Welcome, Hermosa

[Caol Ila]

The last thing I want is her learning social skills from my other horse. There are reasons why she's been in individual turn-out for 20 years. She's less homicidal (equicidal?) these days and she is out with a buddy, but I think it's just because she's too arthritic to chase a horse into a corner, pin it there, and then double-barrel the crap out of it. She's also only out two hours per day, which is not ideal for a youngster (or for her...but it's better than fencewalking).

Hermosa will be in a mature mare herd on a big acreage at the new yard, but will be introduced slowly. Everything is on full livery, so YO told me that she will have her in a paddock with something suitable for a day or two, then put them in the field and add the rest, one by one. And she will be a hell of a lot closer to me. Only 14 miles away. That's a lot more livable than 40! Current yard says she's made friends with some of the older mares over the fence.

 

[SEL]

Exactly what @milliepops says.
I have a special needs horse, who also has her own companion pet. It's a pain but that's my problem, not a YO's.
It does not work going to a yard that says they will accommodate you by doing things they don't normally, because then you are the odd one out and then you stand out for the wrong reason, and sooner or later (and it's very often sooner!) They get fed up and you have to move on.
It might be nice to have them on the same yard sure but it doesn't sound the right move right now, the 24/7 yard is presumably closer than the current 40 miles which is a win in it's own right.

I'm another who has a pet to keep my mare company because she's neurotic and it avoids having to turn out with other people. I've also found out that no matter how explicit you are about your needs if it doesn't suit a specific YO then it doesn't happen!

Having horses on separate yards is a PITA but from reading through I think that's your best answer right now

 

[Jellymoon]

I haven’t been on for a while so haven’t caught up with the latest, but I’m interested in your story because I like Spanish horses and understand why you bought one! And I also get that feeling of thinking you’ve done the wrong thing, as I said before! (FWIW I don’t think you’ve done the wrong thing, and I think the reasons you stated for buying a Spanish are why I don’t think you would be fulfilled with a cob-type)
Are you sorted now and feeling better?

 

[Caol Ila]

I haven’t been on for a while so haven’t caught up with the latest, but I’m interested in your story because I like Spanish horses and understand why you bought one! And I also get that feeling of thinking you’ve done the wrong thing, as I said before! (FWIW I don’t think you’ve done the wrong thing, and I think the reasons you stated for buying a Spanish are why I don’t think you would be fulfilled with a cob-type)
Are you sorted now and feeling better?

Hopefully on the way to being sorted. The horse being almost 40 miles away is driving me crazy, and I found a closer yard that's suitable. I feel like an idiot for not finding this yard when I was first looking and in a major flap about it all, but c'est la vie. She will have a lot more time on this yard to just be a horse, which will be good for her.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Glad to hear you found a solution. I wish you and Hermosa the best at her new yard.

 

[holeymoley]

It sounds like the 24/7 yard would now suit her the best.

 

[Caol Ila]

I've arranged transport, and I'm in the process of arranging a vet to draw blood for a strangles test. Have to use yard vets because she's out of my vet's range at the moment. Added faff. They travel pretty far, but not to South Ayrshire.

Led her over more poles today. She really likes poles. Back feet are still a work in progress. Currently going with the advice given on here of having her lift her leg and just following with my hand when she puts it down, but without cowboying it -- grabbing foot and hanging on for dear life. Some days, she rests the toe for a moment when she puts it back down.

 

[Caol Ila]

Non-horsey (increasingly horsey) OH sometimes works near Hermosa's yard when not working from home. One of the reasons she's there. He stops by on days he's down in Kilmarnock, but normally just brushes her loose in the stable, as her stable manners are safe and reliable. He's been taking care of Gypsum on days I'm down with Hermosa, so he has been getting horse-handling experience, albeit with the 28-year old. But today, YO asked if he wanted to lead the filly about, under supervision. He did. And he even managed to successfully work on her little habit of dropping behind you when led, rather than keeping her head at your shoulder. He's always had a good way with critters.

 

[Caol Ila]

We wore a thing today.





Her head is losing some of the baby look. I think she will be a very pretty mare.

 

[windand rain]

She is beautiful

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Knowing that you have a collection of brightly coloured and patterned saddle pads, I'm slightly surprised to see a plain one. Maybe a swallow tailed one made from damask or brocade with metallic braid trim next time?

 

[Caol Ila]

Knowing that you have a collection of brightly coloured and patterned saddle pads, I'm slightly surprised to see a plain one. Maybe a swallow tailed one made from damask or brocade with metallic braid trim next time?

Yeah, that's because it isn't mine, LOL. I don't own any as boring as this one. All mine are at Gypsum's yard. I just grabbed one of the YO's for training purposes. The horse has not worn any clothing, ever, so I thought a saddle pad would be a less intimidating start than a rug.

 

[Inda]

Good start! We would have had a melt down with that ?

