Play time?

Play Time?

My Daughter giving her horse, Ehawee, a kiss on the shoulder.

The mares continue to be playful in ways I've not seen before.  Especially Opal, its a side of her I have not seem before.  Its kind of fun.  Ehawee has once again become her loving self, but both mares are still focused on food.  They know when lunch has been served and they aren't in their homes eating it yet.  I've begun walking them past their stall at the slightest hint of them turning in without me turning first.  It took Opal 4 trips back and forth to get it, Ehawee took 2. 

Both mares are enjoying their home made toys.  I don't mind store bought ones, but I hate buying them and then having them not get played with.  This simple toy allows me to watch them play for a while and decide if buying them toys would be a good idea.  Before it gets asked, no, they are not bored and yes, they get out for at lease a hour daily if not more.  They are just simply feeling frisky and full of life.

Ehawee playing with her toy.

 

"What are you doing Mom?  Here, let me 'Help' you."

Emerald

Emmy has had a productive last few sessions.  We worked on loading up in the trailer and unloading out of it.  She tends to rush unloading a bit, but that will come in time.  During the loading phase Emmy gave a little spook at some tin roof making noise and came well within my personal space.  She didn't run me over, but we had to have a chat about it.  I am pleased she sees me as a safe place, but no one jumps on this Alpha Mare....or any in the wild for that matter.  I walked with intent towards her and made her move out of my space for 10 feet or so, just far enough to let her know that she crossed a line.  

 Checking the trailer out.

Emmy was also introduced to my Daughter's wagon and my Daughter was happy to give her some loves.

 Loves for Emmy.

Emmy also got introduced to our new trail obstacles. the pit and hill.  Well she didn't walk the hill yet, just went by it.  The pit and mound went in over night so when we walked out the next day, she snorted at them.  Perfect excuse to go see them.  It took her a few moments to figure it all out, but then she was walking in the pit like a pro.

 Exploring the scary pit.

Today Emmy was taken into the round pen for some ground work.  I've been working with her reversing and moving off a soft feel in the lead.  She gets it well 75% of the time, does ok 20% of the time, and the last 5% I think she gets distracted by her boyfriends or herd mates.  Still, not bad for a young horse.

After the ground work, I brought in the mounting block.  I let her check it out first before climbing on it myself with her in the pen.  Since she didn't seem to mind that I moved on to asking her to move up to the block, giving her lots of scratches and loves.  If she moved away, I just asked that she move forward.  Pretty soon she was right next to the block.  Then I began to move the block next to her in mounting position and continued the scratches and loves.  She stood quiet for several moments with the block next to her and getting touched on both sides.  After several attempts and her reacting so positively I took her home, fly sprayed her and called it a day.

Emmy enjoying her day out.

Dramatic 4 year Olds.

Dramatic 4 year olds

 

Opal, High Rock Mustang, 4 1/2 years old. 

What do my mustang and my daughter have in common?  They are both in their 4 year old year....and have a tendency to be a little dramatic sometimes.  My Daughter is usually dramatic because I've told her no for some reason....like "no, you can't go climbing over the pasture fence to see the donkey."

Yesterday I stopped by to give the 3 mares psyllium before my lessons started, just a quick 'hello girls, enjoy your yummies' sort of drop by.  Came back after my lessons were over and got a call from my vet saying she was home if I wanted to bring Opals paperwork by for her to fill out, so I jumped back into my car for the second time without taking Opal out.  I guess you Opal found this completely unacceptable as once I returned, she did this to Ehawee's halter and lead rope.  Opal could not reach hers, but I think she was trying to make a point.

  

I think she wants out....just a hunch.

After the girls time out, Opal did this with her bucket.

Ok, Ms. Drama Queen, I hear you.

Today I brought Opal a toy/treat in one.  She enjoyed the treat part, time will tell if she decided to play with it or not.   

 

MMMMMMM, Carrots, my favorite.

While they are in their own stalls now, they have no shortage of time out.  They get lounged and/or turned out daily.  In another month we should be ready to start riding again.

Emerald

Emerald is getting great at putting her fly mask on.....and taking it off.  I don't know if she has help taking it off, or shes just clever.  I put it on each afternoon, and each morning its in her stall, on the floor....I'm going to have to watch her the next time I'm at the barn all day....clever girl.

Each day I take Emmy for a little walk, venturing further around the barn.  She's been in each arena now, including the covered arena, as well as through the trail course.  Emmy really likes bathes and with it being warm that's fine with me.  

 Drink up!

She (and my girls for that matter) have become very attached to Ranger, Tami's mustang gelding.  Emmy gets upset when he walks away from her in his pasture, but shes getting over it.  Ehawee and Emmy have now worked out who's calling the shots in the barn....its Ehawee...and Emmy seems to be ok with that.

