Background on Apple

Apple:
On Sunday past we said good-bye to Devil and hello to Apple. This Palomino sweetie had a long life as a field horse and is now undergoing work to become a 'people' horse or companion horse for someone who just wants a pretty girl to look at. Since I believe she is around 24, she has to be considered past riding age and I think she's just fine with that.
She arrived with Rosie so she'd not feel alone after having spent a time at Jana's and having other horses within a short distance. Here at our place she's got a wide open green pasture to roam around in. At first I had her and Rosie in the same field but Rosie wasn't overly fond of her. What ended up happening was Rosie would bully her around, and cause herself to have a lame leg. Apple being more agile, would run around, but with her current front knees being sore, I thought it best to have them near but not together. So far, it's working well.

Tonight I worked with Apple on her grooming. She's still showing signs of distress by urinating whenever she's overly stimulated. With persistance I'll get her used to being brushed and handled. She isn't sure what to do while being brushed, so she leans against you. I've overcome this by brushing her near the posts of the shelter. She leans against the post with her side as I start brushing her face, neck and sides. We'll leave it at that until she learns to stand for the grooming and not lean on someone.

I've also started her on dry horse feed plus 'recover' which is supposed to assist in joint repair and pain reduction. I'll try her on this for now but if this doesn't work by the end of the container I'll contact nutraceutial chemist to see if I can get a special formula made to help repair joints while reducing the pain that sometimes happens.

Rosie, Apple's current neighbour, will stay that way and will have a reduce grain intake.. this is one chubby horse! LOL

Background on Devil (aka Sugarcube)

Devil (cute name 'Sugar Cube') has had a bit of time finding his forever home.

July 24, 2010

For the life of me, I can't figure out why he has such a sweet temperment. He has been in a couple of different homes and foster placements now and the guy just loves to be near people.

In this picture you're seeing my daughter-in-law snuggling up to him. Pretty good seeing that she had never been around a horse before. Devil just makes a person feel comfortable being around him.

Devil and I have this routine around the neighbourhood. While giving him the exposure to a number of different things in preparation for becoming a great trail riding horse, we've become quite a pair. All the neighbours come out to see him . He sucks up the attention like a 5 year old at a grandparent's house. :P

Stats:

Name: Woodbe a Devil Gender: Gelding Age: 8 Colour/markings: Black Breed: Standardbred Height: 17 hh
http://sadiesplacepei.blogspot.com/search/label/Devil
Today we took Devil for his last walk up our dirt lane before he went to his new home. It was quite an emotional day for me. I miss the boy dearly since he put me back into the routine of training again. I will miss the lunging and the walks and I am sure the neighbours will miss his visits as well.
He did very well while he was here. He learned to lunge, he worked on his timidness around strange things like low hanging limbs on trees, small spaces, lawn mowers, whipper snippers, and even farm equipment. It was important to me that he got out and around things that he may meet while on trails and country roads. After he was exposed to something, it was not easy to rattle him with the same thing again. The lawnmower proved that one. He would follow me around once he was allowed to smell and touch it. LOL

Background on Bandit

Stats:
Name: Riverlea Bandit Gender: Gelding Age: 13 Colour/markings: Dark Bay with one hind sock, broken star Breed: Standardbred Height: 16.2 hh

Background notes from when he first arrive in the fall of 2009
After 10 years of racing, Bandit is ready to let the young fellows have the spotlight and he's looking for a new challenge. He's a gorgeous horse, with a long racing career.
If you look at the pictures in his blog entry, you can really see the relationship between the Morgan horse and the Standardbred. He is just gorgeous! He has had some injuries in the past, which has left his legs a little bumpy. However, when we assessed him on Nov. 28, his legs were solid, with no edema and he showed no stiffness, tenderness or lameness. He will probably need to be on full time turnout, to support the circulation in his legs(which may actually be a bonus--traditionally, it's cheaper to keep a horse that way). He has good extension and good impulsion. He carries his legs well underneath him, as well.
After a few months on turnout, he's turned out to be something of a barn favourite. The calmest guy around, lets you pat him, but still isn't really a cuddly guy. He's very polite and gets along well with other horses. He's finished his training and is now waiting for his forever home. And just how cute is that picture! I know you can't really see the horse, but, really, how could I resist?

Bandit started out the stay at Jana's for the winter and I took it upon myself to befriend him, then I introduced my grandchildren. He warmed up to the children very quickly and was very affectionate and mild at all times. Not bad for a horse that you couldn't catch for a few weeks upon his arrival.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2OWaHefp5sz2CmTiyyZePlCgYgfxW4D87FmUOjiyOcXe4QPagwzB5NNrHSjaodTOxYt0_pvRAxhLqf7l5PTE32_BzDYkcQjLfh-go9Rn9Yu4lDwQFY5oIsHRE7c1EB3JNucbW9NcL0yT/s1600/Bandit+12.jpg
Bandit has been Adopted by Scott and Courtney and their two dogs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74bZbigy-oM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N1l_Nl8Rqw

He has his Forever Home and I'm so glad to be sad because it means he has made it to his second career.

Background Information on Foster Horses

I just spent the better part of an hours piecing the pictures, notes and movies together for the first horse I experienced as a foster... then forgot to hit "post" or "save". Old rules still apply when working on any computer project.... HIT SAVE OFTEN!

Now on to the important items... background notes on the Foster Home work we have happening.

Just the beginning

After a 25 year timeline, I finally made my way back to working with horses again. I've always wanted one but never really had the time, money, or most of all, confidence to own one. Let's face it, they're a big animal and you just don't pick one up on the way home without first making a few important changes in your life.
Well, my life has had LOTS of changes and none had involved the inclusion of one or more horses in my life until this past year.
I started out slowly by first volunteering with a great group here on PEI called Sadie's Place and can be found at http://www.sadiesplace.ca/
Secondly, I had to include my partner in my desire for adding another family member. If you're like me, you take on a pet or animal knowing full well the emotional investment. It's not just an animal, it's part of your daily life. If you have ever lost a loved pet, you'll know what I mean about the void that is left once they are gone.
Now this is where I've come to. I am now fostering horses on our cottage property in South Melville. It's about 10 acres of land with a house and shed on it, but now it includes two pastures for the horses. At first I had both Bandit and Devil show up on the same day to the newly fenced in area. Thanks to my partner Darrin and his dad John. I was away on business a lot and they did most of the work in my absence.