Sima's Home

I posted back in January about finding Sima for the boys to have a kid-friendly horse.  We did a three month free lease to make sure that he was the right horse for us (and that his owner, who loves him dearly, felt he was going to be the right semi-retirement home for him).  I think everyone involved has been thrilled with the situation, and this week we are making it official.

Sima is enjoying a slower, rural lifestyle.  He no longer is part of a show barn life, or spending his weekends doing eventing.  He has fully embraced this muddier, lazier way of living.

The boys adore him.  He's a gentleman for their rides.  They are practicing the basics right now, like trying to learn how to post to the trot.

And I enjoy him, too!  I've been taking him on trail rides, and sometimes do a little jumping.  Last week I showed Pierce how to use the good camera, and he worked on getting action shots.  I took three fences, and Pierce caught two of them just right. 

It's been a long time since I've jumped much, or worked with a trainer.  It's good for me to see the pictures to pick out my flaws.  I got a tad left behind on this one.

Compared to Francie, he's an easy going, straightforward ride.  He's very sensitive to cues - like changing diagonals or asking for leads.

Riding him makes me feel like a teenager again.  It's such a treat to ride a more finished horse. 

But this is the best part of it - he's gentle with the boys, trustworthy.  And here's my photographer.  Didn't he do a wonderful job?

We all look forward to more rides with Sima.  Once the boys are more balanced, I'm hoping we can even do some trail rides on our land.

Francie's DNA Results

I have often mused over Francie's background over the past four and a half years.  Recently I discovered that I could send off her DNA to Texas A+M, where they have a horse breed registry.  So I shipped off some hair samples and waited with great curiosity.  Here's a recent picture if you want a reminder.

When the results came back I was surprised!  The primary breed that came back was Holsteiner, which is a type of warmblood (a draft breed mixed with a more athletic breed, often thoroughbred). Holsteiners are known to be good jumpers.  I could really see the Holsteiner in her head, and they are often bay in color with minimal white markings, so this isn't what surprised me.

The secondary breed that came back was Caspian.  This is a breed native to Iran, and I wasn't familiar with them, so this was very surprising.  Indeed, they are rare in the United States.  They are small horses, but known to be good jumpers.

The third breed that came back was Arabian.  Francie doesn't look Arabian to me at all.  But sometimes she gets a wild hair and does stick her tail straight in the air like an Arab while running in the pasture.

It was exciting to find out a little more about Francie's background.  I'm still as baffled as ever about where her origin may be, but I'm happy to know a little more about her breeding.  DNA is so interesting, don't you think? 

Welcome, Sima

I've been looking for a beginner horse for the boys since last summer.  Pierce really wants to learn to ride.  I got preapproved with a rescue for adoption, but they never got in the type of horse we needed.  Finally I placed an ad on an equestrian site for Virginia.  I got great response, but immediately fell for Sima, and formed a friendship with his owner.  We were chatting back and forth online for weeks.  I could tell how much she loved him.

He's been doing eventing (a combination of jumpers, cross country, and dressage) up in Northern Virginia, and became sour with all the jumping.  He is 18 and ready for a quieter lifestyle.  I reached out to my old riding friends from high school that are still in that area, and was able to make a connection through one that vouched for Sima, and reassured us that he would make a good horse for a beginner.  We were so happy the day he arrived.

He's affectionate.  He loves head rubs.  And he's so calm.  I gave him a couple of days to settle in and then took him for a test ride.  He was a perfect gentleman, with a big bouncy trot.  He's very responsive to the rider - the slightest shift in weight or turn of my head would change his direction.  He has one of the softest mouths of any horse I've ever ridden, and on a long rein at the walk was practically dragging his nose on the ground. 

The next day I looked at him and told him to take care of Pierce for me.  Then I stuck him up there.  He took a few turns on the lunge line, and then I let him loose.  Sima was happy to just walk calmly around the arena.  Pierce kept saying, "Mom, this is so fun!".  And the kid hasn't even trotted yet!

I'm enjoying riding Sima once in a while myself.  Although Francie gets jealous and throws temper tantrums in the pasture.  So I have to make sure I ride her too! 

He looks so much like my show horse in high school, Chico, in the above picture that I have to do a double take every time I see it.  It was so cold on this day that I had on three layers to stay warm.

We look forward to many more rides with Sima.  I'm excited for when Pierce learns to ride enough that maybe he can ride Sima and I can ride Francie and the two of us can head off on the trails around our place. 

