I went out intending to ride, and Keil Bay came right in when he heard me come through the gate, so it felt like he wanted to ride too. But after I fed Salina, checked her in the midst of abscessing hoof, and let Keil Bay into a stall so I could tack him up I saw that he, and all the geldings, had been out rolling and all three were covered in dried mud.
Salina left a bit of her meal, so I added some to it and fed it to Keil Bay. He wishes he needed an extra wet tub a day. He doesn't really, but every now and then I give him one just to show him that I will if in fact he ever DOES need it to keep his weight and nutrition balanced.
He was thrilled with his midday "senior" meal, and I started working on his mud while he ate.
It was cool and windy today and I decided to let the other geldings come into stalls and have some hay out of the wind. They all seemed happy to have some quiet and some individual hay. I realized as I got busy grooming Keil that it was probably one of those days when it felt right to spend a long grooming session than to try and squeeze in a ride. He was enjoying the brushing, and the barn was peaceful with the late afternoon sun coming in the windows, the horses all munching, and the rhythm of the brush felt good to me as well as Keil.
Keil started banging his feed tub around in the manger so I stepped up to take it and let him lick it out. This is a favorite ritual he and I have, and as I lifted Salina's red tub I realized Keil's blue tub had been left in the manger at breakfast and he was banging because some of the midday meal had managed to spill between the red tub and the blue tub but they were stuck together and he couldn't get to the "trapped" portion. I separated the tubs and held them both up side by side so he could lick.
I suspect Keil Bay has never had two feed tubs both with feed in them in front of him inside his stall before. He seemed surprised but not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak, and he set forth to lick both, taking turns between one and the other. I could literally feel his pleasure. If horses purred like cats, Keil Bay was purring.
I've been doing ground work with him most of this week, and since I'd decided not to ride, I took him out in halter and lead rope to do a repeat of our work. The first day he needed a little urging to keep up with me but the past two days he has been sharp and perfectly focused. Today he was even more focused - clearly trying to anticipate my requests by watching my body. We were walking, trotting, halting, turning, backing w/o any cue passing between us. Keil is big and has a big stride, but he matched me step for step in every transition. It was impressive.
While we were working, Salina came out of the barn and began to graze in the big barnyard. She's moving, but still carefully, and this is the first day she's wanted to graze in about 4. The donkeys both asked to come into the arena, so, as it tends to go around here, my work with Keil Bay ended and some similar work with the donkeys began. Even the pony, who was in his stall with hay, came to his door to watch.
Everyone got groomed and worked and they're back in stalls with hay until dinner time, when they'll eat, get their blankets for the first freeze of the year, and head out to enjoy the cold, clear night.
Might I add that we noticed the sure sign of fall and winter on its way: flies sitting motionless, as if they were frozen in place. It's about time!
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
14 comments:
Glad to hear that Salina is feeling better. Sounds as if you and the big bay had a wonderful day between his grooming, licking buckets and lunging. Very peaceful for everyone.
A motionless fly is the next best thing to an invisible fly! ;) Thank goodness for the change of season.
Loved hearing about the two bucket excitement lol. I'm headed out to the barn for TLC time with Val right now :)
We did, and thank you, A! No lunging though - just in-hand with halter and lead rope. I could have easily unsnapped the lead rope and he'd have been right there with me. He actually loves this kind of work/play. The only thing we can't do is extended trot and above - I just can't keep up with him on the ground with my two legs! :)
I love the sound of that work with Keil Bay. It feels as if he knows that he has a privileged position with you. I'd like to have seen the work with the donkeys.
C, we love seeing NO flies too!
I also love when I experience some new little pleasure with Keil Bay. When he is pleasantly surprised he gets a look in his eye that makes me think that's probably what he looked like as a 2-3 year old. I so wish I had known him back then. Or even wish I knew some of the stories of his younger self. I feel sure there are some doozies based on his personality and charm. Hope you had fun with Val.
Maire, I think Keil Bay has lived a privileged life overall. He loves being pampered and is clearly accustomed to it, but every now and then I find some new thing that surprises him. One was when I took the cavesson off his bridle. I wish you could have seen the look on his face - it was real pleasure and he lifted his head and experimented with all that freedom, literally flinging the bit around in his mouth, testing it.
The donkeys are fun to work with but different than horses. I really need to get a mini-surcingle and some driving reins and work with them that way - Rafer desperately wants a bit that fits him!
sometimes i forget about riding for those great days of grooming, ground work and all-around positive attention too :-)
glad to hear salina is making good progress!
Thanks, j! Daughter and I were at her hunter pace all day today (her team took 3rd place!) and so it was another grooming session for Keil Bay and Cody and Salina so they can get blankets on tonight, and some raking up of acorns in the arena with Rafer helping.
Salina was out with the herd all afternoon and came in just long enough to walk (not hop) through the barn aisle to go into the barnyard with her donkeys. I can see that each step is pumping the abscess "wound" and getting everything out. Thank goodness.
She got 3 doses of silicea 12x and this is why I love that remedy for her. It revs up the draining and gets the gunk moving out.
billie - King Keil must have been quite the lad in his youth - those royal bloodlines have stood him in good stead. I feel sure Rafer would prove to be an expert in the driving field - let us know as soon as you have him kitted out.
Sheaffer, I can so imagine Rafer Johnson with a fancy cart and all the gear.
We are having an unusual week in that the donkeys have shifted roles. Suddenly Rafer is being a hellion and Redford has turned into the well-behaved young man. Just when I think I have a handle on things. Rafer is heading into his 5th year - is that a similar time of misbehavior as I have heard and experienced with horses?
billie - this sounds very unlike Rafer indeed. I myself did not experience this delayed adolescence - Herself says I was born with the mind of a suspicious elderly Victorian. I have heard of donkeys of the male gender becoming more - independent? action-oriented? revolutionary? as they approach the mid single digits in age. I feel Rafer is telling you he wishes to expand his horizons at this juncture - is a cart and harness somewhere in his near future? Barring that, I feel confident he could learn to pilot an automobile...
Sheaffer, now that you describe it so perfectly, Rafer has not really been acting like a hellion but a ... suspicious, elderly Victorian! Having a bad day!
Although he has been improved in spirits since the rain left and the sunshine returned. I have a big story to tell but do not have time to write it up quite yet. Will do so as soon as I can.
Hey Billie: Did you hear about Hickstead? I don't want to see any pictures and I've about decided to stop looking at sport horse events altogether. :*(
Sadly, I did... :( I did not watch the video that's up on YouTube - it's so sad and upsetting. I know what you mean about sport horse events. I have come to a very similar conclusion.
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