Laurac13
Well-Known Member
Thoroughly enjoyed this thread! Good luck Michen and boggle ! Look forward to hearing about your adventures in the US
It doesn’t rain.
It doesn't really rain here either. We just drove though a lot of smoke from a fire. It's very windy and dry. There will be heavy rain tomorrow, allegedly, but it's soo dry.
So much smoke... Couldn't really capture it well.
View attachment 101193
You're in MO, yeah? It should rain there more than CO, but climate change is making everything West of the Mississippi into a desert.
How's your little guy doing?
Is that alfalfa hay, M, it's very green even though it's very dry?
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What is the dry lot 'made' of @Michen? Is it grass based or sand? What happens when it rains? If it has grass why is it called a 'dry lot'? Sorry for all the questions but I am now really curious having seen the lovely pics. It looks a good set up tbh.
It is now. They go months and months and months without rain (I have been threatening to send some to my parents), and I don't recall the dry lot pens becoming muddy bogs, ever. My old barn had some horses in herds, but on big dry lots, and others on individual turn-out, in small dry lots.
The hardstanding paddocks at Michen's new yard look a lot nicer than some of the desolate ones I have seen over there. Looks like a beautiful barn. Hopefully the weirdness of American hunter/jumper-land won't end up being too weird.
Outdoor school…View attachment 101168
Have they cleared most of the trees immediately around the barn?
Ugh. Ronaldo.
So...we offload him at the barn and he's acting somewhat feral and struck out with his front leg while being asked to stand, so there's going to be addressing that. I do not tolerate that. At all.
We then put him in a dry lot with a shelter. He's looking around, checking out the place, not too worked up. I potter around doing clearing the trailer, getting hay situated, etc. And he's fine.
I leave the barn and 20 min later the barn owner called me and told me he went through one of the metal fence panels. Like bent it in half. She said he appears to be fine and we'll check for swelling and whatnot tomorrow. He's now just acting like nothing happened.
He knows fences, he knows paddocks, he knows stalls. Idk if it's because of the stress of it all or because he can't quite see other horses so well from his quarantine area. I don't think he's so comfortable being independent since he's a young and used to his herd of bros.
And he's big. I think he's going to be big, and I want a small horse ? but we'll see.
So now I have regrets, probably look like the boarder who knows nothing and just wanted to have a baby horse, and my worst fear came true of leaving a horse at a new place and him destroying the place. Why did I spend so much stress and money Importing this animal. I think I've spotted 2 new gray hairs on my head.
We'll see if he's in one piece tomorrow ??
Try not to panic, Poor little lad, he’s probably terrified, he doesn’t have the life experience that Bog has to cope with these things. My little yearling jumped a 1m20 fence when he arrived. And then a gate. I’m lucky that rightly or wrongly I could choose to bin off a proper quarantine and put my other horse right next to him. Buying a new youngster can make anyone think WTF have I don’t, let alone when you add the stress and expense of shipping them across the world, so I think what you are feeling is totally normal.
Post proper groom. He looks like he’s lost a lot of topline and condition under the saddle. Looks very hollowy. Which is weird given he’s only not been ridden for 10 days, but I guess it’s where the weight/muscle loss is going to show first?
I mean for a horse that was shipped lean and very fit he’s done well. And he’s shiny and bright. But yeh, needs some building up. I’ll give him until next weekend off then start doing some stuff, get out on the trails and some in hand poles.
View attachment 101205
I wouldn't worry about any of this, tbh. The striking is only an issue if it carries on once he's had a chance to settle down, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's just a reaction to the whole experience as he'll be quite overwhelmed. It may well be that it never happens again. And the going through the fence panel, again, is not hugely surprising given that he's left his herd, been on an aeroplane, been in quarantine, done a long journey by truck, and has now rocked up in a new place where he can (presumably) hear/ smell other horses, but can't see them. Just try to remind yourself that he's really young and has had zero life experience until now. I'd be surprised if he handled everything perfectly!Ugh. Ronaldo.
So...we offload him at the barn and he's acting somewhat feral and struck out with his front leg while being asked to stand, so there's going to be addressing that. I do not tolerate that. At all.
We then put him in a dry lot with a shelter. He's looking around, checking out the place, not too worked up. I potter around doing clearing the trailer, getting hay situated, etc. And he's fine.
I leave the barn and 20 min later the barn owner called me and told me he went through one of the metal fence panels. Like bent it in half. She said he appears to be fine and we'll check for swelling and whatnot tomorrow. He's now just acting like nothing happened.
He knows fences, he knows paddocks, he knows stalls. Idk if it's because of the stress of it all or because he can't quite see other horses so well from his quarantine area. I don't think he's so comfortable being independent since he's a young and used to his herd of bros.
And he's big. I think he's going to be big, and I want a small horse ? but we'll see.
So now I have regrets, probably look like the boarder who knows nothing and just wanted to have a baby horse, and my worst fear came true of leaving a horse at a new place and him destroying the place. Why did I spend so much stress and money Importing this animal. I think I've spotted 2 new gray hairs on my head.
We'll see if he's in one piece tomorrow ??
Think back on how much unhappiness and stress this move has caused you CC and you were able to understand why it was all happening!! When he has had a couple of days to rest you can start to do lots of things with him so that he starts to look to you for everything and draws his strength from you. It could be the beginning of a wonderful relationship. Just remember to talk to him as well!!Ugh. Ronaldo.
So...we offload him at the barn and he's acting somewhat feral and struck out with his front leg while being asked to stand, so there's going to be addressing that. I do not tolerate that. At all.
We then put him in a dry lot with a shelter. He's looking around, checking out the place, not too worked up. I potter around doing clearing the trailer, getting hay situated, etc. And he's fine.
I leave the barn and 20 min later the barn owner called me and told me he went through one of the metal fence panels. Like bent it in half. She said he appears to be fine and we'll check for swelling and whatnot tomorrow. He's now just acting like nothing happened.
He knows fences, he knows paddocks, he knows stalls. Idk if it's because of the stress of it all or because he can't quite see other horses so well from his quarantine area. I don't think he's so comfortable being independent since he's a young and used to his herd of bros.
And he's big. I think he's going to be big, and I want a small horse ? but we'll see.
So now I have regrets, probably look like the boarder who knows nothing and just wanted to have a baby horse, and my worst fear came true of leaving a horse at a new place and him destroying the place. Why did I spend so much stress and money Importing this animal. I think I've spotted 2 new gray hairs on my head.
We'll see if he's in one piece tomorrow ??