We pulled a switcheroo today. I hauled Zipper back to Shayla, as she needs to do some work with him, and I brought Patsy here. Patsy is a red roan yearling who is a half sister to our Drifter stud that we sold, same sire. She is quiet and friendly like he is.
She looks like a Gussie mini-me!
She did really well on the trailer ride of an hour and 20 minutes.
She has a lot of shedding to do, all that white hair will shed off . I took a shedding curry brush to her and got a pile of hair that the wind picked up; I bet the birds will too.
She is very friendly....
I am going to have so much fun with her!
This week will also be all about putting more training on Rally. Picking up her feet and trailer loading are my short term goals with her.
After a soggy two weeks of rain (4 inches overall) it was sure nice to get a break and see some sunshine this morning.
I picked Gussie up yesterday; she had 4 good covers over the week she was at the breeders. I also picked up Shayla's Paint gelding, Zipper, who was done with his two month training just a few miles from where Gussie was. Zipper will be staying with us for a couple of weeks for some R&R as well as helping to eat down all that pasture grass that the rain brought on abundantly.
Both he and Gussie rolled ... of course.
Gussie actually loaded and travelled well, I think having company in the trailer suited her. She wasn't sweated up at all when I unloaded her.
I put Gussie and Velvet in Beamer's old pen, and Rally with Zipper in the big pen that has the shelter and access to the middle grazing pasture. The automatic waterer serves all the pens, so that is one less chore for me.
I am hoping that being in with a gelding will help Rally show signs when she comes into heat. So far, she is just bossing him and keeping him away from the other mares when they come up to the fence to visit.
I did spend some time working with Rally during the last week, although the rain made such a mess. I can catch her anywhere now without any fuss. I had the horse trailer backed up to the pen, and she was pretty wary of entering it, although she was interested that Velvet marched right in it for a pan of grain. (Velvet doesn't walk, she marches!)
Rally: "It's a trap!"
Velvet: "Nom nom nom,"
Rally: "I don't knooowww"
And that of course, is exactly it. She doesn't know. Small spaces are something new to her- the trailer she came here in was a big ole stock trailer that she just followed her buddy into. So asking her to step into a confined space is a big deal. Working her outside it and giving her release from pressure when she faced the trailer usually works but for her, it just triggered her flight response. She hasn't had enough longeing work for her to understand that. So once things dry up here, I will work her in the round pen so that we can get that down solid.
Meanwhile, I thought maybe get her willing to go into the little barn- so I fed Velvet in there, then put Velvet back in pasture and left Rally in the pen with the barn door wide open and the grain pan visible. By the time I returned, Rally was in the barn happily munching away. So that is something we can build on.
"It's not so bad in here. "
After that, I led her to the trailer.... within 15 feet of it she stopped, unwilling to go any farther. So I asked for one step at a time - step, praise, repeat. She finally allowed as how it was maybe ok to have more grain from the back of the trailer.
Since I am trying to build trust with this mare, I am willing to take the time needed to have a willing horse. Willing to have her feet done, willing to go wherever I ask her to, willing to haul in a 2 horse trailer.
Yesterday was the day for Gussie, but first I want to show you what sleep deprivation looks like. The head sinks quickly to the ground, and the front legs buckle while the hind legs remain locked like they are supposed to. Then the horse wakes up. Well, Gussie has taken it a step further.
My apologies for the quality of the video, it was taken from my dining room window. In it, she is standing on a slope, and falls into REM sleep while standing. She rocked back and the front legs didn't buckle but stretched out as her head and chest went to the ground. I thought for sure she would fall over but she didn't.
If anyone has any leads on anti anxiety supplements that could help, let me know! I have black cumin seed oil and passionfruit oil that are supposed to be calming but not sure how much to give and if they are safe for pregnant mares . Because....
She got to meet Leo yesterday, and lets just say she was interested.....
