# Sterling's Growing Up Thread!



## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Wow I can't believe Sterling is already 2 weeks old! Time certainly does fly as it seemed to take forever for him to arrive and now he is already a couple weeks old!  He will be getting hair samples sent in soon as well as a five panel disease test done.


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

He really is adorable. Feisty little thing.

If I had to mention one thing, it's please cap your t-posts. He is going to be bouncing and playing and running around and the last thing you want is a t-post through his chest if he lands against one. ( I know, we all have so much helpful advice ;-) )


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## FrostedLilly (Nov 4, 2012)

Yay! I was waiting for this thread. He is such a cutie. I find it funny that your full-sized grown horse looks to be shying away from him, but it may be out of fear of Colly. 

And yes, if you can bubble wrap as many things as possible, that would be good! We thought we foal-proofed our pasture and my filly still found a way to hurt herself!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

22 days old and my little man is turning into quite the hunk! He is doing really well with leading and basic handling skills. He and mom will even allow a fence between them for a few minutes before they start calling to each other. Also I have a question is it normal for a colt to let themselves out a lot? Sterling tends to let himself hang quite a bit but he can retract himself and has no trouble peeing.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

Yep, common colt behavior lol
Looks like Colly found the burrs as well now


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

yes she did...i can't wait to get everyone all cleaned up this week when I get 3 days off


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

danicelia24 said:


> yes she did...i can't wait to get everyone all cleaned up this week when I get 3 days off


Question is, how well will Sterling stand for the burrs to get removed from his tiny mane and tail? Cowboy magic can help in the removal process by adding oils to the hairs
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

SunnyDraco said:


> Question is, how well will Sterling stand for the burrs to get removed from his tiny mane and tail? Cowboy magic can help in the removal process by adding oils to the hairs
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I have had to do it a couple times and he suprisingly, other than the first time, doesnt mind too much as long as I work them out gently.


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## Mercy98 (Jul 25, 2013)

He is absolutely adorable! your so blessed <3


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Sterling is now 1 month and 20 days old. He weighs in at 211 lbs and is 10.1 hands at the withers. I don't have the money at the moment to send in hair for a color and disease panel as this week everyone needs shots and feet done. But Sterling gets to wait awhile yet before he gets any shots. He has been really super wonderful and I have been giving him just half a handful of mare+foal feed when I feed Colly as he tries stealing her grain anyway. He is also very independent of Colly as she will be grazing in one part of the pasture and Sterling will be all the way on the other side of the pasture with Buttercup and the 2 yr old filly my mom got then gave to me. But when Sterling is being handled he has very good manners he will yield both his hind and forequarters back walk beside pick up all feet stand to be haltered and groomed and will stand tied.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So yesterday Sterling was in his first ever parade and he was absolutely wonderful!!! Both he, his mom and the 7 other horses that were being ridden were all dolled up in red, white, and blue for memorial day. Sterling was a huge hit at the parade especially with all the kids and quite a lot of the parents as well. And after the parade when we went home he and his mom even went swimming for a little bit. I can't believe how fortunate I am that Sterling is turning out so wonderful!


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Wow, he's a parade horse already! I'm glad to see that you are enjoying him. He's a beautiful little colt.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So it has been awhile since last I posted but my internet has been acting really weird. But Sterling has been doing wonderful and is now at 310lbs and 11.1hh. He is almost completely shed out and is such a handsome little man. He was introduced to clippers the other week and did better than some of the seasoned show horses I have known. I do believe I will wean him next month as I am noticing mom is already starting to let him suckle less and less.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

called it!!! i KNEW before he was born he would be a grulla!!! What a handsome lil man!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Wow almost 5 months old! Where ever did the time go? Sterling will be going to my sisters on Sunday to be weaned and when he comes home he will be getting gelded. He is such a people lover and is always the first one to greet you in the pasture and loves giving kisses and just hogging all the attention. Not to mention he is very photogenic.


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## saddlebred99 (Feb 19, 2015)

Oh, my! What a handsome man! He's gonna be quite the looker!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

What a gorgeous colt!


