NAKED PONY PICTURES!

Well, it's Chance's 5 month anniversary and we have NAKED PONY PICTURES!  Just a quick review: here's what he looked like on October 14, 2009, the day after he was dropped off to us.

If you're looking for a skeletal anatomy lesson, these picture are a pretty decent educational tool. 

Here's what a horse like this can look like, with some very simple treatment:

Big change, huh?  And how simple was the treatment?  This simple:  we fed him food he could eat.  Lots of it.  You don't want to know what his feed bill was, but imagine all the food he would have eaten over the course of a year or two, and then imagine paying for it over the space of 5 months.  Whew!

Still not full weight, but maybe a 3.5 on the scale?  And pretty happy too.  Mostly he just walks around, but he's been seen trotting, cantering and bucking, as well, so everything seems to be all right.  His manure has never come completely back to normal, but we're hoping to see firmer poo once we ease him back down off the high carb feeds.  At his highest, during the coldest part of the winter, he was eating 3 litres of beet pulp, soaked, 20 cups of 16% protein mare and foal and 3 cups of roasted soybeans a day.  Plus, all the best grass hay he could tuck into himself.  He's being weaned off the mare and foal and is now down to about 15 cups per day--still a lot of sugar, but getting there.

Haha, checking to see if the door to the feed room is open!  Little monkey!  It's like living with two cat burglers--everything has to be locked up like Fort Knox.  Actually, I think Fort Knox could learn a thing or two from trying to keep ponies from breaking into the feed room.  You don't even want to know how many times we've repaired/replaced the stall door, to keep Penny from stealing Chance's feed.

So, as he feels better, we get a better sense of his personality.  One, he likes to be outside.  In fact, given the choice, he would rather eat outside than in.  He is nervous of getting caught and when you are holding him, he is very tense.  You have to stay really calm with him.  At the same time, he is very nonchalant about people working around him, cleaning the stall or whatever.  We do give him handfuls of grain sometimes and I have found him very well mannered about that as well--he does dive at it rather like a stooping falcon, but I have never once felt the least bit of concern that I was going to get...ummm, nibbled?....where I am very careful around Penny, because she is not always that careful to make sure that what she is eating is food.  Grain is definitely his favourite treat.  He can be pushy and will rush right past you if you aren`t firm, but you can stop him with an arm in front of his chest. He doesn't care for being groomed, but will stand reasonably quietly for it.  It's obvious that he is tense while you are doing it, so we try to groom while he is eating.  His biggest trick is that, whatever you try to do with him, he will try to spin or run away from it, but gives in with fairly good grace once he knows that you mean business. 

His back still hasn't filled in, but we are starting to look for a western saddle and a good heavy pad to put on him, so we can try him under saddle when he is ready. His legs are really good and he still has lots of energy, so, barring unforseen circumstances, he's probably got another 7-10 years of riding left in him.

Wonder what he'd do if we tried running a barrel pattern with him?  *Giggle* We may create a monster...

Well, happy weekend and don't forget to hug your horses (if only to stay warm!)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

Wow, 2 months since our last entry.  Part of that was midwinter blahs, part of that was just startups for a number of different things we hope to have going on this year.  So, a quick update on everyone and everything, who's where and what they're doing.

First of all, the website.  We've changed a few things around and renamed some others.  The adoption page is now call Sadie's Horses.  We've added a courtesy listings page, as well.  Because we get more requests to find homes for horses than we have foster homes, we decided to add this page, so that people can see what horses are still waiting for foster.  Horses can be obtained directly from the owner on this page--Sadie's Place makes no guarantees to either the horse owner or the purchaser/adopter as to the personality, fitness or suitability of the animal, or of the facility it will be living in after transfer of ownership.  That being said, you also don't have to go through our inspection process, if you obtain your horse through that page. This is a good option for both the horse owner and the person wanting a horse--the horse owner knows that people looking at our website are already predisposed to a 'rescue' horse, the person wanting a horse may be able to obtain the horse for much less than our usual adoption fees.

As well, we are in the process of setting up a page where you can personally sponsor a horse that tugs on your heartstrings.  Some of this money goes towards training, an emergency medical fund (the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare fund covers regular visits, but as we know from Chance, emergencies do happen), equipment, extra feed if the horse needs more than the usual and any rehabilitative farrier or veterinary work. 

Now, on to the horses:
Tilly--still in Mayfield, hanging with Wyatt. Had another chat with his former owner, who says he stopped racing because of a bowed tendon and that his best time was 1:56.  He's still absolutely adorable and, if I had room for another, you'd all be cryin' in yer corn flakes, 'cause he'd be MINE! For someone who wants an all around horse who will give his all to whatever you ask of him, he really is a good choice.  I just can't say enough good things about him.

Wyatt--growing, playing, manipulating his foster mom and dad into feeding him carrots every time they go by.   Hmmm, who's supposed to be training who? Wyatt is going to have his fetlock assessed by a vet soon, to see if corrective shoeing or some other treatment will help. We'll keep you updated on his prognosis.

Bandit--scheduled to go for saddle training on April 1.  Since he's already had a saddle on, this should be old hat for him.  He's really settled down and has gotten a lot more cuddly.  Better snap him up, because he is going to make someone a right fine riding horse this summer.  Here's a photo of him from the winter--isn't that adorable?

He loves to come up to the fence and just visit with you.  And, I can tell you, from personal experience, I have grabbed his head and done the "Oh, what a cute little pookey poo!" thing to him, and he didn't even twitch.  Probably thought I should get back on my meds, but was very tolerant of my bizarre behaviour.

Apple--still the diva, but is very good at training humans.  We're trying to get her into a clinic in Nova Scotia to help with some of her socialization issues.  She's discovered alfalfa cubes, which are rapidly becoming an obsession for her.

Yankee--BORED!!!!Someone come ride me!!!!! Please!!!!!  I'm bored!!!!  Yankee is still classy looking, even with his now rather ratty winter coat, but he really needs a job.  He's too young and has too much life left in him to sit and get flabby in the field.  If you are looking for a young prospect with a good attitude and lots of get up and go, you should come visit him.

Duncan--gone to his new home!  Congratulations, Brian, Chantal and Anna!  He's finished his month of saddle training and has upped stakes to his new digs.  Here's a picture of him inside the arena at his new home.  Way to go Duncan!

Isn't that a happy looking boy?

Chance--gaining weight, looking a lot better.  The difference in him is really what inspired the name of this entry. We'll get his 5 month anniversary blog up a day or two.  Gotta get the pedicurist out first and it's going to take more than a couple of days to deal with that dandruff...but, boy, what a personality, when he starts to relax! Unfortunately, he still thinks everyone is out to get him, but he is getting better.  He reached out to sniff my had the other day, all his own, which I'm taking as a promising sign.  Ultimately, it would be nice to have him come to be caught and to be able to relax when you are touching him.  Work to do still...

That's it for today.  Hope you are all enjoying your sunshiney week of March Break, here on the Island.  And, hopefully you all remembered to eat some pie on Sunday, in honour of Pi day. (You know, 3rd month, 14th day, 3.14, circumference of circle?  OK, who booed?  That wasn't very nice at all.  Me, I'll take any excuse to eat pie.  Or cake.  Or cheesecake. )

Don't forget to hug your horses!