She's My Mommy!!!

Lady is not happy with us. Foxy is Very Happy! Saturday Foxy came off of maternity leave. Kid #2 Saddled her up and had a great time. He has been riding her bareback or lunging her for over a week to get her prepared, but it was just not enough for Foxy. The weather Saturday was miserable.
It was too muddy to ride outside, so we had to wait until the indoor arena was available. Foxy was really mad, we had promised her that Saturday was the day.

When we first arrived, the 20 billion year old shetland was in the arena, but the owner said that it would be fine to turn the girls out to get their rolling done before we saddled. I stood by the pony so that the girls wouldn't pick on him. Belle pinned her ears back alot, but nothing else happened. I then tied up the girls to saddle them and let Lady run around. Unfortunately, Lady discovered the pony. He sprang to life. He started chasing her. She bucked and kicked, but with the alzheimer's he could not get the hint that she was not interested in whatever he wanted. Lady ran to Foxy for protection. The old Fart still wouldn't get away. Foxy squealed, threatened to kick -- nothing. We had to drag him away so that Foxy and Belle did not kill him. I was concerned that Foxy might be really protective after that, but once Kid #1 was on Belle and Kid #2 was on Foxy, they did Great!! I led Lady around for a little while, but she is a baby and tired of that quickly. She is really funny when Foxy is loping and Lady decides that she is hungry. She will try to lope and nurse. Then she stops in front of Foxy. Foxy moves around her. Then as a last resort, Lady starts bucking and kicking and biting. Foxy bites back. Foxy wanted to work. Foxy is a great mom, but she loves to work. She had January - April off, now it's time to work!!! It's about the same amount of time that she would have had off if we did not have access to an indoor arena. At one point, I said, "Now that is a happy girl." Kid #2 said, " and this is a happy boy."

First Ride of the Year

Today was warm, sunny and too tempting. I was all set to just let the boys ride Belle, work Foxy and Lady on Showmanship and let everybody just enjoy the sun. It was too warm and sunny. I threw Kid #3 up on Belle bareback and handed him the leadrope. He was really nervous. Then I threw Kid #2 up on Foxy
Side Note--------- (Foxy had not been ridden since before Christmas)
bareback
Side Note #2 ----- (Foxy has never been ridden bareback in a large arena)
with just a halter
Side note #3 ----- {Foxy has only been ridden by my kids in a halter once before and she had a huge bucking fit, fortunately for Kid #1 she had a saddle and was able to hang on (see sidenote #2)}

Fortunately for all involved the only bucking fit was the one that Lady had as she tore around the arena in front of, behind, around, between, etc as Belle and Foxy stretched out their legs at a nice controlled extended walk. The only problem that Foxy had was when Lady tried to touch noses with a horse passing by. Foxy got a little uppity and turned quickly, but straightened back out and completed her circuit of the arena, whinnying to Lady. Lady, being Lady, ignored her mother.

Three Weeks old ALREADY!

Lady is now three weeks old. She is Kid #1's 4-H project, so today Kid#1 and Kid #2 (Foxy's 4-H project)worked their horses on showmanship. Foxy was not happy about being lead away from Lady and Belle was left in her stall. Fortunately, Kid #2 can handle Foxy's tantrums. He made her run circles when she was panicking and was able to get her attention on working, once she realized that --

A -- Lady was still in the arena
B -- Lady was not being hurt
C -- Kid #2 was actually WORKING her

... then she settled right down to work.

Lady lead beautifully. Kid #1 is no longer worried about getting kicked. She finally figured out that as long as she was really close Lady's kicks don't connect and she can stop tantrums much quicker if she is right on top of things. Lady was really excited to be doing her own thing away from Mom and Aunt.


