Ridges - ITS PINK!!!

[countrymini]

Its not finished yet but I'm still excited! The girls fence is going up!

 

[Wings]

It's great how exciting fencing is!

:rofl

 

How we enjoy the 'simple' things!! LOL

 

[countrymini]

:rofl

 

[AnnaC]

Nothing better than seeing good strong fencing being errected.

 

[countrymini]

Guess who has started striping out their hooves!

And its a pretty even ratio of black to white.

Now I can sleep at night, assured in the fact that Likki is definitely an appy.

 

I knew she had it in her!!!! LOL Rest well, as she matures you may start seeing spots on her rump!!

 

[AnnaC]

Great news!! But be prepared to wait - one of mine only started to show small spots once she had passed her 2nd birthday! (I wouldn't want you to go wihout sleep for the next year or so while waiting!)

 

[countrymini]

haha, ok. Well if her dad is anything to go by he had hardly any varnish when I purchased him at 2.5 years and he's about 4 now and the varnish is still growing. Will be fun to have a change colour horse

 

[countrymini]

Thought I'd better share some photos on here since I had on facebook.

These photos are from two weeks ago before we went away. Today we got back and during the scratch catch up I noticed loads more white hairs where i'd clipped. Like heaps. No definite spots but definitely varnish starting.

 

Oh, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the new pictures! They look great and 'baby' as pretty as ever!! It will be fun to see how she continues to change!

 

[AnnaC]

WOW!! She really is a little livewire isn't she! LOL!! Thanks for the update - really looking forward to seeing how the 'frosting' has progressed come the Spring when she changes her coat.

 

[countrymini]

She's a cutie! I'll have to take a photo of these white hairs one day. If she stands still long enough!

 

[countrymini]

Thought I'd better give you some updated photos. Little Liquorice has started her halter training and is doing pretty good so far. Must be her temperament coz this is my first time and its kinda easier than I though it would be



Once she made friends with the lead rope she just let me put the halter on. Loving this little personality

 

[AnnaC]

Goodness hasn't she grown - quite the little lady now rather than a baby!! Well done with the halter training, I always say that it doesn't have to be difficult, but more a simple progression from other things done during 'playtime' or general attention and fuss, all in a relaxed way. I think you get more complications when you do it too early and have to grab/hold/restrain a baby before putting a halter on - being flight animals a baby can get very stressed when having to be restrained.

Hope you are well away from the bush fires that we have been hearing about over there. Do keep the pics coming when you can, I love seeing your attractive pair.

 

[countrymini]

We are fine up here. It seems Australia has decided that the nether regions needed a turn and they've been quite bad. Bree is near them but she's said on facebook that they are safe enough away.

As to the halter training, I wouldn't have thought to play games with the halter except that I'd read you write it somewhere Anna. Made it so much easier.

Now we're up to leading tho. What's the best way to start that? or should they learn to tie up first?

 

[AnnaC]

If she will follow you without being headcollared, then just do it and attach the lead and start wandering around, keeping within her comfort zone/near her Momma/in an area where she is used to following. In the earlier times with our little ones we simply used to thread a piece of string through the head collar and hold both ends before walking forward - if someone had a hissy fit then we could just slip the string and they were free. Not what many folks would suggest today, mostly they say hang on and dont let go, but I have always worried about injuring a foals neck bones by 'hanging on', and they never ran off once free, leaving us to re-approach, give scratches and try again. Never took more than a couple of 'leading' sessions for them to catch on! Nowadays we follow the playtime route with all the 'work' done before they ever start wearing a headcollar.

No, never tie up until they are leading confidently and for quite some time/and in different places/circumstances. Our tying up times can come several months later as we rarely find the need to tie If the leading is done properly and confidently and the little one knows all about ropes being 'obeyed' and not something to fight, then tying is a natural progression. At first I would simply wrap the rope round a smooth solid surface - like a gate. Keep hold of the end and give a short groom or similar, do not let the rope go, but you can give and take on it if this first 'tie' causes a bit of shifting about. Next tie, obviously with a quick release, to a thin piece of string or something that will break should there be an emergency, but seriously, if you have done your leading correctly then there should be no problem with tying, just make sure that the rope is at the right height, not low enough to get a foot over and not too tight. We usually tie ours for the first time when trimming their feet as they are used to this happening, and none of them have ever been any trouble. But neither do we leave them alone when tied until they are a lot older, even then only if we have to quickly fetch something, we do not follow the idea of tying and leaving them alone " because it is good for them/because it teaches them good manners/they need to learn a lesson for some reason"????? As the years go by, ours will stand for as long as we want simply because they are happy and confident enough to do so!

So just continue with what you are doing, take it slow - what's the rush anyway! You will be fine.

 

[countrymini]

Ok, thanks for the advice!

 

[countrymini]

Sorry its been a while. Finally found the battery charger for my camera and the farmers all around decide it is a good day to start burning off. Anyways, here's a photo from this morning of the girls passed out in the sun.

I've had them separated for two whole months now and am keen to get them back together as I feel a bit mean but how long does it take to wean? The whole process was extremely easy and nobody got upset or stressed, they've been able to touch noses the whole time. Anyways, any advice on how long to keep them separated for would be great.

 

They should be fine back together. I'm sure momma has dried up, and there wouldn't be anything for her to get. Try putting them back together and observe. She may "try" to nurse, but there shouldn't be any success, and should give up quickly.