I am embarrassed with my recent amount of blogs. I just haven't had the time to write. But I have been spending time with my boy. He's great. I have noticed though that he prefers winter weather to summer weather. I must remember to ask Lynn if Lucy or Moon are like this too. Linus can be so sluggish in the summer. He is in a pasture with plenty of shade so I think he is just like me and doesn't like the heat. So, we try to do our work in the evening or morning when it is cooler.
I finally found a cart for him too! It's kind of more like an exercise bike. It's really light and I'm hoping tomorrow will be our first hitch in it. I am so looking forward to driving him again. But I am a bit wound up over trying a light cart. I know if he really wants to go he can go in it! it's really made me realise how brave harness racers are! And I haven't even tried it yet! But I am looking forward to it. I'm so glad I kept up his ground driving while I looked for a new cart.
We haven't done any riding since Canada Day. Dad was saying tonight after a few more rides he is going to let Allie step it up a notch but I told him I'm not letting Linus go until next year. I want to make sure I don't overdo it with him. I want to keep it light and fun and let him mature. When he is about 4 or 5 I will look for a cart that will carry more people. I have too much of a good thing to ruin it.
Dad has gotten back into hoof trimming (he used to always do his own) and Linus is looking really well. I noticed though that the flies had laid some eggs on his legs (it looks like hay seed if you've never seen it and it can be pretty sticky). Last year they brushed out easy but this year they were harder. If anyone has noticed the same issue (I should have taken a picture!) I used a "grooming block" that I had from TSC and it instantly took them off his hair. The grooming blocks look like a mini cinder block. They are great for getting out dirt at skin level and loose, dead hairs. I use them on the show cows even though they are marketed for horses.
Hopefully I will have pictures tomorrow for you...maybe of Linus under saddle and hitched again! It's been a while since I put pictures up. He is starting to fill out more in the quarters and seems to be getting a more balanced look to him again. It's so much fun watching a horse grow up. I was telling Lynn (Homefire Curly Horses where Linus was bred and born) that I am so happy I took the path I did in getting a youngster and raising it. Linus had a great start from Day 1 at Homefire and has grown into my dream horse.
Donna, bot fly eggs. I used to take them off with a razor blade. Make sure you remove them away from his food source, or he will be ingesting them. That is the Bot Fly Plan. Thanks for the grooming block tip!
ReplyDeleteYou are one of the few "backyard" people who could start a colt and do it right. You really have done great and take the time to learn and absorb information and then actually put it to practice! You so deserve the dream horse you have trained. People up the road from me never had horses before, bought a mare and a gelding last year, mare looked fat...she had a foal last week. Can you imagine what the manners on that foal are going to be like?
Susan, you are too kind! I think 90% of why Linus is who he is just has to do with the personality he was born with. I think we have learned a lot from each other and I would start another youngster in a heartbeat! Though I could end up disappointed because it went so well the first time around! I see a lot of what you just mentioned with your neighbour. Horses became a big trend around here about 5 or so years ago. Everybody had to have them! Now the market is getting flooded with horses in poor condition with poor feet that you can't do anything with!
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