June 6, 2011 - Growing up!

Rory got to go out on the grass with my other horse for a bit today.  At one point they were grazing right beside each other and I was really struck by just how big Rory's grown - he's almost as big as my other horse.

Rory in front.

September 3, 2010 – A month later



Rory spotted me sitting in the field and was a little concerned.



Rory's been busy growing and eating. In the last week or so I've been adding some in hand work to his trips into the barn (for breakfast) and back to the field. Mostly strengthening stuff rather than manners stuff, though we're quick to get little manners lessons should he step over the line in any way. Already he'll walk with more energy so I'm not constantly asking him to walk on - I'm enjoying that. We spent a couple of weeks trotting the alley between paddocks that we must travel to get from his field to the barn. I started by trotting the full length and stopping at the end, then I would say "whoa" and slam on the brakes without giving any cue with the lead - Rory was expected to stop with me, and after a few false starts (stops?) he got the idea. Then I started slamming on the brakes randomly along the alley. At first he missed every time because he wasn't expecting to stop partway, but then he figured out that he needed to stop whenever and wherever I did. We now trot down the driveway and back up every morning - twice today, once before and once after breakfast. He's getting really good at getting into the trot when I bounce a step before actually starting to run. The driveway has a bit of a slope - uphill on the way back, naturally. So I'm getting tired, and slowing down anyway when we hit the steepest bit, but Rory is pretty good about slowing his trot and staying with me if I can puff out an "easy" or tug a bit on the rope.

Rory still seems little to me. I was looking at him in the field the other day as he was standing by the big monster horse, and he looked small but not tiny any more. I think it's because I'm still looking down on the top of his bum rather than across the top.

He's quite a character sometimes - not as bold as brat was/is. I decided not to ride last week and went out into the field with my stool and sketchbook and sat down near brat who was off on his own. The others looked up as I walked across the top part of the field, but they forgot about me. Brat eyed me, grazed away, grazed across in front of me and eventually (by happenstance of course) found himself nibbling the grass at my feet. He got a bit of carrot and then grazed away once that was gone. Brat and the others ended up at the top end of the field as they went for water. Afterwards Rory noticed me sitting in the field. He didn't recognize me and did the giraffe "what's that?" and "do you guys see that?" as the others all nibbled on the grass ignoring me. Eventually he cautiously came down the slope, but far away by the fence, stopped and looked, went back up the slope on an angle, working a bit closer. Before he could muster the courage to come over by himself his sister saw me and came to see if I had anything for her and Rory fell in behind. I think he would have reached me eventually, but it's definitely not in his character to poke his nose carelessly into new things.

I must measure him soon, and see just how big he is.

Oh yes, my shoulder is almost completely healed. I avoided doing certain things with that arm for a good bit, and still don't do certain things (like sleep on that side - which is HARD! ) but at least I can brush my horse with that hand again.

September 21, 2009 – Learning to be polite

Last week's lesson was on accepting treats properly. Rory almost always comes to see me when I go into his field and I usually have a little bit of carrot or something for him. Being a baby he is very focused on the yummy stuff and grabs for it. My horses are trained to check my hands without grabbing and so I spent a couple of days working exclusively on this with Rory. I'd go out into the field 3-4 times during the day and he'd come to see me. I offered him the back of my fist and if he grabbed he'd get bopped on the nose - not hard, but enough to make him back off a little. Then I'd offer the back of my fist again. Repeating the offer/bop until he sniffed or nosed without lips or teeth and backed off on his own at which point I roll my fist over and open the hand to reveal his treat. By the end of the first day he had it figured out. He forgets sometimes and gets lippy if the treat doesn't come fast enough, but he's really understanding the concept.

I scritch him and pick up his least favourite foot as well, then allow him to check my hand for more carrots. He doesn't always get one now. The first day he did, but now he's learning to check because sometimes there really isn't anything there.