 

[Caol Ila]

Good start! We would have had a melt down with that ?

That gives me hope that she will be fine when we graduate to rugs. I'd showed her a saddle pad last week without putting it on her, and she eyed it in a worried manner and then I stroked her with it. Today, I just chucked it on her back and she was totally chilled.

The back feet remain a slow process. She rested the left hind after I did my half-assed pick up today, which was a win, and let me hold the right for a couple seconds before she remembered she wasn't happy. It's funny what these semi-unhandled babies think is a thing, and what isn't. So individual!

 

[Inda]

it’s a shame for her that she’s experienced so little as a baby. youll get there and have lovely horse at the end

 

[shortstuff99]

If it helps my (now 13) Spanish mare came to me un handled at nearly 4 years old and a big 15.3. If I tried her feet she would try and kill me, grooming tried to kill me, leading tried to kill me ?. Now she is the best to handle, just took it calmly and consistently.

You really seem to know what you are doing so I wouldn't worry, she looks like she will be awesome!

 

[tristar]

That gives me hope that she will be fine when we graduate to rugs. I'd showed her a saddle pad last week without putting it on her, and she eyed it in a worried manner and then I stroked her with it. Today, I just chucked it on her back and she was totally chilled.

The back feet remain a slow process. She rested the left hind after I did my half-assed pick up today, which was a win, and let me hold the right for a couple seconds before she remembered she wasn't happy. It's funny what these semi-unhandled babies think is a thing, and what isn't. So individual!

i pick up the foot hold the fetlock well bent, and not too high, and start picking out the foot, while talking loudly but softly using their name to distract them from dropping the leg

 

[holeymoley]

Did you move? Can’t remember if you did or were going to look. She’s very pretty!

 

[Caol Ila]

I'm hopefully going to move on Saturday.

 

[Caol Ila]

Our move could be delayed. Blah. She has a respiratory thing -- cough and nasal discharge. Vet has taken swabs and bloods to test for everything. She thinks most likely cause is allergies due to being in a lot and being fed dusty hay from a hayrack where the horse had to reach upwards. We only changed to floor-fed haylage over the weekend. Hopefully it's just that and nothing sinister.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I hope she's OK and that you can move soon.

 

[Caol Ila]

One horse moved. She did not want to have anything to do with the lorry, but my God, it makes such a huge difference when there's only two of you trying to load a recalcitrant horse, and you're both on the same page and working perfectly as a team in terms of timing pressure/release. She tried planting. She tried going backwards. She tried standing on two legs (very balanced, almost a levade, but also, no.... she got in massive amounts of trouble for that). She didn't try throwing her weight against you and tanking off, which is what Gypsum liked doing around trailers/lorrys. It took an hour and a half of faff, but Hermosa genuinely changed her mind about the whole affair and walked onto the lorry. My friend (the owner of the lorry) is a fantastic horsewoman.

Traveled fine and arrived at new yard. She was put into the wee pen in the photo and they spent a few hours introducing her to a couple horses. Initially, she got very worried about being chased, but the horses weren't terribly aggressive about it, and she realized it actually wasn't the end of the world, although it was traumatic to watch, at first. Once they looked more settled, they went into a field. Everyone started grazing. YO sent me a video (which I would add, but getting videos onto this site is such a hassle) of everyone with their heads down.

 

[PurBee]

Woohoo brilliant update! Shes got turnout, mates and they all get on...you must be relieved.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Excellent update.

 

[Caol Ila]

Popped by the yard today. The summer field is a five-to-ten minute hike from the yard. I left Hermosa in the field but went in to say hi, and she came up to us for a cuddle before wandering off with the herd. She's buddied up with the black horse.

 

[Caol Ila]

There are eight horses (including mine) in the field, seven mares and a gelding. Not a bad sized herd for learning skillz. It only took the YO half a day of introductions, using the pens in yesterday's photo, to get the horses to a point where they could go into a field together. No fence jumping needed. Also, not as hard as I thought. We could have done this at Gypsum's yard. There was a way. But what I clearly needed was a knowledgeable and authoritative YO/YM to hold my hand through and take charge of the process (remember, Gypsum hasn't been in herds for 20 years). Not just, "Talk to the other liveries" and then being expected to punter it with a nearly-unhandled two-year old. So, we got that. Finally.

 

[southerncomfort]

That looks absolutely perfect!

 

[Caol Ila]

I should add, happy birthday to Gypsum. She's 28 today. I didn't take photos and in fact forgot, because I was flapping about her not eating her hard feed and giving her a deconstructed feed -- the different bits in different buckets -- to see what parts of her concoction she actually liked, or not. But she got the haynet from Hermosa's journey as a birthday present. She preferred Kilmarnock yard's hay to her usual hay.

 

[ycbm]

I'm so relieved on your behalf about the move. I hope this is now onwards and upwards for Hermosa and you

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Hermosa looks so happy.

Happy Birthday to Gypsum!