Going Gaited

 

Last November a friend and I spent three days horseback riding the beautiful trails of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.  A local stable rented us quarter horses for our stay, and we spent long hours in the saddle each day.  Interestingly enough, with only a few exceptions, the other riders we met were on gaited horses.  Those horses’ smooth ground covering strides left us in the dust on our slow walking quarter horses.

Getting home, I began my research, and decided my next horse would be gaited.  I was not set on one certain breed, but was willing to look at Tennessee Walkers, Spotted Saddle Horse, one of the Mountain Horse breeds, or Paso Finos.  My requirements were pretty simple:

1.  15 hands or shorter

2.  Between 7-11 years in age

3.  Safe for this senior citizen who has never ridden a gaited horse.

And the hunt began…  HorseClicks, Equine Now, Craigslist ads.  I contacted owners of at least five different horses – some had already been sold, while one owner was honest enough to tell me her horse was probably more than I needed to handle.  I came across one Paso Fino who looked and sounded promising in the ad, so one Saturday I drove over four hours to South Carolina to try him out.  He was smaller in height than the ad indicated, and after riding him, I didn’t feel any connection.  The hunt continued.

Towards the end of March, I was checking ads on Huntsville, Alabama Craigslist , and one really got my attention.  A 7 year old TWH gelding, 14.3 hands, trail safe, was for sale in Shelbyville, Tennessee, the Walking Horse breed epicenter.  I made the call, the horse sounded promising; so on Wednesday, March 26, I headed up I-75 to meet him.

His owners were an engaging older couple who had a small breeding farm for Tennessee Walkers.  Wayne, 72 years of age, and with two knee replacements, rides every day, several times a day, but did say he now sends his young horses out to a trainer for their first rides.  He and Sandra walked me through the barn, telling me about each horse in the stalls, from a broodmare with bulging sides close to foaling, a pretty young mare who was sold and on her way to her new home, to their striking gray stallion.  And then we got to the last stall.

Bubba met us at the door, with his bold white blaze and incredibly liquid brown eyes.  I completely forgot all the other horses in the barn, and only had eyes for this boy.  He stuck his nose out to smell me, and gazed at me with those eyes.  Wayne saddled him and knowing I had never ridden a gaited horse, rode him around to let me see how he moved.  Then it was my turn.

He and I started up the driveway, both of my hands on the reins, feeling his powerful stride beneath me.  After several trips up and down the drive, I took him out to a large field to let him stretch out some.  By the time I got back to the barn, I knew Bubba was the horse for me.  

My husband and I pulled our trailer back up to Shelbyville on Sunday to bring him home.  Sandra told me that over the past few weeks, several potential buyers had come to ride him, but they dissuaded them due to not being a good fit.  She said the second time I rode down the driveway on him, she knew I was the person Bubba had been waiting for…  sigh!

Bubba loaded like a dream, and was the perfect passenger on the over four hour trip home.  Belle had a new buddy, and I had my first gaited horse.  Let the adventure begin! 

  

 

 

 

Doing the Right Thing Surely Isn’t Easy!

From the moment I laid eyes on him, my heart was his, and I knew I would do all within my power to give this colt a good life. He has beaten the odds and grown into a gorgeous and healthy adult horse. For a long time, I imagined Tuff and myself as an inseparable team, my retirement years spent riding down the trails of adventure together.

Then reality began to invade my imaginings.

Tuff would need training – more expense, but more importantly, regular time in the saddle once he came back from the trainer. At 60 years of age, should I be riding a young, green horse? Did I have the know how to finish him? And then, what would I finish him to do….. trail ride?  Tuff’s personality and genetics told me he was destined to do much more than take a senior citizen calmly down mountain trails. For the first time, I really considered what was best for us separately.

The answer I came to was a hard one; Tuff needed a life I couldn’t give him, and I needed an older, calmer horse than Tuff. I worded a  “for sale” ad, prayed for the perfect buyer, and waited. It didn’t take long.

