Beautiful Crystal

I gave Crystal a bath today and she was wonderful for it, of course. She was so shiny that the photo had trouble capturing her color because the sun was gleaming off her back so brightly! :) She is up to over 1025 lbs now and looking great!



And here is a photo of her brand - unusual arrow, T, something else, I think. Hard to track these down sometimes - they are local by county here in Texas. We'll give it a try, but unlikely we will find any info. I have googled brand/arrow/T/horse etc. and not found anything.

I rode Crystal!!! :)

Okay, it was only for a few minutes at the walk and halt, but she was so good! After tacking her up and putting the bridle on this time, she stood quietly with the bit in her mouth, not playing with it, completely relaxed and calm. We went into the ring and longed both directions at the walk and trot (briefly) and then I went over to the mounting block. She let me stand her right next to the block in the appropriate position to mount, and after putting some weight in the stirrup I leaned over the saddle without a problem. She took a step after a few seconds, and I got down, but got right back up and sat in the saddle. She took a step (as though she thought that is what she was supposed to do) and I hopped down. Did it a few times, and then I decided I wanted to find out whether she understood whoa from the saddle as well as she did from the ground. And she did not disappoint! We walked and halted about 10 times, and steered both directions with little trouble. She did not want to steer away from the gate - which makes me wonder if somewhere in her life she was a school horse or ridden in a ring, because she clearly knew where the gate was and kept turning back to it. She had energy, but never tried to speed up into the trot or do anything else silly. I am delighted! She feels rusty, but clearly understood cues to walk on, halt, and turn (with a little hesitation turning away from the gate, but as I asked a little more strongly, she turned well).

Here's to more wonderful rides on Crystal!

Oh,one other thing - she has a brand! It appears to be an arrow pointing SW with two sets of feathers, above a T, and then something else. The strange point is that the arrow is dark- missing hair (like hot branding would do) and the T is white like freeze branding, would do, except the 3 points of the T have a dark dot - and there are 3 more dots to the left of the arrow, but I can't make out what it says. I would have taken a photo tonight if there was any daylight left, but it was too dark by the time I was done. Yippee! :)

All tacked up!

I've worked with Crystal a few times this week, and each time we go into the ring and do some bonding, and then groundwork, followed by longing at the walk. Last night we started at the trot as well, but just for a few seconds. The rescue has an adopter curious what Crystal knows, so I tacked her up for the first time today. I introduced her to the saddle and let her sniff it, and she moved around a bit. But when I went to put the saddle pad & saddle on, she stood very well and seemed familiar with it. We went into the ring and did our "routine" and she did not seem at all phased by the saddle on her back. In fact she continued to make steps forward in our bonding, seeming even more relaxed than the previous session. I stand at her shoulder/girth area and ask her to turn her head towards me without moving her feet - and as soon as she "gives" I immediately release. She keeps getting better, allowing me to turn her head each direction a little further each time. She even knows to turn towards me when I outstretch my hand and wait for her for a moment before I ask more firmly.

We trotted both directions making a few cirles each way, and it was more continuous and steady than it was yesterday. I think having a lunge whip instead of trying to use the end of the line as a motivator worked much better. I never touch her with it, of course, but you have a longer reach with it to extend your energy.

I then took her over to the mounting block. I did this yesterday as well, and yesterday when I would ask her to move forward so that I would be at her withers area, she would walk forward and then turn her body/rump away from me, so that if I had been trying to mount, I would not have been able to reach. She again started that way today, but I stayed relaxed and after a few asks and lots of petting, she walked right up to me and put me in the perfect "mounting position." I did a lot of petting and flapping the stirrups/flaps a bit, as well as some jumping up and down on the mounting block with my hands on her withers/the saddle, all of which she tolerated with no indication that it bothered her at all. She watched me, and even turned her nose around to me to see, but kept her feet still and seemed prepared for me to mount up if I had wanted to. I put pressure in the stirrup with my hand and still she stood well. I got down and up again on the mounting block and continued with the same sort of thing, rubbing and scratching her neck/chest and telling her what a good girl she was. If my husband had been home, I probably would have gotten right up on her, but just in case I will wait until there is another adult around before I do that (and it wouldn't hurt for her to gain 50 lbs or so before I try, but I'm not sure I can wait that long. Her ribs are nearly covered, and she seems so willing!)

We got back to the barn and I took the saddle off, but picked up a bridle just to see what she would do. And that sweet mare put her head right into the caveson, and actually opened her mouth for the bit on her own! Sweet girl! So she definitely has been ridden - how much is yet to be determined, but she gives every indication that she knows quite a bit. She moves so easily away from pressure, understands "whoa" by voice on the lunge line and stops every time, and she has stayed so relaxed about everything throughout! I can hardly wait to get up in the saddle and find out how much she knows.

But patience is a virtue (so I'm told) and we'll continue our little routine until things are ready.

Crystal is becoming more and more affectionate - she loves to be groomed - and she knows that I will find all of her itchy spots. I've been grooming while ground tied so she can move around a bit - and she always moves just a little here and there to get me to curry the perfect spot. But she never leaves. She just stands there. It is funny when I let her out of her stall to go out, she does the same thing. I step back and she steps right up to me and waits for me to scratch her chest and withers and rub on her neck. I think she would stand there all day if I would keep scratching. :) But as soon as I loop the lead over her neck, she knows it's time to go out and off she goes!

This mare is going to make someone a lovely horse, and I already know I will miss her. I wish she was about 8 inches shorter and she would be the perfect pony for Sammie. But 16hh is just too high off the ground for this mother's heart when it comes to my baby girl. :) When she's a teenager, no problem, but at 4 years old, well, I'm sure you understand. :)

Crystal after 1 month

These photos were taken on April 3, one month after her arrival. Much better! She finally broke 1000 lbs and is shedding out her old winter coat. You can see on her shoulder the beautiful gray she is becoming, and the rest of the hair sheds out more every day. I can't wait to see her in a couple of weeks all shed out! :)

Her shedding is making her very itchy and she loves to be groomed as often as I am willing - in fact, she will pause when I am turning her out and waits for me to groom her (last night I spent 20 minutes or more) without a halter or anything on. And she is persistent - I have to lead her out after that or she will stand there, patiently, just waiting for me to come back and groom her some more. :)

This Saturday I also was able to ride Sweetie, gave Christopher a lesson on Arthur and rode Rocky, too! Harlan worked with Charlie on the ground and gave her a good grooming. Everybody in the barn got some attention - what a wonderful, horsey day!

Shoveling Manure in the Dark

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!

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!!

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! :)