Wednesday, October 20, 2010

My babies are growing up!

I’m feeling pretty proud of myself. I have finally found the time to do some work with the horses. Jake is being pretty good to me, we are getting into a pattern. The new hay shed is almost done, so I can do a bit of the training I keep saying I will get around to.

The Buckskin Kids are starting to look more grown up…



So, yesterday I brought them in and tied them up. Patience, kids. Get some.

I groomed the Big Guy all over, including his feet. Neither of which he is fond of. I had to trim off his wind blown dreads in the mane. Which made his mane look positively dreadful (dreadless?), since he had also rubbed out great big patches. So I pulled out the scissors and evened it up in my version of a Teke roached mane. Here he is sporting his modified mo…

Does he look a bit embarrassed to you?? I’ll even it up again later once the hair settles.

Then I tried on my various cavessons and surcingles. I’d like to begin lounging him soon, just to get things started. He was very good for cinching up for the first time. Just turned to look at it.



I like this surcingle better, but it is a bit big for them. I will have to get out my leather punch and make a few more holes.



Then I moved on to Narra. She loves being groomed, so that part went very well. Then I put on the serreta type cavesson on her. I liked that one better, though the nose piece is a bit stronger (it has a jointed metal nosepiece).
But the jowl strap is attached lower, and will prevent the cheek piece from moving and pressing on the eye. I figure this will be Narra’s, as she is duller, and can take stronger cues to get her to listen. For example, a tree branch across her rump when she kicked me this spring.

She was fine with the cavesson. So I backed her up from the fence and cinched up the surcingle slowly. She didn’t care. I think they will be nice horses to play with as things rarely bother them.

They are even easy to worm! Narra tries to steal the wormer from other horses, she likes it so much. Yup, she nuckin’ futz!

Sorry no pics of Narra. I’ll try to get some tomorrow.