Francie Has Fun

Francie and I seem to have hit a sweet spot where our rides are more fun and relaxed.  She's a forward moving horse that wants to please.  She can still be a little hot at times, but she is starting to mellow a little.

I ordered a new saddle pad with a couple of roomy pockets, in case we find ourselves trail riding in the future.  I can easily tuck in a hoof pick, a cell phone, and a snack.

A couple of weeks ago, Paul made a cyclocross course in the riding arena.  The boys had a blast riding this bike maze.  I wanted to ride Francie, but didn't know what she'd think.  At first, she thought it was pretty awful.  She snorted as though the red tape was going to attack her.  I hand walked her through.  She calmed down.  Then I hand walked her through a second time, rattling the tape as we went.  She was spooky at the moving, rattling tape at first, but then calmed down again.  After that, I hopped on her.

 

 

We walked through and then we trotted.  Then she started having fun.  She was enjoying whipping around the 180 degree corners! 

 

By the end, she was cantering the long stretches, trying to catch the boys on their bikes.  I had no idea she would have so much fun with this.  Reminded me of my youth, flying around tight jumper courses on ponies, but without the jumps.  Here we are after, exhilarated from our playful ride.

 



She still has those funny curled ears, but look - she's got one ear on Pierce, who took the picture, but one ear on me.  We're really feeling connected lately.  I'm looking forward to more fun fall rides. 

Sometimes I Can't Believe It - Francie Update

I've been riding Francie a lot this summer, and asked Paul to take some pictures of me.  I don't have a trainer so I like to self-criticize my position and such, always trying to make little improvements (my hand positioning needs some work, for example). 

After looking through the pictures, I kept thinking about how much Francie has changed since I rescued her around November 30, 2013.  So I dug up some of her first pictures.  When she was infested with the worst case of parasites my vet had ever seen.  When her growth was so stunted she looked like a miniature pony.  When her legs were so covered in foul, smelly muck from standing in a foot of manure that I couldn't brush it out, no matter how hard I tried, and ended up having to do multiple scrubbings in winter to get her clean. 

Francie couldn't be caught.  She had never had her feet trimmed.  She didn't know how to lead with a halter.  No one had ever messed with her.  She was in a mud/manure lot with no grass and no food, and a black brackish pond for water.  In fact, she didn't even have a name.

If I hadn't been there for every step of her transformation, I wouldn't believe these pictures.  She doesn't even look like the same horse!  I had to teach her everything, from the ground up.  There is still much work to be done under saddle.  She can be high strung most days, and something as small as a horse fly can cause extreme drama (I have never ridden a horse that despised horse flies as much as this mare).  Especially at the canter, Francie needs to work on balance, but we are also working on transitions and suppleness in other gaits.  As you can see, though, Francie is completely healthy and thriving.  I'm so thankful to have her.  She has been a huge comfort to me now that I can no longer ride Phoenix due to his debilitating arthritis.  On most days after we finish a ride, I feel like Francie is giving me more than I have ever given her.  I never would've guessed on the day I couldn't watch her suffer any more, and I stepped in to negotiate her rescue, that I was creating a bond with this little mare that would bring me so much happiness on down the road.  Sometimes, those impulse decisions really can be the best decisions.

New Fence Line

Last year when we did that overnight backpacking trip with the boys, a big storm blew in and blew a fuse in our electric fence.  The horses got out and were running all over, and no one could reach us because we were in a region where there was no cell phone service.  Once we found out, we drove the two hours home, and I was terrified for the horses the whole way.  I already knew that Phoenix was limping.  Luckily, I was able to get them home (they were about a mile away from our house, up a mountain) and Phoenix's injury, while painful, was treatable.  I NEVER want that to happen again.  So I've been saving every cent I get from Christmas or selling stuff online towards building at least one very secure pasture.  With no electric!  That means three board fencing for most of it.  With the cost of wood right now, it's a pricy endeavor.

We've been working on this stretch since Christmas.  We hit a number of obstacles, including a broken nail gun, a post hole digger that didn't want to run, and post holes that dipped into an underground stream and were filling with water.  Not to mention all the rocks we had to dig through!  Happily, we now have a big stretch done.

