back, and then I squeeze gently on the reins, and again, and then a much stronger squeeze on the reins and with my legs. I was going through the entire gambit 2 days ago, but today, I only got to squeezing gently with the reins and Rocky backed up for me. I've got to make sure I don't practice it too much - he was not sure what I wanted when we did some turns on the forehand and started to back a little there. We'll muddle through and get the aids clearer and figure out exactly what means what.
I trimmed Rocky before I rode, and combine that with the most posting trot I've done in about a year and my body is exhausted. I'm looking forward to a quiet evening and sound sleep tonight!
Crystal has been doing great out in the field during the day, and Arthur has been pouting in the dry lot while she is out.
Three days in a row now, I have been able to ride Rocky! He is so much fun! We walk and trot both directions, doing circles & figure 8's & serpentines. We've also been learning how to back under saddle, and do a turn on the forehand & turn on the haunches. I'm quite amazed with Rocky and how quickly he learns everything. I've been able to give much quieter aids for backing - I try to do it in stages. First I give the voice command "Back" and then lean back, and then I squeeze gently on the reins, and again, and then a much stronger squeeze on the reins and with my legs. I was going through the entire gambit 2 days ago, but today, I only got to squeezing gently with the reins and Rocky backed up for me. I've got to make sure I don't practice it too much - he was not sure what I wanted when we did some turns on the forehand and started to back a little there. We'll muddle through and get the aids clearer and figure out exactly what means what.
I trimmed Rocky before I rode, and combine that with the most posting trot I've done in about a year and my body is exhausted. I'm looking forward to a quiet evening and sound sleep tonight!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Busy Day!
Sammie rode Arthur on a pony ride through the field this morning and had a wonderful time!
At the beginning of the ride.
Grinning after trotting up to the top of the back of the tank. :)
Sammie closing her eyes and feeling the ride! :)
Crystal has graduated to the big field during the day - and gained 40 lbs over the last 10 days! Yay!
But poor Arthur is having to stay in during the days now to keep him off too much grass during the day.
Poor thing is pretty disappointed about it, but a necessary evil to prevent laminitis. We'll watch him closely and if keeping him up during the day isn't enough, we'll keep him in his paddock at night as well.
A beautiful day wouldn't be complete without a ride for me, too! I rode Rocky this afternoon - we had a very nice ride with walking, trotting, circles, and learning to "back" while mounted. I suddenly realized I had never really taught him that, at least not more than once, and recently listened to a podcast about being able to go backwards to help the horse be lighter in the front end. We practiced several times and he got it quickly - I continue to enjoy Rocky and his personality and the way we get along. It's such a special relationship we have - since I have been there since the moment he was born. And I'm the only one that has ridden him - well, Harlan did once. :) We ended the session with a few turns on the forehand and then a good grooming with lots of carrots. :) What a wonderful day!
At the beginning of the ride.
Grinning after trotting up to the top of the back of the tank. :)
Sammie closing her eyes and feeling the ride! :)
Crystal has graduated to the big field during the day - and gained 40 lbs over the last 10 days! Yay!
But poor Arthur is having to stay in during the days now to keep him off too much grass during the day.
Poor thing is pretty disappointed about it, but a necessary evil to prevent laminitis. We'll watch him closely and if keeping him up during the day isn't enough, we'll keep him in his paddock at night as well.
A beautiful day wouldn't be complete without a ride for me, too! I rode Rocky this afternoon - we had a very nice ride with walking, trotting, circles, and learning to "back" while mounted. I suddenly realized I had never really taught him that, at least not more than once, and recently listened to a podcast about being able to go backwards to help the horse be lighter in the front end. We practiced several times and he got it quickly - I continue to enjoy Rocky and his personality and the way we get along. It's such a special relationship we have - since I have been there since the moment he was born. And I'm the only one that has ridden him - well, Harlan did once. :) We ended the session with a few turns on the forehand and then a good grooming with lots of carrots. :) What a wonderful day!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Crystal gets a trim!
I tried to get photos of before/after - and yes, it is all my own handiwork. My farrier of 9 years suddenly stopped returning calls and after many years of working for a farrier and then watching for 20 years, I'm trimming my own horses.
Right front before & after
Right hind before & after
Left Hind before & after
Crystal is pretty cow hocked by nature, and on both of her back feet, the outside wall was very flared and much longer than the inside wall. I trimmed the outside walls down so they were shorter, but without doing it dramatically. I don't want to change too much too quickly for her. But even after the trim, she still held her weight on the inside walls. The good thing about being your own farrier is that you see their hooves every day and can make adjustments as needed.
