Everyone has been locked off pasture and to honest, they have been hating it! They don't get to eat whenever they want, they have to wait impatiently for mom to get to them, they don't get a whole lot of exercise, and it has pretty much just sucked!
Remember...I had drug the pasture and spread the poop. I wanted it to water in for a couple of days...
Anyway, last night, I took Honey and Heddy out to the neighbor's pasture. Of course since it was 5:00 pm, they were DYING of starvation! I put the halter on honey and led her out. Heddy followed only as far as the haystack (like 6 feet). I decided that I didn't want a replay of the run-around-the-house show, so I returned to the barn door with Honey and called to Heddy. After a couple minutes, she called for Honey and I heard her trotting in my general direction. After that, she followed right along and they were turned out together.
Then I went back in to get Joy. No problems. The girls were happy to all be together again and ambled off in search of grass.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
FLY!! We're free!!!!
Saturday morning we brought all the horses back to the barn so that we could fertilize the pastures.
NORMALLY...when I put a halter on Honey or Heddy and lead them somewhere, the other one follow right behind. I mean, we don't have far to go, maybe 50 feet.
Mike was taking him time, so I put the halter on Honey and let Heddy and Joy out to come along with her. It went fine for about 30 seconds.
Joy, with her limited eye sight, walked past the barn. I didn't worry, because she would realize that she was alone and turn back, right? WRONG!
Heddy followed as far as the hay stacked inside the big door, but after grabbing a bite or two, she follow Honey to the stall, right? WRONG!
Joy contiued away from the barn, and Heddy, instead of following Honey, decided to join Joy. They went over to my neighbor barn, pooped in her driveway, and started eating her hay.
I ran them out of the barn, and they trotted back to my barn, right on target! They'll go into the barn, stand outside the stall and desperately want to be let in. Right? WRONG!!!
By this time Honey is screaming and hollering and racing up and down the pasture. Not good, because if they tried to get to her, it would take them to the road. All the other horses joined in the fracas and were running and squalling too!
About the time the mare rounded the house for the second time, Mike decided that I might need some help. We took down tapes, opened gates, and between the two of us, ran them in to one of the pastures. Then we locked them off the pasture and put them into their stalls.
We took no chances with Shyanna and Dobbs, put halters on them both and Mike helped me lead them into the barn.
We got to work on the pastures and when we came around, there stood my neightbor with Shyanna. We'd forgotten to put the tapes back up and close the gates.
NORMALLY...when I put a halter on Honey or Heddy and lead them somewhere, the other one follow right behind. I mean, we don't have far to go, maybe 50 feet.
Mike was taking him time, so I put the halter on Honey and let Heddy and Joy out to come along with her. It went fine for about 30 seconds.
Joy, with her limited eye sight, walked past the barn. I didn't worry, because she would realize that she was alone and turn back, right? WRONG!
Heddy followed as far as the hay stacked inside the big door, but after grabbing a bite or two, she follow Honey to the stall, right? WRONG!
Joy contiued away from the barn, and Heddy, instead of following Honey, decided to join Joy. They went over to my neighbor barn, pooped in her driveway, and started eating her hay.
I ran them out of the barn, and they trotted back to my barn, right on target! They'll go into the barn, stand outside the stall and desperately want to be let in. Right? WRONG!!!
By this time Honey is screaming and hollering and racing up and down the pasture. Not good, because if they tried to get to her, it would take them to the road. All the other horses joined in the fracas and were running and squalling too!
About the time the mare rounded the house for the second time, Mike decided that I might need some help. We took down tapes, opened gates, and between the two of us, ran them in to one of the pastures. Then we locked them off the pasture and put them into their stalls.
We took no chances with Shyanna and Dobbs, put halters on them both and Mike helped me lead them into the barn.
We got to work on the pastures and when we came around, there stood my neightbor with Shyanna. We'd forgotten to put the tapes back up and close the gates.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
...and then there were seven
Kaci, my hunter/jumper rescue, has a new home with Kimberly Hogue in Yelm, Washington.
I came to own Kaci's Friend when I responded to a dreamhorse.com add for a free TB gelding. His owner had a new horse, and Kaci needed to go. He had been taken from the show barn where he'd live for almost 7 years and taken out to the owner's ranch in the middle of nowhere. This sensitive show baby had his shoes pulled and was turned out on 160 acres of tick infested sagebrush.
