Meet Heidi!

I am trying this from slow dial-up, I think we might actually be able to do it, which means I can post a bit more frequently again!
We have had another stellar few weeks since the last post, got a bit of riding in, Hannah has been getting a ton of time in on her sled, and we have a beautiful new girl to introduce (she will be with us until June), Heidi!
(Hannah & Heidi Meeting)

Heidi is a 17 year old Belgian mare. She used to be a vaulting horse, but retired from that about 2 years ago and was trying to be a Mom (and doing some occasional Dressage) for those last two years with no success, so she was looking for a new home. We talked to Heidi's mom and offered too take her on a training lease until we find a replacement for Holly. We are looking for something closer to Hannah's age, but need another horse to work with her until then & Heidi's mom thought that it would be great for Heidi to learn how to be a plow horse, so the arrangements were made for her to come here. The day before we picked her up the vet came to see her, and found that she actually took on her last breeding and is going to have a foal!
So we are putting her in training and will work with her until June, and then she will go back to have her baby in July. (It is actually very benificial to work pregnant mares as long as they can before they foal, most old farmers work thier draft mares up until the day they foal, then they are right back to work with babies alongside a few days later. An in-shape mare will foal much easier than one who has just been standing in the pasture doing nothing.) This will be Heidi's first baby.

Big butts! Hard to believe Hannah's is going to get that big too... This was Heidi's first introduction to the sled, she got to walk beside while Hannah pulled it.

We are starting by just ground driving her, getting her used to us working behind her and to her new commands that she needs to learn (Gee, Haw, etc.) She did well other than being a little leary about stepping down into the creek bed the first time, but once she learned it was ok she went everywhere without a problem.

Up out of the creek bed, over a log and through the trees... easy!

Through more trees, except she actually had to duck under these, slight hesitation, then on like a champ!


I can't resist going for a ride on the big horses! They are a whole different feel from a light horse. Hannah is going to be easy to break to ride, Jarrett just jumped up and layed across her while she was loose in the pasture last fall. She just stood there.

Our other fun... We have been getting hay out of Anderson, absoluletly beautiful sweet hay! The only thing is the bales are a little larger than we are used to...
There are 4 bales on that trailer... 3 grass hay and 1 alfalfa. The grass bales weigh 1200 lbs and the alfalfa weighs 1380 lbs. Jarrett just tosses them up into the barn, no prob!

Yeah right!
We actually try to get a little help (though we have done it by ourselves too), hook up a 4 way block and tackle to them, the other end to the truck and drag them into the barn. It's still easier than stacking the equivalent in small bales though!