Eve Of The Big Day

So tomorrow is the big day! Terra is off to the new barn. I hope all goes well with trailering her tomorrow, ended up hiring a trailer company to get her moved as no one with a trailer that I knew could do it for me on the day I needed it done. Not too bad $100, I expected it to be more! So anyways 9am tomorrow morning I'll be out there helping them get her loaded, follow them to the new barn and help them unload her. I'll be beyond relived to have this all done and over with.

But of course before any of this could happen Terra decided to hurt herself. The current BO isn't over sure how but she thinks she was kicking at her neighbors in the next pasture and skinned it on the fence. Just a big ugly scratch is what I'm told. Nothing to be worried about, a little swollen and she seems a tad ouchy but BO doesn't seem concerned so I guess I shouldn't be either. Silly horse, she already has one wonky hind leg guess she wanted a matching pair. Bubble wrap anyone?

Orientation

Heading up to the possible new barn today to check it out with a friend from cat rescue. Hoping all goes well, it would be great to have Terra closer, be able to see her more and work with her. The barn has five other horses from the same place, so they understand her and what we're going through. That she may very well be a handful, which was one thing I was worried about with changing barns.

I've had enough of all this, the halter needs to go on, she needs to get some manners under her belt. This isn't going to get any easier as time goes on, she'll only get bigger, stronger and be more of a pain in the butt. We've tried tranqing her to get the halter on but it never took effect after several hours of waiting and re-dosing her. So maybe its time for a more herbal approach. I know it works, I've seen it on my brother and in a couple horses I knew briefly, I'd feel better about using herbs too. Looking into this stuff all morning, trying to find what I need. Its a little overwhelming to say the least but I'm determined to see this through, she'll be a happier horse and I'll be a happier owner.

I'll update later today about the barn and herbal approach.

Lacking in my duties

Haven't updated in awhile, but there hasn't been much to say. I haven't been up to the barn alot to see her royal highness as she is a fair trip out and my car is old, need to take it easy on the poor old Accord. The winter drive up there really wont be fun so today I started searching for boarding barns that were closer to me and not charging an arm and a leg. I also put her up for sale, but doubt there will be many bites on her.

Asked a friend who I know through cat rescue if she knew of any decently priced boarding barns in the area. She steered me towards her former boarding barn, said the woman who owns it is great, has a few horses from the Georgetown Herd being boarded there and understands Terra's personality and what not. I ask how much, $300 for the first year, then it'll go up to $375. Not bad for outdoor board. I've been to this barn before, used to ride a horse there, its nice, the people are really nice and what makes it better is I may be able to work 1 day a week or so there to get some money taken off my board. Also may possibly get some help with bringing Terra around both by a friend of my friend's and this farm. The barn is only about 20 minutes up the road so, nice short drive which is great. My friend is going to take me and my failed foster Gibson up there (he's destined to be a barn cat seeing as he refuses to be a pet) this weekend to talk with the owner and show me around a little. So yeah, that's what has been going on basically. Don't have any new pictures of her really so I'll just post a picture of the barn she may possibly be moving to.

Sunday Visition

I went out to the farm at around 9AM, Terra and the buckskin filly were over in the far corner of their paddock happily eating away at one of the roundbales. I set my stuff down and wondered over towards them, wondering how close I'd be able to get before they moved off. I had a couple sugar cubes in my pocket hoping since she's turned down apples and carrots that maybe this treat would be "the one". I was able to get about an arms length away from her before she showed signs of being uncomfortable, it was at that distance that I decided to stay at and not push her. She refused the sugar cube untill I mixed it in with her hay. She bobbed her head up and down as she played with it before it was gone.

I followed them around for about an hour after that, always staying an arms length away from Terra. She'd turn her head and give me a exhausted "you again" look each time. Sorry to ruin your day princess but sooner or later you're going to have to get used to me. The girls are so attached to each other, where one goes the other has to follow. I decided to take a break, go nibble at some Hop & Go that I had brought with me and leave them alone for a bit. I planted myself on the other side of the fence near the gate and watched them. it wasn't long before Terra headed over with the buckskin filly following closely. I figured she'd stop before she got too close but she didn't, she just kept on coming until she was fairly close to my face. I could have reached out and touched her but didn't want to scare her. She eyed me over, breathing deeply, probably smelling my Hop & Go for awhile and then they both headed to the gate, nibbled at the grass there then headed on back over to the round bales.

I finished my food before I slipped back into the paddock followed them at an arms length, crouching sometimes sitting down as they grazed. We always ended back over by the round bales. Any time I left the paddock, Terra would venture over with the buckskin in tow to check me out, always coming extremely close. She seemed more sure of me when we were separated by the fence. At one point I managed to seat myself near them as they ate at a round bale under a small tree. Neither minded though they both glanced over at me now and then. Terra moved off towards the water buckets and like usual the buckskin went to follow her only she rounded the hay and came up beside me. She hesitated for a bit, took one step forward then back before finally slipping between me and the hay. Interesting I thought until she started backing up and swiveled her rear end to me. I thought for sure she was going to kick me in the head. I didn't want to get up and spook her into a kick though so instead of getting up I leaned back and started to pull myself backwards slowly. She lifted her tail and almost peed in my lap. The little brat! After that she trotted over to meet back up with Terra. This was generally how the day went until I left at a little after 5PM minus the almost being peed on part.

