So after 2 days Maggie has settled SO well into our routine of breakfast at 7am (a flying visit before I go to work!) and dinner around 5-6pm.
She is so calm about everything... occasionally I see I get "into her bubble" as she gives me "the look", so I turn away quickly and when I glance back she has a surprised look on her face! So funny! Its like she says "oh wow, you took the pressure away almost immediately, thanks!" lol
I had a couple of hours tonight after work to potter about at the paddocks, so let her out of the yard and into the small paddock beyond. She calmly walked out like she'd been doing it for months and started grazing. If this had been a domesticated horse it would have charged out the gate and ran around with its tail in the air!!!!
When my gelding (over the fence) tried to make friends she just ignored him like he wasn't worth even talking to!!! My 2 mares stood watching, trying so hard to get Maggies attention, but she just eyeballed them with her head down still eating .... really quite comical to watch! It's like she is the Queen and the others are just the commoners who've come to greet her! I can imagine her looking, nodding in acknowledgement, and continuing on ... lol ... so funny! Mark mentioned this happening, and here I was watching it in real life!
I suspect my real challenge will be having her acknowledge me as her equal, rather than "one of the commoners" ... I look forward to that, and I look forward to learning what she can teach me along this exciting journey!!!
Yesterday she vocalised when I arrived with the feed bucket too - very cool! I didn't expect it so soon! There is really something about that which gets right inside me and I feel the vibration of the sound... I wonder if any of you reading understand what I mean? Any horse will do it to me, and I just love it! Each of my horses have a different sound so I know who it is; now I have to learn Maggies over the next few days ...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Yippeeeeee!!!!!
Well what a short night that was! I headed off to bed around 11.45pm, and was awake at 4am. My first thought was, "oh, it's only 4am, I'll go back to sleep" ... but then I started thinking ... lol ... no chance after that!
After feeding breakfast to everyone and putting hay out, while Kim did my mucking out, I received the call that the truck was about half an hour away - then the butterflies woke in my stomach! Aarrrggghhhhhh! lol
Kim and I waited out at the roadside for the truck, and sure enough, he soon arrived but turned right instead of left and was heading away from us! *sigh* The driver didn't go far before realising, turned around, and came back to unload. He really wasn't the most chatty of fellows and was in a rush to leave! When I enquired about how the trip went all he said was "ok, pass the lead rope please" ... sheesh! I tried again by asking how Maggie travelled and he informed me he'd already unloaded her and reloaded in Nth Canterbury!!! I was stunned as he was given instruction NOT to do this, and that Maggie was to have a direct trip!!!! grrrrrrr!
She came off calmly though, and when I tried to give her a minute to look around he tried flicking her forward from behind! I couldn't wait to leave him and get her settled, so left Kim to collect the receipt before I said something I might later regret!!!
So Maggie and I slowly made our way up the lane, and Kim soon caught up with us when Maggie constantly stopped to eat grass! When she saw the other horses she stopped and thought about turning and going back, but soon walked forward again with a little encouragement. It took us about 20minutes to walk her to the yards - usually less than a 5 minute walk! - letting her take the time she needed to be ok with this new place.
Once in the yards and lead rope off, she was happy to nibble the hay, drink the water, and eat her hard feed - and this was my "wild" horse?? :-) What a fab job Mark, Lizzie and co have done to get her to this point - thanks guys! Very much! I sat and watched her for an hour or so, just to check the other horses didn't get her wound up, but even they seemed calm and settled like there was nothing new happening! Well, thats a good thing of course, but I was prepared for more... perhaps because she was tired after her huge trip she was more interested in food, and my others were making the most of the beautiful sunshine after the days of rain we'd just had!
As I write this it's almost 3.30pm, and I'm thinking I might go back around to the paddocks to check on everyone, and give Maggie some dinner before settling in for the night. Shame I'm working for the next 3 days and will only be there for half an hour in the morning to feed up, and an hour or so after work for the same before dark, but come Sunday I think I'll take my lunch! lol
After feeding breakfast to everyone and putting hay out, while Kim did my mucking out, I received the call that the truck was about half an hour away - then the butterflies woke in my stomach! Aarrrggghhhhhh! lol
Kim and I waited out at the roadside for the truck, and sure enough, he soon arrived but turned right instead of left and was heading away from us! *sigh* The driver didn't go far before realising, turned around, and came back to unload. He really wasn't the most chatty of fellows and was in a rush to leave! When I enquired about how the trip went all he said was "ok, pass the lead rope please" ... sheesh! I tried again by asking how Maggie travelled and he informed me he'd already unloaded her and reloaded in Nth Canterbury!!! I was stunned as he was given instruction NOT to do this, and that Maggie was to have a direct trip!!!! grrrrrrr!
She came off calmly though, and when I tried to give her a minute to look around he tried flicking her forward from behind! I couldn't wait to leave him and get her settled, so left Kim to collect the receipt before I said something I might later regret!!!
So Maggie and I slowly made our way up the lane, and Kim soon caught up with us when Maggie constantly stopped to eat grass! When she saw the other horses she stopped and thought about turning and going back, but soon walked forward again with a little encouragement. It took us about 20minutes to walk her to the yards - usually less than a 5 minute walk! - letting her take the time she needed to be ok with this new place.
Once in the yards and lead rope off, she was happy to nibble the hay, drink the water, and eat her hard feed - and this was my "wild" horse?? :-) What a fab job Mark, Lizzie and co have done to get her to this point - thanks guys! Very much! I sat and watched her for an hour or so, just to check the other horses didn't get her wound up, but even they seemed calm and settled like there was nothing new happening! Well, thats a good thing of course, but I was prepared for more... perhaps because she was tired after her huge trip she was more interested in food, and my others were making the most of the beautiful sunshine after the days of rain we'd just had!
As I write this it's almost 3.30pm, and I'm thinking I might go back around to the paddocks to check on everyone, and give Maggie some dinner before settling in for the night. Shame I'm working for the next 3 days and will only be there for half an hour in the morning to feed up, and an hour or so after work for the same before dark, but come Sunday I think I'll take my lunch! lol
Maggie is Coming Home!
She's coming!
Being loaded on the truck in about half an hour from now, then a drive to Wellington, followed by a sea crossing over Cook Strait, then a big drive down to her new home with us here!
Should arrive around 11am!
Pics will definitely follow this post!!! :-) Yay!!!!
Being loaded on the truck in about half an hour from now, then a drive to Wellington, followed by a sea crossing over Cook Strait, then a big drive down to her new home with us here!
Should arrive around 11am!
Pics will definitely follow this post!!! :-) Yay!!!!
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