September 30, 2007
I moved Honey back over to Assurances paddock today, but this time I put up some dividing pipe
panels. Both the boys, Assurance and Jasper are truly thrilled to have a girl living so close to them,
Honeys pretty pleased as well.
I moved Honey back over to Assurances paddock today, but this time I put up some dividing pipe
panels. Both the boys, Assurance and Jasper are truly thrilled to have a girl living so close to them,
Honeys pretty pleased as well.
October 5, 2007
Honeys new saddle arrived today. I am hoping for time on Sunday to try it on her. Shes been doing
good in her new paddock with Assurance next to her. She seems pretty content.
October 6, 2007
Tried Honeys new saddle on her and it seems to fit pretty well. Of course it was hard to tell if the fit
was perfect without sitting in the saddle and on her. So we tacked up and I got on. She was a very
quiet girl, just walked around with a good amount of enthusiasim. I think Honey is going to be my
perfect trail partner. Now I just need to trade in my little 2 horse slant load for a huge 4 horse slant
load.
October 10, 2007
Honey got a full pedicure today. She was such a well behaved girl. Stood quietly while I paid someone
else to do those hooves.
I have been introducing her to my grinder, but shes rather worried about all that noise. When she
decides grinders are ok, I'll tackle her hooves, but not until then. I can't imagine rasping those things,
they are huge.
October 25, 2007
Well, Honey decided Assurance wasn't the horse for her. She pretty much flattened, and then bent in
half, a pipe panel trying to let him know just how she felt about him. So I moved Assurance to a
different area, and now we are looking for another partner for Miss Honey.
Shes funny, she loves her shelter. Even if the weather is nice out, she likes to hang out in her
shelter. She'll come right out for food or a scratch, but as soon as shes done, she right back inside
the shelter.
Here is some new video of her playing in the arena. She kept knocking over the poles, it entertained
her.
Honeys new saddle arrived today. I am hoping for time on Sunday to try it on her. Shes been doing
good in her new paddock with Assurance next to her. She seems pretty content.
October 6, 2007
Tried Honeys new saddle on her and it seems to fit pretty well. Of course it was hard to tell if the fit
was perfect without sitting in the saddle and on her. So we tacked up and I got on. She was a very
quiet girl, just walked around with a good amount of enthusiasim. I think Honey is going to be my
perfect trail partner. Now I just need to trade in my little 2 horse slant load for a huge 4 horse slant
load.
October 10, 2007
Honey got a full pedicure today. She was such a well behaved girl. Stood quietly while I paid someone
else to do those hooves.
I have been introducing her to my grinder, but shes rather worried about all that noise. When she
decides grinders are ok, I'll tackle her hooves, but not until then. I can't imagine rasping those things,
they are huge.
October 25, 2007
Well, Honey decided Assurance wasn't the horse for her. She pretty much flattened, and then bent in
half, a pipe panel trying to let him know just how she felt about him. So I moved Assurance to a
different area, and now we are looking for another partner for Miss Honey.
Shes funny, she loves her shelter. Even if the weather is nice out, she likes to hang out in her
shelter. She'll come right out for food or a scratch, but as soon as shes done, she right back inside
the shelter.
Here is some new video of her playing in the arena. She kept knocking over the poles, it entertained
her.
November 1st, 2007
Honey got her hooves trimmed again yesterday, they are starting to look really nice. She has such
pretty hooves for a draft. She also helped give a trimming lesson to a new student of Linda Cowles.
Unfortunately Honey gave the student a hard time, not sure what it did for her confidence level, but
the trim looked good.
After her trim I took her out to the arena to run around a bit. At first she was just concerned that she
might miss dinner, but once she let that idea go, she flew around the arena. She sure can move for
a big girl. She came flying from the far end of the arena towards me, I have to say my heart skipped a
few beats when she got close to me going at that speed, shes HUGE.
November 12, 2007
I Love Honey. She is such a cool horse. I have been trying to be really good and practice what I
preach. I am always telling students, don't get on the horse until you have a solid relationship on
the ground. Technically, if Honey belonged to a student, I would say shes not quite ready to be
ridden. Shes got some areas that need work to make her a really safe responsive mount.
But.....shes so easy going & mellow that I find myself sneaking in rides. And sometimes I'm in my
tennis shoes with no helmet, really bad I know, but she just brings out my vibration of teenage
enthusiasm. I Love her. We did have a great breakthrough on the ground today. She gets very
upset if I get my training stick any where near her neck or withers, shes hated that stick since the
day she arrived. Every time I take her out to work, I work on getting that stick closer & closer to her
neck. Today for the first time, she relaxed and allowed it, finally she trusts me enough to rub that
"thing" on her back. It really was a big deal, I am thrilled.
After that we spent some time in the round pen and then went back to the grooming area for a little
tlc. She loves her massage mit. I love Honey.
