Sunday was beautiful. Bright, sunny, not too warm with just enough breeze to remove the bugs without removing the horse-brains. I put off visiting the ponies until evening when I'd done my house chores and would be able to ride for an hour or so without feeling guilty about leaving everything else unattended.
Calling up the horses was a simple matter of yelling "come o-on" over the hill, and in they thundered.... well, almost. One of the usual leaders was absent. Lace, one of the senior mares, straggled in most of the way up to the lot and laid down(!). Not good.
I shut the gate on the group and walked out. Urging got her back up and moving to the gate where she laid down again. So not good! After getting her back on her feet, I couldn't hear strong gut sounds and her breathing was a bit shallow and more tellingly, she didn't join the others for grain. On the plus side, her feet weren't noticeably warm, and she wasn't overly distressed (no sweating, or trembling). Still, Lace is perky and opinionated: she's lead mare, not a follower, and she does not willingly miss a meal. A quick trip to the barn for a halter and we started walking.
A vet visit produced a diagnosis of mild colic, and a banamine shot, tubal application of a gallon of mineral oil and a lot of walking later, she went back out with the herd a much perkier mare. She went scavenging in the grain buckets for potential missed crumbs before rejoining the bunch!
So much for my riding plans, but it was good to see them all upright and perky tonight, and I'm very glad I went out late on Sunday evening. There's no telling if Lace would have been noticed in the far field until it was too late to do anything. I'm also grateful the vet was willing and available to come out on a Sunday evening when he wasn't on call. We probably could have walked through it, but I never like leaving that sort of thing to chance.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Saddling up
Tomorrow (it's raining AGAIN!!!) or this weekend, I'll get it cinched up. Note to self: find soft cinch -- neoprene sticks to left-over long winter belly hairs.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Mud
You could definitely tell who was itchy tonight, and also who had a nap. There were a few fastidious faces in the herd, but almost every one of them was sporting either a full or half coat of dried on, cement-like mud. We had an hour long downpour this afternoon, and although the sun came back up and baked almost everything (including the horses) fairly dry, the combination of shedding winter coats and dirt made riding completely out of the question.
That'll teach me to set a goal!
At any rate, once everyone was fed I de-mudded as best I could while new thunderheads stacked up to the south. I'm afraid that by morning they're going to be a sorry sight again, but they sure don't seem to mind.
In the interests of actually accomplishing something, I played touch-it with Star for a bit. Don't know exactly where she got her stand-offish streak from, but of all of them she's having the hardest time being handled. It's no problem to catch her, do feet, give shots, worm, load, etc., but simple things like brushing don't seem to have sunk in with her like they did with her year-mates. Since she's for sale, time spent getting her a bit more confident and comfortable about being handled is to everyone's benefit, and to give her credit, she wants to be fussed over, she's just not sure what's going to happen next.
Anyway, 10 minutes well spent with her -- just loose with me and the clicker to get the "good things happen when you stick around" planted firmly in her mind, and I walked away while she was still interested. Another five spent waving & flapping my sweatshirt (it was handy) at Sunny & Pinto-Boy & clicking for planted feet. (Note to self: find something scarier; they don't care about flapping coats any longer.)
After that, the sky was dark enough it was time to get everything put away before the heavens opened. I'd begrudge the rain, but the grass needs the moisture, and as long as we don't get such puddles that the mosquitoes arrive, I'm not going to complain too much!
That'll teach me to set a goal!
At any rate, once everyone was fed I de-mudded as best I could while new thunderheads stacked up to the south. I'm afraid that by morning they're going to be a sorry sight again, but they sure don't seem to mind.
In the interests of actually accomplishing something, I played touch-it with Star for a bit. Don't know exactly where she got her stand-offish streak from, but of all of them she's having the hardest time being handled. It's no problem to catch her, do feet, give shots, worm, load, etc., but simple things like brushing don't seem to have sunk in with her like they did with her year-mates. Since she's for sale, time spent getting her a bit more confident and comfortable about being handled is to everyone's benefit, and to give her credit, she wants to be fussed over, she's just not sure what's going to happen next.
Anyway, 10 minutes well spent with her -- just loose with me and the clicker to get the "good things happen when you stick around" planted firmly in her mind, and I walked away while she was still interested. Another five spent waving & flapping my sweatshirt (it was handy) at Sunny & Pinto-Boy & clicking for planted feet. (Note to self: find something scarier; they don't care about flapping coats any longer.)
After that, the sky was dark enough it was time to get everything put away before the heavens opened. I'd begrudge the rain, but the grass needs the moisture, and as long as we don't get such puddles that the mosquitoes arrive, I'm not going to complain too much!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
More walkies...
As I sit here typing this around the cat in my lap, I'm still smiling just a bit. Pasture mud is still curtailing the riding, and Sunny was more interested in hay than in working today, but when the three-year old Pinto-Boy stuck his nose in the halter, I thought, well, why not? So he accompanied us on a mile long stroll down the road today. (That's him to the right earlier this spring with my husband who's well over 6' -- Pinto-Boy is going to be BIG when he finally quits growing!)
I wasn't actually expecting much -- or rather, I was expecting more action that I got. It was an absolutely beautiful day with no bugs, lovely sunshine, and just enough breeze. We walked down the long driveway with only the slightest of hesitations at the mailbox. Hmmm... so far so good. Turning right we proceeded on down the gravel and over the slight rise toward the neighbors. They have kenneled hunting dogs that always bark, a huge double door garage with reflect-y windows, and a horse-eating double height mailbox. Did we falter? Nope. A momentary pause to snort at the reflection, but when I encouraged my friend and fellow walker to just keep walking and chatting as usual, on we went with barely a countable hesitation. Pinto-boy checked out the oversize mailbox and was rewarded by a click and treat. No monsters here!
