Monday, May 25, 2009

The stallion comes to Pony Up north.....gelding goes South

Chelsea, Page and I got up early, got our chores done and then got on the road to get the gelding and stallion moved. We were not sure what was in store for us with loading a stallion who had never been loaded before....but off we went anyway. We met up at the old farm and decided to start with "Manny" the stallion first. Got him haltered, made him do a little line work......brought him out, opened the trailer, lined him up.........he was very curious and not at all ill mannered. We let him scope it out, gave him another treat.....(he loves carrots).........then Chelsea asked him to step up and in he went........voila........just like that. I told you he was smart. He stood very nicely for ten minutes while we loaded the old gelding into Chelsea's trailer and he went right in like an old trooper. I asked Chelsea to come to my place to help me unload Manny. We got there and my horses were calling, he was screaming and very excited to see what he could see.......Chelsea walked him up into my outdoor arena and it took a minute to calm him down enough to get his halter off......then it was off to the races and showing his parts off. We removed horses from his fence line so that the fence would indeed stay up. The excitement wore off on the rest of the boys and they ignored him as he pranced the fence line. We got him a water tub, some hay and turned the electric fence on.

Tomorrow we find a vet to geld him. W.I.R.E. (Whidbey Island Horse Rescue) has kindly donated 100 dollars towards his gelding costs......and we THANK them very much! They have been very willing to help us and we can use all the help we can get most days!

I just came home to get some lunch, Chelsea is on the road taking the old boy home, Page went home........then I am back to put up some more insulators for some more hot wire. I am not taking any chances.

I have to say that all in all, Manny was a good boy and I have hope that he will learn fast.

I will post more pictures tonight of Manny in his new spot.

After gelding him, he will go for 30 days of training, where he can learn some manners and perhaps be put under saddle. We shall see...

I am tired.....too much excitement and adrenaline. More later.

I am back. I just spend several hours putting up more hot wire tape along the top of the arena fence. Then I haltered the stallion (I had grain, so he was more than willing).....then decided that I would de-worm him with the rest of the herd. He was easier than the rest. Maybe I should have had an Arab years ago? LOL. .......anyway, we got the de-worming over and he refused to eat the rest of his yummy grain because he was certain I was poisoning him. He walked off and walked the fence, then ate some hay, then walked some more....all the while watching me. He is particularly in love with my gelding Ollie........he sees him and he gets all worked up, screams and prances......whilst Ollie ignores him. Ollie is not impressed by his antics.

Beaver was a pill today. We moved him so that he and the stallion would not share a fence line.....and Beaver did not like it. We moved him to a far paddock and he promptly escaped into Hamilton's paddock by ducking under the fence. Hamilton promptly chased him and then Beaver ducked into Church's paddock where he was greeted by a 17H unfriendly Holsteiner and so he promptly retreated to the bottom of the paddock waiting for me to rescue him.

That darned pony. He is locked in a stall tonight while we regroup on paddock arrangements.......the trouble is........NO horse likes Beaver and Beaver is relatively unafraid of the electric fence. ...he knows he can bolt right through it...if he is fast enough.

Back to work tomorrow......and I hope everyone stays in the paddocks as assigned.

The really good news is that after the stallion has been gelded, he will go to the Jones Farm, who has very generously donated training and board for him. They are so good to us and such good friends. We adore them and we want to live at the Jones Farm ourselves.......a small slice of heaven in Renton.....picture perfect on any day. Really....I love that place....and the Reeves are two of the nicest people you could EVER meet.

Enough for today. I met some really great people this week and I am pleased that we were able to help the Arabians get placed.

After the stallion has had his training, he will be available for adoption. He is small, wirey, very smart and athletic. I bet he would make a great competitive trail horse. Too bad I am six feet tall and he is 14.3H....and also too bad that I am not a competitive trail rider (almost forgot that!)
Enjoy your short work week!

Thanks to Jason and his family for making the efforts for these horses and I was glad to meet all of you.

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