I picked him up on May 17 - my birthday! He was skinny, clingy, depressed, insecure, and cover in tick and old tick bites. He was a MESS!
Over the last 4 months, he's eaten his fill of grass in his very own pasture, next to his favorite mare. He's gained weight and confidence. He's healed mentally and physically. He now needed to go back to work. But I am not the person to put him to work. His training, and my style of riding, didn't match and never would.
He need a kid to teach. I told Cathy, who told Shelley, who knew that Kimberly was looking for a horse to show and jump. After weeks of e-mails, phone calls and questions, I decided that Kimberly would be a good fit.
So yesterday, we loaded Kaci and drove to Yelm. He was a complete gentleman, calm and "old pro". Kimberly fell in love with him. I left with a little bit of money, to cover my gas, and a sad but quiet heart. I'd gotten attached to this "tossed away" horse and had nursed him back to health. It's now up to Kimberly to put him back to work. He will be well cared for in his new home and I anxiously await photos of Kaci and Kimberly.
The Herd
We brought the other horses back home to the barn today. Honey and Heddy are sharing a stall/run. Joy is in the small pen at the back of the barn, sheltered from the wind. Dobbs and Shyanna are side by side, in their own stalls.
The countdown to good-bye for Joy continues.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Passing of the crown..
Joy is no longer the herd boss. That title now goes to Heddy. Initially, when I turned the girls out with her, she squealed and postured, and raise her back foot to kick. Now she acts like she's content to be with the girls. She gets a lot more exercise than she did because they are always moving around the pasture. She looks wonderful, and though they got to playing yesterday, she was walking normally this morning. She's totally digging her life as a pasture puff!
I don't know when it happened, but it did. One day, Joy is top hoss, bossing the girls around. Yesterday, when I tossed out some hay, there was some milling around, jostling for the best pile. I mean sheesh!, there were three piles.
I returned to the barn to check waters, and finish the morning chores. When I came back outside, Heddy was at the middle pile, and she was running Joy back to the pile where Honey was eating. Thus saving TWO piles for herself. She wouldn't let either of the other two walk around her to the free pile. It was HERS!
Mike and I went out to the pump area to clean out the filter. The sprinklers had been off for almost a week over there and we couldn't figure out what was happening. It was clogged. BIG TIME! Little miss Heddy was the leader, coming to check on us.
Heddy has always been a little difficult to get a halter on. She walks away, won't stop and stand while you put it on, unless you get the nose band on and give her a tug. She also hasn't been overly friendly, mostly standoff-ish. She came and stood while Mike cleared the filter so I could give her some love. It was a "WOW" moment for me.
The horses are putting on their winter jammies. Joy is no exception. It's cool overnight, but warms during the day. A migraine yesterday prevented me from doing any riding. I hate migraines! I lose an entire day every time! If I'm going to spend the day in bed, could it at LEAST be on a work day???
I don't know when it happened, but it did. One day, Joy is top hoss, bossing the girls around. Yesterday, when I tossed out some hay, there was some milling around, jostling for the best pile. I mean sheesh!, there were three piles.
I returned to the barn to check waters, and finish the morning chores. When I came back outside, Heddy was at the middle pile, and she was running Joy back to the pile where Honey was eating. Thus saving TWO piles for herself. She wouldn't let either of the other two walk around her to the free pile. It was HERS!
Mike and I went out to the pump area to clean out the filter. The sprinklers had been off for almost a week over there and we couldn't figure out what was happening. It was clogged. BIG TIME! Little miss Heddy was the leader, coming to check on us.
Heddy has always been a little difficult to get a halter on. She walks away, won't stop and stand while you put it on, unless you get the nose band on and give her a tug. She also hasn't been overly friendly, mostly standoff-ish. She came and stood while Mike cleared the filter so I could give her some love. It was a "WOW" moment for me.
The horses are putting on their winter jammies. Joy is no exception. It's cool overnight, but warms during the day. A migraine yesterday prevented me from doing any riding. I hate migraines! I lose an entire day every time! If I'm going to spend the day in bed, could it at LEAST be on a work day???
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