Trial Separation

We are applying ourselves to preparing for this weaning thing which will hopefully take place after he heals from being gelded, which will hopefully take place on Monday if those testicles stay where they are. They come and go at this age, but Mom and I (and Copy) just can't wait to get those suckers out of there.

I signed up three of our horses for a genetic study conducted by Cornell University, which involves, among other things, taking about 30 detailed measurements of each subject. Since it was raining today, I did the Grey Horse, and was contemplating who to do next. Mom pointed at Copy... "is she next?" Now I had in the back of my mind how I was going to contain Ace while I messed with Copy, but hadn't really made a decision yet. There were several options, but when Mom asked "What are you going to do with Stinky?" my reply slipped out confidently "I'm gonna leave him in there." Everyone had been out earlier, but were indoors because heavy thunderstorms have been rolling through all day. So, I just put their halters on and told Mom to take Copy out of the stall and put her on the cross ties which are the next slot down the aisle from their stall. I had complete confidence that Copy would be fine, but I was interested to see how Ace handled it.

Mom closed the sliding door as she left, and I didn't stay to discuss things with Ace. I unsnapped the lead and slipped out the door myself leaving him to figure things out for himself. He was very good. He circled and called, but did not launch himself against the walls, panic, or otherwise try to squeeze through holes not made for horses. Copy, as predicted, could not have cared less. She nickered back for a minute or two confident in the fact that he was still only 6 feet away, but as I went to work with the tape measure, she rested a hind foot, and tuned him out completely. I'm sure she was hoping I would get out the brushes and resume our old spa routine but unfortunately I didn't have time. Maybe we'll do that tomorrow now that we know we can take Copy out by herself.

After I was done measuring (10-15 minutes) I didn't want to just throw Copy back in the stall with the frustrated little monster, who was calming down anyway, so I had Mom take her out in the arena while I went in and got Ace. I cracked the door open, put a hand in and told him to get back, which he did. Then I went in and snapped a rope on and slid the door open. He reared up and wanted to rush out, so I spoke up to him and made him stand. We then walked through at a controlled, yet eager, pace. Again, I didn't want to just turn him loose to run to Copy, so I took him to the wall and tied him in his usual spot for a few minutes and let him further sort out his feelings before I turned him loose.

At no time was he allowed to get panicky or rush around frantically and he returned to Copy in a fairly mannerly fashion. Then we stood at the gate and discussed what a good normal acting equine he had been, and he came over to visit. All in all, it was a very undramatic first separation.

Acting like a grownup

I was very please with Ace today. He has been so rough on his Mom, that we are starting to develop a weaning agenda. Today when I walked into the barn at lunchtime, Mom says "the plan is, I'm bringing Copy into her stall, and you're going to hold him back and make him behave for a bit." Apparently, he has been a monster.

So, I put a rope on Mr. Bitey Bitey, and Mom took Copy to her stall. He was fine with that, and stood relatively quietly in the arena. After a bit, I led his down the aisle. Mom was with Copy (who could NOT have cared less) in her stall and she said "keep walking him past". Ace led quietly past, and stood in the aisle visiting politely with everyone though the stall fronts.
I said "if we had someone out right now (flies are bad today), I'd just put him in a different stall". Time to build a portable for one of the older horses. Acey needs a big boy room! I want him to spend the winter assigned to the hay drop which is outfitted as a tie stall (and also has a gate across so he doesn't actually have to be tied all the time), but for starters he needs a sturdy box stall.

Then, before I left my husband stopped by and wanted me to take Ace out to show a friend. I went in and haltered him ("my goodness he's mannerly today" says Hubby), then led him out alone to stand in the aisle while Copy munched hay. Everyone acted so normal. It gives me hope for an uneventful weaning.

Ticklish Little Devil

The other day when I was handling Ace, I realised he is pretty ticklish on his sides. So, today when he was having his tying lesson, I got a hand towel to groom him with. Talk about ticklish! He did his best impression of the Tasmanian Devil. I toweled down his side and under his belly. First he tried to reach around and bite, but I smacked his hiney. So, he took out his anger on the rope. Then I went across his flank, and between his hind legs, and the fun really started. First he crouched until his belly was only about a foot off the ground, then he commenced kicking. It's really difficult to grope a horse, and smack them around at the same time! I pushed him against the wall, put my arm over his back, and just polished away. He was kicking double time with first one hind leg then the other. Armed with the determination that this would be a lot less fun as he got bigger, and Bill Cosby's sage parenting advice ("I brought you into this world, and I can take you out") I polished until he gave in.

