# Introducing Windy Dean, a.k.a. Rebel!



## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Ok, so I know he's not a BABY baby, but my husband and I just acquired a 7-month old AQHA colt. AND I have "new mommy syndrome," so I apologize for the very long description and many pictures that will likely follow. 

The poor baby had been posted on our local Craigslist for a long time and I watched his price drop every week... Once it hit $100, something in me snapped and I knew we had to go check on this horse. My instincts were correct, and the lady who owned him hadn't taken care of him at all. In his first 6 months, she literally did not touch him... Just let him and mom sit out on a pasture. When she decided she wanted to sell him, she brought them in and halter/lead trained him (to a point). She did not worry about desensitizing him to anything else. His hooves were WAY too long, as they had never been handled, let alone trimmed. He had a hay belly and his ribs were showing... I knew we had to get him out of that situation. 

So we brought him home on the 21st. Hubby has worked with his desensitizing every day since we got him and the difference in his mannerisms is amazing for only having been here for 9 days. Now, he is comfortable with being touched/rubbed all over, loves to be groomed, and allows his front feet to be picked up. The back feet are the next project. Since he is not yet comfortable with his backs, we will be giving him a mild sedative for his first trimming this Sunday. 

We had him gelded yesterday, and he is bouncing back very well. Has shown no pain and very little soreness. So far, there has been almost no swelling.

What really impresses me about Rebel is his personality and character. He is so smart and curious! I can't believe how quickly he learns and how willing to please he is. I have a feeling we have gotten ourselves a great little horse. Anyway, here are pics of the day we purchased him:


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Pic #1 is from the day we brought him home, while he was getting comfy in his stall.

Pic #2 and 3 are from about 5 hours after his geld yesterday.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

He is darling! Love love love his bright sorrel color! What are his bloodlines? I think when you get him filled out and and cleaned up he is going to be precious. Can't wait to hear more about him.


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

He is registered (papers in the mail) AQHA. And I mistyped his registered name! It's actually "Windy Boy." Windy Dean is his daddy!

Sire: WW Windy Dean Ww Windy Dean Quarter Horse

Dam: Salutes B Girl (couldn't find her on allbreed, but I have her registration number on hand in some paperwork. I'm told she has "Skip It Bar" on her papers, but that's all I know on her right now.)


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

AND here are some pics from today that hubby took while he was working with him and trying on his new halter. We had bought him a "weanling" size when we first decided to get him. It was too small... Went a size up to "yearling," and as you can see, it's awfully big. But it works when you use the tightest slot... I guess he'll grow into it soon enough. Lol!

P.S. I am simply in love with his little snip!


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

I saw that in the pictures and I think his snip is too cute!!!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

They are going to be real sorry they let him go for so cheap. He'll be a lovely QH, looks pretty typey.


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Thank you, tinyliny! I'm not a great judge of confo, but even to my lesser trained eyes, he looks very solid. I was told his daddy's bloodline is made up of Ranch Performance horses, and the previous owner had bought his mom based on her bloodlines to use as a broodmare for breeding barrel racers. She said the only reason she didn't want this colt was that he didn't have barrel racers on his top end. I don't understand that logic, as I've seen/heard of lots of barrel racers who only had speed on one side of the papers. But to each his own, I guess.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

I think his head is cute as can be and he seems to have a typical QH butt - I love a big QH butt!!! Biscuit has a nice bum and I think this boy will too!


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Yeah, his big beautiful bum is one of the first things that got my attention. Love a horse with a good "engine!"


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## clairegillies (Nov 25, 2012)

he's lovely!! in a way its a good thing his breeder never touched him, that means she can't have 'dont it wrong' and made him badly behaved.

look forward to hearing his progress report.

Claire


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## HorseLovinLady (Jul 18, 2011)

He's cute!!


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

Considering his history, he looks pretty good. Not starved, not abused. You have a fairly clean slate to work with as you bring him into usefullness. Hope you get he papers on him & that the training goes forward easily.


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

That little snip looks soooo kissable. 

Congratulations on your new family member and looking forward to seeing his progress!


