Kaimanawas of Tannahill

Magee

2011-05-25T00:43:00.000-07:00

What a difference in this little guy in the last few months! He is the cruisiest, loveliest natured horse! Sure he has his moments when he is afraid of what is about to happen, like "what ARE you going to do with that sack?" where he moves away to evade it, but then stands still. Eventually he allowed it to sit on his back. Then allowed it to move up and down, over to the side, then it got bigger (I unfolded it!) and over a period of about 8 weeks he was finally able to accept a full sized cover laying on him!

I was getting so impatient and thinking it was never going to happen before the cold nights set in, but was very determined not to rush him or push him over the edge. "Take the time it takes so it will take less time" is a phrase I learned a long time ago, and I beleived in. So eventually it will be no problem for him because I've respected his reservations ...

Now he wears his cover, allows it to be removed with only a little concern at the tickly feeling, and will stand it have it put back on, though watches me carefully! :-) Slowly and with patience is the key with him, whereas with Camdin it's more "lets just play with it" lol. It's interesting adapting my strategies to their personalities - and challenging for me too. If I go too fast with Magee, or put too much pressure on, he sucks his top lip into a tight ball and prepares to "disappear" on me, so I need to watch him all the time. As a consequence I'm getting really good at reading him!

With Camdin I can approach directly and catch her by the halter; with Magee you have to take it slow and offer to scratch him and prove you don't want to do anything to him. The other thing I've found with him is he is so good on his nearside and awful on the offside. I think he must have had all his initial handling done on one side! So I'm re-doing a lot, and more, in his right eye in an effort to balance that out. He does need more time than I have, but then he needs it all to happen slowly too, so perhaps it's not a bad thing that I don't have much time. He has certainly been much better too being grazed in with Bailey. Bailey looks after him and teaches him as he is so very relaxed and cilled out about life - great help for me! :-)

Lovely! I can visualise this look in the dressage arena and show ring! :-)

Camdin

2011-05-25T00:24:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken in March this year just after a big handling session where Camdin learned about holding her feet up and having them filed! She was so very good - a little resistant initally until she realised that when she relaxed she got her foot back! :-) Not rocket science at all!!!

She is also very good at being touched, rubbed, and scratched all over - legs, head, inside ears, under belly, between hind legs, under chest, under tail, and learned how to ask politely for a scratch too! It doesn't work to just stand in the humans face - you actually have to move the itchy part of your body to the outstretched hand and it automatically starts scratching! lol
She really is a delight to do everything with ... some days she has tried a little dominance game and turned her back on me as if to kick but found that the human can bite just like another horse, so we haven't tried that again... lol ... she can be bossy at food time but I don't make an issue of it and she seems to have forgotten why she was doing that.

She is curious about everything, and super confident to be alone and away from Maggie for longer periods, but if she finds herself too far away she starts calling out - as does Maggie! I'm not weaning them before the Winter - I figure in the wild they would be together so why not now? I don't actually need them seperated right now, in fact it's quite convenient, and I have noticed the drink times are much shorter anyway, so perhaps Maggie is slowly doing it herself. I must find out where that report is that was done on their behaviour in the wild to see how the mares did it.
I've been playing with a chaff sack over Camdins back to prepare her for wearing a cover, though I'm not sure yet if she will have one on this year or not. I'll wait and see how the weather is and if she appears cold. Meanwhile it can't hurt to prepare her while I can - she will certainly have one in the future!

This is a typical view of her ... relaxed, curious about what I'm up to so better come check me out, really cruisy and laid-back. She is very similar to Medina in nature so I'm using similar strategies - she will try something and I come down hard so she knows that is definitely not acceptable to me, and she accepts the rule willingly without an argument. I like that! :-) She will be a special little horse and I really hope she grows taller than her mother!!!

Bailey

2011-05-25T00:07:00.000-07:00

So ... another new addition. My plan was to get an odler "been there, done that" kind of horse to get me that precious riding confidence back, so that I'm better able to handle Medina once she is started and then Magee and the others as they fall ready.

The day came when I took the float to collect bailey and we couldn't find him where he was meant to be! The owner came with me and we drove around and around a plantation looking, until finally we located him across the road at neighbours place with badly injured legs. He had been caught in wire, bandaged, then when the property owners were going away for their Xmas holiday they took the bandages off and left him.