All the while, he was attacking the rope, and untying himself, or at least letting out more line. A couple of times he did rear up and fight the rope, just because he couldn't stand to be around me anymore, but I could tell he didn't think it would do him much good. After he submitted to the flanks, I started on the chest, which was just as bad, only closer to the biting end. And ended with the neck and face. Then I picked up each leg, and worked with his tail (which oddly enough, he doesn't mind at all).

After about 15 minutes, he had pretty much given up, but he was still pretty pissed off. I can tell you, if I had waited until he was a yearling or two year old to do some of this, he would have broken some stuff. When he was done, I unsnapped the rope, and pulled him away from the wall, telling him he was free to go. He immediately launched himself back to his mom where he shook off all the nasty human, then he came racing back to me, reared up to his fullest height to tell me just how happy he was to be free of me, than started a bucking and running fit as he worked off his frustrations.

Is there any better toy than an old juice bottle?

Certifiable

Acey's registration certificate came in the mail this week. It's Beeea-U-teefull! ASHA was kind enough to redesign their paperwork just in time so I could have a fancy new style certificate.

Unfolded it is a whole 11x17 sheet! I'm considering framing it... it's the first time I have ever had my name on the papers as breeder. In fact, it's only the third set of Saddlebred papers I've had my name on at all. We have had many Saddlebreds in and out of here, but the only ones I've actually owned were my first Saddlebred "Oliver", and Ace's Mom.

Naptime

What a sap!

I went in to worm Copy today while His Highness was taking his afternoon nap. Nothing disturbs naptime. When I scratched his neck, he sprawled right out. He's fun when he's laying down. Even if he starts to get up you can grab him and flatten him and he let's you do whatever you want to. Sort of like a 200 pound dog. After naptime, we had a quick tying lesson. The door was open to the pipe corral, and Copy went outside, but Ace knew he was tied, and didn't test he rope at all. Good Boy!

All Tied Up!

Time has come for Acey to learn something new about the world and his place in it. He is sure he is the most important thing. Anytime you come to a door or gate, you are met with a wide open mouth. It isn't that he is trying to attack people, he just needs something in his mouth right away. It doesn't matter if it is a bucket, or a rope, maybe your sleeve (with or without flesh) but he has to have it in his mouth. You can't even resort to smacking him because he moves like lightening. He desperately needs to be taken down a peg or two.

So today we had a tying lesson. He has already leaned to give to pressure and is old enough to understand so I went to the wall of the indoor arena and wrapped the rope around a 6x6. He was immediately pleased that the rope was now at eye level so he could chew on it better. But soon his impatience grew. Copy was wandering around the arena happy to be free of the little rugrat. I took up some line as he squirmed from one side to the other. Finally he decided a tantrum was in order and pulled back. This is where those lessons early in life come in handy. He is not used to being able to get away, and has not yet discovered that he may truly be the strongest force in the vicinity even when he is.

I only had the rope wrapped, so it let out enough to cushion the blow as he pulled. When he realized the rope would hold, he launched himself at the wall. Five feet of hardwood was unfazed by the attack. He tried it once more then decided he was tied. He looked back over his shoulder pitifully "where is my M-ah-mmy? I need her." Copy came over to check things out and tell him not to do that, then left again.

"Uh, Mom?"

"MOM!"

"MOMMYYYYY!"

After that he tied quietly with only a little wiggling. Lesson learned. For now...

Your True Colors Are Shining Through

Yes, Ace is truely Bay. Dark bay, but with red highlights.

And where he is shedding out along his back, he has a wide black dorsal mark.

Ace is absolutely covered in whorls. He has them on both cheeks (just like Mama) which the Bedouins say predict debt and ruin. Besides that, he has a perfect wheatear on his neck. That one foretells misfortune. But in the meantime, it is really very pretty. He has the finest hair coat I've ever seen. He gets that from both his sire and dam.