Today I lounged Emmy over some pool noodles.  Noodles are a fun tool to have for training.  They can make a 'car wash' for a trail course, be used for poles, work with a horse on being touched while keeping a safe distance, the list goes on.  Emmy nosed them around for a bit before I set up and 'L' for her to step over.  She jumped the first time and looked at the noodle, but after that she worked over them with ease.  Another warm day ended with her getting rinsed off and water play.  

 Working on the Friendly game and 'follow the leader'.

My big helper assisting in cleaning up after my training session with Emmy.

 

Mares

Mares.

  

Opal standing at her tie in her stall.

Apparently both of my girls have a crush on the same gelding....you hear that mares....he can't help you!  Anyways, both mares are quite smitten with Ranger, a black mustang gelding.  Since both mares left their brains in the stall and were thinking with their lady parts today, it was a short turn out. Both Opal and Ehawee are getting better at standing in cross ties for grooming, but when the 4 year old is having a squirmy worm day, its easier to groom them inside their stall with the door closed while she watches from my tack trunk.  

 Sometimes I think she has better hair than I do.  She needs another bath, she loves to roll.

Emerald

Noom, noom, noom.

Emerald (Emmy for short) is settling in nicely.  We are going on walks around the barn, venturing a little further each day.  Yesterday we walked through some of the obstacles that were out, including a bridge with 'guard rails'.  Emmy walked right over the bridge without any hesitation. 

 Piece of cake.

Today we walked over the the jumping ring which had us go under the roof for the covered arena.  I could tell Emmy was checking it out, but willing to keep going with me.  She was turned out next to the arena my girls were in, so they got to say hello to each other.  Emmy has also taken a shine to Ranger.  Tami, you better lock him up....these ladies have a crush on your boy.

After a good stretch of her legs, we walked back to her house for a grooming and some cookies her Mom got for her.  Emmy likes them.

 

CMC Horsemanship Welcomes High Rock Emerald to training

CMC Horsemanship Welcomes

High Rock Emerald to training.

While off on my Mule Days adventure with family and friends of family, I got brought into a discussion about training a mustang or a mule for the Douglass'.  The Douglass' and my Family go way back and we have been involved in horses for.....a long time....have attended wedding for the 'kids' in the family, babies showers for those 'kids', vacations and camping trips, horse shows, the list goes on.  The point being is that in my mind, Ken and Carol Douglass and their 'kids' (they are only a few years younger than I am) are family.

Carol wanted a mustang.  I started looking though my Facebook mustang groups to see what I could find.  I came across a little stout bay mare named Emerald from the High Rock HMA, the same one my Opal is from.  She caught Carol's eye immediately.  Emerald is a 3 year old Mustang mare.  We made plans for me to go see Emerald where she was being gentled down by TIP trainer Danielle Alfaro in Grass Valley, Ca.

I have another friend I met through Facebook who adopted another High Rock mustang and she didn't live too far away from where I was going so I asked if she wanted to meet up the same day.  Tabitha Mitchell met Opal at the BLM corrals before I adopted her and she thought she was a super sweet girl then.  We had lunch and then went up to see her 3 boys, Sam Elliot, Briggs (from High Rock), and Drifter.  Sam wasn't too sure about this stranger in his pasture with HIS Mom....until he realized I was feeding carrots to Briggs and Drifter.  (Like I would show up with out a little snack for ponies....upon Owner approval of course.)  We spent a little over a hour in the pasture meeting the boys and the other horses on the property before I had to head over to meet Emerald.

 Sam wasn't going to leave his Mom's side with this 'stranger' here.

 Briggs (left/center) looks like a 16 hand version of Opal build wise.  Drifter (right) just turned a year old.

I made my way over to meet Emerald and Danielle.  We had a nice chat, worked with Emerald a while, took lots of pictures and videos to send off to the Douglass' to go over.  Since they were just getting home from a camping trip that Sunday, I knew it would be a couple days before anything was decided.  

Emerald and her TIP trainer Danielle Alfaro.

Something about this mare kept pulling om Carol and by Wednesday plans were in motion for them to bring the truck and trailer up to see her in person and adopt her if they connected.  Barn was on notice and BLM was on notice.  By 6 pm on Friday the 13th, Emerald had worked her magic and was loaded in the trailer to head for her new home for the next year, Cypress Stables, where she will be in training with me.  

On the 14th, Emerald's first day at Cypress Stables, she got to enjoy some turn out time with lots of love and attention form several people at the barn.  She's calm and happy with all the attention and has made friends with the horse next to her Lucas.  Ehawee is her other neighbor, and Ehawee is trying to make sure Emerald (or Emmy for short) knows who the Alpha mare is.  This first week will be mostly turning her out and walking her aound the barn, letting her get to see the facility before I start asking a lot of her work wise.

Welcome to CMC Horsemanship High Rock Emerald!