Of course the wounds produced massive amounts of proud flesh, flies laid their lovely eggs in the wounds, and the legs were a mess! We put him carefully on the float and took him back to his owners grazing area for assessment and treatment.

They chose to treat him, and I chose to still take him. He was the same horse; just a little damaged for a while. I felt he would be perfect for my needs, and I was happy to look after him for as long as it took.

So I finally took delivery of him 3 weeks after we found him - near the end of January - and have been treating one leg in particular since then. It was really bad, and the wound is now gradually shrinking. I've been riding him a little, just gently, and he seems to enjoy it - I know I sure did!!!

Now we have Winter approaching and shorter daylight hours, so there isn't time to ride after work, but I'm so looking forward to having the chance to really spend some time in the saddle and get out and about again. It feels so good to be back up there!

This photo was taken on 15 May. It's still being bandaged daily and I'm sure some days Bailey is as "over it" as I am, but we're getting there gradually, and the wait will be worthwhile. At best it's giving us some great bonding time!!! :-)

How time flies!

2011-05-24T23:48:00.000-07:00

I seriously can't beleive it is December since I posted in here... to my followers I humbly apologise! No real excuse other than time limitations ...

The September Earthquake and after effects sent our world reeling ... I found myself working full time hours again - not what I really wanted but just love the work itself! Then the devastation of the February Earthquake had its affects as well on life as we knew it, and life became busier than ever. Working at the SPCA is so rewarding in so many ways, but during these crisis months it was moreso. Just being involved in helping people find their pets and assist those that needed rescuing has given all of us a real sense of purpose there.

But it has meant less paddock time for me, and less time spent with my horses which I regret. Now we are in May, almost June, I am reassessing my time and will try to reduce the hours I spend there so that I can regain some balance between work and play.

Having said that, I have booked Medina in to get started in August/Sept; retired Foxy as nursemaid to my youngsters; started riding again on Bailey a new addition (see other Post); handled Camdin so that she picks up feet and leads well (see her Post); and worked patiently (mostly!) with Magee so that he now wears a cover to keep him warm and hopefully "shaggy free" for Spring showing!

So I guess I have been busy! I'm up at 5.30am, check and feed the horses before work, spend the day at work, back to horses to muck out and check hay supply, then home about 5.30-6.30pm! No wonder I'm feeling tired!

Ah well, the rewards are rich! :-)

This is a pic of my first ride on Bailey! Lovely lovely boy, and the first time I've felt so safe on a horse for many years! I'm looking forward to his leg healing, and spending more time "in the saddle"!!

Magee has arrived!!!!

2010-12-18T22:12:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long wait, but he finally arrived on Thursday 16th December - and what a fantastic Birthday present!!! I must take this opportunity to thank Alice so much for bringing him down in her beautiful new float - I really do appreciate that!

It was an extremely long day as I was up early in the morning for work, had the farrier call after work, and expected Magee around 9pm ... but a traffic accident on the road ahead of Alice meant a substantial wait, then she needed to unload her new pony as well, so Magee actually arrived at around 1am!!!! Ok so technically it wasn't still my Birthday but who is checking on that??!!! :-)

Really hard to see him in the dark as we walked him down the lane to the yards for the night. I was so very tired I went straight home to bed and couldn't wait to see him in daylight! That blaze was glowing in the dark ...

So here is an assortment of pics from those I've taken so far. I absolutely love his look.... his height, that mane colour, the stockings, and the beautiful grooming job Mark has done (thank you!) ... now I'm giving him a few days to settle into this strange place before doing too much or expecting too much. It must be so odd - the different sights, smells, noises, other horses, strange human, I really feel for him! I have however held him by the halter and given him a good scratch on the shoulder making his lip curl, so I guess I must have scored a couple of points there! lol

Camdin's Progress

2010-12-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

What a little sweetheart! Camdin has been so curious and inquisitive that it has been easy to play with her. Lots of desensitising, lots of rubs and scratches, and encouraging her natural "joy of life" ... she has the most appealing nature and wants to know what everything is about, what it tastes like, smells like, etc.

