April 18

Got a good ride in on Gussie today, I'm trying to ride on the gravel road as much as possible to give her feet something other than soft mushy ground as we transition her to the barefoot program. She seems to have gotten over her emotional issues and is much more the sensible Gussie of old. We have a few local horse shows here that I'd like to enter her in, so I plan on riding lots to get her in shape and responsive. We cut back through the pasture on the way home, and flushed a pair of Mallards off a pasture pond; you can't really see them in the photo, but it does show what a nice day it was.

The pasture footing is much better now that the frost is all out of the ground.
I spent some time trying to get photos of Rio for when I send in his registration papers. It's pretty funny watching him trying to reach the grass, and with no teeth yet he kinda just mouths it.

I'm happy to say that he is easy to catch out in the pasture when it's time to come in, and that he leads really well. I also have started picking up all 4 feet whenever I have the halter on him.
Chickory is a little funny with him, I think she'd almost like to steal him, but Belle keeps a close eye on her when she is around Rio.

Here she was driving Rio away from Belle; then she stopped and licked him. I'm wondering if letting her have a foal would settle her maternal instincts; she was really fond of Kai too and got really upset with me after Kai left for his new home last fall.