had a megga busy couple of weeks sorry not been around, went horse shopping for a friend 2 weeks ago and on our search we came across a pretty welsh b mare Dakota and companion a gypsy cob Sonny-Ben age 3 colt. Totally unsuitable for my friend, but ideal for my growing riding school. they need starting although been ridden bare back with kids, she's broken to harness too.
So last week I collected them, just had too. It'll be a nice change to work with horses who do not have any issues, they've been looked after nicely.
Added bonus, Dakota is pregnant we just found out today. :-) thrilled to be having our first foal, just don't know when without a detailed scan.
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Welcome to your new additions Mel. They sound great and how exciting to have a baby on the way too. Plenty of mouths to feed now!
Exciting times Mel! I'm looking for a horse....Must have a backside bigger than mine (so minimum Clydesdale I guess!), be a gelding, being so bombproof as to require regular checking to see if it still has a pulse and be looking for a superb home rather than needing lots of money paying for it; don't want much do I?! Looking forward to hearing the progress of your new family members
Lol, they're going to have to work to earn their keep :-)
Would love a Clydesdale Vicci, armchair seats :) x
congrats Mel, very exciting for you!
vicci, how about making enquiries to the police force; someone round here's taken on an 8 year old Clydesdale ex police horse from a force that was closing down; he wasn't fully sound & not known why, but he's looking superb since she's had him & hacking nicely. It's worth a try.
That's an interesting idea Beryl, thank you :-)
welcome vicci.
welcome vicci.
It's been a good fun filled and hard couple of weeks, all enjoyable except the hours of ragworting. The farmer has asked me to lend a hand clearing the 20+ acres of it.
BamBam and Pye have taken it upon themselves to bully the newbies as soon as I'm not in the field. Individually they're all getting on great, but when they get that chance they both charge the newbies even if they're across the field, so working on the bullies at the moment.
Barney is a dream as always with new horses and is getting on well with both the newbies.
This week I've done a change around on the field and they're all in the same field but with a line down the middle of it, BamBam and Pye don't charge through the line so I can leave them all in one place without rushing in. Barney just slips under as and when he wants.
I'd actually say they're not doing this out of hierarchy and are bullying. They do this with Barney sometimes especially BamBam(4yrs) But Barney can hold his own quite nicely or just slips off under the fencing.
Dakota and Sonny are really clingy to each other, I saw this when we first went to see them, but there is no rush to change it yet. They've got to be happy first.
I don't know about you guys, but I believe horses cry. BamBam had a continual stream from his eyes when we first got him in his sorry state, it wasn't until we nursed him back to health and showed him we cared that the stream stopped and we've never seen it again.
Dakota has a continual stream from one eye, it's not infected and there is no gunk. Her feet are in a bit of a sorry state, she's got flares at the toe and half way up the hoof, plus 6 deep lines across the hoof with drastic feed changes, I've not seen feet like this before. Very off balance all round and she's flat footed, vet said she needs to be shoes, but I'll ensure she has a natural hoof shoe when trimming. bit laminitic too, so the extra weight with carrying the baby isn't going to help her much.
Sonny won't even let us touch his feet so the only look I've had with him so far is when I walk behind him.
Time and trust will change all that eventually.
It's all about the horse :D
hugs to all
x
Hi. You have your hands full! Great that these two have found a knowledgeable home. I'm a bit worried by laminitis & pregnancy together though. I'd keep a close eye on that. Good you have vet involved early though. I take it your line is electric fencing. You will always get one comedian who ignores it, unless it on the mains and at least two or three strands. The trouble with batteries is they run down & horses/ponies recognise when this happens. Your main problem is jealousy! I got that with Kirk when the filly was born. It's your natural inclination to give attention to the new ones & your old friends take exception. I've been lucky; I made a conscience effort to divide my attention more equally between the yearling & filly. I was rewarded by Dad, Son & Daughter bonding & her education with the gang has begun: they taught her to load in the trailer I keep hay in! OK, so now when I open the back ramp there is me trying to fill haynets for Max (possible laminitic) & a mass invasion from filly, Kirk & Humphrey. It's a real panto to get them off on my own - get one off & one of the others gets back in! But in the long run I have no loading issues for transporting so it's worry it. Good luck, Jo.
hi Jo
Dakota has had a foal previously, from what they told me it all went well and we saw photos. I'll keep an eye on the feet though.
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Can just imagine all these horses trying to join you in the trailer, you'll have to record it one day and post online. :)
Fencing is electric, but not turned on. We got electric for our Shetland but soon found out even electric fences doesn't stop him, so it's not turned on, I just use it for boundary lines and they seem to respect that. Shetland has to be locked away over night, so he has a pen in each field so not matter where the others are they're always close.
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I did think it could be jealousy, being that we've 2 newbies also it's not the same settling them in as just 1. They must sense that Dakota is pregnant too which would be affecting them. Dakota has already shown Barney our Shetland that she is boss, saw it the first time today at feed time, way to go Dakota!
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Over the weekend we've had a move around and changing of the way we do things. Poo picking for 5 ponies over 1 and a 1/2 acres is much more time consuming especially as the two newbies have not yet learnt where the poo places are. We've composter around the field and our first 3 always go near a composter. So we're going to harrow daily anything in the middle of the fields then carry on picking up near the composters. This should save a bit of time so I can give them all the quality they need. It'll have to change for winter when the colder weather comes. For now the heat will deal with the harrowed manure.
Operation ease the jealousy now the plan!
x