A Busy [Twenty-Four/edited to read] Thirty-Six

Finished the first cutting of Timothy last night. Four barns full. Five, if you count my little corner of the hay universe. It's a good feeling--if I can sell at least two horses (hopefully this weekend), this will be enough for the winter!

Had a good ride on Maddie yesterday morning, and again today. I have a pair of women, a mother and twenty-something daughter, coming from out-of-town to see her later today. They've had their eye on her on Dream Horse for quite a while, now. Dad finally said "yes, you can get a second horse." And when they heard I was planning to take her to a sale Saturday, they figured they'd better get over here to look at her.

Sandy had an unexpected visit from her friend Trackster this morning. While I went out to change my irrigation sprinklers, Al took the time to let the two of them play (with Sandy still in her radar hood and on the leash). It is good to know that she can still get along with some dogs.
[old photo] Later in the morning she went in to the vet's to have the "drains" removed from her biggest wound. Of course, since everything was looking so good, healing wise, Sandy had to gum up the works by miscalculating the jump into the back seat of the truck with her cone-head on, and fell back out. So by the time we got to the vet's she was bleeding from her drain-hole. Not much, and the vet said it didn't look like anything to worry about. And it had quit by the time we got done. So otherwise, she's healing well.

PM Update:

The gals showed up with their trailer! That's how sure they were that they wanted Maddie. We worked in the round pen, first me, then L. got on--looking a bit timid--she is the first person besides me to ride Maddie, and Maddie had made some nasty faces about loping with me, again, so they just walked at first. Then we switched out saddles--L's actually seemed to fit her better (confirmation that I need to shop for a wider one for Kate)--after a few minutes Maddie relaxed and moved out a bit nicer, and L relaxed and Maddie relaxed some more and L relaxed some more. Then they asked to see her load. They had a little two horse slant, with a step up, but Maddie stepped right in. They evidently let their horses turn around to come out, but Maddie backed out quietly before I could get in a position to turn her around. We loaded her again, and this time turned around for the unload. Again, no problem. And so it was a done deal (pending vet check)! We rinsed her down (it was upper 80's) put leg wraps on her, and went to load. Maddie's attitude was "What? I've been in there twice already today!" So it took a little persuasion from my horse beater....er, buggy whip, but still not that big a deal. And then they were on their way!

Tomorrow the younger two get their final work, and baths, before the sale on Saturday. Although I would have liked to be on Beth by now, and I have had some success in standing in the stirrups, I simply wasn't up to pushing it. But she is ground-driving well, and I even got baby Amy started in the long-lines as well!

And I've arranged for another trailer to take Beth and Amy, so I can haul Misty and baby Jackson down in mine, as replacements for Maddie--"deposit will hold 'til weaning." It's a good time to sell a baby, while they still have the "Aw, cute!" factor. Otherwise, they're usually here until they're started under saddle.

We'll see.

Later PM Update

Mom calls to say the trip went great. No fussing in the trailer; off-loaded like a champ; wandered around new [big] stable, looking at things, but no spook; let her loose in the arena to shake off the two-hour trip, and Maddie wandered away, then peed, then came back, as if to say, "Now what?" Put her in a stall and she made herself at home.

Friday AM Down-date

At 8:30 this morning I got a call from out-of-town mom. She's very sorry, but they'll be bringing Maddie back, this morning, before it gets too hot. They recognize that I need to get her to the sale tomorrow.
WHAT HAPPENED?!?
Turns out that last night, after they got her settled into her first-ever-in-her-life stall, (and evidently before they got her some hay to munch on), daughter saw her "crib" on the wall. "Did she actually suck air?" I ask "Or was she chewing on the wood? Or what?" I ask. Mom's not sure, she didn't see it happen. They watched all morning and didn't see it happen again. But daughter has an absolute dismay over horses that crib.
Daughter was reportedly in tears all night; doesn't even want to look for another horse now. Mom sounded like she was close to tears on the phone: "She's absolutely perfect. But I know my daughter, and there's no convincing her different at this point."

Now I must say that none of my horses crib, so none of them has ever seen a horse crib. And even though all my paddock fencing has a wooden top rail, I am more likely to find a rail displaced (knocked down) than chewed on. They have plenty of pasture and turn-out time. Even these days when they're locked in the paddocks half-time, they are more likely to play with the chains on panels and gates than anything else.
I had reminded the ladies that Maddie had never lived in a stall, and that she would need lots of turn-out time, and that maybe a couple of stall toys would be appropriate. I suspect that she was simply "tasting" her new environment. At worst she may have already been bored, and did seek out a anxiety reliever. The daughter admits that she did not "gulp" any air, but simply set her upper teeth on the top of the wall and arched her neck some. But she was unwilling to take any chances--or rather, give Maddie a chance.
If I did not have the sale tomorrow, I might have tried being more persuasive that they should keep her there a few more days. But I don't need the drama, thank you.

So as of noon, Maddie is back with her herd.