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## Inga (Sep 11, 2012)

I think he is just adorable. I too would be smooching on that little snip every day. It just calls out to you and nothing sweeter then a soft little horsey nose. ha ha Can't wait to see him grow up a bit. He is a lovely boy. Long wait to do anything riding wise but... lot of ground work to be done. He is a great age to get busy with all that fun stuff. He didn't look too worse for wear after his gelding. Looks to be a pretty brave, sensible boy. Good for you on your wonderful find.


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## Cait (Nov 25, 2012)

He certainly is a cute little guy! I also like the looks of him.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

what a steal! I demand more pictures as he grows up. Thats going to be one fine looking gelding.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

Wow, you certainly got a heck of a deal. He is one fine looking colt.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

We got to go play with Rebel today. He's still doing well, but is a bit swollen from the gelding. Vet said to expect swelling around the 3rd day, and here it is, right on schedule! If he hasn't gone down by tomorrow night, I'm gonna call the vet and see what we can do for him. He doesn't seem to be too stiff or sore however, so I'm not terribly worried. 

Caly still hasn't taken a liking to him. Starting to wonder if she'll ever like him. I kept trying to get a picture of her pinning her ears at him for another thread on here about cranky mares, but every time she heard the camera flash, she perked them up! Persistence prevailed, though, and I got a good "mare glare" from her. *sigh*

We groomed Rebel, worked on more desensitizing in general, and starting working on walking over obstacles. He wasn't a fan of it at first, but after a while hubby and I both got him to walk over the pole a handful of times without hesitation. Yay! Very proud of the progress he's making, even though it's "baby steps." He is only a baby, after all! 

Tomorrow is his first hoof trim, and we're going to try to trim his fronts without mild sedation first. If he proves to be a handful, we'll give him the sedative and then finish him out. Keeping my fingers crossed that he behaves like the good boy I know he can be. Will be taking before and after pics of his poor little hooves. I know he'll be much more comfortable after they're trimmed.


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## Kayella (Feb 11, 2012)

Trust me, you will be thankful for his head!! My 7 month old boy is PaintxQH and is still wearing a weanling halter on the tightest notch :/

ETA: He is freaking adorable!! Heck of a deal for 100 bucks


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## clairegillies (Nov 25, 2012)

lovely. I am sure they will get on fine given time. 

Claire


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

WAHOO!!!! Got Rebel's registration papers in the mail today! The previous owner's first choice of registered name was taken, so he is now officially Salutes B Windy! I like it. An AQH with registration papers for $100? This deal keeps getting sweeter. 

On Sunday, Rebel did wonderfully with his first hoof trim. We decided to go ahead and try to do it without sedating him to see how he would take it... He wasn't particularly thrilled with the process, but he didn't fight it at all and now has comfy feet! I forgot to bring my camera to take before and after pics of those feet, though. 

Here are some of the latest pics... Working on more desensitizing, mostly (seems we can't get enough of that!). I'm also working on teaching him that humans have a "bubble of space" around them that he's not allowed to enter into unless invited... He's such a sweetie that he tries to cuddle all the time! Which is cute now, but will NOT be tolerated when he's twice the size he is now. Hence, teaching him respect for a human's space NOW, when it's easier. He's doing ok, but I think that lesson could take him longer than some of the others. 

His gelding continues to heal smoothly, and he's putting on some weight. Now that he's used to grooming, his little fluffy coat is getting shinier too! Sorry about bad picture quality, I have yet to remember to take the actual camera out there. Pics are taken from my phone, and our indoor arena has been very dusty lately (don't know why barn manager hasn't hosed it down recently...). But cruddy pics are better than no pics!


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## clairegillies (Nov 25, 2012)

he's looking good. lucky you having an indoor space to play in, could do with one here.

Claire


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Yeah, the indoor is a lifesaver, since I don't get off work until after dark in the winter. It's the only way I get to work with him during the week


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Today is the first day of Rebel's pasture life! We let him out with the other horses after walking the entire fenceline with him so he knows where his boundaries are. I was impressed with how he did with the other horses... They're not always the most welcoming, but he let them know that he knew he wasn't the boss and they mostly left him alone. A threaten to kick or bite here or there, but I don't think anybody actually went after him. 

Here's a video of us letting him out... I was a little surprised that he didn't take off like a little red bullet. He LOVES to run, and when I put Caly out for the first time, the whole herd took off like a bunch of wild mustangs. So even though it was kinda anti-climactic, I'm going to post it anyway. 