December 29, 2007
Honey is still doing very well, shes such an easy going girl. We have spent allot more time hanging
out, walking around, munching grass. Pretty undemanding stuff. Honey is easy to be around. If
everything goes as planned Honey will be getting a new paddock mate in the next few weeks. One
of the other draft mommies will be weaning her baby and moving over to stay with Honey. Hoping
they will make a good pair.
January 31, 2008
Honey can fly. Last week Honey had a big mare fight with her neighbor. Between the two of them,
they actually took down a portion of the fence. It shouldn't surprise me, but it does. The fence is
made of 6" to 7" in diameter lodge poles, that have been set in concrete. They stand about 5 to 6
feet tall with approx 3 feet buried in concrete. We joke about our fences being Giraffe safe, they
look like something you might find at a wild life park. Anyway, they are strong and hard to knock
over. It took Honey several weeks of fighting with Lotta thur the fence to loosen 2 of the poles
enough that she could knock a section down. Honey let herself into her neighbors paddock. The
interesting part occurred when she was found and returned to her own paddock. While she was
standing on her side of the fence and the downed portion of the fence was being repaired. The
portion to be repaired was lying on the ground getting ready to be stretched. The no climb wire
along this stretch of fencing is 5 ft tall. So laying on the ground it would be 5 ft. wide. Honey
decided she wanted back over to her neighbors side of the fence, so she backed up a few steps on
her side of the paddock, and took a flying leap over the fence. Pretty amazing that such a big girl
can get so far off the ground, and with so little effort. Makes me wonder what crossing creeks will
be like on her.
February 5, 2008
Honey got her hooves done again today. She was a good girl, pretty cooperative. Got a couple of
Pictures of her with Linda the farrier.
Honey got her hooves trimmed again yesterday, they are starting to look really nice. She has such
pretty hooves for a draft. She also helped give a trimming lesson to a new student of Linda Cowles.
Unfortunately Honey gave the student a hard time, not sure what it did for her confidence level, but
the trim looked good.
After her trim I took her out to the arena to run around a bit. At first she was just concerned that she
might miss dinner, but once she let that idea go, she flew around the arena. She sure can move for
a big girl. She came flying from the far end of the arena towards me, I have to say my heart skipped a
few beats when she got close to me going at that speed, shes HUGE.
November 12, 2007
I Love Honey. She is such a cool horse. I have been trying to be really good and practice what I
preach. I am always telling students, don't get on the horse until you have a solid relationship on
the ground. Technically, if Honey belonged to a student, I would say shes not quite ready to be
ridden. Shes got some areas that need work to make her a really safe responsive mount.
But.....shes so easy going & mellow that I find myself sneaking in rides. And sometimes I'm in my
tennis shoes with no helmet, really bad I know, but she just brings out my vibration of teenage
enthusiasm. I Love her. We did have a great breakthrough on the ground today. She gets very
upset if I get my training stick any where near her neck or withers, shes hated that stick since the
day she arrived. Every time I take her out to work, I work on getting that stick closer & closer to her
neck. Today for the first time, she relaxed and allowed it, finally she trusts me enough to rub that
"thing" on her back. It really was a big deal, I am thrilled.
After that we spent some time in the round pen and then went back to the grooming area for a little
tlc. She loves her massage mit. I love Honey.
December 29, 2007
Honey is still doing very well, shes such an easy going girl. We have spent allot more time hanging
out, walking around, munching grass. Pretty undemanding stuff. Honey is easy to be around. If
everything goes as planned Honey will be getting a new paddock mate in the next few weeks. One
of the other draft mommies will be weaning her baby and moving over to stay with Honey. Hoping
they will make a good pair.
January 31, 2008
Honey can fly. Last week Honey had a big mare fight with her neighbor. Between the two of them,
they actually took down a portion of the fence. It shouldn't surprise me, but it does. The fence is
made of 6" to 7" in diameter lodge poles, that have been set in concrete. They stand about 5 to 6
feet tall with approx 3 feet buried in concrete. We joke about our fences being Giraffe safe, they
look like something you might find at a wild life park. Anyway, they are strong and hard to knock
over. It took Honey several weeks of fighting with Lotta thur the fence to loosen 2 of the poles
enough that she could knock a section down. Honey let herself into her neighbors paddock. The
interesting part occurred when she was found and returned to her own paddock. While she was
standing on her side of the fence and the downed portion of the fence was being repaired. The
portion to be repaired was lying on the ground getting ready to be stretched. The no climb wire
along this stretch of fencing is 5 ft tall. So laying on the ground it would be 5 ft. wide. Honey
decided she wanted back over to her neighbors side of the fence, so she backed up a few steps on
her side of the paddock, and took a flying leap over the fence. Pretty amazing that such a big girl
can get so far off the ground, and with so little effort. Makes me wonder what crossing creeks will
be like on her.
February 5, 2008
Honey got her hooves done again today. She was a good girl, pretty cooperative. Got a couple of
Pictures of her with Linda the farrier.