Boggle- USA bound!

[Michen]

You're seriously inspirational. Doing all of this on your own, moving to America and having the freedom and confidence to just decide to move across to another state with your horse to try something new and have some nicer weather!

Bog kept you grounded and that continuous feeling of normality getting you there so you never felt like you were on your own and now your options are endless.

After everything you've been through, you truly deserve this and I love watching your journey.

Welled up a bit reading this! That is such a lovely post to write, and thank you because honestly on this drive I’ve had times where I’ve wondered if I’m completely mental lol. At one point the realization hit that I was literally driving across America with my truck and trailer and baby horse… and that I lived in America.. and for a brief moment I wasn’t sure if that was really cool or really ridiculous

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

Are you there yet ?
I have just come back from a great evening in London and before going to bed had to check in and see if you and Atlas had completed your road trip

 

[Michen]

We’ve arrived!!!! Oh I am so grateful to Atlas for being so easy going about the whole thing. He is such a dear little chap and despite seeming thoroughly fed up by hour 9 he still took it all in his stride. I think my heart kind of broke when he whinnied after me and my truck as I left the new barn and said bye to him through the window. He has decided I’m his human now and that’s that.

But he’s all settled and happy with his new neighbour, he will go out into the pasture in the next few days once he’s had a chance to settle and also been buddied up with another horse so that he has a friend before he goes in with the herd, nice way of doing it. He drank straight away and tucked into his hay.

Here he is admiring the new mountain views and the little cross country course where I’ll spend some time lunging him over baby fences. I am thrilled to be here and the saguaros make me very happy, as does the red glow of the mountains as the sun sets.

The huge pastures are just behind the corral and are irrigated in spring/summer!

Very happy, and one of Boggles shoes is in the trailer tack room so he came with us too

 

[Michen]

Are you there yet ?
I have just come back from a great evening in London and before going to bed had to check in and see if you and Atlas had completed your road trip

Just posted! Thank you. Hope you had lots of fun xx

 

[Equi]

Glad you arrived safe! Now for a big sleep lol

 

[Ahrena]

He is very smart!! It looks so warm, I am very jealous.

 

[Tarragon]

You can see why barefoot horses do so well in those conditions! All that natural abrasion and no green grass to speak of.
it looks like an amazing environment, and very different from Colorado. Really looking forward to learning all about keeping horses there and seeing Atlas growing up.

 

[Michen]

Glorious early morning walk in the Saguaro national park. Can’t remember the last time I smiled so much. Not sure why I’m so obsessed with saguaros but they make me really happy

 

[JenJ]

What a massive range for temperatures you get between day and night!!!

It looks amazing, and I'm so glad you're smiling

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

So glad you are starting to unwind after that long journey. It looks an incredible place and you and Atlas will have some fun times getting to know the countryside and each other. Atlas looks such a cool dude in your selfie with him. How special that one of Bog's shoes travelled with you for luck and that you were ok for Atlas to wear his head collar. There's something quite magnificent about Atlas, I can't quite put my finger on it, it could be his colour, his relaxed attitude or the way he holds himself. I'm pleased he thinks you are his human and this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

 

[Michen]

So glad you are starting to unwind after that long journey. It looks an incredible place and you and Atlas will have some fun times getting to know the countryside and each other. Atlas looks such a cool dude in your selfie with him. How special that one of Bog's shoes travelled with you for luck and that you were ok for Atlas to wear his head collar. There's something quite magnificent about Atlas, I can't quite put my finger on it, it could be his colour, his relaxed attitude or the way he holds himself. I'm pleased he thinks you are his human and this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Thank you very much!!! Yes he actually does have quite a bit of presence. I think it’s down to the being gelded late thing, which Bog was too. Atlas was a stallion until he was 3.

He is quite the thinker, he does this sort of slow blink when he’s really assessing something, very human like it’s almost a bit odd! Very different to Bog who would decide something in a nano second and that was that

 

[splashgirl45]

Pleased you both arrived safely, Atlas looks chilled after his long journey, his temperament must be really good , it will be great to follow his journey

 

[palo1]

Thank you very much!!! Yes he actually does have quite a bit of presence. I think it’s down to the being gelded late thing, which Bog was too. Atlas was a stallion until he was 3.