She has learnt how to play with a ball when I move it away from her (she has to follow!!), and also how to play with Ella, one of my dogs. There has been much laughter on my part watching Maggie take part as well, sometimes putting herself between Camdin and Ella, but sometimes not, and seeing her happy to trot, canter and change direction at a moments notice!

Camdin now wears a little halter in the paddock, though I do want to get her and Maggie used standing to have it put on so that they can go "naked"!!!! She is really very good when I hold her - a little resistant then realises she can't get away so stands until I'm done! She allows me to pick up all 4 feet too now, because she knows she gets scratches on her itchy spots afterwards! I'm hoping she never runs out of those itchy spots!!! (If only I could find one on Maggie!)

In the last week she has started eating some of Maggies hard feed too, so thats great. I give all my horses a small portion each day to give them their minerals, and its a routine they know. It means I can include any medications etc and as far as they are concerned its just another day! So much easier!!!

Now, it's rest time!

The baby has a name!!!

2010-11-09T01:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it's taken some time and a lot of consideration ... but I've finally decided on a name for our first foal.

I have been asked about the name "Tannahill" which will be a suffix to my Kaimanawas' registered names, so I thought I'd explain. My ancestors (Dad's side) came from Scotland, the Ayreshire area, and from a farm named Tannahill. The most recent ancestor who owned/lived on that property was the very one who came out to New Zealand in the mid 1850's - that's another story!!!

So to keep the theme going I've chosen a Scottish name for the foal. It is a name which means "of the winding valley", which seems appropriate considering she was conceived somewhere up there in the wild and would have been born there if Maggie had evaded the muster. The name is originally a boys name, but she is already exhibiting some strong character and wilfulness, and I want her to have a good strong name to see her through her life.

Hence, I introduce to you "Camdin of Tannahill" - "Cami" will be her paddock name.

The New Arrival!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

She's here!
At last!
Our first foal born (though admittedly she was conceived in the wild!!)

I've been so impatient waiting and watching Maggie for signs of the arrival for the last month; watching her bagging up, seeing her accepting (and asking for) more rubs on her back and across her butt area, and her tummy ever-expanding!

Yet even with all that watching, I still missed the very night she was in labour! How very deceptive of her!!! lol She did appear more affectionate than usual and I took that to mean she was trusting me more and more, when in fact I think now she was signalling the very early stages ... Never mind, she didn't appear to have had any trouble at all (luckily!) and when I arrived at the paddock on the morning of 1st November, there was a lovely surprise for me!

As expected, Maggie reverted to wild pony again and was not letting me get close to either of them, so I backed off until I saw a change in her face with ears forward, then slowly moved in again ... advance and retreat, right??? So over about half an hour I was at the stage I could again gently massage her hindquarters, just to be able to check she was ok down there, ignored the foal totally, and she was good.

That evening she was in the yards for dinner, and I managed to spend some time with the foal rubbing, scratching, touching, tapping, and then I walked her for about 10 steps... then Maggie decided that was enough and to leave alone!! lol All good though, and since then I'm playing a little morning and night around my busy work schedule.

Last night the farriers attended my other horses and came on over for a "foal fix". They squatted down and under Maggies watchful eye (stranger danger returned!) the foal approached and received rubs and gentle scratches! They were blown away by Maggies tolerance after such a short time off the hills, and in the foals natural inquisitiveness.

Afterwards I sat inside the yard and the foal came to me with ears forward, very inquisitive to see what I was doing, and she discovered it's really nice to have legs rubbed and back scratched, though not so sure about the feet being lifted off the ground!! (We'll work on that one!)

So, thats the big news of the week! So exciting! Yes, a filly, and no, no name yet, but will work on that over the coming weekend!

Earthquake Zone!

2010-10-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well now, HOW did it get to mid-October already?????

On 4th September Christchurch had a 7.1 earthquake which turned our world upside-down almost literally! It affected much of the city, and many people lost their homes, yet there was NO loss of life - just incredible! Poor Maggie must have wondered what this place was doing!! She and the other horses appeared to cope extremely well by not charging through fences in fright, though the skid marks across the paddocks told their story! I'm very grateful that is all the damage done! Our home has only suffered minor damage - our nerves have suffered much much more with the constant aftershocks (over 1600 at writing), and my poor liver is also suffering though it is nice to get a solid nights sleep! lol ;-)

Between all this the daily routine of feeding, mucking out, and riding has continued, and Maggie has shown more trust each week that goes by. I can walk up to her either in the yards or in her paddock and she pricks her ears and approaches me, then turns her butt for a rub and scratch. Some people don't like horses doing this, but I don't mind at all, and don't give them an excuse to kick anyway! She is proving to be a real little sweetheart, very trusting and full of character, so we are progressing to grooming down her legs, brushing mane and tail, and she also stands for a face rub as well.

