Took two mares to Vegas!!

That title is a bit deceptive.  Vegas is the gorgeous Stallion owned by Mark and Bev McGowan of the DoubleM Warhorse Ranch in Terrell TX (www.doublemwarhorseranch.com).  The girls were reluctant to come up to me out of the pasture.  I guess they're loving all the rye that has sprung up.  But I tell ya, a good scoop of food seems to call up even the most stubborn horse.  I think I'm the same way too, but with blue bell ice cream.

Pam and Nellie are the two that I am taking to be bred.  Nellie threw a Vegas foal last year, and that colt was incredible.  Pam is such a gorgeous mare, that I'm really excited to see what she and Vegas put together.  I got the girls out of the pasture and got them ready.  The girls were cleaned all up, de-cockleburred, and had all their hooves cleaned out.  Both Pam and Nellie did great with this.

I learned something today while cleaning hooves.  Both Pam and Nellie do not like their rear feet messed with, and so I'm always a tad nervous inside.  I don't let this show.  To compensate, I have been very firm.  When I grab that hoof, I hold it steady, and move it where I want it.  When they start to fight, I cock the toe backwards, pinching the joint, till they stop struggling, then I release that pressure.  This has always worked for me, but there are still sometimes, where Pam or Nellie just seem to let me have the hoof for 5 seconds, then they're fighting me for it.

So today, as I was holding Pam's hoof, she started to jerk it a little, and I did something different.  I let go of all the pressure I had on that hoof.  I didn't grip it as tight, and I just talked sweet to her.  She then also released the pressure in her leg.  It felt like maybe my firm grasp and doing just what I want, was causing her to tense up.  I set her hoof on my knee, and cleaned the hoof all the way out with no problems.  I went to her second rear hoof and it was the exact same.  Nellie was also the same.  This is probably just me getting better with horses, but it was kind of cool to see the direct correlation to me loosening up causing the horse to loosen up.  You still gotta be firm and do what you need to do, but you can do it without being so firm!  (does that make any sense?)  Of course, when you have a horse like Rachael, you don't have to worry about this stuff at all because your horse lets you hold a hoof forever without complaining one bit.  :)

Mark and Nellie

So ... the girls were loaded and we set off to the warhorse ranch.  We arrived, and I got to meet a wonderful woman who I've been conversing with for years on the internet.  Her name is Sherrii, and she is as good as gold.  We said our hello's, and chit chatted a bit, then decided to get down to business.  Nellie was the first unloaded, and Mark lent me a hand and took her.  I then got Pam, and we walked over to the Belgian pasture.

Backing Pam out of the trailer

Me and Pam

This year most of the warhorse Belgian mares had the year off, so all mares are turned in with Vegas.  It was pretty cool to see him with 4 mares.  As soon as he saw Pam and Nellie he got all kinds of excited.  Mark and I turned the girls loose in the Pen, and then we all sat and watched the herd dynamics take form.  Nellie was just here recently, so she ran over and greeted the other mares.  Pam was more interested in Vegas.  She really didn't mind him at all.  ;)

A herd of Belgians - 6 mares and 1 stallion

I found it really fun to watch how the herd worked.  Here was 6 Belgian mares and a stallion, and Vegas would lower his head, and herd all the girls over to the round bale of hay.  He wanted them all clustered together.  I've never seen anything like this.  It was pretty neat.  Since Pam and the other mares were still working on the pecking order, Pam did not stay bunched up with the other mares, so Vegas kept running over, and turning her back towards them.  Nellie would also run out with Pam, as if to check on her and make sure she was okay.  I could have watched the herd mentality take place for hours.  Very neat to watch.

Sparkles the appy, and Star and Baby the Clydesdales

After that we went over and saw the Clydesdales, and I got to meet Sherrii's pretty appy mare Sparkles.  My son Riley really liked her.  He was petting her and talking with her a bunch. 

Riley and Sparkles

After that, it was more chit chat, and then I headed back towards home.  It was a great trip and a fun visit.  For those who don't know, Bev, Sherrii, and I are in the same yahoo draft horse group (nadrafthorse).  This is how we all met.  It was pretty cool to have all of us together.  Good times!

Sherrii, me, and Bev

I'll be headed back down there in a month to pick up the girls.  I may be going down sooner than that for another purpose.  If I do that, I'll post all about it.  :)

My wife and I.  I love it when she comes on these trips with me.