He's growing - his joints are freaking huge! I'm used to TBxQH crosses and their finer than WB bones and build. Rory is going to be a very solid horse - but hopefully not too big for me.

I'm not doing a whole lot with him right now. There are a number of other things on my plate, one of which is taking much of my energy and focus. Plus master brat is returning to work and prepping for our first lessons in almost a year. I am riding again, and enjoying the brat very much.

August 20, 2009 – Testing the boundaries

Rory's been acting like he's feeling his (non-existent) testosterone kicking in lately and getting a little pushy and mouthy with me in the mornings. He hasn't actually bitten me, but I have felt his mouth around my wrist (as I reach over to hook up TOY) more than once in the last few weeks. Once his halter comes off he's decided he's going where he wants, when he wants regardless of whether I've already claimed that particular piece of real estate. So I got a little more demanding and pre-empted his pushy behaviour by keeping his nose where I say, and making him back out of my space right after the halter comes off. He's returned to being his sweet cooperative self again - for now.

There must be something in the water - all the babies have been a little mulish lately. Maybe it's Mr. Gigantic-Wild-Turkey setting them off. Rory hasn't seen him yet as far as I know (Mr. Turkey stays back on the other side of the barn).

Today we shuffled fields for a little while to allow each to be cleaned up. I didn't have any trouble moving the herds as the horses natural curiosity (oh look! an open gate!) worked quite nicely. There were only a couple of horses in each group that needed to be encouraged to notice the open gates. Rory's gang had a blast running back and forth in the new paddock and pretending to spook at the machinery as it passed by for the first few minutes. I got a couple of decent photos.

Otherwise we haven't been doing anything special lately. Just letting him be a horse for a bit. He had a bit of a minor cold thing going on for a couple of weeks. It was only bad for about three days, then improved quickly.

April 14, 2009 – Next halter size

Rory graduated into the next halter last night. It's a tiny bit big in that it makes his head look small, but it's okay (and yes, it is a breakaway halter too). The red one was getting snug. It still fit but my BO was complaining that it was a little tight when slipping over his ears. I had to put his leather halter bigger on Sunday (last hole!) so I thought it was worth trying the next halter on again. It was still far too large the last time I tried it on Rory.

This halter is black with royal blue overlays on the cheeks. When brat first got this halter he was a little bigger than Rory. He didn't wear it for long as he lost it out in the very big (8 acres or so) field and I didn't find it for weeks - by which time he'd pretty well outgrown it and I'd made him a new one. I will have to take a picture of Rory wearing this new halter so we can see how he grows into it. This will be the final hand-me-down halter from brat. The next halter bratboy had for over a year and pretty well wore out so Rory will get a brand new one.

March 23, 2008 – Walking and growing

Rory and mom

On Saturday my friend brought me a birthday cake. She had iced it with green icing and used a decorative tip to make the top of the cake look like grass. Then took two foals and some toy fence and made a little paddock with the two foals in it. They had a "haybale" and a bucket of water, and there was a grooming kit outside the fence. And the foals were bay and grayish brown just like TOW and Rory! The TOW foal had a little poop pile (chocolate chips) behind him. Super cute! Yummy too.

Anyway, I took Rory out for our little walk about on Sunday as usual. This time I took him straight out behind the barn and shop and we walked across the slab of melting ice and snow. He wasn't too sure about it, but then hopped across the water at the edge and crunched around with me. He crunched through in some places but didn't get excited or worried about it, just careful. We wandered around the parking lot, then back out front and towards his paddock with the idea of going to say hi to TOW and then leave again. There was no sign of TOW, so I turned the other way and we walked down the driveway instead. We trotted a little bit too. I had him on my left and he kept crowding me and I had to push him away, but then he got it.