Belle was furious. She was left in the stall so that I could focus on the kids and kick the separation anxiety problem. Fortunately, Belle will not be at the 4-H shows, but we still need to work on the problems NOW. After the kids were finished, I lunged Belle for a while (she was still completely aggravated with the situation -- now Foxy and Lady were in the stalls -- the joys of not enough arena space, and sharing with others!!!) Then I rode Belle. Now if I had been smart, I would have tacked her up. NOOOOOOOOO! I tied the loose end of the lead rope to her halter and hopped on. She tried a couple of times to disengage my butt from her back, but I held on. After working on flexing and a slow jog, she finally settled down a lot(after working with her as a carriage horse, I discovered that when she is wired, letting her go fast is not a good idea. She just amps up higher. If I can focus the energy elsewhere, like a slow jog, turns, flexing that iron rod of a neck, then she is more likely to relax, slightly.

I should have called it quits when she was happy, but NOOOOOOOOO. I had to tie her up and finish cleaning her stall. She tried digging a hole to China.

Lady is suffering from Foal Heat Diarrhea (happily being treated with Desitin after unhappily having her rump, legs, and tail scrubbed down). Foxy is suffering from being a cranky mare in heat. Belle is just a cow that needs more work. Hopefully I will feel better soon. I can feel a relapse coming on. . .

Spring? There's no such thing in Wyoming!

It is snowing. I grew up in Utah. I understand that it can snow up until May, but last year it was snowing here in June, too. Fortunately the girls are tougher than I am. They love the snow. I just don't want to put Lady out while it is snowing. Foxy and Belle would love it, though. Maybe later this afternoon.

This Spring Break has been miserable. I got sick on Easter and I am still struggling with stomach flu. I have had an hour here and there where I felt human enough to drive out and feed the girls and water the greenhouse, but that's about it.

Kid #1 did get a couple of pics, though.

Lady is actually following Foxy on a Spring-Like Day!!


Lady's "Duck-Face"

Spring Break!!!

Many of my students think that Spring Break is a reward for them. No, it is actually a reward to all of the teachers that have not killed any students due to SpringFever.

It is actually spring-like weather today, too. Lady is two weeks old. Today it is warm enough that she is going to have her green spots scrubbed. Belle is going to have her feather scrubbed with her new iodine/aloe shampoo. Foxy -- I am really tempted to saddle her up, but it is too soon. She is still very focused on what Lady does. I don't think that the kids would have enough control. Foxy runs after Lady alot, still. I told the kids four weeks, so I think that I will stick with that.

All of them need a thorough grooming to get their shedding hair off. I have alot of footage of the big girls rolling to get rid of the itches.





The stalls are going to have a thorough spring cleaning today, too. Next week will be full of job hunting so that I won't have to commute next year. We found 20 acres for the girls to run. They should enjoy it.

Video -- Finally!

I finally found enough time to figure out posting video.
So here goes.





Ok, I now feel like an idiot. That was too easy.


Here is the video of her first day of life on the outside.

Belle meet Lady, Lady meet Belle

March 30
Ok, I have been swamped. We were stranded in Riverton during the snowstorm while looking for horse property. I had to call a friend to feed the girls. Lady whacked me in the cheek with her tough little head. Ouch. It hurt. Belle is now allowed out with Lady. Sunday was so sunny and warm and with the girls locked up all day Saturday, I just had to let them run. My little sister was visiting, so I knew that I had enough girl power should anything happen. Lady was curious, Belle was nervous, Foxy was thrilled that her BFF was officially meeting baby. Belle pinned her ears a few times. Foxy pinned hers. It was all good. These are from today. I finally got new batteries in the camera:)

Only 24 hours in the day? Say it ain't so!

I thought that having my own babies was exhausting and that there were never enough hours in the day. Holy cow! Having a foal is much more time consuming and exhausting! I have some video on youtube, but I can't seem to figure out how to load it on my blog -- and no time to research it at the moment.



It was cold for a few nights, so Lady got to wear her new blankie -- it matches Belle's. Foxy left it alone the first night when the temperature went single digits, but the second night when it did not get as cold as expected, Foxy ripped it off of her.



Check out her hooves. She has black hooves. I keep trying to take pics of her hooves, but they haven't turned out well. She has triangles of black/brown hair above her hooves.
At least she still tires out easily. These two spend hours like this.


One of my students thinks that she should be called Rorschach. (I had to check the spelling) Rorschach tests are the inkblot tests.