Big Weekend for Impulse

Impulse had a big weekend.  With all the weight she's lost, and given how slowly she was eating, a visit from the vet was in order once Grace was weaned so that we could deal with her teeth.  While there were no points to have interfered, she'd recently lost her last set of caps, and that, he said, made it more difficult for her to maintain a good, healthy weight once Grace was foaled and began nursing.  Thankfully, the past couple of weeks out on some (rather dry) pasture has helped her start to fill out again.

In addition to the vet, Impulse also had her feet trimmed for the first time.  Farrier Andy Colton did the job, and I must say he's an excellent choice for a horse who's lacking in confidence when having feet handled.  He took his time, but also helped her understand that she had nothing to fear.  

The following day, with less toe to hinder her, it was off to the round pen where we worked a few minutes, then  back to the barn where I tossed the saddle pad up onto her back.  With no reaction (it's been done before, but she's not liked it and it's been a few months), I figured maybe it was a good day to also see what she thought of a saddle?

Turns out that while saddles have a funny look and smell, she didn't mind in the least when I set it onto her back.  I didn't tighten the cinch yesterday, but today, I did.  And I lunged her in the round pen with it, too!  She didn't bat an eye.  Didn't care one way or the other about being cinched up, stirrups banging, or saddle squeaking.  What she's not so hot about is me bouncing alongside of her, so that is my project with her for this coming week...get her used to bouncing, so that we can start bouncing in the stirrups!

You may recall our Weekend Getaway from a few weeks back when we visited the wild horse corrals and spotted a couple of cute geldings.  Well, when a local rescue hosted a clinician who wanted an unhandled horse for their demo, they came to me to see if I had a mustang that would fill the bill.  I arranged for them to pick up that oh so adorable chestnut gelding that I'd spotted while riding the hay wagon.  Once the gentling clinic was over, he needed a place to stay for a few weeks until the next adoption in WA state, so of course I was willing to do that for them!

And being as I can't just leave a horse sitting out there, especially not one as cute as this, I had to start messing with him.  He didn't bat an eye about the saddle going on or being cinched up.  The bridle made him wiggle his tongue a bit, but overall, this colt is an absolute dream.  And I had to name him something while he was here, did I not?  And since I'm always chasing a dream of some sort around here, Chasing Dreams, aka Chase, is his moniker.

Anyone looking for a nice colt?  Three year old gelding from Three Fingers HMA in Oregon.  14.2 hands tall and an excellent disposition!  Whopping $125 adoption fee.  Seriously...take him before he ends up staying, please!

Weaning Time

Typically, I'd like to wait until a foal is 6-8 months before weaning.  I mean...in the wild, they'd never wean earlier than a year, and even then babies are with their dam for 1-2 years.  But in case of Impulse and Grace, an early weaning at the age of 4 months simply had to take place.  For you see, the past month has seen Impulse dropping weight off her already slight frame, to the point of me becoming quite concerned.  Her teeth most definitely need to be looked at, but of course while nursing there is no point, as we cannot drug her to do any work.

Luckily, Grace has a decidedly independent streak, and at roughly 4 months of age she began loitering with Auntie Tika, Maxine, or simply hanging out alone in the barn rather than sticking close to her mother's side.  And with that, Impulse was loaded up and hauled down to the Cowboy's where she can eat her own feed without a little monster there to steal it away.

Onlookers would never know that Grace did not belong to Tika.  Being the good, maternal mare that she is, Tika allows little Grace to stand alongside, eat out of the same pile of hay, and happily swishes flies from the wee one's face just like her mother did.  

Darling had fun antagonizing the little stinker this afternoon.  

While Spud and Tika stood out in the sunshine grazing, little Grace found a nice, cool spot in the shade where she hid from spying eyes and camera lenses.  You can't see her, can you?  She didn't think so...

Grace obviously went unscathed by her mother's disappearance, and Impulse?  Well, she's not seeming to mind, either.  She's now able to eat as much as I put in front of her without the little monster gobbling it all up.  Hopefully we can get her teeth done soon, and some real weight put back on her body.  She's been a good momma, giving it all to little Grace!

Grace

The skies had finally broken free of rain and snow bearing clouds, giving those of us in the northwest hope that perhaps spring was finally on her way. I was outside with Dario, and looking off toward Impulse I took note that her belly had shifted. A quick look down below showed little change in her bag from a week earlier, however, and there was no sagging or relaxing of muscle along the tailbone, so I didn't put much stock into the shape change.