I questioned those who called and felt one prospective buyer was the best match for Tuff. Jeff arrived from over sixty miles away, horse trailer in tow, and three buddies with him. For over an hour he examined Tuff, questioned me about him, worked him in the round pen , and consulted with his friends. His buddies told me what a fine horse I had, and what a good job I had done with the groundwork.  While Jeff was checking out Tuff, I was checking out Jeff by chatting with his friends, and I got a good feeling for his training methods and the home he would give Tuff.

Groomed and waiting to meet Jeff

When Jeff told me he’d buy Tuff, I felt so relieved, yet heartbroken too. I kept telling myself that this was for the best for both of us.  Trailer loading provided some much needed comic relief.  After the three men tried to load Tuff for over 30 minutes, I asked if they’d mind if I tried.  I put some of his feed in his bucket, and he calmly followed me up into the trailer.  The men laughed, swore each other to secrecy, and said they figured it would be all over Facebook before they got home.

Favorite food, and loading was a breeze!

Over and over I told Jeff that the MOST important thing to me was that Tuff went to the right home.  Jeff intends to train him as a ranch horse, using him to work cattle – cutting and roping.  That will be so much more in tune with  Tuff’s abilities and bloodline than just trail riding. Jeff realized this was not an easy decision for me to let him go, (could it be because I asked for absolute first chance to buy him back should he ever decide to sell Tuff?) so he told me I was welcome to see him and even ride him once he is trained.

The winter sun was getting low and I knew that Jeff was ready to head north, so I gave Tuff one last pat and stepped down.  The trailer doors were closed, and the truck pulled out.  It was then I could  no longer hold back the tears.  A chapter in Tuff’s life was over, and my emotions were all over the place.  Yet I knew I had chosen to do the hard thing, which was absolutely the right thing for Tuff.

Rain, rain, go away!

North Georgia is on track to have a record breaking year for rainfall.  Gardening is one of my favorite endeavors, and in previous years I have had to devote a lot of time to watering my plants.  Nature has taken care of that for me this year, but the downside is that many of the plants died or performed poorly because of soggy roots.

The barn area has taken a hit too.  The run in (Tuff and Belle’s favorite hangout) is deeply shaded on one side, and the constant rain created a boggy mess!  Belle has had a couple of bouts with thrush, and the mud makes doing anything a messy job.  Finally, last week, we went five whole days without rain, and had a friend use his Bob Cat to scoop out the soggy dirt down to the clay, and slop the ground away from the run in.

The round pen is located in one of the few flat areas on our property, and has stayed wet  most of the summer.  The few times I attempted to do some groundwork with Tuff, he ended up slipping, so rather than risk an injury, I stopped the lesson.   Add to that my parents’ rapidly declining health issues, and I have not had the time I thought I would to train.

So rather than send Tuff off as a two year old to be saddle trained, I am postponing that until his three year old year.  I think the extra time will be good for him; he can grow out of some of his baby foolishness and shenanigans, and I will have more time to work on ground manners.  Assuming of course, that eventually, this rain will go away!

School is out… forever!

Monday I will begin my last week of teaching, not just for this school year, but forever!    As of May 25, I will officially end a career that began in November, 1975.  I took time off to have three children, but have taught nonstop since our youngest began kindergarten back in 1987.  The vast majority of my career has been challenging and rewarding; retirement was not something I gave a lot of thought.  Older colleagues told  me that would change, that I would just know when it was time to go.  That happened during the first semester of this, my 29th year.  For years I could never imagine doing anything else but teaching,  but now I want to immerse myself in all those things that were  limited to summer months, weekends or holiday breaks.  Harvesting tomatoes and other vegetables instead of preplanning, enjoying horseback rides on those beautiful cool fall days, taking my grandson to the park on a weekday morning,  traveling at a moment’s notice with my husband, birdwatching from my deck with a second cup of tea, hanging clothes out on the line, spending Sunday afternoons doing whatever, not rushing home to grade a mountain of papers, sending Tuff to a trainer knowing I will have time to continue his lessons once he comes home, and planning a girls’ trip with my daughters are just some of the simple pleasures that await.  “For everything there is a season…”(Ecclesiastes 3).  I welcome the new season in my life’s journey!

