Meet Pearl, New Horse

[Baymule]

Hahaha, @thistlebloom you remembered my nickname for her, she sure is a ring tailed tooter! Her parents were talking about their kids and decided that if life flung misfortune at them, the youngest would come out on top. That kid is tough, independent and WILL get her way.

 

[Bruce]

But maybe Grandma can convince her that "her way" around horses needs to be modified! That was scary just to read. I don't know a lot about horses but I know you approach from the front and keep a hand on them if you walk around back. And you never have a finger out when feeding them, not if you want to keep it.

 

[Baymule]

But maybe Grandma can convince her that "her way" around horses needs to be modified! That was scary just to read. I don't know a lot about horses but I know you approach from the front and keep a hand on them if you walk around back. And you never have a finger out when feeding them, not if you want to keep it.

Actually you can do all that and more to all my horses. I approach them from all sides, I do show them the consideration not to spook them, but they are not spooky. If I was short enough, I could walk under them. I give them lots of "hands on" and there is a reason for that. I do all I can to make them as bomb proof as I can. In this instance, it paid off. Just the same, I am teaching the kids as fast as I can how to behave around animals.

 

[Mini Horses]

Mom nearly had an aneurysm but Moses stood perfectly still until she could walk up quietly and disengage the kids arms from his hind leg. Close call!

Insurance terms consider a horse "an attractive nuisance" ….. they draw you to them! While they can be calm & safe, the potential is there for great harm. Rates can be better for a cattle farm than a horse farm Guess cattle aren't so pretty..

Hmmm...…..haven't seen any pics of Pearl of late. Camera broke?

 

[Bruce]

Actually you can do all that and more to all my horses.

I should probably have been more specific. My "knowledge" relates to unknown horses with unknown people. I'm sure people can do much more with their own horses since they know the animal and (hopefully) the animal trusts them. Still, best never to sneak up behind your own horse I suspect.

 

[promiseacres]

I should probably have been more specific. My "knowledge" relates to unknown horses with unknown people. I'm sure people can do much more with their own horses since they know the animal and (hopefully) the animal trusts them. Still, best never to sneak up behind your own horse I suspect.

I agree. Our own horses are very much the same.... I worry when my kids are around other horses and have emphasized to the kids that not all horses know how to behave. So I tell them to ALWAYS talk to the horses when approaching, ect. With Mom's horses here they have seen horses that aren't as calm and easy.
I am sure @Baymule is the same with her grandkids.

 

[Mini Horses]

Still, best never to sneak up behind your own horse I suspect.

. So I tell them to ALWAYS talk to the horses when approaching, ect.

Absolutely......

 

[Kusanar]

Hey @Baymule How is Pearl doing now?

I just read through this whole thread in 2 days. She looked great in the last picture!

I have a sabino too, but mine is "maximum expression" he has just enough color that I can tell he's a bay or maybe a dun (one less than dime sized brown spot on his right flank, about 10 brown hairs on his right butt cheek, and a black spot about half the size of a dime on the inside of a hock). He's the white one on the left, the one on the right is a plain old bay tobiano.

 

[Baymule]

@Kusanar your horses are lovely. What breed are they? And just look at that grass!! Rich, lush grass! I have serious grass envy! We have worked so hard trying to get grass established, the soil is pure white sand.

Pearl hit a plateau. She stayed the same for awhile, then lost weight. She needs grass and I don't have much of that. Last fall we had some clearing done with a forestry mulcher, this spring I sowed Bahia grass seed. I kept the horses off all summer, but I've been letting Pearl graze it. I put her on it in the mornings, give her feed, feed her again in the evening, then take her out. She is showing improvement. I'm starting to think that I may never get her roly poly fat. But I'll sure keep trying. I truly think she needs fresh green grass, that is the key. I'm growing it as fast as I can! I've grazed her in the sheep pastures and in the yard too. Come spring, I'll close the horses off the pipeline and sow that in giant Bermuda grass. In the meantime, Pearl gets special treatment.

 

[Kusanar]

@Kusanar your horses are lovely. What breed are they? And just look at that grass!! Rich, lush grass! I have serious grass envy! We have worked so hard trying to get grass established, the soil is pure white sand.

Pearl hit a plateau. She stayed the same for awhile, then lost weight. She needs grass and I don't have much of that. Last fall we had some clearing done with a forestry mulcher, this spring I sowed Bahia grass seed. I kept the horses off all summer, but I've been letting Pearl graze it. I put her on it in the mornings, give her feed, feed her again in the evening, then take her out. She is showing improvement. I'm starting to think that I may never get her roly poly fat. But I'll sure keep trying. I truly think she needs fresh green grass, that is the key. I'm growing it as fast as I can! I've grazed her in the sheep pastures and in the yard too. Come spring, I'll close the horses off the pipeline and sow that in giant Bermuda grass. In the meantime, Pearl gets special treatment.

Stud, the sabino white is probably 3/4 twh and 1/4 percheron. Papi, the pinto looking one is a registered twh but I have never seen his papers.

As for the grass, that field is absolutely nuts... we haven't gotten the dividing fences up yet so it is all one big field and the boys eat their favorite places. They couldn't keep up, so we baled their field with them in it and got enough hay in 1 cut to last them the winter.

Have you thought of growing fodder for pearl? Might help. Essentially you put barley seeds in a tray about 1 seed deep and water it, you feed 7 days later at 3-4 inches growth and feed the entire thing as a mat.