My mother had emailed to say we were heading back into a cold, wet spell, and I found myself hoping against the odds that Impulse would at least wait a few more weeks until perhaps things would dry off or warm up. But it sure was lovely this particular Saturday, I thought to myself, and I went about my chores before leaving for the Cowboy's and work.

It was a long day, but the evening shift went quickly enough and customers had smiles on their faces as they came in after a full day of sunshine. Sunshine makes everyone happy. It was 1 am by the time I got home, and City Boy was kind enough to feed the horses in the morning so that I could sleep a little later than usual on Sunday morning. I noticed when I finally drug my sleepy head from bed that the sun was back again.

Rubbing my eyes and stretching as I walked, I passed by the window that looks out toward the pasture. I'm pretty sure I had one fist still stuck into an eye socket when I took a double take.

What? Is... That????

Impulse had an extra set of legs.

Baby is beautiful. Baby is a filly! Tika is cranky because baby belongs to another. Poor Tika. Wants her own baby!

Tika will have time with baby soon enough, but for now, she's with her mommy, and Impulse is doing a good job.

It took City Boy a full week to come up with a name for this filly. She was out bounding around, galloping circles around her mother. The footing was a bit slick, given all the rain, and three times she lost control and came crashing down. City Boy was pretty sure her name was Grace.

The Big Bang

That's right. I said it, and I'm gonna do it. There's no point in saying you're doing something, if you don't follow through. It will simply disappoint people, like when Alec Baldwin promised us he'd leave the country if George Bush were re-elected, but then didn't, and stayed.

I've been caught in the facebook web for the past couple of years now, to the point where I've totally dropped off blogging. But now? With the doom and destruction known as Timeline coming to all pages as of the end of the month? Time to vacate. It's like the Facebook Apocalypse! And I said I'd leave...so leave I shall!

So what's up in the world of mustangs here at the diaries? For those of you who didn't get sucked into facebook and have been sitting here patiently waiting for me to once again tell you a story, or post a new photo or two, how about this one?

Impulse is bagging up. I'm pretty sure we'll need to have some sort of due date guessing game here. Wild bred, so all we know is it can't be later than June.

I've started a new job...you know, something that most of you have had, but I have not? With gas and hay prices climbing, it simply had to be done. As such, my pony time has been limited. Imp hasn't had a lot of one on one time, but she's such a quiet thing that I've not worried too much about her progress. She's not one to be easily caught, but she is more than willing to come in for dinner, so I've been turning her out into the bigger spaces a bit, which she is enjoying.

Recently I've begun to play a bit with leather stamping. The cowboy just completed a saddle for his daughter, and while he was working on it, I begged and pleaded for him to show me how to use some of the tools. Eventually he grew tired of my whining and sat me down with a piece of leather, a mallet and a tool. He have me a 60 second tutorial...then told me to get lost, as he had work to do. Sometimes I feel like a little kid in grandpa's workshop! But it inspired City Boy to purchase a few tools, and now I come home with the leather scraps from the saddle shop. The Cowboy decided I needed a piece of marble if I was going to be stamping, and gruffly told me, "You owe me one now" as he shoved it into my hands. I'm not too sure what 'one' is, but I'm pretty sure it's worth the trade. Darling and I spent last night pounding away on leather. For some reason, my shoulders hurt like crazy today!

First Touch!

Okay, Impulse has been lipping bits and pieces of hay from my hands since the beginning...and in doing so her lips would occasionally brush up against my fingertips. However, that does not constitute as 'touching' in the wild horse world. Not in the least. But it sure doesn't hurt on the road to getting there!

Treats are one of my favorite methods of getting into a wild horse's space. I like using bribery. Some people may not agree, but they're still standing in the middle of a round pen with their horses trotting circles of ignorance, while I stand in the center feeding treats. And touching lips.

To be honest, I've been busier with Kitty and a few others down at the Cowboy's place, cleaning stalls in an enclosed warm(er than my) barn rather than standing about in the cold and wet with wild Kiger girl. But that doesn't seem to be an issue with her. She prefers my time being spent doing something other than forcing my way into her space...even if it is for treats. But my friend Ty, the grain guy who sponsors my lovely mustangs, has had a hankering for a new wild one for himself, and of course he wants me to do the gentling again (he adopted Mustang U's 'Liberty', the grulla sale authority mare, as well as one of Darling's yearlings, in the past.) And you know...it would really be a good thing (I thought to myself) if Impulse was gentled before I tackled a new one.