First Time Trim, Second Time Offer

Belle was long overdue for a trim, so when I called Matt, my farrier, I also mentioned to him that I’d like him to look at Tuff’s hooves, but didn’t expect any trimming as Tuff has not totally grasped the idea of lifting his feet for any length of time.   A few days earlier I had read an article by renowned horseman, Monty Roberts, on “12 Things your Farrier Would Love You to Know.”  Mr. Roberts confirmed my reluctance to have Tuff’s feet trimmed.  “The farrier often feels that he is being taken advantage of and should not be required to take the time necessary to train.”  It’s not that I haven’t worked to get Tuff to the point that lifting his feet is easy, but like most training goals so far, more time has been needed to see desired results.

When Matt finished trimming docile Belle, we moved over to Tuff’s stall, rasp and nippers in tow.  As soon as he lifted his front left foot, Tuff attempted to put it back down.  Matt hung on to it though, and was able to trim and rasp the hoof before letting Tuff put it down.  I told Matt again I didn’t expect him to have to train and trim my horse, but he said it was no problem, and good for Tuff to begin to experience trimming.  On the right front foot, Tuff seemed even more determined to win the battle for control of his foot, but once again, Matt succeeded in getting the trimming done.

Since the front feet were enough for his first trim, we stood around for a few minutes talking horses in general and Tuff in particular.  Last summer, on Matt’s first trip out to trim Belle, I had told him the story of Tuff, and by the time I finished, he told me he had been looking for a young red dun with Hancock breeding, and offered to buy him on the spot.  Seeing him now, eight months later, he told me he would love to train him, told me what he would do if it was his horse, and quoted prices.  Of course he said, I could save all that expense by going ahead and selling him Tuff.  Again I told him I wasn’t ready to do that, but that didn’t mean that the time would come when I would realize that selling Tuff to the right person may be the best thing for the horse.  Matt asked if I would give him the first opportunity to purchase should that time come, and then he only charged me for Belle’s trim, and not the wrestling match to get Tuff’s two front hooves done.  So for now, Tuff has a reliable farrier; only time will tell if Matt’s relationship with Tuff will become much more.

A Long Yearling

Today’s almost 60 degree weather and sunny skies were a harbinger of spring.  Seems like this winter has been longer and wetter than usual, and tomorrow’s weather will return to cloudy skies and highs in the 40s.  Tuff has had several periods of lameness this winter, and I’m not sure if it is due to slipping on wet ground, or his rambunctious ways to expel his youthful energy that is resulting in sprains.  He was at least considerate enough to wait until the Christmas break for his worst injury which required twice a day soaking in  hot epsom salt water in an inner tube “boot.”

In just over three months, Tuff will turn 2.  For the time being, he is a “long” yearling, the term given to young horses between 18 months old and their second birthday.  All winter long, his life has been pretty cushy.  On my way to school at 6:30 each morning, I stop to feed grain and hay.  He and Belle spend the midday hours out in the pasture soaking up the sun, but by the time I return home each evening, they are waiting at the gate for more grain and hay.  Long hours as a teacher and short hours of sunlight haven’t left much time for much else other than just making sure my horses’ stomachs are full.  Weekends, when I have the time, often the round pen is too wet for much ground work training.  But things are about to change – in the weather, and  in my life as well as Tuff’s.