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## HorseLovinLady (Jul 18, 2011)

Adorable!!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted an update of Sterling...I had no computer and so was lost for the last couple of months. However my DH bought me a computer for Christmas but decided to give it to me early and so here we are again! Sterling is the best colt I could have asked for. He will let me walk up and catch him in the pasture which almost none of the other horses do. He will take wormer without much fuss, (He has worms and so I have been rotating wormers every couple of weeks to try and get rid of them so he doesn't look his best at the moment. He just got a dose of Zimectrin Gold yesterday. And I will be putting him on a new diet with a colt mineral supplement as well as a mix of purina strategy and purina growth.), he will back, pivot on the forehand and hindquarters all without a halter and he stands quietly for the vet, farrier, and for clipping. I have not been doing much with him, other than basics, the past couple of months because I don't want to over do anything with him. He is a super sweet boy who I think will grow to be a stellar horse.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

i have been waiting for updates on him!!! he is just perfect!!!


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

He's a cutie for sure. He's going to make a really cool horse.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Sterling is almost a year old and it feels like just yesterday we were all anxiously waiting for Colly to decide to give birth to him. I don't think I could ask for a better colt. He is as sweet as they come and would rather follow me around in the pasture then eat the hay I'm throwing out. On the otherhand even though he is spoiled rotten he is still very respectful around humans and very gentle and easy to handle. He greets me at the fence everyday and when I put them in the barn all I have to do is stand at the doors and call his name and he will come right up to me. He currently weighs about 468 lbs and is 12.1hh at the withers and 12.3-13hh at the rump. I love going out and spending my down time with him as he will stand by me quietly and nuzzle me. Thanks everyone for all the compliments on him as i really do think I got a diamond with him and Colly did a great job giving me such a wonderful colt.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

Love the winter fuzzies! Have you pulled hair and sent in for a color test? I suspect the rich light creamy color showing may be due from having cream and dun, just like his sire. Still a possibility of having agouti as well when looking at the new pictures now that he is no longer in foal coats. There is a reason why his dunskin sire was registered as grullo, the baby coats can look amazingly identical and having cream as well really changes up the dun diluted foal coats 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

No unfortunately I have not had the time but there are some days where he is a silvery color and others where he is this light brown color...I'm hoping when he sheds his winter fuzz i'll have a better idea. I will also hopefully be starting a new job soon so I will be able to have some extra money to be able to do all the testing I want on him...Color and Disease. I do absolutely adore him he is one of the sweetest horses i have ever met. He just constantly wants to be in your pocket (respectfully) and I sat out with him in the pasture and pretty soon he laid down next to me and slept with his head on my lap for about half an hour


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Well I found out why my camera was skewing little man's color...it was set on the super vivid setting (how it got there I do not know) anyway with less than a month to his birthday Sterling's family jewels finally dropped! Yayyy now he can be gelded! Well not yayy for him but yayy for me and my mares. Anywho here are some pics of the soon-to-be gelded little man. Ohhh and I just love his ears as they look like they were dipped in chocolate(pic taken on vivid setting).


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

I guess that means he gets to be separated from all mares (including his mom) starting now until 2 weeks after being snipped LOL


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Yeah that's something he wont like much but at least there are two other geldings to keep him company.


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## Mercy98 (Jul 25, 2013)

He is so stunning!!!!!!!!


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

I want him, just adorable!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Thank you for the compliments! I absolutely adore him.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So Sterling is really growing up and maturing really well I think. He is almost as big as fancy my 3 yr old filly but over the winter he has lost some weight which I am trying to put on him. He was just dewormed and over the winter they had almost 24/7 access to 1100 lb bales of hay. So once he gets that weight back on him I will be quite happy. His mane has also decided to stay all on one side which I am thankful for because both his mom and dad had split manes which are a pain especially when they are thick. Sterling also has a nice thick and glorious mane and tail which his mane is also frosted which I love!!! However, Sterling is stubbornly holding onto his long winter coat whereas his mom is almost completely shed out. There are little dime-quarter size patches that are shed out where I can see his color. There is one spot in particular on his back that is half on his dorsal and half off and his dorsal is black underneath and the bordering color is a rich grayish-blackish-brownish. I tried taking a picture of it with my phones camera but it didnt turn out. Though it kinda looks like this:








So I am excited to see what my little man looks like shed out. Anyway I adore my little man and can't wait to see how he grows, progresses and matures through the next few years.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Well Little man is definitely gaining weight and he is finally starting to shed I brushed him out today and after every stroke I got a brush full of winter hair....He still needs to put on some more weight but I'm happy he is steadily gaining it back.


