Monday, March 8, 2010

General – 03/08/10

What a winter!  I’m so ready for Spring and warm weather so I can start getting these guys worked.  Here’s a list of what’s going to happen this Spring, hopefully.

Molly needs to be evaluated to make sure she really is broke to ride, as I was told.  Flo also needs to be evaluated for soundness under saddle and suitability. 

All my three year olds need to be started under saddle, including Mick, Milo, and Maverick.  I think I’d like to teach Maverick to drive before putting him under saddle since he’s so small.  I may have a tiny little teenaged rider that may come out this summer to help me with the dwarfs, so keep your fingers crossed!

Sassy the mule is still untouchable.  I’ve done nothing with her this winter, other than just try to give her treats and get her over her fear and mistrust of humans.  She seems to be calming down a bit, but is still not halter broke.  I’ll do some reading up on mule training and get her started this Spring. 

Miles is in the same boat.  I’ve not done anything with him since he arrived last summer, due to all the other horses coming and going around here.  Once my round pen dries up a bit I’ll lure him in there and hopefully have him halter broke in the first session.  He doesn’t seem to be very fearful, just unsure of me. Once he figures out that I’m not out to eat him, he should be fairly easy to get going under saddle.

Jasmine is halter broke and it shouldn’t take much time to have her going well under saddle.  Like both her sons, she’s very laid back and easy going about everything. 

Cinnamon is an 8yo chestnut Arabian mare who has recently arrived here on the farm, along with the return of Genesis.  Cinnamon is flighty and difficult to halter, but once you have her, she’s a very sweet little mare.

There are two more horses coming on Wednesday and I’m told that they are dangerous.  The man that rescued them from a bad situation has had a couple of incidents with them in just a few weeks, one of which sent him to the emergency room for stitches in his forehead.  Yikes!  He tells me the healthier they get, the wilder they get.  Should be fun.  I just hope they don’t put me in the hospital – I have too much to do!

Last, but not least, I’m finally going to get around to Jewel.  Giving her so much time off has seemed to really help her attitude towards life.  She’s actually become an attention hound in the pasture and will seek me out any time I’m mingling with the herd.  She has calmed down quite a bit, and is no longer the nervous, flighty little mare that first arrived here.  I’m really looking forward to getting her under saddle and out on her first trail ride!