At the crossroad we turned around and strolled back home. He went the entire way with no yelling for his mates, dancing or other silliness. Just a loose lead, lovely flat-footed walk, pricked ears, and no excess anxiety whatsoever. I couldn't be prouder of him if he was mine! I'm more and more convinced that he's going to be a pleasure to start, and I'm sort of jealous that he isn't going to be mine, too. He's Sunny's half-brother - same sire, RA Sunny Boy. I'm increasingly impressed with the colts he throws. All three of them that I've been around have had the same laid-back, curious, but less than volatile response to strange things. The mares they're out of have much the same reaction and easy-going personalities, so overall, it seems to be a happy combination for nice, steady trail horses with enough snap and eye-appeal to have potential in the show ring -- we'll have to see on that last when the older ones get a bit further along in their careers.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Still no riding, but a realization
After yet another day of rain, we finally had a day of sunshine. Unfortunately, totally de-mudding my pasture pony would have taken the entire time I had to spend, so after knocking off the worst of the mud we just went for a stroll down the road. Stopping to graze on the new spring grass, watch a wild turkey stroll back into the tree belt, and goggling a bit at the nearest neighbor's oversize mailbox -- it may not sound like we accomplished much, but the fact that he was quiet and didn't drag me home.... Well, it felt like success just re-bonding after not so much time together this winter. Hopefully, if he doesn't reacquire a new coat of mud tonight, we'll do better tomorrow.
It started me thinking, though just what value Sunny has to me. I paid (overpaid, probably) $500 for him as a long-yearling. He was halterbroke - barely and still a stud, both of which I rectified as soon as I could. It took us a while to bond initially. He'd not been handled much after being weaned, and he was quite happy with the company of a year-mate and the older gelding I was riding at the time. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have considered him but for the fact that I was desperate for a horse of my own, and his owner had been making noises about sending him to the sale barn. For an Arab or Arab-cross in this country, that's a death sentence. I don't know that he actually would have gone down the road, but it's as much to my benefit as to his that he didn't.
I've ridden plenty of horses, but I'd never started one, so Sunny went to a trainer as a three-year-old. He does mainly Quarter Horses, and had started several other horses I've ridden. He also had an advantageous location -- right down the road, which meant no trailer required. Sunny learned a lot, but I think the trainer did, too -- Arabians evidently need more patience than Quarter Horses (who'd have thought!). But after that was sorted out, Sunny did well. He's not a show horse. We've done mostly trail riding and a few small fun shows for, well, fun. He's learned about kids since I married (acquiring two) and has happily packed the younger of the two on his first excursion into the show ring -- they earned a blue in lead line, which resulted in an ear-ear grin from the one on top, although Sunny didn't seem surprised.
I've learned he won't make a drill team horse -- no problems with the flag, but being squeezed by the other horses doesn't suit him. He's not that fond of cows, but doesn't mind chasing them if he's asked. When he stepped on a nail and his foot abscessed during a cold snap in February, he allowed his foot to be soaked in Epson salts in -5'F weather, and tolerated the daily penicillin shots without twitching an ear. He's open to almost anything that involves a clicker and a cookie.
He probably wouldn't bring anything much if I wanted to sell. But I didn't buy him as an investment, or at least not as a monetary investment. He's my stress relief, my satisfaction, my sanctuary when the world gets too complicated, my teacher and my pupil, and my responsibility. I wouldn't have it any other way.
It started me thinking, though just what value Sunny has to me. I paid (overpaid, probably) $500 for him as a long-yearling. He was halterbroke - barely and still a stud, both of which I rectified as soon as I could. It took us a while to bond initially. He'd not been handled much after being weaned, and he was quite happy with the company of a year-mate and the older gelding I was riding at the time. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have considered him but for the fact that I was desperate for a horse of my own, and his owner had been making noises about sending him to the sale barn. For an Arab or Arab-cross in this country, that's a death sentence. I don't know that he actually would have gone down the road, but it's as much to my benefit as to his that he didn't.
I've ridden plenty of horses, but I'd never started one, so Sunny went to a trainer as a three-year-old. He does mainly Quarter Horses, and had started several other horses I've ridden. He also had an advantageous location -- right down the road, which meant no trailer required. Sunny learned a lot, but I think the trainer did, too -- Arabians evidently need more patience than Quarter Horses (who'd have thought!). But after that was sorted out, Sunny did well. He's not a show horse. We've done mostly trail riding and a few small fun shows for, well, fun. He's learned about kids since I married (acquiring two) and has happily packed the younger of the two on his first excursion into the show ring -- they earned a blue in lead line, which resulted in an ear-ear grin from the one on top, although Sunny didn't seem surprised.
I've learned he won't make a drill team horse -- no problems with the flag, but being squeezed by the other horses doesn't suit him. He's not that fond of cows, but doesn't mind chasing them if he's asked. When he stepped on a nail and his foot abscessed during a cold snap in February, he allowed his foot to be soaked in Epson salts in -5'F weather, and tolerated the daily penicillin shots without twitching an ear. He's open to almost anything that involves a clicker and a cookie.
He probably wouldn't bring anything much if I wanted to sell. But I didn't buy him as an investment, or at least not as a monetary investment. He's my stress relief, my satisfaction, my sanctuary when the world gets too complicated, my teacher and my pupil, and my responsibility. I wouldn't have it any other way.
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