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## OoLaurenoO (Sep 23, 2014)

We need more pictures!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

My beautiful boy gaining weight and slowly shedding out his winter coat. I love this boy so much. For some reason I cant upload pics? Not sure what thats about but I do have pics for you guys


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

They're fixing bugs with the pics, ugh..

Either way he is adorable! I love Grullo and Dun, which it looks like he can't decide which he is, lol. Either way he's very pretty. I've been helping my friend with her two year old palomino filly, so I can relate to the constant ups and downs!

Can't wait to see more pics. :smile:


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

ok lets see if this works
























































http://www.horseforum.com/members/64034/album/sterling-16353/13094249-1007853999297574-6812450846665871094-n-
116057.jpg


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

danicelia24 said:


> ok let's see if this works


Yes, it worked. How are you getting it to let you post??

I can't put up any pictures, as many people are having a problem doing.

Either way they're all awesome pics. He is a very handsome little guy.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

I added them to an album via horse forum them copy and pasted the URL


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So little man got a Panacur Power Pack today to try and help him out a little more... he is gaining weight nicely but still not much progress on losing his winter coat so I hope this will give him a boost


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

He's turning out gorgeously. I can't to see how he looks when he finally sheds out!

Also have you tried using a curry comb to do it? (That's probably a duh question, so if it is sorry.) I know the few horses I groom that still have their winter coats shed out a lot of it when you curry them.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Yes I have and two different shedding blades plus a couple of baths


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Little man got his second dose of the Panacur Power Pack today so we will see whether that helps him with his winter fuzz. He has a couple more patches along his back that have she out and his face is almost shed out plus along hiss butt and chest is where he has shed out the most but he has a light covering of winter hair still covering it. He only needs a couple more pounds before he is at the weight I want him but he is going through a growth sput right now so his butt his higher than his withers..He also just got his feet trimmed Friday and he did wonderful he only acted up once and even then it wasn't anything too bad just a little uncooperative. Also when is a good age to ask for a confo critique? I was curious how he is turning out but I am a bit too biased to do it myself.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

As for conformation, the best time to judge a young horse is at 3 years old. Anything before then is going to show angles but not proportions or the height difference between withers/rump. The yearling year is very awkward, two year olds are slowly coming into themselves and the three year olds are usually starting to bloom (there are some late bloomers or trainwrecks that won't be blooming at 3 years old)


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

ok thanks @SunnyDraco! And I kinda figured when they are constantly in growth spurts or stops isn't the best time cause you have no idea whether they will stay that way or grow out of it.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Sterling is starting to get serious with shedding! Finally!!


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## OoLaurenoO (Sep 23, 2014)

He is an absolute stunner!! Look at that summer coat. Can't wait to see him all shed out!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

He is almost shed out except on his neck and barrel. So I definitely think he will a grulla. He is over 500 lbs so I am happy with his weight finally. Tonight Sterling decided to get himself trapped in some farm equipment but he was so patient while I helped blindfold and get him out of it. Thankfully he was not hurt and all he got was some grease along his side


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Well he's looking amazing. I definitely agree he looks like a Grullo.


I'm glad he didn't freak out when he got himself stuck. Congrats for you and him on handling it! 


I love him now without his winter fuzz. I think it makes them look so odd, lol.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

He's looking really good and starting to fit his name


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

ok here are pictures for you guys of Sterling all shed out and looking so handsome! He is really filling out and looking more like a horse that when I look at him I can completely imagine what he will look like fully mature (and I may be bias but I think he will be stunning!!!). Also in the pictures where he is in the barn the odd spot on his shoulder is wet hair from fly spray but in the outside pictures he does have a bite mark on his rib area where he annoyed the older horses a little too much.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

What a cutie he is! Thanks for sharing! <3<3


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## 3Horses2DogsandaCat (Apr 19, 2016)

He looks great! What an adorable face!


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Looking awesome! Such a cutie, can't wait for more updates in the future. <3


PS: You're right, he's definitely growing into his name


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## SummerAwaits (May 18, 2013)

Definitely feisty!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Sterling is just growing up so fast! I love watching him grow and mature but at the same time it is bittersweet because he is my "little man" but pretty soon he wont be so little anymore. He is around 500-600 lbs but I will have to weigh him again because he is a big boy!!! He is also super smart, I taught him to lay down in a day, wasnt my intention, was trying to teach him to bow so in the future it will be easier to mount bareback, he however decided to just flop over on his side. He also went with us on a trail ride, him being ponied behind his mom. He has also learned to take a little weight as well...he let my sister sit on his back for a couple seconds while we were desensitizing him. He has enough bone and a good mentality that I think he should be ok with lightly getting him broke in the spring. I cant wait to see how he turns out and continues to grow.