P.S. Nito, the gelding with the flaxen mane, is clearly underweight. His owner, my barn manager, just purchased him and is giving him grain and hay separately, along with a weight builder. Just want to make sure any concerned viewers understand the situation.  

P.P.S. Please excuse my yucky sounding voice and sniffles... I have a pretty nasty cold. 

P.P.P.S. Isn't Caly a clown? I was trying soooo hard not to shake the camera because I was laughing when she tried to eat it. Silly mare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sd3d81Tr7k


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## clairegillies (Nov 25, 2012)

they will sort out who is the boss of who given time, wasn't Rebel sweet with his little 'i'm a baby' mouthing he did, they seem like a nice here and Caly is lovely.

Claire


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Thank you! I am so biased by my relationship with her that I sometimes wonder if she's not as fabulous as I always think she is. I think that might be the case with a lot of horse owners. :smile:


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

WHEW, it's been a crazy couple of days. Since we let Rebel onto the pasture, the weather has been HORRIBLE, with actual temperatures in the teens fahrenheit, and "feels like" temperatures reaching as low as -10! And, just to make life more difficult, Rebel has decided he doesn't need to be caught. Ever. Hubby has tried and failed at least once a day to catch him since we put him out there. Hubby has never dealt with this problem and has now accidentally allowed Rebel to think escaping capture is a game. So, in this below freezing weather, hubby and I will begin spending time out in the pasture with a couple handfuls of grain to get Rebel used to the idea that leaving the pasture is a good thing. 
I had relative success today when I went out and intentionally didn't catch him... I had him following me all over the field, except RIGHT in front of the gate. So we have made the first baby step in the right direction. *sigh* 
This big "roadblock" in our progress has been very discouraging for me especially, as I know what to do to move Rebel's progress forward, but I have a hard time explaining that to the lesser experienced hubby. He's good with horses, but he's never dealt with difficult or untrained ones. And I work so much that I can't help except on weekends. 
I know that in the early training of younger horses especially, these hitches in progress are to be expected. I'm just relatively impatient, I guess. Maybe Rebel will be teaching me patience while I teach him to be a good boy! :smile:


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## enzoleya (May 12, 2007)

He's very cute!


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## Tayz (Jan 24, 2009)

so cute!!! you got a great buy there!!


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Thank you! Even though he's driving me crazy currently, I'm still pretty thrilled with him. I think he'll end up being a really great horse.


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

I'm FINALLY posting an update... It's been a crazy couple of months. 
Hubby and I are moving to Arkansas next week, so we're working on packing up our apartment and our ponies and our cats to make the move. Whew! Lots of work and lots of stress. But there's a sweet little house and a beautiful 10 acre pasture awaiting us, where my horses can live on my own property. This is a dream come true for us, but doesn't come without a lot of work. 

The "coming in from pasture" roadblock was a short-lived one, thank goodness. He now happily comes over to the gate at dinnertime every day!

Here's a super short little clip of Rebel being his adorable self. He's one of the most gentle, intelligent babies I've ever seen. He picks up on training sooo fast! He walks and trots nicely in hand, picks up all four feet, yields hindquarters and forequarters both directions, lowers head on command, and clearly gives kisses on command.  He is so much fun. He is very used to having his hooves trimmed now, and allows us to open his mouth and check out his sweet little baby teeth. Any ideas on what else we could teach him? I refuse to start his lunging until his joints can take the circular motion without doing damage.


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Some new pics of the little man... His growth had me worried for a while, as he stayed basically the same height through the winter. Is that normal for babies? Anyway, we moved to Arkansas about 6 weeks ago, and since then he's been noticeably filling out and getting a bit taller. He string tested to 16 hh, but I THINK (haven't actually measured since mid-December) he's just now hitting 13 hh. Seems like he has a bit of catching up to do? Maybe I did the string test incorrectly... I'll have to check all my methods and try again. 

He has been doing well with his training, and is really coming into his personality. He LOVES people, but can get a bit pushy. I think HE's realizing he's getting bigger too! So we're doing a lot of re-working the basics, i.e. personal space, de-sensitizing, hoof handling, yielding hindquarters, etc... He is such an amazing little man-- He takes every new experience in stride! We have tried so hard to find something new that he will react to so we can get him thoroughly used to it... He doesn't mind ANYTHING!!! "Walk over a log? Ok. Go through a puddle of water? I'll play in it! Rub me down with a plastic bag? I'll try to eat it. Fly spray for the first time? Psh. No problem." He is so unbelievably inquisitive and smart! 