This pasture already has wood fencing on two other sides.  So now three sides are fenced with wood.  We only have the back stretch left.  Because the final side is by a river (and may need adjustments as a result), and cannot be seen from the road, I will probably try to use high tensile fence wire with a mixture of wood posts and t-posts.  It should go in easier than the wood (with having to dig less holes) and hopefully will be cheaper.  After that's done, I will start saving again - I still have a couple of other stretches of wood fencing I want to do.  I do love seeing the fence lines once they're done!

Francie Opens the Gate

I've found that some of my happiest days are the days I ride Francie.  I never stop being surprised by how far she has come.  She's gone from a size 38 girth that was too big to a size 48 girth that is just about right.  She's outgrown her first bridle.  And while her growth is still stunted, she has grown some and filled out a lot. 

But more than her growing are all the things she has learned.  I couldn't even touch her in the beginning.  She'd never seen a farrier or a vet or been led around.  She'd never felt so much as a saddle pad on her back.  She's an old pro now at these sorts of basic skills.

Some of the big things we have worked to accomplish under saddle are:  Francie will stand to be mounted.  She will walk, trot, and canter (we are still working on leads).  She will leg yield or side pass (she is better one direction than the other).  She knows how to back (but is sometimes crooked). 

For a while, I have been working on having Francie stand still while I lean over to open the arena gate, then back away while I pull it open, then walk through.  On the day I took this picture, Francie finally accomplished this in a calm mannered way.  So we walked through, and then we walked around some of the open pastures.  This was the first time I had ridden her outside the arena.  She was a little scared at times, especially when I made her walk around a bonfire Paul had going in one pasture, but she trusted me when I told her it was okay.

Every time I ride, she seems to come a little further.  Who knew I could've fallen for a mare (I usually only like geldings - less drama), and a gaited one at that.  But Francie has a lot of heart, and I love her for that. 

Happy Two Years, Francie

Guess who's celebrating two years with us?  Remember way back when?  The bony, wormy, skittish and terrified mare that I brought home the day after Thanksgiving?

Well here she is today.  Look at that healthy belly! 

Yes, Francie is doing just fine these days.  Enjoying more pasture time than riding time, with my busy schedule, but she seems happy and enjoys extra treats and following me down the driveway every morning when I get the boys on the bus. 
 I know some of you have been following Francie's story from the beginning, so i do try to give an update now and then.

I truly hope she doesn't remember much from her days before she came to Two Bears Farm.

Grass, Reaching for the Skies

Many of you remember when I rescued Francie in a state of parasitic infection and starvation a year and a half ago.

Pretty sure she's not too worried about where her next meal is going to come from right now! 

One Year Later - Francie, Horse Rescue

Can you believe that today marks a year since I went and rescued Francie?  The scrawny horse that was so weak yet untamed and unhandled, infested with the worst case of strongyles my vet had ever seen, has come such a long way.

Here are a couple of pictures of her from the first week with us.  She was covered in muck, which I couldn't brush off because her skin was overly sensitive to touch and she wasn't used to being handled.  She had never had her feet trimmed.  She was underweight to the point that her spine protruded, and had three different types of parasites.

In this picture, you can see the muck that was on her legs, that I was unable to curry off being of her skin sensitivities.  She had been standing and sleeping in this muck. 

Note how skinny her neck is in this picture.  You can really see a difference in her neck in more recent photos.

Alright, now here are some pictures of Francie from this past week.  You can see the muck is gone and she has totally filled out.  Her coat is so much healthier, and she is parasite-free.

She has had regular trimmings by the farrier and even sometimes lifts her feet for him when he comes.  Today she loves to be brushed, especially around her neck area.  Look how much thicker her neck is now!

Look at the difference of the shot from behind taken now versus the first picture.  She looks full and healthy - no more angles and bones. 

I wasn't really sure what I was getting in to when I brought her home that day, but I'm happy we were able to offer her a safe home.  She has come a long way in a year!  She will always have stunted growth (she will not grow anymore at this point) but at least she is living a better life. 

Also, for those of you who offered support for the two horses left behind, you'll be happy to hear that they look much better too, since they were dewormed and vaccinated and the one was gelded, and the owners have done a much better job over the past year of keeping hay on the premises.  While they may not look 100%, they are in such better shape than a year ago!  Thank you. 

Behind the Fence

Francie, with her oddly twisted ears.

 

I've asked around, but I never did manage to find someone who had an idea of why her ears are tilted backwards on the tips.

Linked with RunARound Ranch's Good Fences link up. 

 

A happy 8th birthday today to Pierce!