ETA: For instance on how big he is the bay is 15.2 and 779lbs.


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

HE IS SO STINKIN CUTE!! How tall do you think he'll be when he's done growing?


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Gorgeous boy! He's turning into a serious stunner!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

He string tested at 15.2. And thank you for the compliments I couldnt be happier with him!


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

danicelia24 said:


> He string tested at 15.2. And thank you for the compliments I couldnt be happier with him!


He's gonna be a big boy!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

He will be bigger than both his parents if he reaches the string test height! his momma is 14.1 and dad is 15.1


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

Sounds like my Cowboy! His mom is 15.1 and his dad is 14.3. We think he may end up around 16-16.1h! He's currently almost 13h at 3 months.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Wow Sterling is 13.3 at the shoulder and just over 14 at the hip....at least he was last time I measured him.


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

How exactly do you do the string test?


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

I measured him from the middle of his knee to his coronary band.


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

Okay thanks!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

an edited picture someone did of Sterling for me!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

I just cant get over how much I love this colt!....he is also extremely but high which makes me giggle! He is also being gelded on the 7th so he won't be happy with me. But it needs to be done. Anywho, I also had a heck of a time yesterday grooming sterling as he decided his tail needed to be full of burdocks. After I got them all out though his tail looked sooo pretty!!!


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Oh gosh, that's a lot of burrs! 

I have had to pick a few out of Cherokee's mane and tail, but nothing like that!


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

He's so chubby it's adorable! <3


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

daystar88 said:


> He's so chubby it's adorable! <3


I know!!! He is built like a tank! He hasn't even got his yearling uglies cause even though he shoots up in height his weight does too so he doesnt look gangly.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Ahhh so many burrs! Aren't they such a pain? Aww he must've felt so good and happy when you got them all out! 
He's so cute!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

AHHHHH!!!! Sterling had his first ride today!!! All we did was walk for like 5 mins but OMG!!!!! He is such a good and willing little colt I love love love this colt!!


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

You're riding him already? I know you said like 5 minutes walking but I'm still surprised. 

I guess he is a big boy though, looks good for it being his first ride. He seemed confused about the whole idea at first, lol.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Yay! Very exciting!


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

At 1 1/2 years old, there is not a good enough reason to ride even if it is for 5 minutes. Not only has his knees not closed, but many essential future load bearing joints and his spine are far from ready. The horses that are started young like this are commonly futurity horses getting ready for huge money winning shows in the spring or are going to be racing as a 2 year old. In both cases, they are bred to be born as close to January 1st as possible so they are as old as possible before riding in the late fall of their yearling year (1 1/2 years old, almost 2 years old). Even with that, many of those youngsters break down (physically and/or mentally) during training or when they should still be in their prime. Too much too soon, not allowed the luxury of just growing up and getting strong joints before being put to carry extra loads (people). 

I am glad that you love him, but this is still his time to grow and develop. Ground work, while tedious and boring after a while, is the foundation for all future training. He didn't understand the cue to reverse, he was confused and trying since it was never something taught to him. There is so much he can learn from groundwork that will make him an even better riding horse when his body/joints are actually ready for that step. Ground driving will teach the foundation for the basics, moving forward, stopping, backing, turning. Start small, teach him one principle at a time and build his confidence on that cue so he locks it away. Step by step, day by day, week by week, month by month. There is no rush to ride, you have a solid year (more so if you want his joints fully closed) before he should be ready for carrying passengers and actually understand small cues that don't require excessive kicking or pulling his nose around. 

Just my word of advice ;-)

Because if you are already justifying a 5 minute ride, it is really easy to increase that amount bit by bit and before you know it, he has arthritis at the age of 4 because at some point 5 minutes turned into a hard riding 2 hours before he is 2 years old. 

