Gulvike

I have no idea how to spell that Icelandic female name.... Gulveik?

Have you ever led a pushy pully pony a couple miles with a leadrope that measures 3.5 feet? What do you do? Funnily, I thought even if I had my long NH rope, whacking her with it would be like whacking a horse wearing 3 winter blankets - she would absoultely feel nothing through her winter coat.

So I spent the couple of miles establishing the rules as best I could, sometimes I had to flick the pathetic rope at her face directly when she tried to trot with me. Sometimes she'd just whirl around me like "Wait - what's going on, where are we?" and sometimes she'd dodge behind me and try to switch sides. Yelling at her in English seemed to help.

She cried a few times, especially when two separate times a lady rode a horse by us. (The wrong way, of course, making my task even more difficult.)

I remember I had laces on one Doc Marten undone, trailing, and I didn't dare stop to tie it. I thought if I showed any hesitation the pony would make up her own mind, "Screw this walk with a stranger I've never met, I'm going home!"

The terrier people were out with their terrier and that was when I stopped to talk and tie my shoe. The mare started eating someone's decorative hedge, something that was definitely not edible! The terrier lady tried to get it out of the mare's mouth, but the mare won. Eventually the mare spit it out herself. The terrier people asked me why I left Baasha at home, why don't I take him for a walk too, and I said "I'm just now getting this pony!" aaaaaaaaaach so.

***

I walk through our gate with the shaggiest horse Baasha has ever seen and he FLED. I think he did not recognize her as a horse. He ran down the hang to the gate by the ponds and peered up. He was so scared! I just waited, holding the pony's 3.5 foot lead rope. The pony started walking on our newly built stone wall. She's like a billy goat.

I knew I had to just wait for Baasha so we did. He snorted a few times as he got glimpses of her, and then he would flee out of sight. Then finally he came up the hill looking spectacular. He was archy and prancy, blowing long purring sounds, pawing the air whenever he paused.

In case you don't have a horse who air-paws, it means "I want." He even air paws sometimes while first digging into his mash.

***

I took a few minutes starting to teach her "over" to a finger touch, knowing full well she does not respond to finger pressure, only slaps. She got that right away, both sides, and then I let her go.

Baasha is overly friendly with horses. He wanted to make contact with the mare right away and be right next to her, and he overwhelmed her.

She had a fence in front of her, and Baasha nickering behind her, and she just went crazy. She kicked the crap out of him to the point where he fell down and couldn't get up because she was on top of him.

I thought she was just being defensive but now that I think about it, she didn't have to react that way. She could have ran out of there. I wondered if I should have separated them for a while first, but that would not have helped, as soon as they were put together Baasha would have had the same reaction.

***

I've never seen a horse roll as much as this mare. She has been living in a concrete pen since last fall, so the bare earth feels wonderful under her. She rolled on our steep hang, she rolled in the mudhole, she rolled on the pasture grass, all in all 5 times in one day!

When she first saw the grazing strip (the big one), she just lit up. She has likely never been turned out so early in the year - usually they wait til April or May. She started running and ran the complete length of the strip, rejoicing, "SPRING!" even though it's really not Spring yet.

She started grazing in the rapid pace (the rhythm of tearing up grass bites) in comparison to Baasha's relaxed nibbling.

I was also surprised to see how fast and nimbly she navigates our hang. It's really really steep, and undulating and full of hazards and stumps and steps and she just races around, up and down, never faltering. What a great trail horse she must have been.

***

Sadly I had to return the mare because she goes through our fences. I don't want to find her drowned in one of our fish ponds - this is a danger here if she decides the grass around the ponds looks good. Baasha hates water and is afraid of our ponds and that's a good thing here.

Isabel helped me take the long walk. I wanted Baasha to come along so that he understands where the pony is. I put one of my own lead ropes on the mare so that I had some control, but of course she walked right alongside Baasha with no issues.

***

To answer some comments:

Evensong, we did not build a divider into the run-in because we don't want a horse to get trapped by a bossier horse coming in. I don't want to stall my horse even for feedtimes and in this I know I'm being idealistic. It would make Baasha feel better as you said, if they were both stalled next to each other. But I'm afraid I'd have to stall more than just a few hours to give Baasha the opportunity to eat his hay.

FV, you have a similar situation - how many hours per day do you separate Nadia so that she has an opportunity eat her hay? I don't have a paddock that I can divide to separate horses that would offer both a shelter.

Leah, I would love to have goats but our property is U shaped and would be virtually impossible to goat-proof. That is, it would be impossible for us to afford that amount of goat proof fencing.

Aarene, isn't it sad to see horses who don't even try to eat, afraid they'll get attacked for trying? I wish we could divide our area but we really can't. It's not a very horse appropriate bit of land we have.

Mikael, yes, besides the drowning there is the foundering issue which I can see would be a problem in another month or two.

Achieve, the last pony we tried out was a 30 year old gelding. Being 30 years old did not stop him from his dangerous dominant behaviors. I really wish we could find a decrepit, fragile thing, not these fiesty strong ponies.

RE: Recipe: I got permission today to post it so I'll post my mother in law's Sauerbraten recipe tomorrow!