We have also had a couple of leading lessons which have gone really well, though she does have a small hissy and pull back at the pressure of a direction change which isn't HER idea!!! When she realises the pressure doesn't change until she moves towards it, her ears come forward again and she walks nicely. Just a matter of time and she is a quick learner! Her nice walk towards me is rewarded with some time eating grass, before being led away again to rest elsewhere, then back again - food is a great motivator!!!!

She is aware of strangers arriving, but very curious too now rather than wary, which I'm really impressed about. We've had a couple of visitors come by and she has been quite accepting of their presence in her space, great result!!!!

Maggies foal is growing every day, and I can almost see her poor belly stretching ... we are looking forward to seeing the baby but a little nervous as well. I'm just hoping all goes well for her. She is currently bagging up with quite a healthy looking udder on her (!!!), and her hindquarters are changing shape too, so it can't be too much longer... She is loving having me rub her back and if I stand still she now knows how to move her body so that I rub the right spot - didn't take her long to work that out!!! :-)

A Breakthrough!!!!

2010-09-20T01:37:00.001-07:00

Finally!!! It has taken a lot of patience on my part but we've at last had a breakthrough!
For the last month (while not putting up any posts here!!) I've been working quietly with Maggie in the yards at feed time, getting her used to my presence in her space for a start, then having me holding my long stick, then allowing the stick to touch her on the butt and rub it, the rub her back and shoulder ... all the while she is free to move away if the pressure becomes too much. When that happens I've stepped back, allowed her a minute or two, then gone in to try again (using approach and retreat in other words).
When she realised it actually felt GOOD to have this thing rubbing her, she learned to keep her feet still and enjoy it, then there would be lots of licking and her ears would stay forward, so I knew I was on the right track! She would stand for longer periods of time without moving away, and I was gradually moving my hand up the length of the stick so I ended up shorter and shorter distances from her.
What a day (about 10 days ago now) when I was able to actually touch her with my bare hand, and she was completely unrestrained!!! And she stood still!!!!!!
So now I start with the stick, but within about 20-30 seconds have my hands rubbing that nasty loose winter coat out, and she stands to enjoy it! I tried walking up without the stick but she gave me "the look" so back to the stick it was... lol ... she expects that first, so I'm ok with that - for now!
She has now allowed me to rub right up her neck, run a finger under the halter (which was put on her at Marks'), and rub her chest. Awesome!

But the biggest moment came yesterday when I opened the yard gate to let her out as I usually do when we're finished. She quietly and calmly walked out about 2 metres, then turned and came back to me with ears forward and eyes bright, turned her back and backed up waiting for me to continue scratching!!!!! WOOOWWWWWWW!!!! This was the first time she had asked for my attention (rather than simply accepting my presence) and I was so rapt she showed the trust in me. Real progress and a very cool feeling!!!

I'm hoping now that we will go forward in leaps and bounds! I'm needing to actually, considering the size of her tummy and the constant kicking I can see going on in there! I really want her comfortable with me in case we need some assistance when the foal comes, but I want it on equal ground with her WANTING my presence, rather than MAKING her accept me ... so now she sees me as a source of food and water, and wonderful scratches, AND she thinks it's all on HER terms!!!! Funny!

Another interesting thing is happening at the moment too. Some nights she is happy to take one mouthful of feed from the held bucket then walks off to her bin where I tip it; others she stands eating from the bucket quite contendedly until I have to direct her to the bin, when she puts her ears back and walks away! Maybe I'm meant to keep holding it those times! She just looks so annoyed at me ... lol ... will be interesting to work with that scenario and see what we get ... keep you posted!

Day 2!!!!

2010-08-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

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 ...

Yippeeeeee!!!!!

2010-08-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

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

Maggie is Coming Home!

