# Rosie's Journal



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

She is fabulous! Looking forward to hearing about her progress <3


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

I am of no help on the britchin's, just wanted to comment on how cute she is and ask what kind of saddle that is. I don't think I have ever seen one like that before.


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

It's a 1904 McClellan cavalry saddle.
Its' leather has been recovered and lots of d rings attached a long time a go...I got it on ebay. I have had it for over a year, it is just about as plain and simple a saddle as I could hope for...and pretty comfy for me. I even found an old cavalry manual that has all the info on military style riding and training.
It is narrow and fits Rosie's back well.


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

I wondered on cavalry, but with the blanket and britchin's couldn't quite tell... Was it common for cavalry saddles to have britchin's? I always wanted one for my mare, as she would look so cute in it.  I know bad reason!


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

I think that the military only used cruppers with the saddles for mules, I could be wrong. I wanted the britchen for her..I may still buy a crupper at a later date. I still have to fix up my breast strap for her....all the horse stuff is made for big round horsey shapes.


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

We didn't do much today...I helped the BO fix water hoses and fed the horses and rabbits, I took a break and ate an apple. I then went and called rosie in from the back pasture into her pen for the apple core ( in her bucket...very mouthy about treats).
She came right on in. After ward I had her following me around a bit and grooming her. She gave me no trouble when I cleaned out her hooves....they are soo small as compared to the horses.


So far I am very happy that my first horse is a Donkey!


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

Please that this with a grain of salt as I am new to mules (and britchin and cruppers) myself but with the britchen placement if the hair is pushed up at the top it is too tight and will wear a bald spot after a while. I think you can also adjust it up or down by a few inches either way now and again to give them a rest on the placement. 

Also it look like we have the same problem with our saddle pad. See how the end is flared above the hips? Mine does this too and its because it is a little long. I had this problem with my short backed horse and my mule also. I think a round skirt pad or something will help. Its not a huge deal and Rosie might not mind it but after a while it might bother her hips hitting the end of it. 

I love Rosie! She is adorable. I went to a mule and donkey show this weekend to watch and there was only one big donkey there. He was body clipped and was STUNNING, but I have to say I really like the woolly look!


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

Yea..I am going to get a different saddle pad for her, something round. That is just the pad that I have for the horse I used to ride.

She does have hair loss where the spider for the britchen sits..I may cover it with something to keep it from rubbing more. 
I can always add more holes to the britchen to get it just right.
She came to me with the hair rubbed out on her rump where the previous owners had the crupper sitting too tightly and on both sides of her ribs are rubbed out spots as big as my fist where she was most likely kicked quite frequently by novice riders.


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

Well, Rosie is now wearing socks to help with the flies....they were just eating her up. I have put vapo-rub on the worst spots and sprayed fly spray on the socks.

We have gotten so much rain in the past week and still with more in the forecast all the animals are miserable.
I also have to use thrush powder on her...the hinds are the worst.

She was pretty good about all of it..I think she was pouting at the end of it tho...silly donkey!


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

I went and checked on Rosie this afternoon and the socks were still on and no flies in the wounds...yay!!
I had them going too high up on her legs she just needs the protection at the backs of her pasterns. 
I rolled up the socks and gooped her up again, rolled'em back down and treated her for thrush..she wasn't real happy with me at that point.
I spent some time grooming and just hanging out with her..she got half of my apple as a treat while I gooped up the sores the flies were making on the outside of her knees. 
I am fly spraying the socks as well.

My BO isn't sure that having the socks on her will help much, he thinks that the flies will bite thru the socks just like with a person. 
Since she has acsess to the weeds around the pond and we have had a lot of rain this last week, I think that the socks will keep the meds on her legs and not rubbed off as she grazes, keep the wounds clean and free of flies...especially since I fly spray them too.
She does seem more relieved now.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

look at these sox. they have things in them that protect against flies

Whinny Warmers® & Summer Whinnys? Equine Leg Protection

Fungi and bacteria live and propagate in the mud and dirt around your barn. You can’t really do much to prevent this short of extreme measures but to make it worse, it is the flies and biting insects that spread bacteria and fungal infections from horse to horse. Scratches and Mud Fever are a combination of bacteria and fungal infection that require an owner to keep an area free of the scabs that harbor the fungus beneath. These open sores are prey to further and continuous infection by that very dirty, fly infested environment in which your horse lives and it must feel at times that you are making no headway on the condition.

Silver Whinnys® provide the barrier against biting insects that you need while offering a clean, cool, breathing environment around the leg. Antimicrobial copper and silver inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mold,in the socks.