Tuff and the Trainer

Most trainers agree that one of the most important things to teach a foal is halter breaking, that is, the foal accepts wearing a halter and can be led.  Tuff accepted a halter at a very early age, but he did not lead nearly as well as he should.  I also knew that he was not respecting me as he needed to.  It was time to get help.  I mentioned the situation to a good friend, and she immediately loaned me her natural horsemanship videos, but didn’t stop there.  Both of her sons have worked extensively with horses, so she  volunteered her pilot son’s services for three lessons on his off days this past week.

Chris arrived Wednesday morning and decided that the first lesson Tuff needed wouldn’t involve the halter at all.  Tuff needed to learn 1) to respect our space, and 2) that nipping or chewing on people or training equipment was not acceptable.  Chris was slow and deliberate, explaining in great detail what he was doing, and why.  I have read a lot of books by natural horsemanship trainers, as well as watched their videos, but seeing Chris put these strategies to work with Tuff was very enlightening.   By the end of the first lesson, Tuff was respecting our space, and only occasionally attempting to be mouthy (hoping we would have forgotten that we didn’t want him to do that!)  The most memorable part of the first lesson, though, was near the end, when Tuff, apparently tuckered out from all the thinking he was having to do, dropped down and stretched out on his side in the middle of the round pen, and closed his eyes, ready for a morning nap.

Movement is the opposite of reward, or being allowed to stand and rest for doing the right thing.

This morning was the third lesson.  Not much time was spent getting Tuff to specifically lead wearing a halter, but what has been accomplished is amazing.  He is respectful of our space, much less mouthy, lifts his feet, and has shown some “latching on” behavior, following Chris and even me around the pen.  Chris has shown me some exercises to do with Tuff to soften him and get him to yield to pressure which will eventually translate into leading well with a halter.

Teaching Tuff to yield to pressure and lift his feet.

A good rub and rest is the reward for doing well.

Chris giving Tuff a moment or two to relax..

Tuff will get the weekend off after his three day “boot camp,” but after that he and I will continue building on what Chris began.  Chris has said he will check in with us towards the end of the month, so I sure want him to be proud of both Tuff and me and the progress we will make by then.  So rest up, Tuff!  The work has just begun!

Lily

Lily left us today.  She has been sick since last fall, undergoing three intensive rounds of treatment under the supervision of two different veterinarians.  I suspected Cushings disease; the diagnosis of the most recent vet, short of extensive testing, was that she had cancer.  Whatever the sickness, her winter coat hung on stubbornly, and regardless of how medicine given, or how much hay, grass, or Equine Senior feed she ate, her weight continued to drop, her ribs and hip bones protruding much too much.  

In May, the vet’s advice was that Lily’s days were numbered, and there was something to be said for going out before the quality of her life declined too far…  I knew that day would more than likely come before summer’s end.  

At last night’s feeding, I was concerned when Lily walked away from her feed,  with only a mouthful or two eaten.  My concern increased when she took a few steps past the barn, and laid down.  I’ve never seen Lily lie down, in the two and a half years I’ve had her.  When I approached, she got up, a good sign, but I saw strings of slobber coming from her mouth and nostrils.  She followed Belle and Tuff back out to the pasture, but soon laid down again.  When I once again approached her, she struggled up, and shakily walked across the pasture, only to lie down yet again. I called my vet, and the decision was made.

Lily made it through the night, and I put her in the stall offering her fresh hay, water and feed, all of which she ignored.  I rubbed her bony hips, and rubbed my hands over her deep brown eyes, telling her what a good girl she was, and how sorry I was.

My daughters were here tonight and one asked me if I cried.  “No,” I told her, because I knew this day was coming and I didn’t want Lily to suffer.  Yet I sit here now, with tears streaming down my face for this sweet little palomino mare whose prior life was obviously filled with misery. This sweet little mare who took over a year to realize she was safe here, and that this human could be trusted.  Grateful that in the end I could groom you and touch you without you being fearful, hoping that you knew that you were loved.

 

 

It’s official; Tuff is a yearling!