I actually am impressed with my skills at this point - I no longer ever see cracks or big flares between trims because I'm there to take care of it before it gets to that point. Everyone has stayed sound and happy (where a couple of mine would get sore when my farrier trimmed the sole too much).
Both of Crystal's front hooves are about to shed a large amount of sole - I didn't want to pry it off before it was ready, but it is coming loose. But I will keep an eye on it as I pick them out every day. It is kind of weird looking on the bottom of her hooves right now, with a separation between the wall/sole area at the edge of the white line, but I suspect it will be corrected easily when she sheds the sole. I'll also be able to trim her hooves a little shorter at that point - they're still longer than I'd like, but not nearly as crazy as they were!
Right front before & after
Right hind before & after
Left Hind before & after
Crystal is pretty cow hocked by nature, and on both of her back feet, the outside wall was very flared and much longer than the inside wall. I trimmed the outside walls down so they were shorter, but without doing it dramatically. I don't want to change too much too quickly for her. But even after the trim, she still held her weight on the inside walls. The good thing about being your own farrier is that you see their hooves every day and can make adjustments as needed.
I actually am impressed with my skills at this point - I no longer ever see cracks or big flares between trims because I'm there to take care of it before it gets to that point. Everyone has stayed sound and happy (where a couple of mine would get sore when my farrier trimmed the sole too much).
Both of Crystal's front hooves are about to shed a large amount of sole - I didn't want to pry it off before it was ready, but it is coming loose. But I will keep an eye on it as I pick them out every day. It is kind of weird looking on the bottom of her hooves right now, with a separation between the wall/sole area at the edge of the white line, but I suspect it will be corrected easily when she sheds the sole. I'll also be able to trim her hooves a little shorter at that point - they're still longer than I'd like, but not nearly as crazy as they were!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Sweetie & Crystal
Okay, I confess, Sweetie looks a little pregnant. :) It's all hay, though. I like to keep my 23 yo mare on the fluffy side during the winter, but now that the grass is starting to grow, I'm starting to cut back on her grain.
Sweetie did a great job babysitting Crystal yesterday - and I'll put them out together again tomorrow while I am here to play musical horses. :) I am watching everyone carefully, and don't want to stress Crystal while she is so thin. I need to know I can trust whoever is keeping her company to not chase her around - and Crystal very much prefers company to none at all. When I brought them in yesterday, and Crystal had to stay in her paddock by herself, she was not a happy camper. She even bucked a little and kicked out to show her frustration. But for now, it is the best place for her to have unlimited access to hay, and no stress from the other horses.
In the past, integrating a new horse has been easier. But Arthur & Arwen continue to charge at Crystal across the fence, so I will have to wait until they calm down a bit. My "original" group of Sweetie, Rocky, Aurora, and Penny always integrated easily with the new fosters that would come and go. Arthur and then Arwen are the last two that arrived and appear not to be as happy about the new girl. We will figure out a plan - they may have to spend some time in the paddock while Crystal gets to go out in the field for a while. But eventually, Crystal will be stronger and will put them in their place. For now, she has just avoided conflict. In fact, I have not seen one single aggressive act from her over the fence. She just seems so mild-mannered. I hope that as she perks up, she'll feel more willing to stand her ground. But I'll be there to watch over her in the meantime.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
"Crystal"
Crystal it is!
Tonight I brought Crystal into the yard to graze on the green grass. As soon as we were through the gate, she put her head down into a patch of tall grass and started eating fervently. I guess it tasted good - but she was partial to the longer grass that was still around the trees after the lawn was mowed this week. Even though she was excited to be in a new area, she was still very well behaved. I could feel her energy up, but she never got silly or pushy.
Christopher and Sammie came out to visit with the new mare by the picnic table, which happened to have a bunch of tall grass under it. I told the kids to stay at the table so I didn't have to worry just in case Crystal felt her energy get a little too crazy. I explained how she liked the long grass and both kids would pick a handful of grass and put it on the table for her, and each time, Crystal watched and then ate every bite of the grass they put on the table for her. It was precious. They both got to pat her nose while she was there, and again, she was very well behaved despite her excitement.
The only time she was at all "pushy" was when we were getting ready to go out of the gate she pulled with her nose to get one last bite of tall grass on her way out. I couldn't blame her. I think we'll try an hour out with Arwen tomorrow so she can start getting used to the grass. She hasn't had any grass in quite a while - there was none where she was seized from, and none at the holding facility, so we will take our time there. I'll be home all day and can keep an eye on everybody.