2010-08-10T04:25:00.001-07:00

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!!!!

First the posts, then the rails...

2010-07-22T00:54:00.001-07:00

Posts in and gates ready - thanks John for your help!

Lets hope the rain holds off....

Mud, mud, mud!!! Overnight rain didn't stop Steve the builder getting the rails on! Yay for him! I guess that means another roast dinner owed!!! lol

errr... yes just 2 short pieces to go ...

Looking goooood!!!!

Now for the gudgeons and gates ... Then a horse!!! Yay!

Waiting... waiting ....

2010-07-14T04:15:00.001-07:00

And still waiting for my yards!

The planning took some time admittedly - what exactly did I want and what size, did we have enough timber or would we need to buy more (or make the yard smaller!), how many posts .... *sigh*

I had intially thought they wouldn't be needed as with the handling the ponies were getting, they should be ok behind electric tape. Well that's what was discussed in the early stages before filling out my application!
Since then, I've seen Marks wonderful big yards and stable facility, and seen the importance of having a strong enclosed area, and also have been considering that the trip down here in the truck may leave them unsettled, AND another new environment and routine to get used to! "Best have yards" was the answer!
So it's just a matter now of waiting for the post-driver and the builder! Should be all go this Saturday, so I can get Maggie sent down next week!!
I look forward to spending a couple of weeks working closely with her and being able to put her out behind electric tape fencing, so that I can have Magee come down after that. The longer they are up North, the more I am paying... no offence intended Mark, I know you and Lizzie are doing a great job, but hey, I want them here so I can play!!! :-) It's been 7 weeks since the muster and I keep thinking of the North Islanders already having their ponies all this time!!!

Well, I guess I could take a pic of the ground where the yards are going ... that will get the Law of Attraction switched up a gear!!! lol

Pics of Maggie (Black Magic)

2010-07-01T02:34:00.000-07:00

Thats a bit serious! Must be concentrating!

Taking it easy!

Enjoying the warm sunshine after last nights rain!

Standing nice and calm, with an ear listening, and an eye on me!

Ummmm... that isn't all food sticking out there, is it????

Pics of Mr Magee with his Mum

2010-07-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

Eating, watching, and curious all at the same time!

Loving the hard feed!

Whatcha doin???

Just like mum, but with flaxen mane and tail

Mums tail is plain chestnut

Trip to Levin

2010-06-30T23:45:00.000-07:00

Wow... what an AWESOME idea it was to go up and meet the ponies!!! To see them just 3 weeks in from the muster was a real education for me, and it was great to see where they were being handled, and to meet Mark and his family. I'm so very grateful to them for collecting me from the airport, looking after me for the time I was there, and delivering me back to Wellington again. We had some wonderful conversations, and it was nice to be accepted into the fold as it were.

I flew up Monday afternoon and arrived around 6pm at their property. It was dark, about to rain, and a gorgeous dinner was being prepared! Very tasty, though interrupted (!!!), then it was out to the yards to check out the ponies! Yay! By then it was raining lightly, and pretty much all that could be seen was white blazes and noses! :-) Past the filly allocated to me and up onto the loading race, down to where my colt was yarded - and what a lot of tension in the air!!! I could feel his fear, hear him snorting and blowing, and listened to him trotting back and forth looking for a way out.

And this is how he has been since he arrived! The others had all settled quite well, but he was not happy at all about his situation. I could imagine being caught in the back of the lions den when the lion came home, and the imagined fear I'd feel gave me an appreciation of what these horses must go through. I just wanted to let him know it would be ok and we'd already eaten!!! :-)

We had a quick look at the youngsters inside in the stables and chatted about their progress while Mark fed hay out, then back to the house for coffee! A long conversation followed which gave me a lot to think about regarding the colt. Do I keep him? Will he settle in a short time or a long time? Can I afford to wait? Would he be a safe long-term prospect for me to ride? If he wasn't showing a lot of sign of settling yet, then perhaps not ... I felt if I lived up there I could take all the time he needed, but being in the South Island has some restrictions, in that the horses must be leadable and safe to handle before being transported. This guy wasn't even happy with us being near him, let alone accept a halter and be led - this was going to be a long term project! I decided I'd wait to see him in the morning and see what I felt from him. hmmmm.... and if I did keep him, what was I going to call him? The names I'd thought would be good just didn't fit him, and I was thinking of him as "The Ranger".

