Quite A Scare...

Hi Everyone,

Journey gave us all quite a scare Friday evening. My mom and I were feeding the horses when we noticed that Journey wasn't interested in the hay at all. She was really strange. She kept laying down and getting up, her eyes were kind of glazed over, and she wa not interested in the food at all.

I grabbed the halter and she didn't move away from us at first and plays like she normally does. She just stood there as we haltered her. Luckily, though, she followed us at first. She had a hard time walking, had no energy, and her knees kept going under as if she was going to fall.

We tried to get ahold of any of the Vet's, but it was late Friday evening and we couldn't get ahold of anyone. It was very frightening. We were out there with her for several hours. She laid down a couple of times and acted like she couldn't get up. Mom and I both were pulling hard on her to get her up. When she finally did get up we had to pull hard on the lead to keep her walking.

I thought for sure that she was going to die and we were both upset when we coudlnt' get ahold of any Vet's or find any numbers for an emergency. It was very disturbing. When dark settled in we finally just undid the halter, put her in a pen, went into town to feed my Grandma's dogs.

Not wanting to come home to find a dead horse, we went out to eat and talked about her. When we came back home her head arched over the fence and she flipped her ears at us ;) When we went out to greet her she sniffed us before she nipped at us (she has gotten into that habit lately) and then turned and walked off. She went right back to her normal behavior.

Journey is fine now, thankfully. She is standing sturdy, doesn't seem lifeless, is eating, and she's the same horse that she was. I don't know what happened on Friday, but it was a very helpless feeling when we couldnt' find any help. Mom now has a bunch of Vet numbers very handy in case something liek that happens again, lol. We've been keeping a close watch on all the other horses and they all seem fine, so that's good.

I'm just glad that Journey trusted us enough in that time to let us help her. Course, maybe she was just too tired to run away, but I think she trusted us as she followed us and what not.

But God heard our prayers and He let her live, so I am very grateful for that and grateful that Journey is okay. I need to play with her a lot more...maybe we can "play" with her nibbling and biting at things and turn it to good things, lol :D

Thanks for reading,
Randa.

Journey...

Hi Friends,

Here are some of the recent pictures of Journey. These were just taken in mid August. Journey has grown quite a bit over the last few months. She is just a yearling, next year she will be a 2 year old...

We haven't played that much with her in Parelli as of yet but I'm hoping to start playing with her more soon and I will definitely keep you all up to date :)

Thanks for reading,

Randa.

Setpember...

Hi Friends,

Wow, it has been a long time since I've posted here! Well, I guess with all the months I've missed I'd better get started =)

First of all, we decided to name the buckskin, Journey. My mom agreed that we could name her Journey and the next time my mom gets a new horse, we'll name it Micah. I think Journey fits her pretty well :)

Journey is over a year old now. And man, she sure is growing and turning into a BEAUTIFUL horse. We only have bay colored and paint horses so to have a buckskin sure does liven things up in the corrals, lol. Journey is as tall as my horse already and several other horses in the corral. She's not even two years old yet, so she's going to be a big girl.

My mom just recently moved her from the corral she's been in all her life with the other horses. She says that it was a little challenging at first as Journey spooked at every little thing. But mom went slowly and eventually they made it to the corral. After being released into a bigger and better corral, Journey didn't even run or buck or rear or anything. She simply just pranced around really slowly in a trot and sniffed everything. Mom says that it looked like a perfect piaffee...just trotting in place. I wish I could have been there to see it. All the month of September I've been living with my dad and I ache for horse interaction again, lol.

Every since we got Journey we kept her in with my mom's old Thoroughbred mare, Maple. Maple is a sweet old lady and I think she must have taught Journey some manners and sweetness, as Journey has changed so much from when we first got her. She tries to nibble sometimes, and we're playing with that. But whenever we go outside she whinnies at us and comes right up to the fence to get some attention. She's such a pretty girl and she's so sweet and trusting now. It's really neat to look at what she was before and go back to who she is now. It's really amazing.

Sometime (hopefully soon) I will post some recent pictures of her. I think you will all be quite surprised to see just how much she's grown over just a few months. It's almost unbelievable how big she is now, lol.

With her being in with the other horses we hope to play with her a lot more and start playing the seven games with her and what not. I am really excited to go back home and play with her.

I'll be posting some pics of Journey soon!

Thanks for reading,
Randa.

