A Pleasant Surprise

 

Yesterday was a super busy day.  My two new volunteers came over and helped me get Seymour, Lucky, Jethro, Casper, and River in the trailer.  It was hot, muggy, and I was dripping enough sweat to fill a five gallon bucket.  Hello, Summer.  Nice to finally see you. 

Ugh.

Anyway, Seymour, Lucky, and Jethro were headed over to a friend’s place to meet up with Doc and his castration equipment.  Doc was going to be there anyway and he’s so busy these days that it was easier for him if I  took the boys over to him..  Casper and River were headed to the same place to be fostered with two little riders who couldn’t wait for the ponies to show up.

Let me tell you right now, that I love Jethro.  I have loved that stallion since the first night.  He’s so well behaved and unstallion-like that I just can’t help it.  Yesterday was no different.  He was a peach to load, was awesome in the strange barn even when this cute little mare made googly eyes at him, and was also a perfect patient for Doc. 

Seymour was also a very good boy.  When the surgery was over and he was coming out of his drug stupor he was still very woozy and staggering around.  But even in this state he knew he wanted to get back on that trailer and stumbled his way out to it with me trailing behind.  Once he got to the trailer he had to take a break and rest his head on the trailer floor before clambering up into the trailer and begging me to take him away from the mean and nasty vet.  Poor guy.  I felt so bad for him!  That is, until I got him home and tried to take him back to his paddock in the dark.  As soon as he saw Lucille the drugs wore off and he was back to his old self and trying to drag me along with him.  Ya’ll… it was hot.  I as tired.  And it was going to be too dangerous for me to walk him past Lucille and around the pond through the mud in the dark.  So please don’t judge me too harshly when I tell you that I yanked his horny butt back up the driveway and let him spend the night in the stock trailer.   Thankfully, he was a perfect gentleman this morning when I put him back in his paddock.  Whew!

Lucky was a different story.  Lucky hates needles.  Lucky is bigger and stronger than me.  Need I say more?  At least the deed is finally done.

Now, on to the fun stuff!  The kids couldn’t wait to ride Casper so as soon as it started cooling off a bit they tacked the little guy up.  It was obvious from the first that Casper had been through this before.  He was fine with the saddle and took the bit easily.  

 

He was a pro on the longe line.

 

He stood still and almost seemed bored when L climbed on board.

 

His main problem was laziness, which I don’t really consider a problem in ponies.  The lazier the better since not all kids this size ride as well as L.

 

 

She did get him to trot and canter, but Doc was there by then and I was in the barn sitting on Jethro’s neck and not taking pictures.  Casper bucked a few times when asked to canter, but nothing serious and L stayed on him.

 

I just have three words for you… too stinkin’ cute!   It’s River’s turn tonight and I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

More Long Ears

A week or so ago someone called and asked if they could board their Jack mule with me for a bit.  They had just gotten him and he was jumping the fence where he was and taking off for the hills in search of equine companionship.  They say he even jumped a 5' stall wall to escape and they finally found him several ridges west of the barn.  I was pretty sure he was escaping because he was lonely and because he was only using that dangly brain between his legs to think, so I said sure, but he has to be castrated once he gets here.

They couldn't get him up here before dark, so I ended up putting him in the yard pen with Jed.  They told me he'd kill Jed and would easily jump out of the pen and I'd be searching for him in the morning.  I could tell just by walking him down the driveway that the poor little guy was just misunderstood, but I still watched he and Jed for 30 minutes or so after putting them together. 

They sniffed noses and Lucky the mule wanted to sniff Jed's butt.  Jed kicked at him a couple of times and that was the end of that.  Lucky buried his head in the hay and was still in the pen the next morning.  And the morning after that, and the morning after that. 

 

He's still a little shy and you can't move too quickly around him, but he's getting better every day and now talks to us and comes to the gate when he sees us.

 

I removed his halter once I was certain he wouldn't jump the fence and leave.  He's now easy to catch, lifts his feet, and as we found out the other day, LOVES kids!

 

He's only two years old, so this winter we'll just keep working with him and get him castrated.  In the spring, there's a little pony cart and harness with his name (and Casper's, and Chip's... ) on it . Once he's trained to pull a cart and his owners are ready for him on their new farm, he'll be leaving us to go home.  But his owners don't want to pull him away from his buddy, so little Jed will go home with him!  How awesome is that??