You can see more photos from the day here.

How I met the bay filly

There was a herd of young horses brought up from the States to be slaughtered in May. Wormy, skinny, open wounds, swollen/crooked/deformed legs and some were covered in ringoworm. Someone said something about it on a message board and many people took it upon themselves to try and save what is now known as the Georgetown Herd. The news was emailed to me by a friend and also posted on a horse message board on August 27 2009 that I used to frequent. With them being so close I offered to chip in some money to help the poster try and get a couple out before they went to slaughter that Sunday.

The first pictures of the Georgetown Herd are here.

It was said that there were 100 or so there at first, the man that brought them up here said he'd already taken 10 dead ones out of the field. That left around 90 or so to try and find homes for. The poster who had mentioned it on the message board I was on said that when she went to visit it was a sorry sight. One horse had more ringworm than hair, there were metal scraps all over the field they were in, coughing etc. She tried to offer $200 for the bad ringworm one and a lame pony but he refused it, he was firm on his prices and apparently he thought these sorry looking beasts were worth more than that. He was heartless, cocky and a jerk. You could tell in just the way he walked and when he opened it mouth it just became more apparent. This man isn't hurting for money, he owns his own company, a meat packaging plant for horse meat, drives a Hummer, and has nice homes yet he wouldn't let a lame pony or a ringworm covered gelding go for $200 when they were wormy and skinny as well.

This man also told her on the day she went to visit (August 31 2009) that he had vet papers for each horse and would be happy to hand them over to anyone who bought a horse. He would later change his tune and when people asked him for these papers he would deny having them. When asked about the ringworm he said he had a vet out, had them wormed and would clear up in no time. Two things wrong with his, 1) many of the horses are nervous of people to the point you can't handle them, 2) ringworm is a fungus not a worm, worming them would do nothing. When confronted he stuttered and tried to figure out his next lie.

Well on September 1 2009 I met up with her at the feedlot to look at these horses and help with the money if he turned her down. We wondered around, looking at them. Eyed a few really sickly looking ones, I wanted to get them all out of there as fast as possible. I really liked one dun colored filly but she had some odd looking bumps on her legs, there was also a roan I really liked but he wasn't in horrid condition and I knew his price would be high. She decided on a buckskin filly that had a large bald patch on one leg probably from the ringworm and a skinny bay filly who was probably one of the worst out there. He turned her offer down for both of them, so she settled on just put an offer on the buckskin. He finally took her offer. I couldn't get the bay filly out of my mind. She had a very sweet face, kind eyes. Had stared at us while we were at the fence as her and several others including the buckskin were separated from the main herd for some reason. It seemed like she wanted to be friends but was too scared. The next morning I called this gal and said when the man calls to confirm your address for the buckskin put an offer on the bay filly for me for $200. She called back later and said he hadn't taken the $200 offer (jerk, she was skinny as hell and $200 was a generous offer for her) she'd offered him $250 and he'd finally took it but wouldn't trailer them for her.

I met her up there the next day helped load them into the trailer. From a wet, stinky, muddy, full of crap, dark barn the small secluded herd stood at the far back. The man ushered the bcukskin and bad fillies into a stall with the roan and herded the rest out of the barn. He was pushy, inpatient and herding them with a broom. They were slipping and sliding on the wet cement flooring but he didn't care. When he went to get the roan out of the stall the bay filly tired to run out as well, the man stopped her and in her rush to keep away from him she smacked her head hard off the edge of the stall door. The gal (lets call her C) told him to let them take their time, let them sniff the trailer and go slow, he listened to her gave a quick tap after a few minutes to one's rump and they flew into the trailer.

They trailer ed well and were placed into their own paddock at C's farm. They enjoyed themselves in their new home, and went to munching on the grass and there were two round bales left out there for them as well as grain. They have no interest in eating the grain, just keep picking at the grass. They have little to no interest in treats like apple slices or carrots, the bay filly will lip at them but won't eat them. By the next day C said they looked much happier, ears forward and looking nice and perky. I bet they do! They must have thought they'd died adn gone to heaven!

To this point both still can't be handled, neither have much interest in people. You can walk up to them but you can't touch them. C was kicked at by the bay filly when she got close enough one day to touch her side. She said it was more out of fright then anger though. Already they are gaining weight, and the buckskin filly's bald patch is filling in. The ringworm is going away as well.

I've decided to name the bay filly Terra Nova or Terra for short after where I originated from, Newfoundland. I went out for a quick visit on September 10 2009, brought out a halter for her as well. I'll being heading out there early Sunday morning to spend the a few hours with her, get her used to me, offer some sugar cubes, and snap some pictures.