And apparently in full blown heat! The old boy (he is 25) did his job very quickly and got a really good cover. I should be able to bring her home in just a few days, then at day 14 have her checked for twins.
Gussie is also a nervous hauler. as soon as she loaded she was shaking and sweating. When we got to the stud's farm, just over an hour drive, she was drenched in sweat. I think she worries that she is going away and never coming back to her herd, since that has happened several times in her life. It will be interesting to see how she does on her way back home. Silly old girl, wish I could just tell her she isn't going anywhere any more.
We made good progress today. I started with a quick brushing with a softer brush, pretty sure that suited her better. Then flag work- just more of the same but she didn't try to bite the flag this time! I was able to pet her under her belly with it too. There was a couple of times when she got a bit cranky so I had to nip that behavior in the bud. She doesn't like getting in trouble, so she got over that attitude quickly.
I used the blue rope on her front feet again only this time I asked her to pick them up. She did, but slammed them down instead of holding them, but she is getting the idea. One day at a time.
Then I went to putting the blue rope around her cinch area, wanting to see if she was going to object to that.
Using the rope without it being actually looped around her, if there was a wreck I would only have to let go and it would fall off.
Looped, left side
Looped. right side
Rally is more wary on her right side, so I was pretty happy with how well she handled things on the right today.
For the back feet, I opted to use my lariat. I was a little concerned that it might not be easy to remove it though.
I set a loop under her belly and led her forward, then picked up the slack when she stepped into the loop.
I was actually surprised that she didn't try to kick the daylights out of it when I put pressure on her foot to get her to step forward.
To remove the rope, I stood beside her facing back, and just reached down and loosened the rope so she could just step out of it- did that on both sides. Good girl, Rally!
After doing the rope work with her feet, I spent some time running my hand down her shoulder to her legs, I had ahold of her halter cheek piece in case she got a little cranky. She did think about it twice, but a good growl at her changed her mind. I was able to quickly run my hand lightly below the knees on both legs. She loves to be praised, so she gets lots of lovin' every time she does something right. She was a little worried when I ran my hand under her belly, but that will come too.
Some more news about her- I did cancel sending her out for 2 months to be bred to Sak Em in Cash, the palomino stud (sorry, Gun Diva!) Instead, we are breeding her to Scooter- remember him? Coyote Belle's buckskin son sired by Root Beers Boots, a top barrel and working cowhorse sire in Canada. Scooter is only 45 minutes away and I can pick her up as soon as he is done covering her. I am pretty excited for that cross, so awesome to get some of Belle's genetics back into my program.
I upped the game a little today and found something that needs fixing.
Keep in mind that Rally spent 9 years as a range mare with minimal handling, and her social manners are about self preservation in the herd.
She is no longer hard to catch, I just walk up to her, let her sniff the halter and put it on her. She leads beautifully.
The session started with me grooming her with a dandy brush. She wasn't overly fond of it; some sorrel horses are thin skinned and she seems to be really sensitive to touch. She is also protective of her right side. As I brushed her there, she turned her head and snapped at me. And got TOLD that it was unacceptable behaviour. A simple sharp word and snap the lead rope worked. Of course I kept grooming her on that side to make sure she got the message.
Next up was more flag work. This time I upped the pressure by being a bit more vigorous when I flipped it, although still soft when I touched her with it. It's for education, not punishment.
That was about all I could expect for today so I moved on to using my rope. I like this rope, I use it on foals as it is soft enough to not have sting to it when I am flipping it around them.
I want her to get comfortable with it coiling around her legs as I go to the next step.
Before I went to rope work on her legs, I tried running my hand down her leg... and she tried to bite me again. Reminded me of how colts play the bite the leg game, so maybe thay is part of a memory for her but she may also at some point had some rough handling from a farrier; who knows. At any rate, you can see how bad her feet are. So it is imperative that she learns to be willing to have her legs and feet handled.
That was a pretty good spot to end the sessoon!