Francie Gets a New Feeding Paddock

Since Francie is small, and Phoenix is fat, I have to separate them when I feed Francie twice a day.  Phoenix would steal her food otherwise, and he definitely doesn't need extra calories.  For a while I've been tying her up to eat, but this isn't ideal.  I worried I would forget to turn off the power for the electric fence, as the place I was tying her had one electrified strand on top.  I worried I would get distracted by the boys and forget about her.  I worried that she would spook over something and somehow hurt herself.

So the other weekend we set about to create a small feeding paddock for Francie, so she would be safe even if I had to leave her for a bit (and I wouldn't have to worry about the electric fence).

This paddock is really handy too because I can run while she eats and digests, and by the time I get finished and changed into riding clothes, she is ready to go and I don't have to catch her again.  She still continues to be a little tricky to catch.

It would also be a handy place for a horse that needs to be closely monitored or that is recovering from sedation.  It's nice and flat.  And I feel much better about Francie eating in there than when I was having to tie her.

Hoping to complete a few more horse-related projects over the winter months.  I love getting things accomplished!

Desensitization in the Young Horse

I mentioned recently that Francie is very spooky.  She freaks out of birds flying by, the sound of my voice, cars turning in the driveway.  You name it - it might be spaz-worthy.

I decided some desensitization was in order.  I remember doing similar activities with Phoenix when I was training him twenty years ago.  I do this a little more gradually than some of the horse trainers, but I do feel gentle exposure to intimidating things is helpful later on.  Also, just going through the process of facing the monsters with a horse helps to strengthen the trust bond. 

 

I created some 'scary' obstacles in the arena.  Francie didn't have much trouble with my first creations, so I decided to up the scare factor.  I went out and bought....a scary blue tarp.  You can see - just riding by the blue tarp was terrifying. 

One thing especially horrifying about the blue tarp is that when you step on it, it makes crunchy noises.

Horses don't like the noise.  Or the color.  I just keep reassuring her.  This helps strengthen the trust bond between us.  Francie learns that I'm hear to support her when life gets scary.  She knows I am by her side to offer kind encouragement.

Francie wants to rush across everytime.   

On this day, it was raining, and the light drizzle made more noises on the tarp.

My brave girl.

After a few days of repeated blue tarp exposure, Francie finally let me ride her over the tarp.

Gentle, repeated exposure to intimidating things really does work.

You don't have to force them.

Just reassure, and keep trying.

A little each day is fine, in my experience.

What a good girl.

Next up?

A scary pool noodle contraption.

Fun times!



Francie the Rescue Horse Update

I think I'm way overdue for an update on the horse I rescued last Thanksgiving, Francie.  She is doing very well!  If you remember, she was starved, infested with worms, and completely untamed and unhandled when I got her.  She has made wonderful progress in the time I've been working with her. 

We have had our challenges though.  Like last spring, when Francie had her first heat cycle, became aggressive, and bit me while my back was turned opening a gate.  For that, she was separated from my gelding and spent some time in isolation (and I yelled at her immediately when it happened - the bite left a bruise for 3 weeks!  Thank goodness I was wearing a thick sweatshirt, otherwise it would have been much worse).  Once I was assured that this would not happen again, I moved her back in with Phoenix. 

We also ran into trouble when Francie started bolting her food without chewing.  I suppose this was because of her starvation days.  Twice she choked.  When a horse chokes, it can still breath, but it cannot swallow.  They stand awkwardly, cough, and buckets of slime (saliva) run out of their mouth.  It can be rather scary.  Luckily, I had seen it before, and I knew it wasn't generally fatal.  One of the times I did have to sedate her to get her throat to relax enough for the clump of food to pass.  Since then, I've put some large rocks into her food dish.  Now she has to nuzzle around the rocks to eat, and it takes her 20 minutes to eat instead of 5.  So far, this has been effective.

Francie and I have been riding a couple of days a week.  She has made great strides over the past month or so.  She is very spooky, but we are working on that (more about that in a later post).  I am able to ride her without assistance now, and we are walking and trotting.  I feel like we will canter in the next month or so.  I'm focusing on trying to get her to relax and bend and move away from leg pressure.  This will give her more 'power steering'.  It's slow going, but she is trying, and every ride to me is amazing, simply because I know how far she has come.  I'm so proud of her efforts!

I do wish I had more time to work with her, but the time I can put in has to be enough for now.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the next few months bring.  It's so nice to be riding again. 

Did a Bear Attack My Horse?