Yes, City Boy, I know I've got five horses out there. No worries, dear...we'll fix that!

So outside I traipsed, in the damp and the cold, to hand treats to Miss Kiger Mustang. Lead rope in hand, I stood next to her, handing off one treat after the next. She was happy. Very, very happy...and then rather than pulling my fingers back, I left them on her muzzle, and she was less than very, very happy. She was...confused. And she lifted her head away, but she didn't attempt to go anywhere because, lo and behold, another treat appeared. And soon we were treating and touching and treating and touching.

Then the hand made a daring move, and the fingers stroked and rubbed up the cheek, and the chewing of treats stopped as she watched me cautiously from the corner of her eye. I rubbed beneath the halter and up toward her ear, then down her face. She stood quietly, waiting to see what I'd do next. She was pleased when 'next' was taking another treat from my pocket, and she was once again munching on treats before I stepped away.

Now, all of this touching and treating and rubbing of faces is nice enough. But the reality is, the most important thing in these photos is my hair. See it? It's straight! All those fluffy curls, vanished! I mean, touching wild ponies is good enough, but look at my hair! I know, I know...you noticed it right away, didn't you? And you just could hardly contain yourself, and barely noticed a thing I said about touching and treating. You were in shock, yes? I knew it...

New Skills!

A couple months ago I decided it was time to saddle up Bad Reputation and see what she'd do.

She did exactly what she always does.

Nothing.

Not much phases this little horse, though she's a bit of a bugger for the farrier. Oh, sure, she'll stand for me...and of course she'll stand for Darling...but some guy with a rasp? No so much. But we can't have everything, now, can we?

Since the sun was shining today, I figured it was a good time to see if Max would handle things as well. Normally, when something new is thrown at her, she's a bit jumpy to start, but once she realizes what's going on, she'll settle down. Today, I threw her a saddle...and she stood there. She didn't care. She was like a little red Rep with tall white socks and a blaze. Boo! Nothing.

Rep wanted to make sure I'd done everything right, so she came to inspect the job. Yup...cinched up just snug enough for nothing to slip off. Both Max and I passed inspection!

Once the saddle was pulled off and put away, I returned with treats for the girls, Aurelio and Impulse. Impulse is still a little slow to pick it up, but now I can get my fingers down beneath her lips, which encourages her to take them a bit faster. I swear I've never seen a horse put so much thought into taking a cookie!

All in all, a very good afternoon.

Save That Date

Currently working on the 2012 Mustang Diaries Calendar!

Lots of images from the year, from the Diva of all things Wild, to the Kiger adoption we recently attended, to the South Steens HMA. Once it's complete, I'll get a paypal link set up and let y'all know!




Meanwhile...back on the ranch:



The yearling colt we hauled home for Miss Emily is beginning to come along. He's very reserved, not terribly brave...reminding me a bit of Sandy when he first arrived, but without the biting. Aurilio has decided that treats are a good thing, which allows Emily to get into his space. He'd been very shy about his right side, but she's been able to drop the lead while brushing him and braiding his mane.

The other day I handed her a small, lightweight english pad to rub him with. Up and down the neck, then down the shoulders, over the withers, and onto the back. By the time she was done, he was standing still for her to flip it casually on and off. I think he's going to make a really nice horse for her.



Impulse is also making strides in the domestication department. She's terribly curious about everything I do, especially after watching me ride Steve Holt! the other day. I sat outside with some hay and popped a lead back onto her, but only long enough to get her to move in a few circles and reach out and touch her face a bit. She wasn't too appreciative, but once she was on the loose again, she was back to her curious self.



She decided, in fact, to take a treat from me. Never mind the fact that I'd fed a dozen of them to nearby Max, and it took Impulse five minutes of sniffing the one in my fingers before she worked up the nerve to take it in her lips. She's done that a few times now...sure would be nice if she could reduce that transition time from sniffing to lipping to just a few minutes!

But one cannot complain, really. At least she's comfortable getting up close and personal. So much, that I couldn't get a photo of anything but her neck yesterday!

