Raising a baby horse is not for the faint of heart. They will spend the 3-4 years before you can even ride them perpetually trying to kill themselves. When you purchase a weanling and raise it yourself you get what you give. I have found that each horse is an individual and they don’t all . That said, if you don’t put in the time it becomes obvious with the horses manners – or lack thereof.
Luna currently lives outside 24/7. This is, in my opinion, the best place for her as she grows and matures. She has a herd of bossy mares showing her the ropes. Ultimately how she behaves with humans is on me though. She is a quirky little big filly and definitely seems to be a bit of a one person horse. This is not as cute as you might think. Especially when you have to pay your BO in jugs of captain to convince him to forgive you for her sins.
Thankfully in the past couple of months she has been coming into her own. She actually comes up to the gate when I call for her now. Maybe she thinks there will be food… I will take what I can get though! It is a serious improvement on having to chase her around and making her wear a collar. On the list of basic things a horse needs to be able to do she is now pretty agreeable about the usual tasks. She allows me to catch her, I can groom and pick all of her feet, and now she even stands to be bathed. Something I have been slacking on though is taking her on longer walks to practice her manners on the lead line.
With the keuring just around the corner I need to be diligent about getting her out and about more. On Wednesday I decided there was no time like the present. I might have gotten a little bit ambitious and took her down to the river. This was all fine until we came out of the tall grass to go back onto the driveway. She unfortunately saw my BO on golf cart before I did and just like that I was flying.Still very much attached to the leadline but I took for granted how good she was being and forgot that she’s still a baby. Apparently golf carts that you see every day are terrifying when you are on the same side of the fence with them! Wish me luck because I foresee more driveway skiing adventures with the sassmaster in my future. Anyone else want to join? 😂
I definitely handwalk Dante with gloves and a shank because I do not want to water ski everywhere. The Keurig should be loads of fun and I hope you blog lots about it!
I put the rope halter on for a little more control. I am trying to avoid the chain as she is a bit dramatic sometimes. I will resort to it if necessary though!
You’re doing awesome!! I prefer the rope halters too unless they’re really, regularly dragging off with me. She’s so pretty!
Yeah avoid the chain. Huey has had some really special moments lately though…. 😂
she’s getting big!!! and i definitely agree with “you get what you give” with green horses. i have limited experience with actual baby horses but imagine that rule proves even more true with the youngsters. my mantra, esp on days when i haven’t felt like it or whatever, has been that ‘the horse will only get the miles i put on him, so we best get started!’
Exactly. Somedays I just can’t and then I remember that it will be 100x worse if I wait until she is even bigger. She was leading fine when she was smaller but use it or lose it for the little brain haha.
Omg she is getting big! But she’s also getting so pretty! Yay bossy mares! I’ve always found a good group of stern turnout minders work wonders on the youngsters, lol!
Yeah I think it has helped. A “no” goes a lot farther these days!
Sorry but I am LOLing at your gold cart story. That is hilarious! She is so gorgeous though. That last pic reminds me a LOT of Rio. What is her breeding again?
She’s by Big Star and out of a Douglas x Zeus mare 🙂
Yes to rope halter. And yes to getting what you give. And they’re always testing us, aren’t they??
Always!