Moving On

I promised myself I wouldn't bore you guys with any more of the 'farming saga'.... The farm work is d.o.n.e.!! My only focus now is getting water running on it, which still means a significant amount of work for me...but at least it's in sections and a couple hours in the mornings and checking on it throughout the day.

So that means...

It's PONY TIME again!!!

I knew it had been too long when I caught myself staring at one of the neighbors loping circles in the big field next door. The farmer was talking to me about water pressure and scheduling and I was locked on the horse and rider at the other end of the field and I didn't hear a word he said. Poor guy had to repeat everything to me.

I have been getting Flashy out in the evenings and working on a few things and letting him graze a little green grass...

He's looking better than when I brought him home. The pot-belly is coming off and he is starting to fill out. I know he had good feed while he was at the vet's, but, again, I think the filly was just dominate enough that Flash didn't get to enjoy his feed much. Don't get me wrong...he wasn't in poor shape or anything like that...He just didn't thrive as much as I thought he would. It just goes to prove that just because horses are herd animals...It doesn't mean they always do better in a group setting. Let's just say that I won't be wasting my time looking for anyone with another single baby this year to keep Ruger company when it's time to wean him.

The good thing is...there will not be any long-term consequences for Flashy. Now that he's alone and gets to enjoy his food, he is already taking off.

The not-so-good thing is...He has some shitty attitude/mannerisms I am having to deal with. At first, Flash really seemed to enjoy being able to get attention without the filly barging in and taking over, but once he got filled up on getting attention...He started getting shitty when he decided he didn't want attention. Ear pinning, snaking his head and threatening to bite and turning his butt to me and threatening to kick. I could tell these were practiced maneuvers too. I'm guessing the vet's boys spent time with the babies and while they are very decent kids...I can tell they don't really know how to handle horses, much less babies. I find this very surprising considering who their parents are...but then again, horses aren't really their thing. They are more into sports. So I suppose the babies were just a novelty and got treated like pets. Much to their detriment!! BTW...A little birdy told me, Flashy isn't the only one who has some attitude issues. The filly has them too. The only difference is, Flashy just threatens to bite or kick...The filly has no qualms about going ahead and doing both of those things.

So anyway...Flashy and I are working things out. I don't attempt to groom or handle him without haltering him and he is learning that 'momma' is allowed to touch any damn place on his body that she pleases. We are working on leading and ground manners and a little lunging. Not much, but basic lunging training goes hand in hand with the rest of it.

Now that the pasture is planted, I can section off the 2nd area I designated for dry lot space and start moving horses around. The geldings are in the area I would prefer the mares to be in, so they will be coming out of there and the mares going in. There is enough space there that I can divide that pen and put the dry mares on one side and Beretta and Ruger on the other. It's time for little Ruger to get some room to run and play. I find this slightly terrifying. My mind always comes up with a 1000 scenarios that 'could happen'...and yet, it's so not fair to keep him cooped up in a small pen if I don't have too.

I'm going to put Shooter in the pen next to Flashy, so they get to know each other again and then when I get my 2nd dry lot built, I will be able to turn those two out together so Flashy doesn't spend his summer standing in a pen either.

I just keep telling myself...Just a few months!! That's all I have left to juggle horses around. Once my pasture is established all of this hassle will go away!! Not to mention, the reduction in hay costs. The farmer and I were talking about that when he was done with everything. He was joking that with as much pasture as I was going to have, I could probably get more horses!! The look of horror on my face made him laugh. Funny thing of it is...I will have more horses next year. It's just that I don't actually count the babies until they are like 2, or 3...or 5....And I don't always remember to count the broodmare-only mares either. I mean...Aren't 'riders' the only ones that actually count? Shouldn't that be a rule or something? I think so!! Hahahahahahaha