Tuesday, July 5, 2011

one week old


July 4th and the fireworks didn't phase Antares. How could a few fireworks scare you when you are named after a Red Super Giant star, anyway?
Antares is smart. I know, I own her, so I am biased, but she will stand and get her zinc oxide smeared on her nose without a fuss. Does her mother? No, Zinc oxide is of the devil and will make your nose fall off in her opinion. Antares nose was getting a little pink, so we are being careful. She will also stand and put her nose in her halter. I know many adult horses that are not that good.

The three spinsters got baths this week. Lady likes to roll in the moat and then in the dirt. She looked like she was a minimal white paint. It takes dish soap and then whitening to get her remotely clean. Misty is almost as bad, but Belle avoids the moat whenever possible.

Before











After





Misty doesn't look that much different, but Lady looks better. She has a lot more little spots this year, just like her sire. Her face mask got its weekly (sometimes daily) scrubbing, too. I didn't get a better pic of Belle, but she was really enjoying the leg rub. Mr. BPA even commented about just how good she was being.



Foxy did not get a complete bath. I just scrubbed her back legs up really well. I would have done more, but Antares was running around and the llamas were approaching too closely, so I turned Foxy loose just in case they considered Antares a threat. We are still working on the llamas. At least Foxy is the only one still nervous around the llamas. Belle was terrified at first. Misty and Lady would chase them and then the llamas would chase the horses. Now they can graze together.


Kid #2 is keeping watch to that they stay away from the construction materials. Foxy doesn't keep Antares out for very long. She will head to the stall many times before Antares will actually go in. Antares likes to swerve right before she goes through the gate. The look on Foxy's face when she goes back out to round up Antares for the 4th or 5th time is hilarious. Then Antares collapses in a heap in the stall.


We took a bunch of junk to the dump yesterday. Now that I know where the dump is and I don't have to go clear out to the other dump, I am doing to completely dejunk (probably a pipe dream, but at least I can dream!) We are building much nicer outdoor poultry coops, so the birds will be out of the barn so that we can lock up Lady better. She is a bully and likes to pound on Misty. They have acres to run, but just this morning, I could hear Lady slamming Misty around in the stall that they share (which is open to the pasture, its just for shelter. Lady, Belle, and Foxy can easily fit in these oversized stalls

Friday, July 1, 2011

Adjusting to 5 horses

Foxy is in full protective Mommy mode. She pins her ears and goes after Lady and Misty through the fence.
Belle is in full baby stealing mode. Belle managed to get the chains off between the panel and the side of the barn and allowed Antares to escape Foxy's run. It didn't last long, but scared me to death because the dogs were out. I have been highly paranoid about the dogs and Antares. Lady antagonizes the dogs until they chase her, and Shooter has brain damage from chasing Foxy's tail from puppyhood until now. These pics have the sun behind them, but they d show Lady and Shooter playing.





Antares has a sock on her hindright leg. She doesn't really have black markings, but black on the back of her pasterns.


Isn't she a cutey!