She definitely has a future as a brood mare, as her owner has a young stallion, with Gallo De Cielo and Peppy San Badger bloodlines, but she will also have some performance training- perhaps in barrel racing, or working cowhorse.
I can't say that I am sad to see her go, as she didn't fit my needs, but I do have to say that I am thankful I owned her because she gave me the beautiful sweet Mesa, who I hope will be everything her mama wasn't.
I have been spending quite a bit of time each day with Mesa, considering that her mama is leaving on Sunday evening. I am trying to sneak some pelleted foal feed into her oats to ensure she gets proper nutrition, so I bring her out of the pen and give her a bucket of mix where the other horses won't bother her.
She is pretty suspicious of the lumps and so far is ignoring them, but once she tastes them she will come around. Persistence will pay off!
This afternoon I hand grazed her in one of the few spots that still has some green grass, and of course she was more interested in the dandelions in the middle of the path.
Beamer was quite interested in her, so I took her over to meet her daddy.
She did the foal mouth clacking at him:
He's such a good boy :o)
I finished trimming Rosalee's feet today- man I sure wish there was an ABC hoof trimmer here because I really am not enjoying trimming feet in this heat! I still have to do Coyote Belle, and pretty soon, Beamer too. Rosalee made good use of her tail extension, the flies are relentless here.
So- because it was hot, and because I could, I spent some time relaxing in my hammock in the shade. Life is good!
It was only a partial eclipse here, kind of felt like a bit of cloud cover for a bit and then back to full sunshine. I set up my Nikon camera and also used my cellphone camera and my little pocket camera. First, the cell- it's interesting that although the sun looks blazing in it, there is always a secondary image of the actual eclipse in the photos.
Very odd. Next, my pocket camera- not much better at all. In fact the images are not worth posting.
I did get some more interesting stuff with my Nikon D3100, but when I look at all the images that the real photographers got, I am quite humbled- there were some amazing captures of the full eclipse posted all over social media. This one was my best effort:
I played around a lot with the settings and this one was at ISO 100, shutter speed 1/4000, f 29. There was a bit of jet stream cloud that was dissipating that gave the neat cloud effect. There are also 3 purple refractions of the sun in there.
None of the animals seemed bothered by the celestial events taking place, it was all business as usual.
I didn't ride but managed to get some horse stuff done- trimmed Rosalee's front feet and got a rough trim (nippers only) on Mesa's other front foot.
Weaning is actually going better than I expected. Mesa doesn't call out much at all, and Coulee only calls out when I take Beamer up to his grazing pen- she doesn't call out to Mesa at all. I think that it helps that Mesa can see mama even if she can't touch her, it looks like my ugly tarps are doing the trick.
Mesa gets along with all the others, even Belle, so she is quite comfortable and bonded within the little herd.
I noticed this morning that Rosalee has taken on the role of protector - she put the run on Pistol this morning when I was bringing them their hay.
In that photo you can see how I left an opening, untarped, for Mesa to see mama and that is the section of round bale feeder on mama's side of the panel to keep her from sidling up to the fence for nursing. As for Rosalee's tail- it still isn't growing out very quickly and she needed a fly swatter, so bale strings to the rescue!
So, it's here- weaning day.
I am still not perfectly set up the way I want, so my only option is to put Coulee in the foaling pen and leave Mesa out in the bigger pen with the other horses.
Because it is all corral panels, Mesa was able to stick her head through and try to nurse, so I ended up putting temporary tarps over the rails. I did leave a couple of openings but blocked them with my round bale feeder halves so that Coulee couldn't get close enough to let Mesa nurse.
Belle and Coulee still bitch at each other over the fence...
so I put a tarp across that area too. Hopefully by tomorrow things will settle down a bit. When I left this evening, Mesa was quietly munching hay with her buddy Rosalee- and I did get her to eat some oats too.
3 days. 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years, as the saying goes, are when you can best judge a young horse. So here is Mesa at 3 months. Temperament wise, she is very laid back, soft and sweet. Ideal for me!
I am separating her from her mama for short periods of time, just getting her used to not being able to run to mama all the time.
Mooooommmm.....mommyyyyyyyy.......
She doesn't call out, just gazes at her mama, who totally ignores her.
Such a sweety! She is blowing off her foal coat to reveal a rich dark brown.
Pistol thinks she is no fun, she doesn't run around enough for him, she mostly ignores him.
Hope you aren't getting tired of Pistol's training posts! Because here is another one.
The other day I was working on his back up- it's coming along good!
With foals it always seems that you take one step forward, two steps back, three steps forward, one step back. The last two days, I have been able to catch him out in the open- not today, I had to get him in the stall. He needed his baby butt washed, and his Pepto. Once I catch him, he's pretty easy, but like I said last post, he is opinionated, and his opinion today was that he didn't want to be good 😡
He sure loves it when I rub his butt during washing. Then I led him and asked for the back up again- he had to think about it for a while!
Lots going on here lately. I got ride 30 in, did a schooling ride on Rosalee. She is so laid back right now, probably a combination of the heat and being pregnant, that I had to really work to get some life up in her. I worked her on the ground first doing Buck Brannaman's half-circle exercise, and it isn't as easy to do as you would think. I was getting good turns from right to left, but had to wake her up a bit to use herself properly turning from left to right. Then while riding I worked on getting her to pivot from her inside hind foot, another thing that is easier said than done.
Meanwhile, Mesa was calling out to her, and watching.
