Back to our regularly scheduled programming.....

The majority of the renovation work is finally done so now I can have some horse time. I can't remember the last time I rode! 2 months I think.
Coulee is home now, and of course that changed the herd dynamics.
 First thing that happened was Belle and Loretta forming an alliance, while Roaslee did her best to get in good with her former buddy Coulee.

Coulee had something to say about it....

But they are pretty much buddied up again.
Belle has becone 2nd in command and she made sure Coulee knows not to mess with her.

Belle is putting on weight but still has a way to go. Loretta is boss, and she only has to squeal to keep the other mares in line, although she did have to physically let Coulee know just once.

Things settled down after the first day. Today was a nice sunny day and Shayla is in town so we saddled up and did some exploring.

This is the first time I have had Coulee and Rosalee out on a trail ride together. Rosalee was quite content to let Coulee lead, and I was happy to see how relaxed Coulee is on the trail. It was a really good ride.

We had a little fun taking each others picture 😊

We followed the dyke along the river, it is hard packed and a bit rocky but our barefoot horses did quite well on it.

We had Thea along for company- Tess opted to stay home, for the first time ever.

I am so happy to have such a lovely ride right out my back door! There is another place I can ride too, as the local farmer is giving me a key to the gate heading the other way up the dyke through his cattle pasture. Shayla knows trails there that will take me right up through town and onto the mountain behind Creston.
I has a happy!

Back to just girls

Don't give me that look, girls! Yes, there is more change happening!

Fuse left for Alberta yesterday, and Coulee is coming home tomorrow- weather permitting. 

I have a professional hauler bringing her as I didn't want to trust hauling with my 2 wheel drive truck on iffy roads.

I enjoyed having Fuse here, he's a sweet li'l guy. He's going to grow up to be one stout horse too. He is nominated for the CBHI Super Stakes and might be up for sale. 

Coulee did really well with Shayla, once she got through to her she really enjoyed riding her. Still working on getting a blog post on how they did. 

The herd dynamics will change, I hope Rosalee and Coulee pick up their friendship, as Belle and Loretta are pretty much established as the leaders.

Much better!

After a week of feeding her up and a deworming (bots) mama Belle is feeling much better!!!!

A comparison

This is what mama Belle looked like days before I sold her, almost exactly 3 years ago.
 In the summer of 2015 she looked like this:

That was in Alberta, with her foal by a brother to Playgun. By spring of 2016 she was in rough shape. Not sure what happened but her last year was pretty tough on her. She needs help in the winter and during her last trimester.
She is settling in nicely, waiting at the gate for her night feed .

Meanwhile, Loretta is doing very well. She is the herd boss, but not mean. Rosalee is the curious in-your-face/pocket/way kind of horse who makes friends of anyone who comes anywhere near her inquisitive nose. Fuse is a little sweety who is careful to keep on the good side of the mares, and has some pretty good moves to stay out of their way.
Coulee is also doing well- stay tuned for a guest post from Shayla on how much she has come along.
And then there is Beamer....

 He makes me smile.

My mama Belle

She's home. Thank God I bought her back. She looks awful. She was not cut out to be a range mare, travelling all day for feed and water.

It was dark when I got her here, so I brought her in with the herd, walked her around the perimeter so she would be aware of the fence line and then turned her loose. She is accustomed to being in a large mare herd so she was pretty quiet. There was no drama, no squealing or kicking.
I put out hay in about 8 piles, so they all had plenty to get them through until the morning.
As you can see, she needs about 200 lbs. on her.

These photos were taken in the early morning next day. Yesterday, I built her a pen to go in at night and get extra feed. I have some second cut hay, she is getting some of that as well as all the grass hay she can eat and Hoffman's minerals. The other horses can't bother her in there. By morning, she had eaten every wisp of hay- I'll give her even more tonight. I believe a horse doesn't gain weight until their guts are full of hay.

She seem to be quite relieved to be back. I love this mare, and apparently Beamer does too- her remembered her and called to her a lot.
Pecking order has been established. Lorreta is the alpha, Belle is second in command.
I have my herd how I want it now. All is well with my soul.

Getting there!

Where did October go? Seems like it went fast, but that's because we were so darn busy trying to get moved amidst a renovation and having to build all the horse fences too...... I'm about worn out.

Rosalee waiting for her hay

The horses are loving it here, this morning when I went to feed them their hay they all rolled and got muddy and then ripped around having a blast!

We still haven't finished the horse reno- that bare bones shelter in their pasture which will be clad with wood. hopefully soon. Then there is the big burn pile you can see in the background of the video.... and the ends of the wire to wrap smoothly, and a few posts to tamp a little tighter, and the pile of branches to take to the burn pile.... the list goes on! And let's not forget the barn- I still don't have my horse trailer tack room emptied yet! But it will all come together, one bit at a time. Ted still has to organize his shop too, all his tools and equipment will take a while to sort out.

Beamer, surveying the neighbours pasture. Love those little ears!

Foose has decided he wants to be a barn cat, which is fine with me. I'm trying to convince Thumper to be a barn cat too, but he has other ideas.

Saturday, I go get Coyote Belle. It will be nice to have my herd all together!