What a difference a year makes, in any foal’s life, but in Tuff’s case, the difference has been remarkable!   I have often thought back to the beginning of Tuff’s life, and all the obstacles he faced.  Family, friends, and total strangers were instrumental in keeping Tuff alive through those first few weeks when few believed he would survive.  But just look at him now!  On this day, his first birthday, he is a strapping and healthy yearling,  a far cry from the weak foal who began life with so many challenges.  To all of you who played a part in getting Tuff to this milestone date,  please know I will always be grateful for the role you played in helping him reach this day!

10 Months Old

It’s hard to believe ten months have passed since that Sunday afternoon when Tuff was born!  I used to tell people that even though my husband and I waited over four years to have our first child, once she was born, I couldn’t really remember what life was like without her… and the same goes for Tuff.  His presence has certainly changed the herd dynamics!  I just completed the evening feeding, and observed him laying his ears flat back to Belle, up until now the queen bee.  He still has a stall blocked off with a horizontal board he can slip under to eat, but I don’t think it’s really necessary any more.  At 13.1 hands and 740 pounds, he is every bit as big as Lily and not one bit intimidated by Belle.

Last week was Winter Break in my school system, so I scheduled his castration for last Wednesday.  He required twice the dose expected to knock him out, and even then, the vet was only able to put stitches in one side since Tuff started coming around sooner than later.  All this with a 6’2″ man straddling him to hold him down.  After care was to include spraying the area with cold water every day.  After the first few tries, suffice it to say that I decided Tuff would just have to heal up without it!  The good news is that eight days later, nearly all swelling is gone, and he is as full of energy as ever.

A former student,Helen, has started coming out once a week to get to spend time with the horses, and I warned her that Tuff can’t be counted on to behave as well as he should.   The first time she came, I didn’t even have her go in Tuff ‘s stall, but yesterday decided I’d let her meet him.  We tied him up close so that she could groom him while I worked on picking up his feet.  Later we took Belle to the round pen and did some ground work.  Her mom told me later what a good time she had, but that of course, her favorite horse is Tuff.  His fan club continues to grow….

700 lbs/ One Year Old; My Bet’s on the Weight!

Since he was just a little fella, Tuff has been fed Omelene 300, a high protein feed formulated for foals to provide optimum growth.  According to the manufacturer, this feed should be fed until foals reach their first birthday or 700 pounds, whichever comes first.

Yesterday, I went to halter Tuff, and by the time I tied it on his head, hardly any rope remained.  He has just about outgrown his “weanling” size halter.  I hadn’t weighed him in over a month, so I pulled the tape snug around his girth, and considering what he looks like, was not surprised at the reading:  640 pounds!  Allowing for his thick winter coat, I pulled the tape even tighter, but the lowest his weight could be is around 625.  He is over 600 pounds at seven and a half months of age.  His height is just shy of 13 hands.   Looks like it’s time to start the switch to a lower protein feed, and Santa will be bringing Tuff a “yearling” sized rope halter.  Any predicitions on how big he’ll be on his first birthday?

Another little boy is really shooting up too!  Our grandson, Jett, is almost eleven months old and weighs over 20 pounds. He is furniture cruising, and just about to let go and walk.  Christmas is always special, but with Jett, this year’s celebration will be so memorable!

Blue Tarp School

In one week, Tuff will be six months old.  He now weighs 530 pounds, and stands 12.2 hands tall. He consumes a 50 pound bag of feed every 8-9 days.

Lessons on how to be a good boy continue to be reinforced, with new ones being introduced.  He is learning to stand tied, but still doesn’t like to have his feet picked up.  Tuff does lead well for the most part, but at times crowds the handler (me!); the concept of personal space isn’t obvious to him… guess I’m still viewed as his two legged mom.   He’s a rambunctious boy, and lately, I’ve had to carry a crop again to remind him who is in charge and what is and isn’t acceptable.