I've been working every day with the foals. Pistol is challenging because he is quite flighty and opinionated. Usually I have to catch him by sending him and Mama Belle into the stall. The other day I did some leading work using the butt rope- basically I take the end of my nice long lead rope and circle it around his butt, then walk beside him and ask him to go forward, then if he doesn't I put pressure on the butt rope. He was having hissy fits about me flipping the rope over his butt, so I spent some time flipping the rope on and off him, sacking him out with the rope until he just stood and let me do it- and then he led a lot better. It must have paid off, because this is how he led the next day:
Not only that, I was able - finally!- to catch him out in the pen without getting him in the stall. He did blow away from me on the first attempt, but then he ran to the fence and just stood quietly while I haltered him. Good boy! He is really coming along. He is a smart little fellow.
I am giving Mesa turnout time without her mama every day. I increase the time every day; yesterday she got a couple of hours with the herd. Coulee couldn't have cared less, but when I went down to put Mesa back with her mama she was hanging out at the fence waiting to go back in. No whinnying or pacing though, which is good.
I can't wait for her mane to lay down! These two do play a bit, but it is more just running around for a bit and then Pistol goes back and hangs out with his mama.
Look at that athletic move Pistol is doing in the background! He does a lot of fast stops and change of direction, really uses his hind end which speaks of his cutting breeding. Mesa just runs around looking pretty!
I did have to laugh at Pistol, I had just put some hay out and the mares came up to eat, while the foals stayed down in the pasture. Until Pistol started looking for his mama.
For those of you who remember Belle's colt, Diamond Rio Peppy- look what he is doing now!
FYI- In Canada, red ribbons are first place.
Here is a write up from Rorie's mom:
"Rorie has worked so hard training and riding her own horse these past 3 years and the successes this duo experienced this weekend at The 4H Regionals in Red Deer was amazing! I'm so proud of the hard work and dedication she has put into building a well rounded horse. From English to Western Pleasure right down to winning Gymkhana events Rio showed how calm and cool he can be in the ring and now he can even turn up the heat🔥 We have a barrel prospect on our hands!"
She also sent me a video of their first ever timed (and winning!)barrel run! So proud of this team!
This is exactly what I have been working for in my breeding program- kind, sensible horses with athletic ability, trainability, and versatility. 💗
Don't know what got into her, but she was having fun!
Pistol is one month old today; I took a few photos for the occasion.
His mama loves him....
even when he is being a rascal!
He always looks like he is plotting his next move!
He has a lot of filling out to do yet, can't wait to see what he looks like at 3 months.
I am starting to give Mesa time with the herd without her mama, to prepare for weaning time. Pistol was trying to play with her but she wasn't much interested in him.
Look how tall he is- she is 2 months older!
He tried.... But she wasn't having it.
They both were stalking Thea, who thought she was stalking them!
Our lovely mountains are obscured by smoke from forest fires.
The smoke lays like fog amongst the trees and on the pastures.
I minimize what I do outdoors, and don't work the horses or encourage them to run and play.
However, that didn't stop Pistol at turn out time yesterday!
The mares have the changing of the guard down pat. I halter Coulee, lead her to Belles' gate and take her in. Belle and Pistol exit, and Mesa saunters in to be with her mama.
Pistol and Mesa visit a lot over the fence, I think she likes having him across the fence and not in with her because he can be a real pest!
Last night, the gibbous moon was red from all the smoke.
It was impossible to get a sharp photo because of all the smoke blurring the outlines.
This morning, a dawn wind cleared some of the smoke, I can at least see the mountains now, even if they are hazy. The light breeze continues, and I sure hope it isn't hampering the efforts of the firefighters, even though it is clearing the air for us.
The forest service has shut down the bush to all off road vehicles, and even highway vehicles such as jeeps are not allowed to drive off road.
Conscientious horsemen are staying out of the bush with their shod horses. People who need to cut firewood are staying out of the bush until the danger is past. This is a long weekend here, and there are plenty of campers who are going to be upset that they can't have campfires or ride the ATV's that they brought with them. There is an $1100 fine for fires, and if it is proven that a campfire started a forest fire, the offender has to pay all the costs of fighting the fire. I hope that is enough to deter those who feel entitled to do things their own way.
It seems strange to read of all the rain and flash floods that are going on in other places when we would be so thankful for some rain.
I'm slowly letting Mesa and Pistol get used to each other. They already visit across the fence, and Pistol calls out to her a lot, I think he would love to play with her. I still won't just turn them all out together until Coulee leaves, but when I switch pens with them, I let the colts play together for a bit before I separate them; I either tie Coulee up or stick her in the foaling pen by herself.
He is almost as tall as her- she will be 3 months old on August 12, and he will be 1 month on August 7.
It's tough getting good photos of Mesa, She is either too close to me or she is just moseying around the pasture with her head down. She is really laid back in all this heat.
Pistol, on the other hand, is still at the age when all is new and so much fun being out in the big pen!
The active spurts are short lived though, as it is really too hot even for active foals. We have been in the 90's for a month now and no end in sight. By 9 am, I am ready to hide in my nice cool house.
But I did get NG on Beamer the other day, she had been recovering from a sore back (trampoline mishap) and was finally ready for another ride.
This time I had her ride him in his pen, which has a bit of a slope to it so she could get the feel of riding an incline. She did pretty good until Beamer wanted to just go in his shelter and she let him.... but we got that sorted out. Day 28
I'm not counting the days I spend working with the foals as part of the horsemanship 100 day challenge.
I still can't catch Pistol out in the open- I am going to try again this morning as he needs a bum washing, seems like every 2nd day he needs to be washed. He is getting quite pesky when I am cleaning his pen, everything goes in the mouth, like buckets, and handles...
You can see from this video how quick he is when he decides to leave!
🔥 We have a barrel prospect on our hands!"
