Fabio is Home! And 100 Posts

This is my 100th post since starting Grace Equestrian! Since starting this blog I have gone from 1 horse to 3. I have had 5 different touching horses in my life. From my sweet Roxy mare who I will have the rest of her life. My Gideon came next. He is the most special little gelding I have and probably will ever meet. Next came Nova, who is my Roxy replacement and perhaps my parade horse. After was Blossom, the pony that loves me such an incredible amount. Unfortunately due to her tinny tiny size I just needed a pony that was a wee bit bigger, so enter the newest member of my herd- Fabio. Fabio is so sweet, I can already tell he is just a very gentle, methodical pony. I am excited to have a project pony and I see a lot of potential in this little fella.

We went for a hand walk yesterday, and he was a little anxious when we left the property, but did fairly well. I think he's used to driving and pulling because he'd just lay down on the lead rope and tuggggg. Hopefully we can break that habit. He is going to spend the rest of this week just cuddling with me, following me everywhere that I go. I am excited to finish up this cute pony!

Fabio's cute little blaze! 

In 100 posts from now I hope to have very little herd turn over, happy finished horses, and maybe even a Rodeo Queen. Where do you hope to be 100 posts from now in your own life?

Haflinger?

Today's post is a rather short one... As posted recently, Blossom is for sale. I don't like 'flipping' my horses. I want to find a herd that I am happy with and stick to it. But Blossom just doesn't work out for me, and I think that she could have a much happier life.

I was offered a trade for my little Pony, a Haflinger gelding currently named Spider. Spider is 2 years old, and it sounds as though he is saddle broke, ties, has worn a harness, but hasn't actually been started under saddle- which I like. 2 years is too young to be started under saddle in my opinion. Especially on a slow maturing breed like the Haflinger.

Blossom would live in a pasture with other ponies in beautiful southern California wine country for the majority of the year, going to events a few times a year. She would give pony rides in one of those hot walker type things- I forget the name of those things.

So assuming that he isn't too awkward, friendly, easy going, and calm, I might just be the owner of a Haflinger 2 year old. Hopefully he'll be very sweet and kind, and he and Nova can be best buddies living together.

'Spider'

The first thing I plan on doing to his mane

Every Girl's Best Friend

I am in love with my pony. When I got her she was monstrous and terrible. When looking to buy her I was stepped on, and even bit a few times, naturally I thought to myself "She'll be the perfect children's pony!" She has become such a happy little pony. She loves me to pieces, gets along with all her neighbors. Has the pony next door calling to her when she leaves and arrives, and has stolen my heart. I have thought before that I want Roxy to be the horse that my children ride, but I change my mind. Blossom is my future children's first ride.

It seems silly, yes I know this, but a pony has to get out! So I do ride her. All 36 inches of her carries me well - and I'm atop her under 10 minutes. The little horse that went from not trotting, is currently loping. That is something I really didn't think that she could even do with a rider. I try to pay especially good attention to when she's getting tired, and she doesn't ever exhibit any. No huffing and puffing- not even heavy breathing, she never breaks gait, and she doesn't feel or look as though she is struggling. My little Blossom loves to be ridden, she stands at the gate, whinnies, and paws when she sees me coming to get her.

I have this secret plan of making her a really bad ass little pony. I want her to run barrels, and do reining. Although I question if she is physically capable of reining, I think a little gymkhana pony is very much within her range.

I would love for a child to lease Blossom and show on her. She is such a wonderful and loving pony. She does not have a pony-tude at all- only love and sweet pony kisses.

What horses in your life have unexpectedly captured your heart and held it hostage?

The Most Emotional Dismount

I fell off of Nova on Friday. I'm fine today, my elbow hurts, my hip is super bore (but not bruised), and my knee is bruised, but it might have been that way before the fall. It was such an odd thing. The way down I was thinking "I'm falling off. No, no, no, I don't want to scare Nova. It's bad for babies to be fallen off of. I'm wearing white. My joints already hurt, need I really do any more damage to my body?" Thump. And off I went. Yes, all of those thoughts went through my mind, and it didn't even feel like they were rushing. I was just calmly thinking about how I might scare the poop out of my little girl and give her some issues.

