I love the quiet calmness of this colt. I thought it was time to try trailer loading him, so I thought, take him to the barn and see if he will go in there first.
He stopped at the entrance and thought about it....
but not for long.
Well, that went well so off we went to the horse trailer.
This colt has the best mind ever! So willing and quiet.
If any of you noticed, his left hind ankle being a bit large, couldn't find any heat or injury so figured it was just stocked up so I took him for a walk. We wandered around all over the place for about a half hour, checking out puddles.....
and picking up the odd bit of trash lying around and throwing it in a dumpster, visiting Beamer...
and generally just enjoying a sunny afternoon stroll. About then Shayla came over so of course I had to show her all the neat things Drifter did.
Stylish boots! It has been raining enough to warrant wearing them!
He quietly loaded in the trailer again.
And I also had a standing tied session with him.
Not the best photo of him but it shows how calmly he stood there for at least 15 minutes. Thumper came along after a bit and entertained us:
Overall it was a pretty nice way to spend an afternoon! I'm so pleased with this colt.
8 comments:
Wow!! The trust Drifter has in you is heartwarming. I am not surprised Shirley, he senses your calm and patient approach. You must have a big smile on your face. Just think, it wasn't long ago that he was untouched - now look at him! Entering the barn, turning and exiting calmly is impressive. SO many new things most horses would balk at. He is definitely a thinker, loved watching him sniff the bridles and perhaps process something along the lines of "it's okay, horses have been here". The Thumper & Drifter video was so cute! I love when horses interact gently with other animals that are so much smaller then they are.
He really is a calm, calm boy. Does he have any Quincy in his lines?
Tumbleweed is acting pretty calm nowadays, too, but I think it's a product of not feeling well. Still, the whole experience may change his personality a bit. Life got kind of serious kind of fast.
That is a very sweet moment with Thumper. What a loverboy. T'weed keeps trying to bond with my barn cat, Tuffy, but Tuffy doesn't quite trust him yet. He is getting much closer than before, though, so maybe there's some teaching going on.
Linda, no Quincy. He is linebred Driftwood. https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/dlh+sunfrost+drifter
Watching (and following daily!) your progress, I wanted to mention that donkeys have the exact same foal-champing gesture, but sexually.
Today my donkey showed heat for the first time to my horse, by chomping. She also did it to me when we had no other animals around, years ago.
I love how Drifter walked into the trailer and barn, as if it was easy for him. I cannot get my animals into trailers, because I have none to work with. Good that there are no natural disasters here.
All your QHs seem to take to work well. The one I met today, not so much. She was 21 and not educated enough to lead down the street. *shakes head*
I don't know if I told you, but T'weed was complimented over and over again on his manners. First, when the emergency vet arrived. She said, this colt has been handled a lot, hasn't he? I told her you'd done a lot before I ever got him, and I had been trying to keep it up. She said they're always VERY happy when that is the case. Makes their job easier. And when he was sick, because he had trailer loading skills--I was able to easily load and unload him both ways--all by myself. When they did the ultrasound, the catheter, etc--golden. All that training really does pay off in crunch time.
He is coming along nicely and I can tell you are having fun with him! Loved the video of Drifter and Thumper:)
Linda- that is one of the main reasons I do all that work on the babies.Trailer loading, standing tied, picking up feet, leading- all essential things that one may need in an emergency, whether it be a vet visit or evacuating from fire or flood. Some folks think a baby should be left alone to just be a horse, but that only works in the wild or if an outfit has a lot of mares and foals in big pasture where they are left to fend for themselves. In my case, with a small farm, everything is managed, and I need to be able to handle foals right from the get go, even if it's only leading them beside their dam to get out on pasture.
I'm glad that he was good for everyone, he was such a pleasure to work with and I am so happy he is with you now.
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