He'll be a year old on May 15. Will be taking "official" yearling photos at that point. He still looks pretty shaggy in these pics... Nebraska was an absolute frozen ice land when we left, and Arkansas can't decide which season it is, so the ponies have held onto their fuzzy jackets a bit longer than usual this year. They are starting to shed out finally, though! 

Pretty soon, Ryan plans to take him on his first trip out on the trail... He'll be leading him, of course! After he gets used to that (so after the first time! :lol, I'll start ponying him from Caly on our rides so he gets used to the idea of a person being above him. We'll also start lunge training him in approx. July. We will have settled into our house and hopefully have a round pen up by then! Let me know what you guys think... Any suggestions on raising the little man up right would be appreciated! Thanks!


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## Country Woman (Dec 14, 2011)

He is cute 
good luck with Rebel


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Thank you! :smile:


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

What an exciting day... 

Rebel managed to find a way out of his pasture today. Not sure how that happened. Weather has been awful, and we are going to walk the perimeter tomorrow and see what we find. Until then, Rebel is hanging out in the smaller, more solidly fenced enclosure beside the pasture!

This little adventure did not come without its downsides for the silly boy... He has a triangular-shaped gash in his left front knee and wire scrapes on his chest. I LOATHE BARBED WIRE!!!!! Very glad that this is just a temporary boarding pasture for the horses. We should be into our house in just the next few weeks, and then NO MORE BARBED WIRE!!!!! (We are boarding with a friend until we can get into our 10-acre property... Set to close May 15! This current pasture's fence is only partial barbed wire, but it SO doesn't agree with horses!)

This debacle occurred this morning, while I was at work and could do absolutely nothing about it. The neighbor called my father-in-law to say, "your littlest horse is out." He tried to call my cell and leave a message, but it apparently didn't work out, as I have yet to receive a "missed call" or "new voicemail" notification. So when hubby got off work, a FEW HOURS later, dad-in-law asked him if I had gotten Rebel back into the pasture. Hubby's reaction: "Umm, what?!?" So, they quickly made their way to the pasture and found the little man hanging out in a neighbor's yard, looking a bit befuddled at his predicament. Vet came out and put two stitches into his knee injury. He said everything was surprisingly clean and it should heal up with no problems and very quickly. THANK GOODNESS. He gave him a tetanus booster, penicillin, and we are giving bute and antibiotics for the next week. After that, we should be peachy keen. 

UGH. Silly horses. And I was just thinking about how lucky we were with our healthy, easy-to-maintain pets. Lol! That's what I get for thinking that, I guess!


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## clairegillies (Nov 25, 2012)

oh, what a fright, that should heal up ok. hope you get into your new pastures soon.

Claire


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## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Almost a week later, Rebel is on the mend. All the scratches have pretty much healed up, but his knee still looks pretty nasty... It is healing, just much more slowly than everything else. He hasn't been limping on it at all though, so I'm taking that as a good sign. We had a little escape artist join our two for the last few days in our pasture... Apparently, this was the week for horsey runaways. Hubby got a call on his phone again on Monday-- it was our boarding manager, saying a neighbor called and said our little horse had gotten out again and that he'd put him back for us. Hubby was very unpleasantly surprised, as we had walked the fenceline, found and repaired the spot where Rebel had gotten out before. He hurried back out to the pasture to see what had happened... Only to be greeted by 3 horses instead of 2! Not quite sure how they mistook a tiny mini paint mare for our yearling quarter horse gelding, but oh well. Everyone is safe and sound, and we found the mini's owner. She will be picking her up ASAP. In the meantime, Rebel is enjoying his new pasture mate! 

P.S. At the end of the video, Rebel found a hole. Lol. Not a big one and he's fine, just tripped him up a little. :smile:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgcvfW6QATE


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## clairegillies (Nov 25, 2012)

aww, that's a cutie...


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## Casey02 (Sep 20, 2011)

I have enjoyed reading this thread. Rebel is absolutely precious! I cant wait for more updates and pictures!


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