Big horse teeth!

Upper incisors are in, lowers just came out and secondaries are pushing through! He's a growin!

Longer walks and trail rides

I have been doing short 15 min or so ground lessons with Flash the past week or so. However I think it is time to start introducing longer sessions of work. I am going to start adding in 2 or 3 days a a week pony rides out around the Christmas tree farm and around the fields. As long as the weather permits the rest of the summer and into the fall.

 Today was a fun ride through the Christmas tree farm. Deuce set out at a nice forward energetic walk and Flash really would have rather just strolled along at a leisurely pace.  He had to work to keep up. Hopefully he won't take too long to figure out how to move with a more consistent and efficient pace. The dragging and speeding up routine he did today got a little old.

Cross country jumps 101....

Today we spent some time out in the cross country field working on all of our ground exercises that are based on giving to pressure. He did very well working in different areas of the field with varios distractions (such as jumps, neighbor horses and yummy, not ever been tasted grass).

After great success with our exercises, we took a walk around the field to take a close look at some of the big scary looking jumps. While he did give his classic arched neck and snort response at the rock pile telephone pole jump, he still walked up to it to get a better look (as opposed to running away from it!) He thought the bank was super convenient as a table for grass nibbling but then I showed him how he could step up and down and he thought that was pretty cool too. (though stopping to eat grass on a "table" was way more fun!)

More Baby's first...

... experience with the wash rack....
.....and.... 

...bath! 

He walked in to the wash shed cautiously (the rubber mats look a bit like a giant black hole) but once he got his first foot in, he quickly figured out it was solid ground and walked in with curiosity. He sniffed all the bottles and brushes and sponges on the wall and checked out the hose and only flicked his ears when I turned it on. I let the water run on the ground and make some splashing noises and when he got comfortable with the noises got the water close to his legs and gradually worked the running water up his legs, to his neck then his sides and rump. He stood nicely for all of it! Helps that it was a 90+ degree day and a bit of a shower probably felt pretty good... 

Still pinching myself; is this real?

Summer pasture pictures.... Yep, these are both of my horses... I have 2 horses!? Even though its been over a year since I have become a 2 horse owner, I still can't get over it. Both of theses boys belong to me!

Getting out and about

Deuce is a wonderful pony horse! Since they had a few days to get used to each other, I decided to take them out on our first trail ride together just around the arena and maybe out to the cross country course if all went well...

Deuce was a natural! Flash knows about ponying as he and done it before and his leading has only gotten better since then so I knew he would be no trouble, it was just a matter of if I could ride and steer Deuce and if he would tolerate a baby at his side.

All went great. We wandered around the arena with no issues then ventured to the cross country course. I even asked for a little trot and Flash jumped up into trot before Deuce. I think he really wanted to just take off, but Deuce quickly reminded him with a pinned ear and a swing of his head to stay beside him. I could not have asked for a better response from him! Good boy Deuce! (makes my job easier to have a second pair of eyes and another body keeping the little one in line!) So we trotted around then walked over a few little logs. And called it a day. Great first pony ride and many more to come!!!

Baby's First...

... night in the stall. (it took him a little while to figure out he could hang his head out of the stall door, but not long at all to figure out the feed routine!!!)

...glance in the mirror.

A Hair Don't.

Flash had a great time playing and chewing on one of his pasture mates out in Amboy; a Belgian/Percheron draft yearling colt named Shorty. Shorty returned the chewing favors. The two boys had a great time together chewing and playing and chewing....
However, Flash's poor mane did not fair too well with all the fun.

Chewed up!

Needless to say, when Flash arrived at PRF; he looked like quite the raggle muffin. Half a mane, bite and scrape marks all over... tangled unruly tail.

Before...

I decided to tidy up his mane a bit and even off all the mane to the shortest point. It was beyon the point of being pulled so Flash is sporting a roached mane now and I have to say, he looks rater sporty...

After; shortened up, tidy and sporty!

A Big Move!

Flash moved to Pheasant Ridge Farm today (this is where Deuce, my big spotted horse lives)! I am soo happy to have both horses in the same place at last!!!
Flash was a little worried about getting onto the trailer, but after a short time of contemplating the step up and the noisy echo inside, he stepped up and forward into the stall. I praised him lots as I tied him in (his legs were a little shaky, but he stood still and listend to my voice.) I clsoed the doors and we were off to the new barn.

When we arrived, he was curios and ready to cautioulsy get off the trailer. He hopped down (we need to work on backing up off the trailer; but that will be another day) and just stood and took in his new surroundings. He saw a horse in the pasture and a barn and a gravel lot. Then he just sorta stood and waited for my next request.

The plan was to put Flash out in his own field first to get settled and learn the fences (he had not been on hot wire before). When we turned him out, he was pretty chill just taking in his surroundings, looking at his neighbors and sniffing the grass. No craziness in this little baby! (Must be taking after the levelheadedness his draft friends he lived with for the first few years of his life)
Since he seemed to be okay with the fences, we went ahead and put Deuce out with him so they could get reacquainted.

Deuce promptly went up to Flash and touched noses with him then sniffed him all over. Flash just sorta stood and looked at him and said nothing. Then Deuce tried to get Flash to run with him by shoving him with his body, Flash obliged for a few steps but Deuce would not let up and Flash politely showed Deuce his heels  by kicking out but not connecting to let him know he had enough. Deuce got the message and switched to a prancing head tossing around him method in hopes of getting Flash to get fired up but again, Flash was not impressed. He just stood and stared at Deuce and tried to calmly walk away. This went on for a few minuets and then Deuce finally gave up and decided Flash was not going to be a challenge to him and he would gladly follow him around.

So that was about it. As some point Flash did feel the electric fence, as I heard it zap and he sorta startled and trotted away a few steps, turned around snorted and proceeded to be careful to keep Deuce between himself and the fence.

Where's Flash?