We went a little way along the road and then down into the ditch (because he was blowing and looking down like there was a monster hiding in it) and across the slab of snow/ice. He followed me down and again hesitated before jumping onto the snow. Once we crossed the snow we were standing beside the fence for the front field and I saw one of the horses shoot her head up and stare in our direction. I took a little firmer hold of the leadrope and started back towards the driveway. Rory was blowing at every hump and hummock of snow, dead grass, road gravel on the snow, etc as we made our way along. We reached the driveway and started up before the horse came up to the other side of the fence. She brought a couple of horses with her and Rory bounced a little bit and tried to run up the driveway. I was ready for that and steered him towards the fence, getting him stopped. We turned and walked down the driveway a bit, moved his haunches away from pressure, backed up and started up the driveway again.

He was very good and walked quite well all the way up so I decided that since he'd been really good I would put him back in the paddock before TOW starting screaming and Rory got distracted. TOW didn't even notice us come back until I opened the gate.

I went out again a bit later and took a few photos. When we were out walking we had walked past his granddam and it was at that moment that I really saw just how much he's grown. She's a small mare, but he's getting up there! I took a few photos of him and his mum (the weanlings' dams are out with them and the other two mares now) and it's quite a big difference. Of course body length is still much smaller, but the height change is surprising. I see him most often when he's in the barn so I don't really have anything to relate his height to. TOW is growing too and they are pretty well staying about the same relative to each other.

January 19, 2009 - Brown leather and brass hardware

I went out in the middle of last week's deep freeze to check on my boys. Rory and TOF were tearing around their paddock, bouncing and playing. They weren't cold! Chestnuts 2 and 3 were just fine too.

They grow so fast at this age! I put a snap on the throat of the leather halter he wore at the second line show and even with the extra length it barely fits him! The nose is on the biggest hole and the crown on the second largest. But Rory looks fabulous in the brown and brass! I mean it REALLY suits him. I guess I'll be seeking brown tack for him if he stays this colour. I am going to make the noseband bigger so he can wear the halter a bit longer... In the meantime he's back in the red one with newly added throat snap.

I may have to rethink his fancy browband design...

September 25, 2008 – More practice



Checking out the empty feed buckets



Rory got wormed again this week, and then promptly dumped his grain bucket all over the place.  He's just not that into grain yet.

I went out and groomed him last night and then did some walking and trotting in hand. Mum and the other mare and foal followed us around which made for some interesting action when we turned around. He does jump and canter and try to run off, but is very good about stopping when he reaches the end of the lead. I gave him lots of scritches as well, even after he dumped his grain bucket again.

He's still growing quickly. The crown on his halter is now out to the third hole without being huge (maybe my leather halter will fit him now).

I faxed in his entry into the breeder's show this weekend, and the CSH National Foal Championship. We'll see if he looks like a premium foal this weekend. I think he's still looking good, but I admit to being a lot biased. Everyone hope for a rain-free day for us on Sunday.

August 13, 2008 – A growing boy

Rory was sleeping when I went into his stall last night. He had been sleeping, he was awake, but still lying down. I wanted him up to eat his cal-pi and let me check his bum and he was very uncooperative. I had to pull him flat several times before he finally got up. He ate all his pellets as well as licking up the powder.

I gave him a little grooming and picked up his feet. On the right front he backed up and dropped down to see if I'd let him go. I didn't, just followed him as he went down and scratched him when he finally came back up and stood quietly. He wiggled on the right hind too, but mum was scritching his back with her lip so it threw his balance off a bit. I put some more zinc on his bum.

I gave mum a bit of a scratch (a pretty good one actually) with a curry and she enjoyed that. She wanted to mutual groom, but I was out of reach (and don't let her groom me anyway) so she went for Rory. She's pretty rough when I get a good spot and he gave a little buck and ran round her bum to escape. He was good and didn't try to nibble me while I was occupied with his mum. I did keep an eye on him and give him the odd scritch with my free hand when he got close.

He struck me as very big last night when he finally got up. I'm not sure why. But taller and a little more substantial. Maybe it was just that he took up most of the stall when he was lying in the middle.