Last week I had just finished my run, and was looking forward to taking Francie for a ride.  As I was jogging up the driveway to the house to change into my riding clothes, I happened to glance over at Phoenix in the pasture.  I was shocked to see the inner part of both back legs and his tail completely saturated in glistening blood.  Every inch of fur was coated.  I ran and got a halter and led him down to the cross ties, where we have a water hook up.  I immediately thought he'd been attacked by coyotes or wild dogs, or maybe even a bear (the neighbors have reported several black bear sightings this summer). 

I started hosing him off, and couldn't find any injury.  The bleeding seemed to have slowed, but where had it come from?  Thankfully, it certainly wasn't a bear, or even wild dogs.  I finally realized there was only one tiny little spot - tucked way up under his back legs.  How on earth did he get injured there?

The vet made it out a few hours later, and the bleeding had slowed significantly by then.  Phoenix was awesome - he was so gentle that he didn't have to be sedated.  The vet was able to numb the area and scrub it, then he put in several staples.  It turned out that the injury, small as it was, had nicked an artery - hence all the crazy bleeding.  The vet said in all his years, he had never seen an injury up in that area.  We wondered if he had backed into a stake-sharp stick in the pasture somewhere?  There doesn't seem to be any other suitable explanation.

Phoenix was current on his tetanus, so all he needed was a long acting antibiotic shot and he was good to go.  In a couple of weeks, I'll remove his staples, if they haven't fallen out.  I was relieved it wasn't more serious.

Photo taken at the NC Zoo last month.

 

Speaking of horses, I highly recommend the documentary Wild Horses, Wild Ride.  It is about 100 people who take 100 wild mustangs and have 100 days to train them.  Then they all go compete in Fort Worth.  Afterwards, there is a public auction, and the mustangs all get adopted into new homes.  It was an amazing film - I couldn't believe the things some of the people could do with those horses in just 100 days!  I checked it out of the library system, but I know many of you have Netflicks, and they probably have it as well.

A Few Thoughts

In his old age, Phoenix is starting to get a little swaybacked and bubble-butted.  I don't hold it against him.

Even after three weeks of treatment last summer, he didn't seem to fully recover from the lyme disease.  He's a little stiff most of the time now, in the pasture, particularly in his hind end.  Sometimes I watch him moving (especially if he's trying to do a tight turn), and I feel bad.  I hope he isn't in too much pain. I miss riding him, but I still enjoy visits with him in the field.  He is sound at the walk at least, so sometimes I'll hop on and we'll just hang out, walking slowly around the arena.  This doesn't seem to bother him - indeed, he seems happy and affectionate over the extra attention.  At some point, I may need to put him on a daily painkiller, but these have their damaging side effects (ulcers, etc.) so I'm holding off for now.

In June, I'll be teaching a human development class at a local college.  I'm excited to get back to teaching.  But it's going to be challenging to manage two part time jobs on top of swim lessons and summer camps and all the other things the boys are up to.  My thinking is that if I can survive the summer, then the boys will all be in elementary school next year, and I can do the part time jobs during those hours, which won't be so bad. 

Speaking of school, the twins are now done with preschool.  We had switched preschools mid-year, and it was the right decision, even though I agonized over it at the time.  We were very pleased with the new preschool, and they thrived there.  Pierce's last day of school is Wednesday.  He had a great first grade year, and loved his teacher. 

Hoping it'll be a great summer, for all of us.  Readers, do you have anything fun planned for the summer?

Francie Says

Francie says....

Hey! 

She's all shed out now.

And looking well.  I do believe she's good and healthy.

And the horses down the load are looking much better too, thanks to the help of my readers. 

 

Do you know?  Taking pictures while lunging a horse in circles may cause extreme dizziness.

I don't recommend it.



Francie Goes For Broke

How about an update on Francie, our little rescue horse?  She certainly has come a long way since Thanksgiving.  I'd still like to see her put more weight on, and am hoping that as the grass gets more green with spring she will. 

I have been getting on Francie lately, after her lunging session.  She gets nervous.  All we do is walk around the arena slowly.  I do lots of reassuring.  This picture is from the third time I got on her.  She wasn't having the best day.  It was very windy, and she was all hormonal from her first heat cycle.  She had spazzed out a bit when I first tried to get on.  I backed off, reassured, calmed her down and tried again.  That's my approach to training.  Slow and steady.  There are other methods that are quicker, but this is what I prefer.  As we walked around the arena, I could sense that her every nerve was on edge.  Usually she calms down from my voice, but she didn't so much on this day.  I hoped that the neighbors wouldn't go flying by on motorcycles, as they tend to do sometimes; it wouldn't have had a good outcome.  Fortunately, they didn't.  I kept the lesson short, gave her lots of praise, and hopped down.  You can see me petting her neck in this picture.

