We had a nice hike today, me and the kids.
Before that I turned Dove out in a bigger area for a little while. I don't think she'd ever experienced and electric fence before.
Before that I turned Dove out in a bigger area for a little while. I don't think she'd ever experienced and electric fence before.
She got to graze a bit before I put her back to poop out her worms in the mustang pen. I can't wait to see what she produces. Sick and wrong, I know. Oh, she took her wormer no problem. She thought it was kinda weird, but she was awesome. She was also really good about me looking at her teeth and kissing her nose.
So if she's a 3 year old, she's been starved, and she's 13.3-14 hands now, will she grow? I really hope so. I know the answer is we'll just have to wait and see, but what do you think? I think there's potential for some serious muscling on this girl, but I'd really like to see her grow UP. Judging by her temperament so far though, she might be a good kids' horse eventually.
By the way, according to the weight tape she's 688 pounds. Not too bad for her height. Judging by the Henneke condition scoring scale, she's probably a 3. So definitely not as bad as it could be. I think she was probably a 1 when she got to my neighbor's. They kept a blanket on her "so nobody could see how fat she was." When she gained enough that they took the blanket off I remember thinking she must be a severely emaciated 30 year old horse. She was just hair and bones. So much better now.
The vet gave me the go-ahead to start vaccinating her, slowly and with time between each one. So she'll get her strangles vaccine tomorrow (and so will everyone else here - I've been waiting for decent weather) and I'll pick up the other vaccines over the weekend and give them to her next week.
She has a really nice floaty trot. She was excited when I first turned her in next to the mares this morning and she was showing off a bit. She didn't do it enough for me to judge her soundness, but what I saw sure looked good.
Lucky horse to have found you!
ReplyDeleteIt depends on if her growth plates in her legs are closed or not. They can close sooner on a horse that has been starved, permanently stunting them, although really young ones, if you catch them before, then they can miraculously catch up. I was hoping Kachina was stunted and that's why she was so small, but so far, she hasn't really grown any. Now, she's 4.
ReplyDeleteAnd it looks like you went to Kamiak Butte!
ReplyDeleteI love that place! And miss it too...
What I was trying to say previously is that at three, I'm doubtful that she'll catch up...but it's not impossible.
Yep, it was Kamiak. I've only hiked it once before, and that was many years ago. Funny, since my sister lives right under it. It was a nice hike. Good to get out in the trees.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about her growth, but I'll still hope! Tonka grew and grew and grew, so maybe she still can too. Of course he was never that skinny...
So, I kinda maybe take back saying Kachina is not growing. I was just looking at her really close today (I haven't been able to spend much time with them the last couple weeks), and by golly, I actually think that on lush spring grass, she has grown a little! She just seems bigger. And I'm sure part of that is her filling out (but she still looks slender). But she doesn't look as tiny as she did last summer, for sure. And Kachina is 4 this year! So, maybe.... But I also don't think she was super stunted, like this new filly. She was just a bit thin, for a while.
ReplyDelete