Flies!

There is not much activity at the barn when the flies are thick and the temperatures are in the 90's. The horses don't feel like working and neither do we!

We do have some newsworthy items to report. Audrey took Smoky to one of the 4-H practice sessions and was able to ride with some of her fellow 4-H club members. Both Audrey and Smoky did very well. It was a hot day and the heat definitely tired both rider and horse out. 

Working on Western Equitation with Smoky

Which way are we going?

Audrey and Smoky

Despite having Smoky's hocks injected, he still is very stiff in his hind legs. The farrier (horseshoer) could not get shoes on him without causing a lot of pain. We have taken him on several short trail rides and ridden him in the arena, but it is getting to the point where he is not comfortable being ridden. We have made the decision (in collaboration with his owner John), to put him out to pasture. He will be going to a pasture in Morgan, Utah to spend of the rest of his days in a herd of older horses. We will miss him! We hope to visit him this fall in his new pasture. Audrey will be getting a new horse this fall or next spring. She is ready to start doing a bit more in 4-H.


Friday is doing very well with her pregnancy and her manners. She has been on several trail rides and is reining and stopping well. As her abdomen gets bigger she seems less interested in running off. She loves being fed treats and pampered. Pregnancy definitely agrees with her. She is much more content and relaxed as the pregnancy moves forward.

Is that a baby bump??

 

Going for a ride

Fly masks

Good News

Saw the baby and the heartbeat yesterday. Vet says one very healthy, strong baby in there. Go Friday!

Moments of Zen

Nothing is quite so relaxing to me as being astride a horse. It feels like home. The horse becomes an extension of my physical body and I feel in harmony. All horses are a little bit different, but I have felt a bond with every horse I have been on, even those who eventually bucked me off!

Learning to turn

Friday is a great horse to ride. She glides. Her gaits are so smooth and she is full of strength and power that she doesn't feel a need to show until it is required. She does not neck rein well yet, but is learning leg pressure and picks up on new things very fast. She listens carefully and tries to understand what I am saying. Her ears move back and forth as she concentrates on the lesson. When I ride her, time stands still. 

She still takes a great interest in other mares with foals. She will stare at them for long periods of time. I wonder what she is thinking. I can't help but think she wishes she had a foal this year. We are hoping that all goes well with this pregnancy. 

Smooth Moves

Smoky seems to be much more comfortable after the injections into his hocks. He is moving a bit better and is more playful. In these photos he is wearing a fly mask. His eyes get very irritated from the flies and the mask offers protection. This reminds me of a funny story. When I first introduced the girls to horses, Grace thought that the fly mask meant that the horse was blind. She had a lesson on a horse wearing a fly mask one day. Hours later, she told me that she would like to ride again but "next time I want to ride a horse that can see".

Smoky with his fly mask on

Smoky in the paddock he shares with Friday

OMG!

So much has been happening at the barn!


It is breeding season and so there are horses coming and going and lots of news. We bred Friday to Dusty's Best Effort. He is such a great stud! He has a great personality and is handsome as well.

Dusty's Best Effort, Quarter Horse Stallion and Baby Daddy

Dusty stopping for a pose

We had Friday checked by ultrasound on June 17th and she is pregnant (with one baby)! We are trying to contain our excitement until her next check on July 6th. On that date, the vet will confirm pregnancy and should be able to detect a heartbeat. Keep your fingers crossed!

Friday waiting for her exam

Our boy Smoky has been having a rough time. He loves to roll, and for the last month or so has been having some trouble getting up. During his struggles to rise he has cut up his legs pretty bad. I had the vet check him and he has very stiff hocks. The vet thinks that giving him injections in his hocks will improve his mobility. We are going to go for it. We want to keep the old man as comfortable and mobile as possible.

The girls are having fun at the barn. Lots of puppies and foals to play with!

Breeding Season at the Barn

Lots of activity at the barn these days. Mares to be bred, babies to be cared for, and stallions really, really interested in all that is going on!


Friday isn't pregnant yet, but she is going to be bred this week to Dusty's Best Effort. The vet checked her yesterday with palpation and ultrasound and she has several follicles ready to go. This means she will ovulate in the next few days. It also means we need to keep watching out for twins, so we can reduce the pregnancy to only one. We just can't go through the twin thing again! The vet says that sometimes when mares lose a baby it is so stressful that it is hard to get them pregnant again. We will give her a drug called ReguMate five days after her breeding until her next check which is sixteen days after her last breeding. If she doesn't get pregnant this summer, we will just ride her and enjoy her and see how it goes next year.


She looks fit and is prancing around these days. She has a huge paddock to herself and she is enjoying running around and kicking up her heels!



On the way to see the vet at the breeding shed.




Prancing. She still has the heart of a racehorse.




Waiting for the vet



We have had Smoky out although he is a bit stiff with the colder weather. He is so cute with the girls.



This quote always reminds me of Smoky...

Buffalo Bill's horse Soldier Boy speaking of a young adopted girl that lives at the post where the 7th Calvary are stationed.

"If I could have her it would be another matter, for I know all about children, and they adore me. Buffalo Bill will tell you so himself."

                                              Mark Twain, "A Horse's Tale"

Moving On

Well, after Wyatt died, I had a lot of trouble getting back to writing on the blog. We are slowly recovering from all of the trauma. It was very sad to loose all the foals, but at the end of the day, we have our mare Friday and Smoky, both of whom are doing fantastic.

Smoky has recovered from all of his cold weather stiffness and we are all enjoying riding him this spring. He lost a bit of weight during the winter, despite having supplemental grain, but otherwise appears unchanged. He continues to be his same old dignified and stubborn self, never too afraid to let you know how he thinks things should go. He is 29 years old this year.

Taking Smoky on a trail ride.

Friday is doing fantastic and the vet told us she was good to be bred back this spring. I hope to breed her to the same stud. Dusty's Best Effort is not only handsome, but has a wonderful temperament. I have been riding Friday and working out some of her previous career (horseracing) quirks. She is doing beautifully under saddle and is so eager to please and understand. I love working with her.

Wyatt

We only had to go out the barn one time today. Wyatt is nursing whenever he is awake now and his watery diarrhea is going away (I am convinced that I will never rid myself of that smell). With the help of several folks at the barn, we took Friday and Wyatt out to a large paddock for some exercise and fresh air. Wyatt was ready to go. He even tried to run a little bit!



Walking in the sunshine




Loving mom




Got Milk??




Sunbath



Audrey taking Smoky for some exercise.