Sorry for the novel, I was just shocked that you are already riding him even if it was for just 5 minutes. I even had to go back to the first post just to verify his age because I didn't think he was old enough. Yes he has sturdy stocky legs, no that doesn't mean the joints are fully formed/hardened. His hips, chest and back still look underdeveloped because they are, he is still a growing baby


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

SunnyDraco said:


> At 1 1/2 years old, there is not a good enough reason to ride even if it is for 5 minutes. Not only has his knees not closed, but many essential future load bearing joints and his spine are far from ready. The horses that are started young like this are commonly futurity horses getting ready for huge money winning shows in the spring or are going to be racing as a 2 year old. In both cases, they are bred to be born as close to January 1st as possible so they are as old as possible before riding in the late fall of their yearling year (1 1/2 years old, almost 2 years old). Even with that, many of those youngsters break down (physically and/or mentally) during training or when they should still be in their prime. Too much too soon, not allowed the luxury of just growing up and getting strong joints before being put to carry extra loads (people).
> 
> I am glad that you love him, but this is still his time to grow and develop. Ground work, while tedious and boring after a while, is the foundation for all future training. He didn't understand the cue to reverse, he was confused and trying since it was never something taught to him. There is so much he can learn from groundwork that will make him an even better riding horse when his body/joints are actually ready for that step. Ground driving will teach the foundation for the basics, moving forward, stopping, backing, turning. Start small, teach him one principle at a time and build his confidence on that cue so he locks it away. Step by step, day by day, week by week, month by month. There is no rush to ride, you have a solid year (more so if you want his joints fully closed) before he should be ready for carrying passengers and actually understand small cues that don't require excessive kicking or pulling his nose around.
> 
> ...


I have a training plan set up for him which doesnt have me really working with him under-saddle until he is a late 3 year old-early 4 year old. I do love him which is why he is not worked on a daily or even a weekly basis. Every once in awhile I will pull him out and work with him but as it stands for the most part I just let him be a horse.


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

Sterling is adorable and you've done a good job with him so far, but I can't condone or get excited about anyone sitting on a yearling. Never mind riding them, even if it's for 5 minutes. I do like his winter woolies.


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## peppersonlygirl (Jan 21, 2014)

He is so cute. So is he grullo or Dun??


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

peppersonlygirl said:


> He is so cute. So is he grullo or Dun??


I think he is smoky grullo which would explain his more golden body color as the cream dilution tends to do when on grullos but he has not been tested for cream by the OP yet. His sire is a dun buckskin (AKA dunskin -varified through coat color testing) and his dam is black.


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

OMG!! I remember when the gorgeous colt was BORN!! Haven't kept up with this thread but now he's had his first ride. Time sure does fly!


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

I'm actually quite surprised as to how well he did! But riding before they turn 2 is definitely something you should avoid. We had a horse who was broken before he turned 2 and was permanently damaged. He was constantly in pain whenever anyone put anything heavier than a blanket.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Here are some pictures from day 2 of ground driving Sterling. And I will repeat it once again he wont be ridden again until late 2017/ early 2018. With the videos I apologize for them turning sideways my sister took them with her phone.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

He looked good! I want to ask because I'm almost completely stupid on the concept of ground driving. Are those reins shorter than they should be or is that about right? To me it seems like it would be difficult to get release with them so short. 

I am not questioning you, I am genuinely curious. Either way, like I said, he looks great!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 said:


> He looked good! I want to ask because I'm almost completely stupid on the concept of ground driving. Are those reins shorter than they should be or is that about right? To me it seems like it would be difficult to get release with them so short.
> 
> I am not questioning you, I am genuinely curious. Either way, like I said, he looks great!


Yes they are too short I normally like to use lunge lines. But one of my other horses broke the chains to my lunge lines so I was working with what I had. I plan on getting some driving reins this month in which I will put them on my bosal and tie the bosal's reins around his neck. However, for his second day of ground driving and only working with him for about 10 mins I think he did great.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Oh okay. Thanks for the info! 

Like I said I agree he did really well. Thanks for sharing the video with us.


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## EliRose (Aug 12, 2012)

I wouldn't be putting my butt anywhere near that horse. Especially not bareback, which does not spread out the load.

He still looks very, VERY immature.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

@EliRose He wont be rode again until he is a late 2 year old or early 3 year old.


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## timonlionking (Sep 28, 2015)

I think she has been adequately warned.

She has said many times she's not going to ride again until he's 3, so I don't know why everyone keep ragging on her.