Sunlight exacerbates dermatological issues on the legs. Silver Whinnys® offer two layers of knit that can help to keep direct sunlight from photosensitive skin.


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

The socks are doing their job, so far so good.

On to today's adventure....

After I dealt with Rosie's legs I decided to get her breast strap figured out. I had an extra set of britchen that I got that was missing some hardware from the manufacturer...I basically got a whole new set free from the manufacturer, that I took the butt strap and turned it in to a single piece breast strap. I had to cut down some straps and resize them to fit her.

Right now I have 2 options..make a 2 point attachment or 1 point attachment with a neck strap..after looking at the pictures I am thinking 1 point with neck strap is better.
Any hints about fitting her tack will be appreciated.I still don't like that pad with her..that is my next purchase.

Here is the 2 point attachment















And then the 1 strap with neck strap


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

My paint Gelding gets torn apart by flies. Its actually scary because he gets huge welts over his entire body and swells up.

http://www.horse.com/item/equi-spot...id^83413992577-sku^[email protected]^PLA

I've been using the above product for 3 summers. Without it I would have had to move him to find a barn with dry lot.


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

Time for another adventure!!


I was at work and the thought of going out and tacking Rosie up and and our going for a walk/ride off location popped up. I work overnight at one of the big hardware stores as a stocker..plenty of time to think!
I bought a couple cheap nail nail holder pouches to use as saddle bags to put in a water bottle,snack, fly spray..little stuff. I also bought an orange safety vest.
I got her tacked up and the saddle pouches tied on and filled..told the BO that I was going off site and then we were off.
I led her to the next road over and we walked down it..stopping briefly to check out cows and other sights she wasn't used to. I let her look and then had her start walking again.
At the end of the street a little dog came out ..Rosie wasn't concerned and I told the dog to go home...which it did.
I then decided to put her bridle on her and ride her back to the farm.
She lined up next to a rail road tie and stood nicely for me to mount.
For some reason she would not walk on the grass..even tho I tried multiple times to get her to.
She even walked right past a stinky dead snake with no reaction.

The only bit of trouble was when the mini stud raced over to us in his pasture as we were coming up the driveway...she did this sideways crow hop..I reassured her that everything was ok after that little incident.

I brushed her and hand grazed her for a while then she got to go help the goats eat weeds.


Now starts the time of year to go out early in the morning and later in the evening to ride...it was already muggy and hot at 10 this morning.


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

The were a couple of cars that passed us..all waved,
one waved and honked his horn...that I didn't appreciate.


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

Hello All,
It has been a while. I went and worked with Rosie this morning. We went for a walk in the front pasture, we are doing better at leading and working on backing up some more. I had her wear the new bit that I bought, it is a Stark Naked bit. It is a biothane jaw bit. She took to it well, I got her to flex her head to me when I put pressure on either ring pretty smoothly.










We then went back to the pond where it was nice and cool. I sat down on a large dirt mound next to the pond. Rosie stood a respectful distance from me and I called to her to come closer. She was a very good girl..nice and calm and mindful of her feet. 




She was nice and helpful in letting me use her neck to help lever my butt up off the ground.


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## cailynne (Sep 21, 2014)

I took Rosie for a walk this evening. We had to walk on the pavement due to the ground wasps that were in the ditches. No one got stung and the traffic was very light, most times we waited in drive ways for traffic to pass.

I then took her down a gravel cul-de-sac in which a boy was riding an ATV. I stopped her and let her watch the kid riding as he was making circuit in the driveway.
I would reassure her and we would walk closer and closer..stopping to watch as the kid would reappear into our sight.

I knew she would spook when we got too close for her comfort..but I was ready and got her back in control.
The kid did apologize for spooking her but I told him it was okay and thanked him for being courteous about it.
He did put it away and he and his parents came out to visit with me and Rosie for a bit.
This was a good walk all things considered.


I then walked her back to the barn and gave her her feed for the night. I am working on getting her comfortable with the stock trailer..she eats her little bit of grain in it. 
The first day she wanted nothing to do with the trailer..would streach out her neck as far as possible to get her food with out getting in the trailer. It has been a week now the first couple of days I let her figure it out and then I started having her come in at liberty to eat while I help the grain in my hat( that is how I hand feed her ), now I am using her halter and lead rope. She is leading nicely and more than willing to get in the trailer for food and grooming.
Soon we will have to do the same with the straight load 2 horse trailer..I am considering taking out the divider to make it more of a slant.

Hmm...this got long..


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

Love this pix.


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