Monday, July 21, 2008

Starting Over

I have had Summer for over a year and this is only the 3rd time I've seen her in heat. Crazy huh? When I got her she was already confirmed in foal, due this April. She was green. Hardmouthed. And I was told all I needed to do was put miles on her and we'd be fine. WRONG. I am a big chicken when it comes to riding and I was just as green as my horse. Not a good combo. Add in the fact she had a nasty wolf tooth that caused her excruciating pain and made her sometimes violently toss her head and over all pregnant bitchiness. We were quite the pair. Don't get me wrong. Summer is a wonderful horse and I wouldn't trade her for anything. We have a connection that is undescribable, but we didn't before. I was ignorant and impatient and can have a terrible temper. I wouldn't say I know everything now but I've come along way and Summer and I get closer and closer to being a team every day. The 4 or 5 months of her pregnancy that I couldn't ride her helped build a bond I never thought possible. It was also the hardest 4 or 5 months of owning a horse I think I'll ever have. I've wanted my own horse my entire life and for that chunk of time when she wasn't rideable was extremely depressing. I was pissed I had bought some stupid pregnant bitchy horse and now after waiting so long couldn't ride. It just wasn't fair. Somedays I was really mad and other days I just spoiled her and tried to deal with it. Once that foal hit the ground I was ecstatic. Almost time to ride! Summer was a great mom and her filly couldn't have been born more perfect unless she'd been a Paint instead of solid.Summer was a great mom and you could tell she loved it. Kaia was alot of fun to imprint and work with but she is now 4 months old and I am ready to have my horse back. I found Kaia a wonderful home with a great couple that lives on the coast and they come see her almost every weekend. They can't wait to take her home. As much as I love her I can't wait for her to leave. SureI'll miss her but taking care of two horses is stressfull and I really like to focus just on Summer. She deserves it.


So tonight is a new beginning for us. I weaned Kaia.This is the beginning of getting to know her without being pregnant and no baby to worry about. A chance to find out if she's a major wench when she's in heat or if it was just her being too overloaded from all the feed and supplements and alfalfa pellets. I am really excited to get to know her.


The last 2 weeks I had been seperating her and Kaia a little here and there when I rode Summer. Some of the stalls at my barn look into the arena so Kaia went in a stall where she could still see mom but couldn't nurse. Summer did really well. She turned her head every time we would pass Kaia in her stall but she never balked and never seemed upset during any of our sessions. Afterwards I would let Kaia out and she would get to nurse as long as she wanted. After doing this for several nights I decided yesterday that when I brought Summer in to ride her I would leave Kaia out with her buddy Yogi (cute QH mare) and lunge Summer in the indoor arena. They couldn't see each other and both seemed to do fairly well. Kaia hollered and whinnied the whole time I was tacking up Summer while Summer just stood there and listened. She listened to me really well in the arena and only called out to her daughter a few times. I worked her for about 25 minutes and when she settled down completely I finished our session and released Kaia from the pasture. They both received baths yesterday and afterwards I let them play in the arena for a while. Here are some of my last and favorite pictures of them together.

Tonight went much easier than I expected. I brought Summer in, tacked her up and took her into the arena without her so much as turning an ear to her hollering baby. She lunged really well and even seemed more relaxed than normal. I tightened her girth, slipped on her bridle and she stood quietly in the middle of the arena for me to climb in the saddle. Her ears were perked forward in the direction of the "suffering" foal but she stayed quiet and still until I asked her to move forward. We walked calmly on the rail and she did turn hr head several times but didn't even act up when we watched the stallion being led into his stall. Its like she acknowledged it was time. I think she's ready for me to conecentrate on her and only her. Is that possible?

We finished our ride with her only calling out to Kaia once and she only squatted one time, for a mare. But in her defense the stallion had just ben in that field so maybe she still smelled him. Then again maybe she thought the mare was cute. When I left the barn tonight Summer was happily munching hay in her stall and Kaia was eating her dinner with her new friend Yogi in the pasture. Not one of them looked stressed one bit.

2 comments:

KD said...

I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT TINKER NOW!

girlio said...

Those sure are some beautiful horses you got there girly. Thank you so much for all of the suport you give to my little one. I promise now that i have found your blog, I will be reading. Look forward to the next blog.