Tuesday morning I was awake in the dark, waiting for daybreak. The house was quiet so I thought perhaps Mark was out feeding out so maybe I'd get up and help. As soon as it was light enough to see, I was up and out the door with my camera! No sign of anyone so I stood over at the yards watching Maggie (the filly) and let her watch me. She seemed ok, and we had met briefly in the dark last night anyway, so I entered her yard quietly and stood to wait for her reaction. Nothing! She was eating her hay with an eye and an ear on me, and not at all stressed by my presence, so out came the camera. Click! Click! Still nothing more from her, so I moved a little closer and took some more. We watched each other for a while, both feeling quite relaxed about each others presence! Excellent start!

I casually moved across to the loading ramp and climbed up, watching for any movement from her, but she kept eating and flicked her ear following me with her eye - totally unconcerned! Yay!

When I stood up on the ramp I saw the other 4 horses that were yarded - and they saw me! One looked ("Ginga"), saw a human, turned his back, and continually peeped at me out of one eye by turning his head back in my direction! Funny! When he saw me looking he looked away so I did too! We must have looked hilarious copying like that!

Another was peeping through the rails quite blatantly out of curiosity ("Nutmeg"), and this one turned out to be really quite sweet; happy to face me with both ears pricked and both eyes big and bright! Wasn't afraid of me being there at all, just like the third one who was openly curious too ("Nugget").

Maybe it was because I entered their space quietly, not making the noise other humans made, or maybe it was just the different energy about me. I was there to observe, not expecting anything from them, and I wasn't entering their yards.

Then to the fourth yard where my colt was. I peeped through the rails at legs, then above that rail to see ears and forelock, then he snorted! LOUDLY! He saw me! I backed off right away, up to the loading ramp again, thinking I could retreat as far as I could, then advance slowly to find a spot where he would be comfortable with me watching.

Over an hour I never found that spot. I think his "bubble" was bigger than the entire property, so I couldn't retreat far enough! I think this is when I saw what a huge project he was going to be. I didn't feel afraid of him; I didn't feel concerned at the amount of time it would take to prove to him he would be ok; I only felt I wanted to help him. And with some sadness I felt I couldn't financially commit to him. If I lived in the North Island and he had already been delivered to me, I would let him take all the time he needed to feel safe and comfortable, and all it would cost me is his feed and my time. I could do that. But not from the South Island! He could take 6 months! He could take more! And given that he had only shown minor improvements since arriving and was still so very nervous, was he going to be the right "personality" for me anyway? So this is what Mark meant last night! and now I had to make the decision...

My tummy rumbled reminding me about breakfast so I started heading back out of the yards, and Mark arrived with bacon and eggs - no just kidding! Inside for a quick breakky then back out to move the filly into the stables for some handling! It was amazing to see how calm and placid she had become, though I was warned her teeth could be quite vicious!!! I was stunned too at the length of the hair on her body, and when brushed out she was like a teddy bear I just wanted to cuddle! Hmmm... not this time perhaps, but something to look forward to! I hadn't expected to be able to even be in the same yard with her, now here I was in the stable with her and scratching her back and neck! Cool!!!! Though, too far up the neck and a warning ear flicked back - time to retreat! lol ...

We left her a while, had lunch, and then went out to see her with the lead rope clipped on. Lizzie and Mark handled while I watched from outside, then Mark went off to feed others and I was inside with Lizzie, then I took the rope! Wow! Cool!!! Lizzie clicked away on the camera, then with Marks guidance, I took Maggie out the stable door, into the breezeway, and walked quietly up and down between the stables, while the others looked on. Teaching her to turn at each end went ok, though once she stepped ahead and the rope went over to the opposite side and lay over her hindquarters! I was thinking ok, she will either kick me in a minute or I can quietly move to her ribs and work out how to get the rope back... lol ... We managed this with Marks help and went back to a nice walk, then back into the stable. Wow! Much more than I expected!!! I thought I'd be looking at her through railings and trying to get a feel for her, and here I was leading her! Wahooo!

