Uncle Boo

Boo tried out as a babysitter for not-so-little Pie today. M. brought Pie home from the breeding farm yesterday, and wants to find a horse to stall with her (it's a double-size paddock) so that Pie isn't lonely and doesn't develop too many of the goofy behaviors that a horse gets when reared solo. We had Red in with her but Red takes the job a little TOO seriously, herding Pie away not only from dangers but also from us!

So she turned Boo and Pie out together in the arena.












They did really well together... Boo followed Pie around, didn't push her around, was gentle and not too bossy. We started getting excited, having visions of him becoming our "babysitter" gelding in the days and years ahead when we have young horses that go out to pasture and need an older, steady presence....

And then Boo decided, hey, I have a new buddy! Time to play! And cued Pie to run, and started chasing her... and even that might have been OK, except that being a colt, his idea of playing also involves play-kicking at the other horse while galloping. So we ran in there and grabbed our horses and that was that. *sigh*

I still think they would be fine together in a small area, but Pie is just a baby, and I'd feel terrible if Boo accidentally injured her. Maybe once she's a yearling. So our quest for the answer continues.... and in the meantime she and Boo are next-door neighbors, and can fool around over the fence and be silly youngsters all they want. It reminds me that though he's 17hh, he's just a wee baby in the mind. One more reason I'm not hopping on anytime soon. Right now my target is April 2010.

Weekend Warrior

I can't get away with doing as much as I used to. Today I got out to the barn around 7 and rode Serena for about 45 minutes. Then I cleaned the nine paddocks; made up two weeks' worth of supplement packets for Boo; and tidied up the barn aisle.
After that I got Boo out and groomed him and spent some quality time in the arena with him doing groundwork. Boy, does he ever hate being led from the right! Doesn't even like to stand there with me leaning on him on that side. So of course, that's what we did, with lots of praise and breaks and so on. I find with Boo that forward motion is a great reward/stress relief for him, so after he succeeds in something hard like leading from the right or standing still for a count of ten with me leaning (gently - more like resting my hand there) on his right hip, I switch back to his left and we take a brisk walk to let him relax and release his tension. Seems to work well so far.

But - and here's what I was getting at in the first line - by the time I left the barn six hours later (WHERE does the time go???) I was hobbling like an old, old woman! *sigh* Guess I need to get in better shape, or something. That, or start taking MSM like my horse and my dog do.

Oh, and not to totally bury the lead, but... I got my act together and notified the Jockey Club of Boo's transfer of ownership today. So whether they knew it before or not, now they know "unnamed 2006 foal out of Golden Gazelle" is mine!!! :-)
Next step... officially naming him. I hope they don't deny my name choice (a prude might find a reason to consider it inappropriate....)