And for that matter, it's her horse. 

Danicelia, Sterling is super cute and I can tell you love him!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

*Sterling is a gelding!*

So yesterday Sterling had an appointment to be gelded. I got off work at 2:30 and his appointment was at 3. I work 30-35 mins away from home. So I called my DH to bring Sterling and Kwincey in so I could just quick tack up and be on my way. Well I got home after not being able to leave work till 2:40 rushed into the house to change and ran out into the barn. To my avail only Sterling was in the barn. So now I had to go out and catch Kwincey who is, of course, covered head to toe in mud. After grooming and tacking him up faster than I ever had before I mount up and head out the door with Sterling in tow. Ohhh did I mention it was 35F with freezing rain? So we start on the mile ride to where Sterling will be gelded, and who decides to be a butthead and wants to forget how to walk properly. Yep....Sterling. So now it is freezing I am trying to keep Kwincey from running off while also trying to get Sterling to keep up. Then a school bus comes up behind us. Of course Sterling has no idea what this huge yellow monstrosity is that is coming towards him. What his first instinct? Lets jump into Kwinceys butt. Thankfully, Kwincey didn't spook or do any nonsense and we continued down the road the last quarter of a mile with no issues. However, when we got to the driveway, the terrible horse eating plastic was blowing in the freezing cold wind and Sterling was not having any of it. So now we were walking through the guys yard in an attempt to avoid the horse eating plastic. we finally get to the barn where as I was dismounting Sterling decided to ram Kwincey in the butt...again. So I made the least graceful dismount in history. We get Sterling inside and get him tied up and Kwincey starts having a fit because he is tied outside. So to prevent any mayhap I bring Kwincey inside. Now Sterling is getting is sedation. He actually did quite well until we started walking him towards the stocks when what does he do? Yup hits Kwincey in the butt again. We get him to the stocks and suddenly Sterling has forgotten how to step-up onto something. We finally manage to get him into the stacks where he promptly falls asleep(not really but he was pretty drugged up). The procedure takes all of 10-15 mins and we are undoing Sterling from the stocks. Where now he forgets how to back up and almost ends up in a sitting postion before he is completely out of it. We check the blood flow and make sure the sedation wears off a bit before starting the journey back home. While standing in the doorway Sterling's butt is literally being pushed back and forth by the wind and he could care less. Finally after about 15-20 mins we can tell the sedation is wearing off a bit and the incision has almost completely clotted with the occasional little drizzle. So we head outside for me to mount up to make the trip back home. Thankfully the trip was very uneventful and we got home with no problems. I got Kwincey untacked and let him out in the pasture and got Sterling settled into his stall for the night. I checked on him around midnight and he was happily munching on his hay even though he was still a little drowsy. The incision looked good with only the occasional drop or two of blood. This morning it still looked good but I could tell he had laid down cause it looked like the incision had opened up a bit more and there was some blood on the inside of Sterling's leg. So I let him out into the pasture where everyone was waiting to see and smell him. He could have cared less about anybody other than his mom. So now my beautiful colt is a beautiful gelding!


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Yay for that being over with! It looks good. Sounds like the ride there was a bit miserable, but it always seems that way when we get in a hurry right? Kids and horses can just sense our I'm running late anxiety and make it worse. Lol


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Wow guys I didn't realize how long it's been since I've updated you on Sterling! I'll start off where I left off with him being gelded. Sterling had been doing really good and then on day 4 of being a gelding his sheath area swelled so much that my husband said his jewels were back. So of course I kinda freak and I was worried about cold hosing him because it is already freezing out and with such a sensitive area I dont want to make it worse. So onto google we go to see if it was normal. Yayy for me it is completely normal for them to get swollen after being gelded! After reading some articles that exercising them a bit each day will help bring down the swelling I did that and surprise surprise the swelling went down tremendously. So now Sterling is doing wonderful and is taking the winter off to grow and mature some before we start working a bit more in the spring to prepare him for riding. Ohhhh and I just got a new camera as well so I will be able to take lots of nice pictures of my little man. Speaking of which here are some for you guys.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Looks great and I'm glad everything worked out well with the gelding. Thanks for the update!


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

He's so cute!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Here are some more pics for you guys! And I am putting a couple pics(and I know they aren't the best quality ) of Sterling and Colly standing side by side just to show you how big he is. Which, for those that forgot or didn't know, Colly(Sterling's dam) is 14.1 and a half.