Mikkah's Journey

Oh dear! I can't beleive it's been so long since I've updated this blog!

Right now Mikkah's Journey is still in with the old mare, Maple. They are becoming really good friends. Mikkah is really settling down nicely. She is running away, feeling frisky, and whenever we come out she usually whinnyes at us and always comes right up to the fence for scratches. She loves being scratched everywhere.

Sometimes she is a little bit head shy, but for the most part she's okay. She loves being scratch on the side of her shoulder, and her withers. She is just an itchy, sweet girl. I love her! I haven't really played with her yet. I just pet her and little things like that, but as soon as the ice, water, and mud all dry up and disappear i plan on playing a lot more with her...

Randa.

New Environment...

Well, on Monday we put her in with our 38+ year old mare, Maple. That morning she kicked my mom! OPPS! She has a pretty big bruise / gash on her leg now, but she said that it was probably just because the filly felt confined, since she's been in that stock trailer for a while. So Monday evening we put a loose web halter on her. I had to hold Maple, so I didn't get to help with that
=-(

After the stock trailer was backed up into the paddock we turned her loose in with Maple. It was so cute! Maple was prancy around, ears all the way forward! She was trotting, but very, very slowly. I wish I could have gotten it on video, that would be super cute to see. But anywho, the foal tried to nurse a few times and Maple squealed and kicked at it, and now they are content with each other. She doesn't try to nurse and Maple just does her business. She's realling taking on the mama role...except for the nursing part, of course. lol.

I haven't really gotten to do anything with her yet because since Monday I had a cold. I didn't even feel like turning her in with Maple on Monday evening. But it's starting to lift a little, so hopefully by tomorrow I'll be in tip top shape!

Oh, but I have discovered she's mouthy! She's tried to bite me on Sunday, and my mom a few times. But then again, all weanlings are mouthy I guess.

Later,
*Randa*

She's Home!!

Today we brought the filly home! Again, my mother hasn't decided what we are going to name her yet. So far she is shooting for Mikkah, I think that's a pretty name. She's got some pretty nice blood lines. We are in the process of picking out some names for her Registration Papers.



She loaded up very, very nice today. We put some grain in a bucket, let her have a few bites and we just very slowly kept backing up more and more towards the open stock trailer. When she got close to it the owner just swung one gate across, making it very little room--but in the trailer it was open space. So she just went right on up there and we close the gate and that it was! I think it might have taken 15 minutes, if that. It went really slick.



When we gave her water earlier my mom and I went in there and petted her and stuff. I already found some of her itchy spots, and started running my hand down her leg and stuff. When she would feel like she was going to move away, I would retreat and start again. And we already have one thing in the Self Assessments accomplished! lol. And even in Level 2!! hehehe. She lifts her tail with the Porcupine Game. It was so cute. We were just scratching her butt and moved her hand down to her tail and up came her tail...hmmm, how interesting! It is going to be so fun to play with her.



Before that she wasn't coming near us, but now whenever we get up on the trailer and look inside at her, she comes up to us for a few seconds before turning around and walking away, or else she'll back up and let us scratch her butt. We are going to leave her in the Stock trailer over night tonight (there's plenty of straw, hay and water in there fore her), and either tomorrow or day after we will turn her out. My mom wants to wait to put her out in a big pen until she comes up to us better, and we put the halter on her, and do a little bit of Porcupine Game and stuff with her. It is so exciting! I can't wait until tomorrow, we're going to have lots of fun then = -)



Here are some pictures that I took her of her right after we got home in the stock trailer. She looks a little scared, but she's better now...

Her baby coat is so soft! She is so soft and "fuzzy" to touch. She doesn't like her face messed with very well, but right below her ear on the left side she loves to be scratched. We're doing approach and retreat with the face. She is doing really good. I was really surprised that she let us do all that. I figured she'd be going crazy or something, but she's a sweet lil girl--so far. lol.

More of an update tomorrow,

Savvy out,

*Randa*

Welcome to my blog!

This is a blog to record my Savvy road through the Parelli Natural Horse Man Ship with our 5 month old filly. We have not solidly agreed upon a name for her yet, but she will be coming home tomorrow morning! Lots of pics then!

To check out my Parelli journey with my first horse, Brizzee (LBI), check out: www.naturaljourneywithbrizzee.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by, and please check back soon for more updates! :-)

Savvy Out,
*~Randa~*