Thought while I had some extra time today, I'd catch you up on the ''goin's on in the barn" and what's been happening w/ HERSELF. Today is Eve's 8th month birthday. ( Happy Month-day, Eve !!) She's a smidgeon shorter (1/4" under)than 15.1 hands at her withers ( little over 5' tall at the top of her shoulders) and is almost 15.3 hands tall at the top of her butt ! I guesstimated her weight at close to 900 pounds . The weight tape is right at 890, and I add a little for her BIG bones. So this filly is a Big Girl. Her body is still so baby like, but those Legs !! OMG, they are like mile long stilts. She knows how to use them still too.. canters up hills to see her 'aunties'' in the mornings, and races about like some Thoroughbred race horse . She's almost faster than Alli, but doesn't realise its alright to Pass her on these up hill gallops.
She calls to me now in the mornings before I feed, and as I finally get to her stall wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy down at the end of the barn, she's whispering sweet nothings to me- she gives me eye contact, so I Know all that sweetness is directed at me. Some just want that danged food, but Eve is talking to her people. She is learning to do " Heads UP, Evie!" when we are leading out to the pasture. She's Kinda sorta learning to set herself up, but whew, that takes Thought and Eve hasn't much time for THAT. She's learning to listen and try though... it all takes time and patience to learn how to Learn.... All four feet are able to be picked up and that big gold horse trailer isn't so scary now as we walk past it... but the Truck is a different story ! <> Oh- her stall keeping is getting MUCH better - Finalllllllllllllly. Whew, what a piggie she's been since weaning !
Evie has a temper and is getting to be a bit of a bully in the pasture. She isn't very polite to our Suzi pony, so I imagine if she keeps it up ( WHY Suzi doesn't just pound on her some is beyond me !) I shall just take Suz' out and into another pasture where she'll have more peace n' quiet. When one is 44 yrs old, one doesn't need to be beat up on by some dumb kid.... Used to be Suzi would wallop anyone doing that sort of thing, but not now. I'm thinkin' our Suzi is getting old. Alli still puts the fear of the Horse God into Evie should she act a ninny around HER. Ears back, nostrils wrinkled, eyes glowering and neck snaking about - looking Oh So Evil... And Evie backs off fast. So far so good with the "proper baby" manners needed so desperately to be a Proper Draft MARE in a few years. She's going to be flippin Huge and I want her to know how to be nice to her friends. No one likes a bully.
So far, she is good at :
Where she lives in the barn ( Heaven forbid, I change her stall location !)
Picking up all four feet for cleaning,etc
Leading is wonderful.
Going where her person heads to also
Stopping when asked- no matter what speed ( mostly trot / walks)
Standing in the aisle to be groomed
Kind of being in crossties- more practice needed
Clipping is getting so much better
Loading in the trailer- she tries to aim her butt towards "Evie's Stall" even.
OFF loading. This used to be a mad run down the ramp to 'safety'. Lol - NOT fun.
Eating.. she's ALWAYS done this well, but now she eats ALL of her breakfast n' vitas
Learning the phrase " Go to your dish,Evie"- this is when she's fed and she has to put her face / body in that direction so I can fit in to dump her feed.
I tried to have her walk over plastic tarps, but we'll have to work at that.
Stuffing her face IN plastic buckets, mooshing it about IN a plastic tarp, but oh don't put your Feet on it !!
Being handled ALL over, including her tail, little udder ( which gets crud in it sometimes) and showing no signs of " don't do that" to me.
Being trustful...... a progress still in the working. A life long job for a horse owner / horse.
And she STILL offers the side of her muzzle to get some "Evie Kisses" from me n' Glenn- AND those who know what she is doing.
I'm so loving having this marvelous filly in my life ! Everyday she makes me chuckle over something or another. This AM, I was finishing stalls and Glenn told me that for some odd reason, she had her neck/ head lifted WAY HIGH into the apple trees in the neighbors yard. To get what, I don't know. She thinks, does stupid baby horse things but manages to get herself out of trouble like she got there in the first place. If she doesn't stop 'twanging" my wire fence I'm gonna duct tape her lips ...... Our little filly is growing up so gracefully in knowledge - just not physically yet. Physically she looks like she's been raiding a body parts shop and got the wrong pieces ! Or that all those pieces are growing and don't want to all be coordinated. I'm off to get a couple of photos of her, but you won't be able to tell much due to that heavy winter coat she's got now. Just that she's kinda brown/ black and when you pet her, her coat is like petting soft expensive silk.
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