The newest lesson is in desensitizing using a blue tarp.  Tarps are big, and really noisy when shaken.  So far Tuff has walked over and under one, and gripped it with his teeth and given it a good shake.  What he doesn’t like is having it put on him… he’s certain it’s going to eat him alive, and his flight instincts kick in.  Curiosity wins out though, and he keeps coming back for another look at it.

Having dinner on the deck is one way Steve and I have been enjoying the gorgeous fall weather.   One recent evening, Tuff, way out in the pasture, must have heard us talking, because we heard his high pitched whinnying, and then the thunder of his hooves as he galloped in to come see us.  He just thinks wherever we humans are, he should be there too.

Tuff is just over 4 months old now.  His weight is about 450 pounds, and he stands over 11 hands tall.  He is eating 6 pounds of grain a day, divided into two feedings, an amount that will be increasing as he grows.  

School is taking a lot of my time now, but I still manage to spend a few minutes with him each day.  He gets along well with all of the adult horses, but ideally he would have another youngster to play with. Occasionally I will go down to the pasture, and with Tuff on one side of the fence and me on the other, we “play.”  I’ll run in one direction, he chases after me, then bucks and crow hops when he gets up to me; I run off and we repeat this until both of us are breathing pretty hard.  Good exercise for me, and good play time for Tuff.

Peyote went home today – he did a good job teaching Tuff how to behave.  Now it’s just Tuff and the girls.  Two mares and me.

Wednesday – Weaning Day

Enjoying one of his last buckets of milk

Tuff doesn’t know it but his milk bucket days are over as of Wednesday.  At the age of 14 weeks and three days old, and after consuming almost 200 pounds of formula, he will be officially weaned.  Only two servings of powdered milk remain to be mixed up.  The corner of the breakfast room can be cleared of the last 20# container of formula mix.  I can put away the kitchen scale, the wire wisk, the buckets.  My kitchen island will no longer be used as the mixing station.   I can reclaim that work space, using it solely for family meals.

Weaning this orphan foal will be so much simpler than traditional weanings – there will be no anxious whinnying between separated mother and foal,  no concern over injury to the foal frantic for his mother, and no weight loss from the stress of weaning.   Raising orphan foals does has it perks – and weaning time is sure to be one of them.

13 Weeks Old

Tomorrow will begin the second full week of school, so a little later today, I’ll spend some time doing what I often do on Sunday afternoons during the school year – finish grading papers, enter grades, double check my lesson plans, and finish any housecleaning that got postponed from yesterday.   As the sun starts its western descent, and the temperatures fall back into the 80s, I’ll head on down to the pasture, feed all the horses, top off their water troughs, and halter Tuff for some lessons.

He leads on a loose rope now, and hasn’t tried to nip me in quite a while.  He doesn’t mind me picking up his front feet, but still isn’t willing to let me hold his back feet up as long as he should.  Tuff loves to be curried, and only a few thick, rough, baby coat hairs are hanging on along his back and his around his ankles.  He has developed an amazing hip, well muscled, and his height is shooting up.  Experts say that foals at his age gain anywhere from 1.5 to 2 pounds a day – I am seeing it happen right before my eyes.

Belle continues to be his pasture mate, and the two of them are great buddies.  She lets him get an occasional bite of her grain, and a mouthful or two of her hay without much of a protest, totally out of character for alpha Belle.  She has now joined Lily in the shorter and thinned out tail category….  boys will be boys, and tail pulling out remains a favorite pastime of Tuff’s.

This week we begin weaning Tuff from his milk formula.  He is down to 2 quarts, three times a day, and by the end of the week, we plan to feed him only two times a day.  By 4 months of age, three weeks from now, he will be on solid food only.   He is consuming 3 pounds of feed a day, fed morning, noon (thanks, Honey!) and night.  Weeks ago I had installed a  bar 48″ from the ground at the stall opening that allows him to slip under it to eat while keeping out the other horses; he’s already beginning to duck his head to go under, and before long, his rump will start rubbing the board.