The other thing we need to accomplish is trailer loading. My little two horse trailer will be tougher than the big stock trailer she came here in, where she followed her buddy in. She has never been in a barn so to get her used to a smaller space she gets her after work reward of oats in the barn.
That's not oats...
Will load for oats...
Maybe the barn isn't so bad....
All loaded in and munching oats
I took her halter off in the barn and let her find her own way out. This is a pretty small barn; it's the one I work foals in.
All in all, it was a good session. I wonder how long it will take for me to be able to touch her below the knees, let alone pick up her back feet? I like a challenge! 😀
Well you all know I like working with the youngsters, especially their first 5 months, but since Rally is 9 years old and basically a clean slate, I am going back to basics with her. I assume she knows nothing (not true, but a good place to start) . So today, I was able to walk up to her out in the pasture and halter her- so much for being hard to catch!
I took her into the pen to work with her. We have had about an inch and a quarter of rain in less than 24 hours, so it is a bit soggy but a good place to work her where the other two hooligans can't pester her.
I started with grooming her, she was a bit ticklish on her belly and I didn't insist, that will come with time. I flipped the rope around her back and legs ; she got a bit worried but once again, I didn't expect her to stand like an old broke horse; I let her move around while I stood still and kept flipping the rope, either side of her as well as twirling it like a lariat. When she stood still for that, I got my flag out. Surprisingly, she wasn't very concerned about it!
I spent a fair bit of time with the flag, the next 4 videos show some of it, I also worked a lot of standing in front of her and flipping it from side to side so that it was appearing in one eye and then the other in rapid succession. She fidgeted a bit with that, but I was sure happy with the way she took it all in and thought about stuff.
I sure do like this mare! When I turned her loose, she didn't walk away, just stayed with me. I gave her some oats and turned her back out with the mares. Good girl, Rally!
Sunday morning, I decided it was time to start working my new mare. I approached her with a halter, she turned and walked away a few steps then turned to face me, and allowed as how she would be a willing participant. Well allright then! That put a smile on my face.
I led her out (she leads perfectly) and hand grazed her for about 10 minutes while I marveled at how gorgeous and sweet she is.
I am sweet!
Back in her pen, the next thing I have to work on is getting her willing to give her feet. I can touch her about anywhere except below the knees/ hocks. So I used one of my stock whips to stroke her body, then run it down a leg. She was a bit nervous as it touched in her no touch zone but quickly allowed me to stroke it on each leg. When she didn't move any leg when I did that, I ended the lesson.
When we got back from church I could see that she was pacing her pen, wanting to be out with her new friends. This time when I haltered her, she just stood still - good girl!
I led her out instead of just turning her out as I wanted to see how the other mares would react; I needn't have worried, they were good.
Check out Velvet's baby belly!
Velvet, of course, joined up with her but Gussie remained by my side, shadowing my every step. My protector!
When the new mare found the pasture, Velvet and Gussie stood and watched her as she explored the boundaries before joining her.
Since all was well, I left them to it.
I tried out a few names, and thought of Raylee, as it incorporates part of her sire's name (Ray) and as soon as I said it, I shortened it to Rally, and that was it! So everyone, meet Rally!
I am having so much fun with her, I don't want to send her out for 2 months! I may have to decide on a different stallion. I will decide on that in about a week.
The red mare who has no barn name yet was paid for today so, welcome to the herd, pretty girl!
Once her feet are trimmed (they are in awful shape) he will haul her to me and that gives me time to get her handled a bunch and teach her to load in my two horse trailer. Should be here early next week. My plan is to haul her to the stallion on the 27th so that gives me nearly 3 weeks to work with her.
I spent some time just hanging out with her today. She is pretty quiet, she stood at that hitching rail for around 3 hours without fidgeting, pulling or pawing while I visited with the rancher. Bonus points to her!
I am so looking forward to getting to know this lovely mare!
