SNOW!!!!!! and Deer

Well Last night we got some snow above my ankles kind of snow . The only thing i hate about the cold is the horses get a little overly hyper and harder to work ad work with. So me and my dad spent most of the mornig clearing out the indoor arena and putting down new clean wood shavings.We can split our arena in halph with a conectable fence and so we moved Hurricane in there so he could have more room to move around and be a bit warmer and get to know the other horses. He's was so cute about the snow with his little baby rug on he put one hoof in the snow and then lifted it back into the stall then put it down and pick it up about three more times until bounding into it with pure happiness lol tossing his littl head and giving me a little whinnythe even gave a few tiny happy buck I let slide today and then i took him in the Arena and let him go into his big warm space. . He enjoyed it when I was in there with him but when i left him he went into his nervouse state and pushed against the gate wanting to follow me.

Worked Venus for her hour galloped her even which was nice. Ah I actually rode Aragorn today!!!!!!!! I got on him with James holding on to the lunge for safety and he and I walk trotted three times around with James with us and twice with out. he was tough to handle though trying to take off at certain points and he bucked a couple of times but that was fixed and we ended on a good note. Hurricane seemed afraid of Aragorn for obviouse reasons but enjoyed Venus and the other horses presence when it was each's turn.

His favorite had to be Skittles our little Shetland Pony mare. I can ride her of course and so i was just working her and just rubbing her down when she trotted right over to HUrricane and touched noses with the little guy. I think he likes her best because her size is closer to his and she doesent tower over the little guy. ight now she's with him while my dad works some of the others in there.

Our vets coming in tomarow to do a check over all the horses but mainly he will be looking over Venus, Aragorn, and Hurricane making sure their all in good shape.
Anyone with experience with orpahne faols I would ove to hear it.

 

One thing with orphaned foals, do not spoil them. They become horrible and hard to train when they get older!! Remeber they learn everything from you. That includes obediance and how to behave. I woudl find a good "nanny" for her. Perhaps and older mare with foaling experiance. that way he'll grow up knowing how to be a horse and not a spoiled little human brat.

keep him away from Aragon!!! Even though you've had him gelded, he will still act like a stallion. It is VERY common for stallions to kill foals that aren't theirs. So keep that in mind.


Also. Letting him "buck" while Happy and bein led and though it maybe cute and he's small now so you can handle him. Next time he's going to think, "oh its ok, i'll bucksome more, she won't care!" And he'll continue to do so even when he's bigger. Always discourage bad behavior now. He needs to learn. Iknow its cute, but it teaches them VERY bad habbits fromt he get go.

 

Clinton Anderson has some GREAT information on decensitizing and working with Foals... I agree he needs a nanny even a gelding that has "nannied" before would be better than nothing... He needs socialization and learning how to be a horse so he doesn't begin to think he's more akin to a dog...you don't want an 1100lb dog running behind you on a lead rope...