Steve and I drove up to the farm of some friends of ours yesterday to purchase some Coastal Bermuda hay.  The farm is so picturesque,  with broad hay fields bordered by hardwoods,  the foothills of the Appalachians and the Coosawattee River.  One idyllic scene was a pasture of mares and foals, just as nature intended.  A closer look at the foals though, and I realized Tuff has not suffered at all being raised unconventionally;  physically, he is just as impressive as these babies were.  To Tuff, moms walk on two legs, carry buckets full of good stuff, and know just the right places to scratch.

First Trim

Dr. W. wanted to see Tuff’s feet and legs herself after I told her what the farrier had said.  So last night, after looking him over, she donned her leather chaps, got her rasp, and my vet became Tuff’s farrier.  As she was bent down with Tuff’s front leg resting on her good leg, my focus was on scratching him fast and furiously so that he would tolerate the process.  My daughter, Karen, arrived for a visit just as the process began, and helped out with the diversionary scratching. When Dr. W switched to his other leg, my focus was to keep him from hurting her slowly healing, walking cast enclosed leg.  Tuff was terrific (well, maybe not terrific, but no complaints from any of us for a first time trim) and Dr. W finished unscathed.  Tuff’s toes are shorter, his heels are lower, so his angles are more correct.

Standing around chatting afterwards, Dr. W remarked that each time she sees Tuff, he is more impressive.  Not only does he look amazing for an orphan foal, but she said he is developing into halter competition quality.  According to her, right now his neck is a little too short, and his ears a little too long, both of which can change as he grows, but neither would result in too many points being deducted.  She asked about his sire, and I told her what little I know.  It won’t be an easy process to register Tuff with the American Quarter Horse Association, but I am beginning to think it would be worth the effort.  There are lots of hurdles to get over, such as finding Tuff’s sire’s current owner, and the fact that there are no records on file with AQHA of Belle’s breeding.  Difficult, but hopefully not impossible…

Protein – Yea or Nay?

Amid torrential storms and crashing lightning this afternoon, a farrier who specializes in lameness checked out Tuff.  I was so concerned about how on earth I could hold Tuff still long enough for his hooves to be trimmed, but that’s not how things played out.  I was relieved to see that the farrier had a very strong assistant with him, but his muscles weren’t needed at all.   After an examination, Tuff got a clean bill of health for his legs and feet.  The ridge I was so concerned about turns out to be his baby hooves, and  shows where the permanent hooves are growing in, a process that will be complete by about 6 months of age.

But according to this farrier, there is a potentially big problem looming, and the cause is Tuff’s diet.  This farrier said he regularly sees young horses who have lameness problems due to a diet too high in protein.  I told him what Tuff is being fed, and he strongly recommended I drop his protein levels drastically.  Too much protein often results in fast bone growth and the tendons can’t keep up.  This flies in the face of the advice of all the experts and feed suppliers, who  market high protein feeds specially formulated for young horses – and the farrier said as much.

So what to do?  Once again I have posted on a horse forum asking for other horse owners’ advice, and have sent an email to one of Tuff’s UGA vets.  Stay tuned.

Summer’s over!

It’s the last Friday of summer – for me and all the other 2400+ Cherokee County School District teachers. Tell that to the blueberries and tomatoes and squash still ripening and in need of being picked and the green beans just now big enough to eat.   Bell peppers are bending the plants over with their weight, as I wait for them to absorb more sunshine to turn into red, yellow, and orange beauties, perfect for roasting.   So much for the cleaning out projects I didn’t quite get finished.

Tuff, of course, has no way of knowing our relationship is about to change.   Horses surely have no concept of time like we schedule driven humans do.  Will he notice that I no longer visit during the middle of the day?  Will there be enough time in each day for me to keep up Tuff’s lessons along with planning my students’ lessons?  Can I just give up housekeeping completely to fit in the more important things?  After all, children, whether equine or human, are only little for such a short time….. and as important as Tuff is in my life, another little baby boy holds the number one spot in my heart – my precious grandson, Jett.  So that is why, on this, the last Friday evening of the summer, I will not be working on halter breaking and leading Tuff, but I’ll be having some one on one time with Jett.