I was also introduced to the two mare & foal combos that had arrived and were grazing outside. What? But they looked as comfortable out there as domesticated horses! Bizarre! The little grey foal stole my heart - just so very CUTE!!! - but it was the chestnut I was actually there to see. Chestnut? No way. I'm never having another CHESTNUT!!!! So I thought!

Mark and I discussed options regarding "The Ranger" (as I thought of him) and then this little chap, and I decided and agreed he would be a much better (and safer, and more economic) option for me, so with a silent "I'm sorry" to the other colt, I began looking at this little guy as mine... and his name? After a joint effort over a cuppa we all agreed he was a "Magee" ... it didn't sit quite right with Mark however, but before leaving me at the airport we agreed "Mr Magee" was better!

On the flight home I had an attack of the guilts thinking about the colt and wondering what would become of him, but acknowledged the Trust would look after him and do the best for him, so my focus must go on my little filly and the weanling now. We'd best get that handling yard built since Maggie would be arriving in a couple of weeks!

Handlers' Update!

2010-06-22T21:56:00.001-07:00

Phew! More news to blow me away after talking on the phone to Mark (Nth Island handler)

Firstly the colt. He is improving slowly and will come to the hay or hard feed in his yard with someone standing closeby, but not taking anything from a humans hand yet. Time enough ... it's only been 3 weeks!
He is the most nervous of the colts about his new environment so will take a little more time to get confident. And its not just about his changing environment he has to get confident with - like being confident and trusting around humans who ask strange things of him, and having a little self-confidence knowing he can actually cope with all these things happening to him.

And secondly, the filly. She had her first night outside the stables the other night and didn't seem to like it much! It seems she called and called, letting everyone know the humans had forgotten to bring her in! What an attention seeker! lol She seems to be quite a character, and progressing well.
On an interesting note, it appears she may well be in foal. Pretty shocking for a yearling and most unfair. Others brought in were pregnant, but have since aborted, lucky for them! Interestingly, none of the little fillies liked being handled around the hindquarters, but after aborting they were ok.
On one hand it's a lovely bonus to think of having a little foal born later in the year (even though I'm totally unprepared for that eventuality!!!), and on the other hand she will need some extra special care in her feeding regime so that she doesn't get too fat, and that she gets all the minerals and vitamins she needs. And hopefully it will not affect her growth too much. I discussed this with Mark and he said she should catch up later, having had one in a similar situation in the past.
Crikey!!!! So I could end up with 3 not 2 as planned ... aaarrrrgghhhhh! lol

First Photos

2010-06-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

My beautiful colt...

Very wary here as he has not long arrived and can't work out why he is trapped in!

And the filly standing side-on, just off the truck and wondering what just happened to life... Gorgeous black with white blaze and 2 hind socks!

That's her on the left with her head down ...

The Muster 2010

2010-06-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

On 3rd and 4th of June the helicopters disturbed the peace and quiet of life in the Kaimanawa Ranges as they herded the horses from the places they called home, to the yards where they were sorted and loaded onto trucks. What a frightening experience for them!
From there they arrived at various distribution yards, where they were assigned homes. Many lucky North Islanders collected or took delivery of their new horses; for those of us in the South Island the horses were sent to handlers to be introduced to the basics of domesticity, before we were able to have them sent down here, this being a DoC prerequisite.
And so we wait ...
I figure that after the involved process of applying to purchase and getting a Home Check on the property done, the further wait of 4-6 weeks is merely a time for planning, so am now reasonably patient - something unusual for me! We are in the process of building a handling yard anyway, plus I am still fostering some horses for the SPCA until their court case in early July, and really want to have them rehomed before my Kais arrive.
In the meantime I have spoken with the handler twice for progress reports, and received an email with some photos attached of when they arrived at his yards. Errrr, yes, that was plural - I'm purchasing two!!!
I requested a filly weanling and a yearling colt (to be gelded), and have actually had allocated to me a black filly yearling, and a bay 3-4yo colt.
So far, the filly is coming along nicely and proving to be a quick thinker; the colt rather more challenging, so we decided to try to get some handling into him then decide about gelding him.
Right now, I'm counting the days off on the calender as next Monday I fly up to meet them, and fly home Tuesday night, so will have lots of time to start some bonding and hopefully do some handling as well... or maybe I'll be on mucking out duty!!! :-)