Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts

Friday, August 20, 2010

Too Excited . . . Corrie is home

"To many, the words love, hope, and dreams are synonymous with horses."
~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I got up at 4 am this morning. I just could not sleep. You would think this was my first horse and I was getting her new today! I am just so excited to have Corrie home.

Corrie is truly a special little horse. I felt an instant bond to her the first time I drove her. It is amazing just how you can click or not with a horse. Kinsey never felt like my horse. From the moment I wrote out the check for her I felt like I bought her for someone else, and maybe I did. But even before I wrote a check I knew Corrie was my horse. Never during the time that I was trying her out did I feel she belonged to anyone but me.

Now she is on my property. She is getting along with the minis. Well minus Rocky, stallion ya know. I keep him separate, but they see each other over the fence. She is not as found of Sophie, but Corrie used to be kept with young jack colts to teach them some manners. Apparently she was enthusiastic about her job, too enthusiastic. So she does not like donkeys, but I am hoping that she will warm up Sophie. Madison is still alpha mare so far. Kind of funny that little Madison tells big ol' Corrie to get out of the way.

Sensei gave me a mini ground lesson before he left. Corrie was very up, more up than I think I have ever seen her actually. Her feet definately were not hurting her at all. At one point she leapt and pulled away from me. I was a bit shocked, she has never done anything like that before. The girl has some spirit after all.

Now she is just chilling out. I wanted to do more with her today, but as soon as I got home from work the the thunder started. Damn it! Tomorrow a bath!

Picture to come soon.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Corrie is coming home!

During the past few weeks I have been mentally preparing for Corrie to come home. I have also been trying a few more things at the barn. I wanted to iron out few more things before I could not just call out and have Sensei come running to help.

*I rode her in the pasture by herself, while everyone else went back in after group riding activity. I passed with flying colors, she sucked.

*Took her for a quick drive down the road which ended with Sensei trying to grab the reins for the first time ever. So we had to work through that and I am not planning on driving outside my pasture until we are totally comfortable with that.

*I took her for another drive a few days later and both of us did much better. Still going to wait to drive her outside the pasture here.

Those last few test, particularly keeping her in the pasture as the rest of the people I was with went in really gave me a lot of confidence. Corrie really wanted to spin and take off for the barn. Although she never got above a trot the intent to run off was there. I handled it and was not afraid. Woo Hoo for me!

Last thing we need to do before she comes come is get her feet taken care of. Corrie doesn't have her shoes on yet, well actually now she might. She is getting them on tonight. Tomorrow Sensei is going to watch her and see how she is. Just to make sure that she is adjusting to her shoes fine. He also happens to be her farrier. Then Friday morning she is coming home! Yippy!!!

Good bye round pen, indoor arena, and on site trainer/ farrier. Hello trails, instant access, and riding and driving as much as I want. I think it is a good trade off this time of the year. When the snow flies she will go back to Sensei's. In winter "indoor area" kicks "instant access" butt. Besides the trail by my house is tended by a snowmobile club and it is closed to everyone else when the trail is covered in snow. Right now, she will be here so I can enjoy her as much as I want.

Counting the hours.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

KINSEY IS HOME!!


Yippy!
I am so excited to have Kinsey at home. It was like I bought her today.

First of all. She loads so well. I love a horse that loads. There is nothing as horrible as thoughts of, will my horse get on the trailer or not. Kinsey was a champ. Like everything she needed a few seconds to check the trailer out and then she just hopped on.

As every good trailer ride should be, it was uneventful. I rode over there and back to show the way, and normally I am not very loquacious with people I don't know well. We talked about Ray Hunt, and a variety of other horsey topics and the trip went by quickly.

Once home she was a little jiggy. I was hoping that she would just walk like a nice girl. I still don't trust my wrist 100%. My barn is behind the house, no actual walkway, just head off through the snow. I walk this way a lot so the snow is a bit more packed down. In the back of the house is a large play construction that has been turned into a goat pen. As we rounded the back of the house and they goat came into view Kinsey stopped dead.

She started at those goats, who were bleating to me. Little black and white creatures making strange noises and leaping about. Kinsey stopped and looked, almost like a donkey, she thought about it for a moment and then tentatively walked past them. Good Girl!

Meanwhile out in the pasture there were 3 minis, 2 donkeys, and a big black horse wonder who the hell just came on their property. I have my property in two parts, a dry lot and behind that a larger pasture. Right now the pasture is covered in snow. Before I went to retrieve Kinsey I put all the other equines out in the pasture. Now those little ponies and one big black horse were prancing up and down the fence line. Let me tell you, Abby is really pretty when she prances.

Kinsey took all the sights and smells in time. Once in the paddock she ran to the fence. Squeals cantering down the fence line. Stop. Sniff. Squeal and canter up the fence line. Kinsey, who had not been turned out today, started prancing and cantering around the paddock. She is a beautiful mover when loose, just beautiful. There were a few moments I was worried about my fence as Abby spun and bucked, but it held up fine.

Finally after an hour or so, everyone went back to normal. Still a little fence play but nobody seems to hate anyone, that is always a good thing. I put Sophie, donkey, in with Kinsey.

What happens next? Well Kinsey and I are going to do some ground work. Then I may send her over to R. to be evaluated. If she looks like she is not the horse for me, I'll sell her. Same thing for Abby. Time will tell for right now.