It seems like it is officially spring here in Texas - the grass is starting to grow, and the temps the next few weeks are all in the upper 60's - low 70's. I am going to be outside as much as I can while the weather is so beautiful!
Tonight I brought Crystal into the yard to graze on the green grass. As soon as we were through the gate, she put her head down into a patch of tall grass and started eating fervently. I guess it tasted good - but she was partial to the longer grass that was still around the trees after the lawn was mowed this week. Even though she was excited to be in a new area, she was still very well behaved. I could feel her energy up, but she never got silly or pushy.
Christopher and Sammie came out to visit with the new mare by the picnic table, which happened to have a bunch of tall grass under it. I told the kids to stay at the table so I didn't have to worry just in case Crystal felt her energy get a little too crazy. I explained how she liked the long grass and both kids would pick a handful of grass and put it on the table for her, and each time, Crystal watched and then ate every bite of the grass they put on the table for her. It was precious. They both got to pat her nose while she was there, and again, she was very well behaved despite her excitement.
The only time she was at all "pushy" was when we were getting ready to go out of the gate she pulled with her nose to get one last bite of tall grass on her way out. I couldn't blame her. I think we'll try an hour out with Arwen tomorrow so she can start getting used to the grass. She hasn't had any grass in quite a while - there was none where she was seized from, and none at the holding facility, so we will take our time there. I'll be home all day and can keep an eye on everybody.
It seems like it is officially spring here in Texas - the grass is starting to grow, and the temps the next few weeks are all in the upper 60's - low 70's. I am going to be outside as much as I can while the weather is so beautiful!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Happy Mare!
Here are some photos of my new foster horse - name yet tbd...
I love the way she always turns to look at me. :)
I got up early this morning before taking the kids to school to feed, and she had eaten every scrap of the half bale of hay I had put out for her last night. She was so happy to see me - met me at the fenceline, and met me at her stall door inside the barn, too. It is so amazing the changes I can see in her already. I know that yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind for her, coming to a new place, meeting new horses, and wondering what kind of a human I would turn out to be. She was anxious yesterday - well behaved, but not quite sure of me. Well, until I started feeding her handfuls of grain. Then she decided I was okay. :)
She is about 16hh and weighs only 920 lbs - Sweetie is the same height and weighs at least 1200 lbs.. Can you imagine needing to gain 300 lbs? :) Geez! I am hoping she has put on 50 lbs in the last 24 hours - well, at least that is how much she has eaten in hay! Good golly! :) That girl knows how to chow down! But after cleaning out her stall/run, it was clear that things went all the way through... :)
I was hurried this morning so did not get to spend much time with her, and looked forward to it all day. When I got home and went out to the barn I walked up to the fenceline, bent my arms across the top board and sat my chin on my hands - but not for long. She came right up to me for scratches and rubs on her head/neck/withers. You could see in her eyes that she was starting already to trust me. How nice to have a human that visited regularly - and brought hay and grain to her!
After barn chores and getting the other horses in the barn, I opened her door and easily put a halter on her - and cross tied her in the barn to groom her. She stood very well for me. Wiggled a little here and there, but basically just soaked up all the grooming. I took the pictures as soon as I could - but the sun was already setting. Her ribs & spine don't show nearly as much in the photos as they do in real life, but don't worry, that won't last. She already looks better than yesterday!
I even picked out her front feet! I will wait another day for the rear. I forgot to look at the tattoo - was in too much of a hurry to get photos in daylight so I could post them, and then it was dinner time for the humans. :)
Samantha has asked on more than one occasion if the new horse could be "hers" until we find her a home. I tell her she can certainly help me care for her, and remind her that she belongs to the rescue, and will someday find a home with a family that loves her. She seems okay with that. We have not yet named her, although we are tossing around "Diamond" and "Crystal." "Snow White" was mentioned, and although I think it fits her personality along with the white body/black mane/tail, Sammie and others have said it's not quite right. We will see. More soon!
