Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Starting the two year old colts

April 20, 2009
This morning Orville was using the tractor to load up last winters outside horses manure pile into the dump trailer.  Line came ambling over to see what he was doing with the tractor and that big pile of manure.  What Was That Box?? She walked around the other side of the dump trailer and tried to see where where Orville was putting it.  Line could not figure out where that manure was going.  She couldn't look over the top and see inside  so it must be disappearing.  Orville drove over to the big compost pile and dumped the full trailer and she finally figured it out.
After lunch Orville lead Lyn over to the hitching rail fed him his grain, groomed and saddled him up and put a snaffle bit in his mouth.  Yesterday he had put the back pad and crupper on each of the colts and today was another step in the process of training and getting used to different situations.
April 1st we wormed and used the electric clippers to take manes off all the Fjords.  With no power we use a generator on wheels and a hitch to hook it to the quad and take the clippers and genny out to the horses.  Easy to worm everyone and take manes off the Fjords all at the same time.  
Now Lyn was looking really spiffy with his mane standing up about an inch,  under saddle and a bit in his mouth.  Picture perfect and I did not have my camera.  He had had a bit in his mouth once before and was very comfortable with it now and did not chew or play with it.  Orville took him back to his pen and tied him up and brought Magnum back with him.   Orville trimmed his front feet then put the saddle and a snaffle bit on him.  Again no reaction just a another day of doing something new and interesting.  Magnum did chew and play with the bit as it was his first time wearing one.  His turn to go out to his pen and stand quietly tied up with saddle and bridle on.  Orville brought Lyn back to hitching rail, unsaddled and bridled and put them on Daniel.  Lyn was turned back out and Danny was put in his pen to stand tied for awhile.  Orville had trimmed his front feet prior to getting Lyn.  After all the colts had been turned back out Jarry was brought in and Orville rode him up the mountain for an hour or so.
Jarry is really liking the hackmore and responding much better.  Orville rode him to the cabin where the mares were grazing and Jarry walked quietly  through the mares and I managed to grab my camera a get a few pictures.  



Anvil's Acres
Raising Norwegian Fjord Horses Since 1973
"Disposition, Conformation, Versatility"
www.FjordHorseForSale.com

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Anvil's Jarald

Now that Orville has been laid off work and he is home we have been getting the spring cleanup done.  All but one corral has been cleaned up and hauled out to the compost pile.  Almost have enough to level the yard out where the cabin is.  All the fields and yards have been harrowed with the tractor or using a small harrow with the quad. The plan is to do enough work on the horses we have in to do the rest of the harrowing with them.

After lunch I caught Jarald out in the field and he was so good coming through the gate and turning around so I could shut it quickly while keeping Reba and Mektig, who were determined to come as well, in where they belonged.
After giving Jarry his grain and a good grooming I went and found the mechanical hackmore I had borrowed to try on Jarry.  Orville put it on a headstall and put on Jarry.  He was a little confused at first but picked up the cues real quick once he figured out there was no bit.  Jarry has never really liked a bit when riding him so we thought we would try this.  Jarry sure has a nice canter in our 70x70' corral he was worked in.  Orville commented it was his best gait and I said that every winter when they come charging down the mountain side to come home for feeding Jarry and Weilew both always canter where most of the other horses will trot down.
He is nicely balanced and very comfortable in the corral working.  All his riding has been out on the trails not in small spaces. Jarry has not been ridden for about a year and went very well so Orville took him out and checked the 11 mares out on the mountain side. When Orville finished riding and took the bridle off, Jarry opened his mouth to have the bit removed.  Old habits die hard. Orville laughed and said not this time.  Looks like we have found a bridle Jarry is more comfortable with even though we had never used a mechanical hackamore before.

Back out to the field again and fighting off Reba as I caught Mektig and lead him through the gate.  Tied him up to the hitching rail and gave him his grain and a good grooming.  Orville switched his saddle from Jarry to Mektig and rode him in the corral for awhile working on transitions.  


Anvil's Acres
Raising Norwegian Fjord Horses Since 1973
"Disposition, Conformation, Versatility"
www.FjordHorseForSale.com

Monday, April 6, 2009

April 2009

Anvil's Acres
Raising Norwegian Fjord Horses Since 1973
"Disposition, Conformation, Versatility"
www.FjordHorseForSale.com

Here it is another beautiful spring day. Third in a row after having one of the top five coldest springs on record.
Orville has started driving and riding Fjords again. Brought in Reba, Mektig, Ibn and Jarald and after energetic use of the shedding blade can at least breath around them. We drove Ibn and Jarry, then the next day drove Reba and Ibn and yesterday drove Ibn with Mektig and they seem to get along the best as a pair.
Drove Reba single and Orville rode Jarry. We are just doing light driving on a sled to get their shoulders toughened up so we can do some field work once all the ice and snow have disappeared.
Will try and do daily reviews on our Fjord experiences this year.