I am tall, but even so, you can see how stunted her growth is.  She probably won't grow any more at this point, and will always be pony-sized.  My hopes for Francie are to get her solidly green broke over the summer, and then find a horse-crazy preteen girl in Pony Club or 4-H who would spoil her unconditionally and finish her training.  She has a sweet temperament, and I think she'd bond well with the right person.

Isn't it awesome to see how much she has progressed from the sick and unhandled horse she was last November?

Just a Little Bit

It has been a while since I've updated on Francie, our rescue horse, and a few of you have requested some news.  She is doing very well.  She's healthy.  She's sweet.  She still doesn't like anyone but me, but hopefully over time she'll learn that others can be trusted too. 

I try to work with her on the lunge line twice a week, although the weather doesn't always cooperate.  She is doing well with being saddled.  I bought a rubber dogbone bit which is very gentle, and some clips, and have started clipping it to her halter when I lunge her.  The bit has been harder for her to adjust to than the saddle, but she's gradually learning to accept it.

I also used an Amazon gift card to order her a very special bit for when I start to ride her.  The Happy Mouth bits are expensive, but they are apple flavored with a soft cushion of rubber around them.  My horse friend from high school, Michelle, who has amazing horse skills, recommended this particular bit.  I decided it was worth the investment.  I hope Francie will like it.

Francie has been a quick learner.  She leads well and doesn't pull on me, but walks right by my side.  She listens.  If I tell her whoa on the lunge line, she stops.  She also knows the commands for walk, trot, and canter.  She has learned how to load and unload from the trailer.  It's amazing to me - this little horse that was sick and starving and couldn't even be caught last November has come SO far. 

One thing Francie still need to work on is trust - she doesn't seem to trust anyone but me, and is scared of others.  I have started having Paul lead her some, so that she can learn that others don't mean to harm her.  And if Pierce is around, I hold her while he gently pets her neck.  She cringes if anyone tries to pet her besides me (but adores when I scratch her face and neck for her).  I don't know if someone hurt her or not.  But she's not skittish in other circumstances, so I am inclined to think perhaps so.  This is something I think she can overcome, with time and repeated exposure to kind-hearted people.  Francie is also still reluctant to be caught.  I generally have to have food to catch her.  As long as I have food, though, she is fine. 

I'm thrilled with Francie's progress so far.  In the coming Spring months, I do plan to hop on her back and see where we go from here.  Thanks to those of you who continue to root for her happiness!

A Horse that Won't Eat Treats, plus an Update on the Horses Down the Road

I bought a big bag of horse treats for Francie.  I thought she deserved a little spoiling, after all she'd been through.  Francie sniffed them.  And said no thanks. 

I offered her carrots.  Is there a horse that won't eat carrots?  Yes.  Francie won't eat carrots.  I guess she hasn't really had anyone offer her treats before.  I guess she never had someone who loved her enough to want to pamper her.  Poor Francie.

At least she likes the Equine Senior sweet feed I've been giving her.  No, she's not a senior.  But my childhood friend who knows all about equine nutrition said it was the best I could give her to help her build weight carefully, and my vet agreed.  As for the treats, well, I'll keep trying.  There's bound to be something she would like! 

I have an exciting update on the horses down the road.  Thanks to the donations from readers, I was able to have the vet out last week.  I stressed about having that stud colt gelded, because I was afraid we wouldn't be able to catch him since he hasn't been handled, and there is a huge pond in the mud pit where they reside and I was terrified he'd fall in it while awakening from sedation (sometimes horses will panic).  Even my vet was worried about this, wishing the colt wasn't so wild so that we could do the gelding at our place, which has cleaner, more open space for a surgery.  But things went smoothly, and he is no longer a stud!  Even the weather cooperated, not being as cold or rainy as it had been.  In addition, I had enough donations left over to do rabies vaccines for him and the older horse, as well as a Coggins test.  The vet said that they are looking much "less ribby" since the massive deworming (which was also thanks to your donations, readers).  So know that together, we have made a huge difference for these animals!  Being able to help these horses has been one of my happiest moments, thank you readers for your support.