New colt...another throwaway

WOW!  I didn't even think of that possibility!!!  Let's see.... if I time it just right.....  []
I have very high hopes of being able to ride her after her trip to Texas.  Nothing is going to change those plans.  If I did lose my mind and decide to breed her it would be after she fully matures and we all know those zany aps take a LONG time to mature!  *sniff* my baby's nearly 3 now!!  And as sweet as ever. []
btw, that blue boy has some size in his blood so it would probably be a big baby - never really know.  He has one on the ground now that's 16hh, I think.

I have been going out a little each day and haltering him and working with him.  I can now halter him without too much excitment from him, rub down his back, neck and shoulders with out protest where before he would try and push into me and position up for a cow kick.  Little bugger!  He is moving both left and right away from me when cued online and only once in the last two days decided to fight the halter and rear up to spin around and leave.  After he turned back around and gave me a look like "why did I just do that?"  LOL  He learns quickly but still is flinchy around his legs and rump.  He is letting me throw the lead rope over his back and around his rear legs now without panicing.
 
Today I am going to move him around a bit before haltering him up and handling him where as the last few days I have walked in and rubbed on him then haltered him.  Without the halter on he is jumpy and is reactive so I want to spend some more time on that this afternoon, though he has already gotten down pat that if he turns to face me and stops Ill give him a little rub down. 
 
He is eating much better too by the way and has decided that Safe Choice feed is the way to go.  He would'nt even eat it the last few days but now he rarly lifts his head from the bucket!
 
next goal is to get him ok with all four feet so they can be trimmed and cleaned up.  Two of them are really long and causes him to break over too much.  Then its shots and coggins for the little guy and a new home hopefully.  Ill get some new pictures of him soon!

Sounds great so far!

Well today the colt had a whole new lesson.  LOL  I saw that the weather was going to turn pretty bad over the weekend so I advanced my idea of opening up the barn.  Husband came home early and though he didn't say anything he wasn't too happy to help with a horse related event.  In order for me to do it though I had to have the round pen panels soooo the colt had a very long session on how to act in a herd!
 
He went out calm as can be looking around and then just like that he decided that he was the big man in town.  Went after Axle first, rearing, biting, striking and really doing bad.  Axle fought back and here came Shadow.  Then it got interesting.  I knew the colt had social issues just from how he acted with me but didn't know they were that bad.  He laid into Shadow for a few minutes and when he had enough Shadow got ahold of his neck and simply laid him to the ground almost completely ontop of him.  Colt still thought he had it won but after another 10 minutes and sweat lathered on his neck, he gave up the fight for top spot and settled at the edge of the group.   I looked out just a minute ago and he was every so sweetly easing up to shadow but Shadow sent him off again.  Shadow will let him inot the group when he decides the colt knows right from wrong.
 
Having a good herd leader is sometimes the best thing for a young horse, no matter how much they are handled by a human a well rounded group can often help in their overall training. 
 
 

Oh Sheila, Danica's always been a gentle filly, very sweet, good natured, and had a great foundation of ground manners at DaneHaven Ranch.  My Stb's are generally so laid back I think she's picked up that characteristic.  Nothing really phases them.  They are smart but she can keep up with their thinking!
So, yes, I agree that the herd dynamics can play a HUGE part in shaping youngsters!

Oh and I put him up for sale too on a site called Horseclicks or some such something.  LOL  I still have to get his coggins pulled and all but I just don't have the time and Phil is talking about going to the AQHA youth in Oklahoma city in July as he got a personal invite since he's on their pro trainer list to donate a horse.  He want's me to take Shadow but he isn't registered AQHA so I don't know.  Just don't have the time for 3 horses of my own and everyone elses horses.  Really want him to go to a good home and have a job but then again that is all of our wishes when we sell a horse isn't it?
 
In the meantime he will be going to phils soon and getting really worked with but the price will go up after that! LOL

I'm so thankful to my geldings for how they've raised Cody!  As big as he is, he coulda' been a monster but he has some humility.  Watching how Tahoe dealt with Calhoun during his squealing, striking fit was interesting, almost like he was so above it he didn't have to react, with a peaceful, far-off look in his eye, sometimes gently nuzzling Calhoun almost like he was saying "Take it easy little grasshopper."  I keep hoping Tahoe will discipline Cody for chasing the ponies but that hasn't happened yet.....
 
Way to go, Shadow

Yeah that was kinda shadows reaction.  He could have cared less about another horse but when the colt went after Axle he took a couple of steps and watched for a minute.  When Axle had to really start fighting back shadow raced over and got between the two horses letting Axle come back up to where I was.  The colt was all over Shadow for the longest time, biting, rearing and once even got ontop of shadow almost to the point where I thought he was coming off the other side as he got high centered.  Shadow just kept moving in a circle to keep from geting hit in the face but when the colt really got ahold of his neck, he had enough I reckon.  I also thought it great how Shadow kept the colt ocupyed on the far end of the pasture away from me and Axle.  Mattehw was at the fence watching too but no where near harms way but I still think Shadow was trying to protect everyone.  He's definatly a one of a kind horse.