Bits and Pieces

I am happy to say, not a bit of the snotties yesterday! And she was mildly interactive as well, so obviously feeling better, even if not 100%.

The other day I received an email from someone mildly interested in looking at Steve Holt!. I didn't hold my breath, but since he'd not been ridden in over a month, and at that, it was only 2 trail rides in September, I thought it best if I at the very least climb on him in the round pen for just a bit.

I'd had the new Myler bit on him, and just as in the last round pen ride, he dropped his head and held his nose perpendicular to the ground, just like a pleasure horse. And his trot...wow...while not super western slow, it was light and easy to sit. Amazing what a bit can do for a horse. Never, EVER, let someone tell you that you simply must be able to ride in a snaffle, or you're not worth your salt as a horseman. Hog wash! Each horse is different, just like any child in the classroom, and any teacher or trainer worth a paycheck knows this.

During my brief round pen ride, I watched in amusement as Impulse darted in and out of her stall. With paddocks attached directly to the round pen, she had an up close and personal view of Steve Holt! actually allowing a human to sit upon his back. Fascinating! Frightening! But really fascinating! She rushed in and out of her stall, not sure if she ought to be brave or hide. While standing inside...ooops!...a chicken flew up onto her back! She flinched, looked back to see what had happened, then ignored the chicken in order to pay attention to the goings on in the round pen.

Too funny! My wild horse is broke to ride...if only by a red hen.

The following day, Steve Holt!s ride went very well. It was as if he'd been ridden every day all summer long. His trot was sitting trot slow (not western pleasure jog, but comfortable enough) and his lope was easy and soft. He picked up both leads like he'd never given a thought in his life to not picking them up correctly. It went as smooth as could be...now we just wait and see. The young woman trying him out had just begun her search, and no clue if she's in a hurry or not. And while it would be nice to move him on, the Cowboy has said we can move him in down there for the winter and continue his training, and that is just about as nice as it gets.

The sun was shining all weekend, and I was wishing I didn't have a dead camera battery when I went out to clean Impulse's stall. Watching the proceedings the other day obviously increased her curiosity, because she began slowly working her way up to me, and cautiously reaching out in an effort to get a good whiff, no doubt wondering why the other horses seemed so intrigued by me. I had a pocket full of treats, of course, and stood at the round pen rail, feeding them to Max. Impulse eventually got close enough and brave enough to attempt taking my last treat, but it fell to the ground before she managed to get it all the way into her mouth. When I bent to pick it up, she moved off, so I put it inside a grain pan that was sitting nearby and walked away. When I was a safe distance, she walked over and lipped it up. She may not want grain, but for some reason, she's decided it's okay to eat treats. Well...whatever it takes!

Snotty Nose, Drooling Mouth

A spot of disappointment when we learned that the brown gelding we'd wanted for Ty had been shipped east to the adoption facilities there. I sent him a few new faces to look at, however, including the bay buddy of the brown horse here, and Ty agreed that the bay was very nice. In fact, he looked like he may be a little taller than the brown, which for someone who is roughly 6'4", would come in handy. And look at that bay face...does he not look like a sweet Sandy boy? I'm terribly fond of him already, even if he wasn't the brave one of the two.

Meanwhile, out in the round pen, Impulse is dripping...

I'm not really sure what's going on here, but when I first walked out she had saliva dangling at least two feet out of her mouth. Never have I seen anything like this! I went back in for the camera, and of course it was all gone, and this was the best I could get. Have you ever had this sort of drooling going on?

I'd wondered if perhaps it was a tooth issue, and it well could be. But the part that is concerning is that she's got such a snotty nose along with it. The other day, it was green and runny. She refuses to try any grain so far (and for those of you who are wondering, alfalfa pellets are also out), so can't get any powdered antibiotics down her. I've sprinkled it onto her hay, but she avoids it. So plan B (or is it C?) is to contact the vet Monday morning and get something that can be put into her water, and only give her small buckets so that she simply must drink.

Being that she's rather sick, and pregnant, I'm trying not to push her along in the gentling department. But with the sun out the other day, I grabbed a long stick and rested it on her back. I don't think she felt well enough to really complain. Or maybe she's just easy? She trotted a lap or two, turned around, then came to a stop. I rubbed and rubbed the old hair out, and eventually got close enough to run my fingers along her hip before she walked off. Was good stuff, it was!