Here's what happened. I wasn't planning on riding Nova, just lunging her. I lunged her with her head down, and a few times she actually balked, threw her head up, acted like she was going to rear, and I was worried that she was going to flip over. I have seen a horse flip over. It is scary. The horse was totally fine, but I was scared that they were going to have broken every bone in their body.
So I figured "Ehh I haven't really lunged her with her head down in a while, maybe I'll just loosen it up". So I did, and she was fine. I just decided hey, lets try bareback. She has never offered me one single rear, buck, running out, nothing under saddle. Her stop is better than 90% of other horses too. So I got on, and was walking her around a bit, doing some circles, easy peasy stuff. I asked her for a trot and she was nice and smooth. Her back is still so round that she's super comfy bareback. I was going to ask her for a circle, and then be done. So I did, and for whatever ever reason she freaked out, and skirted out from under me. I went one way she went another.

By the time I was on the ground, Nova had stopped to check me; which I love. To me it means that she doesn't hate me, which I sometimes question with her. Right away my elbow hurt really bad, and my hip too. While assessing myself I asked her "Did you break my arm?" I wiggled my fingers, and knew that it didn't really hurt that badly.

Like any good cowgirl, I knew that I had to get back on, for me and Nova. I was really worried that she would be terrified now. But I didn't want to get back on. I was dirty, I hurt, and it was just so extremely emotional. I don't even know why it was so emotional. It's not an issue of pride, I think falling off once in a while is humbling and we all need a little reminder once in a while that we aren't bullet proof. But I almost burst into tears after. I pulled it together, by lunging her a tad more. I had her doing a close circle to me, and roll backs. We've been working on roll backs while lunging, and she's getting better.

Then a friend came over to chit chat, and I knew that if I didn't get back on her now, we might both harbor some ill feelings towards each other. So I popped back on, and I was so relieved that she didn't tremble, run off, or act traumatized in any way. We walked a couple of circles, trotted about 5 steps, and then I happily got off, loved her down with some pets, and put her away.

In other news Blossom is getting her feet done today! Woohoo, her work starts tomorrow, with some lunging, saddling, and asking for responsiveness at the bit. Obviously I want to take some time with her training, but the vet says that she is 4, so the sooner she finishes training, the sooner she gets put into lesson to make some money.

Rescue Number Two, and the Final Member of my Herd

On Tuesday I saw an advertisement for a pony on craigslist at work. She feet were dreadfully long, and what really hit home was her age. She's just 2 years old. If there is anything worse then neglecting an animal, it's neglecting a baby animal. They were asking $800, and I knew that it was going to be a rescue.

The photo from the craigslist advertisement. 

The pony was about 45 minutes north of me, and I asked my mother to accompany me. So we started the trek up after work today. I got there, and met with a very nice young lady, and her father- who spoke mostly Spanish. She's been living in a good size pen, with chain link and wood fencing, near goats. I'm happy that she had the goats as neighbors, because there are no other horses around her. They told me that they have had her for 8 months, and there 5 year old son has been riding her. It makes me sad that they rode a 2 year old.

But the father went in to get her, she was not easy to catch, but not too terrible. Her feet are so long, but she didn't seem like she was in pain. She saddles up, and leads ok, and she does takes the bit real well. She bites. She's so angry, and mean. To see a baby who is so nasty, to mean it translates to not being treated well.

They popped the 5 year old up on her, with a helmet which I was thrilled to see, he seemed nervous. The pony lunges herself if you stand in the middle. I watch for a bit, then asked to work with her.

She has no clue what the bit means, so I very highly doubt that she knows leg cues. I didn't get on her, because her feet are so bad. I looked in her mouth, and she has lots of sharp hooks and points; ouch. She rushes through everything, trotting everywhere that she goes. When I tried working with her, I asked her to flex, and she just rushed through everything. She did walk when I asked her to, and when I said whoa she turned in to me and stopped.

My mother asked about veterinary care, worming, and her feet. They said that they were done two months ago, judging by the length, I very highly doubt that. She is fat, but has not foundered! I am thankfully that they didn't starve her at least. I really don't think that they meant to be neglectful, but horses are not dogs. They need a lot more care, and attention.

Blossom comes home tomorrow. Hopefully my sweet girl will do just that, blossom into a happy healthy pony.

Just look at those feet.