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

Aww! He's getting so big! How tall do you think he'll be when he's done growing?


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

He string tested to 15.2


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

He's already a big boy! I didn't see his mom before I don't think. She's very pretty.


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

danicelia24 said:


> He string tested to 15.2


How tall was his dad?


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

his dad was 15.1. And thank you Blindhorse! She is the first horse I had ever bought and owned myself and I love her.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

danicelia24 said:


> his dad was 15.1. And thank you Blindhorse! She is the first horse I had ever bought and owned myself and I love her.


So cute! 

Has she got a thick winter coat? Looks really fluffy compared to the pictures in your barn. I love Mustangs.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

She becomes a woolly mammoth in winter! And she is also the first one to lose her winter coat in the spring...and it seems Sterling is taking after her in that respect.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

My little man is not to thrilled about the weather lately and he was pretty upset of the death of Saga. He still wont walk in the barn and if I do manage to get him in there he starts shaking. He was there in the barn before she passed to offer her comfort but he didnt want to stay in there. He is such an amazing horse and so sensitive to the things that happen around him. He will be an amazing riding partner in the years to come.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Sterling has gotten so beefy and I absolutely love it! He is really starting to look like a horse. He is about 14hh even right now and the other day my sister and I decided to see how he would react to ropes being thrown around him and he did great and barely moved even when they would hit him.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

He is filling out so nicely. I also have lost any doubts whether or not he is a combination of dun and cream. He has both dilutions, making him nicely golden colored


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Thank you @SunnyDraco! I have another grulla now and with Sterling being a couple shades lighter I think the same thing! Though I really want to come up with the extra money to test him one of these days!


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

danicelia24 said:


> Thank you @SunnyDraco! I have another grulla now and with Sterling being a couple shades lighter I think the same thing! Though I really want to come up with the extra money to test him one of these days!


It is his overall golden color that gets me saying that he is smoky grullo vs sunburnt/faded grullo. Just grullo should be more steely gray appearing with maybe some brown undertones from fading/sunburn.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

You mean more like this? On the right is Sterling and on the left is Trigger who in summer is a typical grulla.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Ooooh my gosh he is SO cute!!!! :smile: I love his face. He looks so kind!! Awwwwww.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

danicelia24 said:


> You mean more like this? On the right is Sterling and on the left is Trigger who in summer is a typical grulla.


Actually I think you found another smoky grullo. Most smoky grullos are registered and identified as grullo. Another forum member has/had a stallion that they always called grullo (about the same color as both of yours) and produced a cream dilute foal with a noncream mare.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

I might have to color test them both then  this was the paint as a yearling and in his summer coat as a 5-year-old. He was reg. as a buckskin as a baby. So what do you think @SunnyDraco?


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

danicelia24 said:


> I might have to color test them both then  this was the paint as a yearling and in his summer coat as a 5-year-old. He was reg. as a buckskin as a baby. So what do you think @SunnyDraco?


It is very likely. Just testing for cream is pretty cheap, shouldn't be hard to save for and let us know the results when you do test


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Thought you guys might want a quick update on Sterling! He has definitely shed out into a beautiful grulla color and he has grown into a very nice young gelding. I have just been letting him live a carefree life out in the pasture while he grows and matures. The last time I weighed him he weighed 639 lbs. I can't remember what his height was at the moment but unless he has a growth spurt he is right about his moms size. She is 14.1 for refrence.


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

Pretty boy! He really has grown up! How old is he now, 2ish? It doesn't feel like he should be that old yet, but he is so grown up looking. 

So you are actually able to truly weigh him, or with a tape? 
I ask only because my mare is 14.1 and while shaped differently than him, has about the same or a bit less thickness than he does, and we always guess/tape her to be 900-1000. Crazy to think they could be that different, so maybe I am off quite a bit.... lol


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

well tapping odie he came to 1087lbs while my arab negra (who is 15hh to odies 16.1hh) comes in at 1076. and rocket who is 16.3hh is 1200 even when he needs weight on him. and our 14hh little bower house is 1018lbs. so its not always the hight of the horse but the build and bone density.

in other news i DEMAND to see more pics of sterling!!! he is the most handsome horse!

photo order, negra, odie, notty and rocket


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

@KigerQueen i will have to take more today!


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