Here, Red Hot and Tombstone illustrate that it is definitely breeding season here at Rustling Oaks Farm! The fellas are at their stinkiest and the ladies (the goat ladies) just love it. The rest of us really don't care to be downwind, for sure! Can't wait to meet our cute little kiddies in early to mid February of 2016!
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We had a marvelous time with our friend, Dianne Cox, playing with Molly in the round pen Sunday evening, 5-3-15. She longed very well (Di is teaching us some tricks) and everybody got in a little saddle time. Boy, she didn't know what had hit her, but her vacation is definitely over. Fun time had by all, I think. Molly enjoyed the attention. Total spotlight hog!
Our friend, Gone Kuntry, invited us over for her birthday celebration yesterday. It included some awesome obstacle course action, and we are thrilled with how wonderful Sally-Sue was! A perfect angel!
Yay!!! Our kids are now starting to arrive! This is Ruthie with her lovely buck and doe tri-color blue kids by Blueberry Crunch. Can't wait to see how they develop! Good job, Ruthie!
Had a marvelous trip up to the lake at Bussey Point on Sunday morning with Mom (Kathy Morgan), Diane Caruso, Ship Ware Fox, Audrey Myrick, and several others. LOVELY time. This was Sally's first trip to the lake and she was a total brick. :)
Last Thursday evening, Mom and I got the idea to try to load Sally into our tiny bumper pull trailer. To our shock and happiness - she fit right in! To celebrate, we hauled her over to our friend Boss Mare's house in Blythe for some arena time. :) Sally loaded right up again and couldn't have been a better girl (although she wasn't as taken with our friend's paint gelding, Hawk, as I would have liked). What a wonderful morning! It was hot, though, and we were all sweated up by the end. Bath time for both of us! I have to say that I was a little unsure when I first thought of bringing Sally back to the farm as my personal mount. My memories of her were a little fuzzy on the points of temperament and comfort of riding. That being said, I have been more than pleasantly surprised by how Sally has changed and matured in the last several years. I was prepared for her to be mistrustful and reserved, and it is obvious that she was abused before she came into our family. I wasn't prepared for how quickly she started to overcome her mistrust or for how easily she has allowed me to catch her over the past week. Also, as an aside, she loves apple slices and apple flavored cookies. Her ground manners are superb and I appreciate her respect of personal space. I find that her reserve makes me want to be a better horse-woman, want to have softer hands and a gentler voice. I want her to trust me and to have good reason. She seems to bring out a good side of me rather than the stubborn and grumpy side that Molly tugs on. I like that. If I wasn't prepared for her to start to gentle to me so soon, I was downright shocked to see the softness in her eyes during our brushing session yesterday. Not only were her eyes soft, her face was relaxed, her lips were loose, she was sighing contendedly, and if she had cocked her hip anymore she may have fallen over in a stiff breeze. That was unexpected and pleasant. She may not be an overt love-bug, but she does enjoy time and care and appreciated my brushing and scratching. So far, after just a week - I think our personalities may click and I hope that she will learn to trust me working with her head and her bridle more and more so that I can teach her to lower it. She stood like a rock with the mounting block and was very responsive under saddle. Moreover, she listened when I talked to her and made sounds. I think that she will be easy to teach to neck rein well and at that time, I may move her into a Myler low port, short shanked curb bit with a leather chin strap (the gentlest possible) for one handed riding. We'll see. She didn't feel as narrow as I remembered, and I am thrilled with that! It did feel like I was riding a headless horse as she carried her head very low when relaxed. I'll adjust, but the saddle doesn't help. New one being saved for! Her walk is different from what I am used to now, and I will adjust to that as well. We didn't go any faster than a walk because she is A. very out of shape and B. I don't feel secure in the sadd I am sure there will be boogers in our future and kur-fuffles, but so far so good. I am hopeful and HAPPY! It's been a very busy week! We had the farrier out Wed. afternoon and Uncle Steve got a nice ride in on Goldy. She stood like a rock for her feet, which was nice. Working with her otherwise, we've noted that she's very jumpy in the stall and VERY conscious of hands anywhere near her in the stall. I'm wondering if she's been hit or abused or had some kind of trouble in that situation. On the other hand, she now goes right into her stall to wait to be fed and has settled in great with the goats and in the pasture. She's a sweet and personable little girl. Also, Molly had her feet done and did the best that she has in a while. She responded well. I brought her out yesterday after work and Mom and I combed out her mane and tail, clipped her nose and groomed/picked up her feet. We also longed her and although it was difficult at first - we got it! At the end she came right up to me and followed me around with no rope. We tied her to the post and let her stand there while we medicated some baby goats. Results this week: positive. Day 3: After a necessary name change, she is back to Goldy and I have decided it is short for Golden Delicious. Show name, for later... ;) Goldy is settling in very well and doesn't mind the goats at all except when they get in her way at feeding time. We have moved her stall to the end one because the feeder is shorter and at a more natural place for her to feed. Upped her to 2x of the small scoop of feed per day (I think that is close to 3/4 of a full scoop). She doesn't like the loose salt in the bottom, so planning to pick her up a salt block for the stall. I had plans to longe her today and to comb out her tail with more work on spray bottles, but the wind is 90 to nothing and limbs are falling out of the trees like shrapnel. So, I brought her up to feed and just brushed her in the stall. I have decided not to ride her until after her feet are done because they are so bad. The farrier is coming Wednesday afternoon, and I will hopefully be able to ride on Thursday after work. Focusing on ground manners and learning her personality. She was fine with being brushed and she has a nice coat. The cut she had on her left hind leg when she came is scabbing over and the scab is getting loose, yay there. Her blue eye has been running; it could be the wind, or she could need the tear duct flushed out. Time will tell. She needs a BATH, but too cold! I did finish up a good brushing, but after that she wasn't happy with me standing around and petting her while she munched her hay. She twisted her neck around and pinned her ears at me. Stayed until she relaxed again. I will try to do that fairly often until she gets used to it. Second extended experience: positive. |
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