Back In Black

I did some horse moving today...three went from mom's to the north pasture. Trouble makers! Mom wanted them out of the corral.

Three went down to the ranch. The three fat, sorrel sisters.

Two geldings came up. Spooks and Smoke. Megan is going to take over Spooks-her next future barrel, reining, maybe poles gelding. Smoke will eventually come to Colorado with me. He's Moon's 1/2 brother. I believe just as fast and made a lot better in the hind leg.

As if that was not enough to get everyone stirred up, I loaded Strawberry and hauled him to the ranch for some TO and gathered up my black mare and brought her to town...
This is Queenie.

She is Frosty's momma...

Other than the color, they could be twins. Frosty is going to Colorado. And Moon of course. That will make up the initial trio going with me.

Queen settled in very quickly...

She got a good brushing tonight and will get a bath and her feet trimmed this weekend. Actually, her feet look pretty darn good. That is one of the things I always liked about this mare. GOOD FEET! She did a good job of passing that trait on as all three of her foals had/have good, thick, healthy feet.

Eight years I have let this mare sit idle in the pasture. That was never my intention. Time just gets away from a person. She is 16y/o now. But sure don't look it. Frosty was the 3rd and last foal I got from her. I was getting overloaded with young horses to ride and I don't raise to sell...babies anyway. I've never really considered selling anything I've raised until they are at least 6y/os. I get a chance to see what I'm raising that way. Her time of leisure is over though. The great part is My Honey gets a horse that has a mature mind, but not a used up body.

Anyway, everyone was very easy to catch and haul right up to Queenie's turn. It's been a year or so...maybe two, since she was actually caught, so I tried the grain and sneak the leadrope over her neck trick in the pasture. Got the leadrope over before she realized it. Just didn't get the tail caught quick enough. She left and decided she had had enough grain. Plan A failed.

I figured the horses would follow the trailer, with Strawberry still in it, up to the corrals, but I guess since it wasn't one of their own herdmates in there, they decided it wasn't that interesting. Plan B failed.

I decided to heck with it. Have saddle horse...will chase! So I popped Strawberry out, bridled him(an absolute must if you are moving horses) and headed out to bring the herd in. Plan C...success.

Everyone is moved around for now. When I come back for Megan's birthday in October, I'll move Chunk and Beretta to town. Megan said she would take care of gentling Beretta for me this winter. Shooter will stay at mom's for another year. Most likely two. I'll make sure to plan on coming home for a few weeks next fall and start him under saddle. Then he'll just sit again until he is a 3y/o.

When I head back to CO after Megan's b-day, I'll be taking Smoke with me for sure and possibly VooDoo-the 16.2H 4y/o that still needs broke. If we haven't found some land to buy, I'll have to be careful how many horses I have to pay board on though. Even the relatively inexpensive place I have lined up-$150/horse...adds up pretty darn quick.

If I could though...there would be quite a list that would be going with me...with all the activities I have found...I could keep an arsenal of horses and have plenty of places to take them for practicing, showing and competing.

Oh my gosh, I am so excited. We have a place to practice roping. There is a hunter/jumper facility just a couple miles from the house. A reining/cutting facility near that. Barrel racings all over...most go until the end of November. Actually there is only three months, Dec., Jan. and Feb. that I noticed the activities slacking off. This is gonna be great!!