What a difference a week makes!

Was it just a few days ago I was describing Tuff’s bad behavior with the halter? The very next day I switched out the buckle nylon web halter Tuff had been wearing for a  rope one, complete with knots located strategically on the nose band.

Celebrating 10 weeks old with another halter breaking lesson

Rope halter (still working on chewing on the lead rope!)

A major premise of the Natural Horsemanship training school of thought is “pressure/release.”  The trainer applies pressure, the horse eventually yields to that pressure, is praised, and the lesson is repeated over until the horse equates the pressure with a request to conform , leading to the release of that pressure.

The first lesson in the rope halter was amazing!  (Too bad it wasn’t filmed – it was a thing of beauty!)  Tuff gave in to the pressure, and led on a loose lead rope, changing directions, stopping, starting, standing to have his hooves lifted…  I couldn’t have been more pleased! Lessons since then have been a mixed bag, but mostly a good mix, and a lot of progress has been made over the last week.  Hey, I don’t expect my 6th grade students to get everything exactly right, just put in the effort and work and show progress.  Tuff is doing just that!

Milk moustache

One week from tomorrow I begin pre planning for my 28th year of teaching.  The beginning and end of each school year are incredibly demanding, with long, long hours to get everything done.  As usual, this last week of vacation will be filled with errands, doctor’s appointments, and wrapping up summer projects.  Tuff is still getting his formula four times a day, but the feeding schedule will need to be tweaked once I head back to work.  At the top of my “To Do” list this last week is spending time continuing Tuff’s lessons, so that even before I give my students their first assignment, Tuff  will have attained his Halter Broken with Honors degree .

Nose to nose with Belle

Disrespect Calls for a Team Effort

Halter breaking Tuff has been a challenge to say the least.  Not only does he attempt to bite the halter as I’m putting it on, but while I’m attempting to buckle it, he tries to rear, kick, and nip – not acceptable behaviors!  I have no doubt that part of this behavior is due to the fact that he is an orphan foal, and he is treating me as a colt might try to treat his mom.  Since I can’t bite or kick back like a horse mother would, I have to rely on using a crop, smacking him on the chest and telling him “quit!”  Once again I have taken to the internet to seek out advice, and over and over have read that the best teachers for a disrespectful foal is not just the trainer, but a group of horses.  Tuff has been turned out with Payote, and then Lily, and then back to Payote.   Tuff ‘s attitude though, demands stronger action; so today, for the first time, I turned him out not just with Payote and Lily, but for the first time since he was three days old, he is with Belle, his mom.

Tuff's first turnout with Belle

Like the cocky colt he is, he went trotting right up to Belle, turned his backside to her, and just out of her reach, bucked.  Belle ignored him.  So he tried the same thing with Lily, but she actually turned her rump to him with her ears flat back (after all, this is the girl with the really bad looking mane and tail due to Tuff.)  I turned and went to the house to finish cooking dinner.

An hour or so later, I returned to check on the boy to see how he was faring with three adults.  Amazingly, he was grazing next to Belle, and all were calm.  Upon spotting me, he came over and followed me back up the hill to his stall.  Thinking he was surely tired, I attempted a halter lesson, and sure enough, was able to get the halter on with only one half-hearted nibble on it.  I attached the lead rope and after working a few minutes in the stall, opened the door to take him out in the yard for some new scenery.  He led out well enough, and naively I thought how well it was going.  That was about the time Tuff decided to test the rope and with a buck, leaped sideways.  We did a circle dance for a few minutes, Tuff testing the rope and and then he calmly followed me back to the stall.

Sure hope those big horses teach him a thing or two about respect….