I love the way she always turns to look at me. :)
I got up early this morning before taking the kids to school to feed, and she had eaten every scrap of the half bale of hay I had put out for her last night. She was so happy to see me - met me at the fenceline, and met me at her stall door inside the barn, too. It is so amazing the changes I can see in her already. I know that yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind for her, coming to a new place, meeting new horses, and wondering what kind of a human I would turn out to be. She was anxious yesterday - well behaved, but not quite sure of me. Well, until I started feeding her handfuls of grain. Then she decided I was okay. :)
She is about 16hh and weighs only 920 lbs - Sweetie is the same height and weighs at least 1200 lbs.. Can you imagine needing to gain 300 lbs? :) Geez! I am hoping she has put on 50 lbs in the last 24 hours - well, at least that is how much she has eaten in hay! Good golly! :) That girl knows how to chow down! But after cleaning out her stall/run, it was clear that things went all the way through... :)
I was hurried this morning so did not get to spend much time with her, and looked forward to it all day. When I got home and went out to the barn I walked up to the fenceline, bent my arms across the top board and sat my chin on my hands - but not for long. She came right up to me for scratches and rubs on her head/neck/withers. You could see in her eyes that she was starting already to trust me. How nice to have a human that visited regularly - and brought hay and grain to her!
After barn chores and getting the other horses in the barn, I opened her door and easily put a halter on her - and cross tied her in the barn to groom her. She stood very well for me. Wiggled a little here and there, but basically just soaked up all the grooming. I took the pictures as soon as I could - but the sun was already setting. Her ribs & spine don't show nearly as much in the photos as they do in real life, but don't worry, that won't last. She already looks better than yesterday!
I even picked out her front feet! I will wait another day for the rear. I forgot to look at the tattoo - was in too much of a hurry to get photos in daylight so I could post them, and then it was dinner time for the humans. :)
Samantha has asked on more than one occasion if the new horse could be "hers" until we find her a home. I tell her she can certainly help me care for her, and remind her that she belongs to the rescue, and will someday find a home with a family that loves her. She seems okay with that. We have not yet named her, although we are tossing around "Diamond" and "Crystal." "Snow White" was mentioned, and although I think it fits her personality along with the white body/black mane/tail, Sammie and others have said it's not quite right. We will see. More soon!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The best laid plans...
Ever feel like a higher power sometimes steps in and changes the plan for you? Today I volunteered for Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society - I went to trailer my new foster horse to my house and 2 others to another member's barn. I had high hopes that I would be bringing home a sweet pony for Samantha, but someone up there had other plans for me today. The cute little mare that I had seen only in pictures turned out to be uncatchable. Very smart, but wanted nothing to do with humans, which did not bode well for the idea of a little girl's pony - at least, not without intense training and time, and even then the personality of a horse is not likely to change that dramatically. So I ended up instead bringing home a 16hh gray mare, who I suspect is an OTTB due to her tattoo (which I will look at later). In the pen with 3 other 13-14hh horses, she looked like a giant, and was not what I was planning on bringing home. However, her kind eyes spoke to me and she walked right up to me in the paddock while I was trying to catch/separate the other mare.
She loaded easily and trailered well. You could tell the way that she walked right into the barn without hesitation that she had been cared for well at some point in her life. I will have to get a reading on that tattoo and find out who she is. She did not pause at walking into a stall, either. Both of those things surprised me somewhat, but at the same time didn't surprise me coming from a mare off the track.
She spent the afternoon sniffing the other horses and figuring out that I really did keep bringing her handfuls of grain with flakes of hay.
Tonight, she rewarded me after I had let all the other horses out and was cleaning the barn, she poked her nose into the aisleway and let me rub her forehead and stood for quite a while as I scratched and rubbed on her neck - just like Penny used to. I wasn't expecting that, but was so grateful for it. Even Arwen wanted some scratches ,too. I guess they missed me on my vacation. It is so good to be home and back into helping horses - they really need me. And somehow, this girl chose me to help her get back to health. I am looking forward to the journey. More soon.
She loaded easily and trailered well. You could tell the way that she walked right into the barn without hesitation that she had been cared for well at some point in her life. I will have to get a reading on that tattoo and find out who she is. She did not pause at walking into a stall, either. Both of those things surprised me somewhat, but at the same time didn't surprise me coming from a mare off the track.
She spent the afternoon sniffing the other horses and figuring out that I really did keep bringing her handfuls of grain with flakes of hay.
Tonight, she rewarded me after I had let all the other horses out and was cleaning the barn, she poked her nose into the aisleway and let me rub her forehead and stood for quite a while as I scratched and rubbed on her neck - just like Penny used to. I wasn't expecting that, but was so grateful for it. Even Arwen wanted some scratches ,too. I guess they missed me on my vacation. It is so good to be home and back into helping horses - they really need me. And somehow, this girl chose me to help her get back to health. I am looking forward to the journey. More soon.
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