This is a two year old filly by Fancy and Fred. She is so sweet she was the first horse I wanted to bring down off the mountain. I had plans to have her under saddle and working the sheep by sale day. I didn’t have sheep when I started her Sire and Dam years ago and always wished I had. I did work Fred on cows a few times, he was afraid of the them at first but then I could see he was a gem, a cowy little sucker. Both parents where smart and as athletic as they get.
The first horses I brought home where the mares I had started in the past and this little filly was so sweet she followed me around and as I loaded her mother in the trailer I told her I would come get her next. The next trip I took she was the first horse I caught. I walked right up to her and put the halter on, she seemed to even put her head in the halter for me, what a sweet heart but when I asked her to follow she did at first… with each step she started to toss her head up and down and then side to side, opened her mouth, you could see the wheels turning in her head and then she planted all four feet firmly in the ground. Mmmm I don’t think she is halter broke? I didn’t have anyone there to help me so I left her and went to get a longer line and maybe if I put it around her hind end to help me get her feet moving. She was still standing in the same spot when I returned with the lunge line, I put it around her and ask her to move forward. She didn’t like this but came with me for a few steps and then she took off like a rocket by me. She was off and running with the lunge line flying behind her just add fuel to the fire. She ran all over that hill side just as fast as she could go, through the tree and down the hill and back around until she came to a stop again. Eyes wide and snorting, she would let me back up to her but if that lunge line moved she was off again. I managed to rap the line around a tree but she was scared now and was going to fight it out. As I’m wondering how to get this filly from this tree to the trailer, her full sister walks right into the trailer. I had put some grain in the trailer to coax the horses in earlier. She is a six year old breeding stock mare that doesn’t have papers so I really didn’t want this one now but she was in my trailer, no need making her get out. I decided to take the lunge line off the two year old and leave her with a shorter lead rope on to live with for awhile. I will have to pick her up another time.
I back my trailer up to an out side pen with hot wire around the top and let the horse out. I will let them settle a few day to get used to the hot wire, these horses are bad about pushing on fences for they have never been around hot wire.
Each day as I walk around the pen to catch other horses, I notice the six year old following me. She is curious and I decide to work her first. I stay in the pen with the other two horse and put the haler on her. I ask her to follow me by stepping to one side and then the other witch she does without resistance. I teach her to lunge around me both direction and leave her in the pen with the other two fillies.
The next day I recap the day before and she is great so I try to get her out of the pen and into the barn. About halfway she decided she wanted the comfort of her buddies and refused to go forward. She was getting upset starting to drag me now. With the reaction of her younger sister I didn’t want to push it so I put her in the big arena next to the others. She was friendly so this shouldn't be a problem.
The next day when I went to catch her she thought twice about it and took off running. She ran to one side then the other a few times and then I noticed she was trotting a perfect circle around me, like I was lunging her but she was free. She had learned her lesson from the day before well and now this is what she thinks I want from her is to trot circle around me. I had to laugh for she is a smart one. I stand still and she stands still. I move she moves. I have to block her now so she will understand I want her to stop not go when I approach. When I finally can get up to her again I pet her, put the halter on and then take it off again, I leave her in the big arena to work again tomorrow.
The next day I have to recap the lesson again but this time it only take a few minute. I lead her out and take her to the barn. She gets worries halfway again but this time I push on. She needs to get in the barn and out of my outdoor arena.
These horses are used to running in a herd and are nervous about getting cornered as not to get kicked by the dominate horses, getting them into a dark barn is tricky but I manage to get her into a stall. I take the halter off and close the gate. As I walk away she starts to circle and climb the walls. She is nervous now and a screaming fool, she will have to settle before I can do anything more with her.
The next day she is still mad about being confined but she mellows when I clean her stall, she is happy to have some company. I bring her classmate in the barn next to her and let them chill for a few days.
The first time I tie her she fights like there is no tomorrow. She throws herself down and around, and throws an out and out tantrum. I decide to call her nick name her Trouble.
What have I got myself into here? She is going to tare down my barn or hurt herself trying. After about a week she is settled to a pawing fool when tied. OH dear. I hope they are not all going to be little spit fires like this first one?
Back up to the ranch for the next three and that little two year old I wanted first. She still has the halter on but I had her owner take off the lead and now she wont have no part of this trailing business and stays out of reach. Grain she doesn’t care! She stays out of reach. I will have to get her next time.
Trouble has settle thankfully and will stand tied, she still will paw but not with such intent, it’s down to annoyance now, she is a very sweet mare, a little herd bound but seeming to get over that as well.
I remember Fred was just the same, for these horses have a lot of try. That energy focused is an amazing thing but a little harder to get started. Big Boys babies are just like him easy going and no trouble at all but Fred is a higher level performance horse, bred to be expressive.
Back up to the Ranch I go, this time I will get the two year old filly I wanted first. Enough time had past, she had settled down and with some help this time I was able to get her into the trailer with panels.
Seeing it was so hard to get these horses into my barn unloading them from the trailer into the barn seemed to worked well with the last group. Tanya make a break for it but the other two unload and wander into a stall without a problem.
I work with the two year old in the stall asking her to follow me around with a light pull. She is great I lead her to a new stall without any resistance. I tie her in the new stall and she stood tied for hours. I guess she was done with the tantrum throwing. She bathed and stood for her photo shoot like a dream for I had no help that day. What a sweet little ball of fire she is. I nick name her Ruby
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