He is quite the thinker, he does this sort of slow blink when he’s really assessing something, very human like it’s almost a bit odd! Very different to Bog who would decide something in a nano second and that was that

It looks amazing and such a brilliant contrast to Colorado. I really hope you can share what it's like to keep horses in that environment - with many pictures of Atlas of course! Totally green with envy that you have warm sunshine on a daily basis and that beautiful landscape to explore! Well done for making this a reality for both of you too. As I headed uphill into sheets of wet, Welsh misty stuff I did think of you and could almost feel that warm desert sun...

 

[Michen]

Me too! Honestly half way through the second day of driving I was wondering if I was completely mental to be doing this. But as soon as I got here I remembered why, when I came here straight from losing Bog, I thought some time here would be such a good idea. I’m also looking forward to Beau arriving, and being able to ride all winter. Plus it’s great to have my grown up friends here who are so supportive and grounding and basically like surrogate parents at this point.

I will definitely keep up with lots of updates not least so you guys can hopefully keep me on the right track with starting my baby hoss as I really don’t know what I’m doing

 

[Honey08]

Who’s Beau? I loose track of all these animals!

I’m very jealous. Colorado and Arizona are probably my two favourite states. I used to frequently go to Phoenix on Boxing Day in my Gatwick flying days. I used to love the big blue skies.

 

[Michen]

This is Beau he’s the lovely big chap I’ve been riding for the last 18 months. He’s huge and a gentle giant but also surprisingly hot. I’ve done a little event on him which he won and some dressage which he also won! I’m very fond of him

His owner owns the Colorado mountain home where I lived last winter (whilst they were in Arizona). And I’m currently in their Arizona home. Though air b and bing from Jan as they come here themselves!

 

[Equi]

The heat looks tempting but I think my sinuses would leave my body with all the dust!

 

[Honey08]

Ah. I see. You’re very lucky in many ways. You’ve found some really great people out there.

 

[Michen]

The heat looks tempting but I think my sinuses would leave my body with all the dust!

Haha weirdly I used to have to take an antihistamine a day to survive horses in the UK but here I don't need to! Not sure why.

 

[Michen]

Ah. I see. You’re very lucky in many ways. You’ve found some really great people out there.

I really have and do consider myself very lucky despite the sad events!

 

[Michen]

Atlas says send help! I had to clip him super quick before a work call whilst I had daylight, he’d been really sweaty all day and I can’t get there in am so wanted to make sure he wasn’t uncomfortable tomorrow. Where do I go from here lol. The clipped bits are pretty much where he was sweating but I wasn’t really going for a particular shape. His head was sweaty around his ears etc as well but maybe his ears won’t sweat now he will be cooler overall? It’s hard as it’s cold at night but I think he’s better being a little cold at night then too hot during the day.


My clippers are also blunt and he was not remotely thrilled about it all so I was clipping whilst trying to hold him with the other hand

Do I take off half his head? But then the neck kind of has to join it and I have to go higher and I’m worried that’s taking too much.

 

[PurBee]

You could call it the ‘strat’ clip, as it kinda resembles the shape of a fender stratocaster guitar

 

[Michen]

You could call it the ‘strat’ clip, as it kinda resembles the shape of a fender stratocaster guitar

I KNEW it had a name

 

[Petalpoos]

I used to just leave legs and head and back unclipped on my hairy haffie. Basically a high chaser, then left her unrugged and she was fine. I can’t see its any different from clipping them out completely then putting a rug on. He’s lovely.

 

[little_critter]

It could turn into an Irish clip if you go from where you left off to the stifle

 

[meleeka]

I'd just take a bit of belly off and make it a low Irish clip. He definitely doesn't look like a horse that's just travelled for two days.

 

[jhoward]

A low trace clip.
For lines I'd do half his face, stick just a nose band off a bridle on him and use the band down the length of his face as a line guide.

For legs see the diagonal line at the top of his leg? Go up that ( so your going towards his head) to get a better line.

I used to use a wet chalk stick for lines or old fashioned bar if saddle soap as clippers won't go through it .

 

[Equi]

Frankly it doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it works. That’s my clipping mantra

 

[Tarragon]

Frankly it doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it works. That’s my clipping mantra

and mine!

 

[Cloball]

Lots of the European endurance guys do some funky non-traditional clips. I've never really understood why we have to stick to set patterns. If I ever clip mine I'd do the side under her mane much higher which would I am sure make traditionalists weep.