Gussie is back and has company

 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.