# RAISING NOVIA ( A thread on raising a foal from birth for the first time.)



## LoriF

When I used to raise Abyssinian cats, the newborns were really still a part of their mom for about the first five weeks, like one entity. With a foal it's completely different. They are their own from the get go, their own personality and their own antics.

Novia is one week old today, so time to start her own thread. It will be a good way for me to keep track of her progression as well.

I was going to take new photos today but after cleaning stalls, feeding and doing a little halter work with Novia, a major thunderstorm rolled in and then I got distracted with a fish fry at the farm. So instead of taking pics, I ate fried fish, homemade fries, drank a beer and hung out with some good people. I'll take photos tomorrow.

I worked with her and the halter for about ten minutes and she wasn't to keen on me putting pressure on her but she did get it a couple of times. 
Her idea of fun is backing up to me so she can give me a kick which in return she got a thump on the rear and then she would hide behind mama. After that she would come back for a scratch. She's a little stinker.


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## Triple E

I just love this baby!!! Can't wait for the new pictures!


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

Subbing for this. I can't wait to see how your progress with her goes!

She does sound like a stinker.


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## LoriF

Triple E said:


> I just love this baby!!! Can't wait for the new pictures!


There has been quite a few of us who have been blessed with beautiful babies this year. I feel so lucky.


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## If Wishes

Subbing, can´t wait for more stories about this delightful baby.


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## phantomhorse13

Fried fish over foal pics?! Jeez you need to get your priorities straight. Its not like you can share the fish with us to make up for it.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## greentree

WHERE is my BEER???


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## FrostedLilly

Haha, I would have had trouble prioritizing beer and fried fish over foal pics too... I love horses, but I think I might just love food a little more. Can't wait for more pictures though.


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## LoriF

We did a little more leading lessons this morning and Novia did great. It's not taking her long at all to figure things out. Afterwards I turned Laela and her out. She had a blast running around through the mud. She also had her first encounter with fire ants today. Life is rough, first a major thunderstorm last night and fire ants today.

Encounter with the fire ants 








Running through the mud and having a blast


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## LoriF




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## FrostedLilly

Haha! She is so dirty!


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## Triple E

Oh my word!!!! The last muddy pic is my absolute favorite of her so far!!!


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## Bondre

Novia is a real beauty! I hadn't seen her foaling thread so i had to look back through all that, and then of course I wanted to see her dad - who is a stunner too. With such beautiful parents she can't but be lovely as well. Looking forward to seeing her grow and hearing about her exploits. 

Congratulations!


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## LittleBayMare

Oh my! I really have been MIA for too long. Last I checked you had only just started the foaling thread. Now I come back and the little ****** is out and running around! :dance-smiley05:What a cutie!


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## tinyliny

perfect 'self-carriage"


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## LoriF

Novia is doing really well and she is not shy at all, she'll just go up to anybody to say hi, just like her mom. Her papa is really friendly but I don't know him intimately enough to compare. 

She now knows to stand still to get the halter on and off, she is doing really good with leading in all directions, she backs from pressure on her chest, moves her butt over from pressure, she picks up all four feet to let me hold them and tap on her hooves, and she hasn't tried to kick me after those first couple of thumps on the rear she got. I have spent about 10 minutes twice a day fiddling with her because I don't want to over do it but she's actually learned a lot. The other good news is, she is not as mouthy as her mother is. Laela doesn't bite but she has to have her lips on everything and everybody and that makes people nervous. Laela will steal your sunglasses or hat off of your head and take off with it.

The chiropractor was out yesterday to work on Laela and one of the B/O's horses and little Novia just had to see this new person. She is so cute, she'll walk up and stretch her neck out to smell and she has the sweetest expression of curiosity on her face. She just isn't really afraid of anything. I hope that is a good sign that she will be able to handle everything she is faced with in life without to much issue. So far, so good.

The one thing that she has learned that I don't like, but I guess every horse learns it. Her mama has taught her how to make the Stink Face. I can't remember what I was doing to her, but she didn't like it much and I got the Stink Face. I was like "Really? Already?"


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## FrostedLilly

LoriF said:


> The other good news is, she is not as mouthy as her mother is. Laela doesn't bite but she has to have her lips on everything and everybody and that makes people nervous. Laela will steal your sunglasses or hat off of your head and take off with it.
> 
> The one thing that she has learned that I don't like, but I guess every horse learns it. Her mama has taught her how to make the Stink Face. I can't remember what I was doing to her, but she didn't like it much and I got the Stink Face. I was like "Really? Already?"


My mare wasn't mouthy and Elsa wasn't mouthy as a foal either, but just recently she's started grabbing my phone out of my back pocket, chewing on her lead and grabbing at things - I think she's learned from another horse... so just as a warning, it may take a while to manifest (if it does)! :wink:

And I laughed at the stink face comment... why is it they learn the mare glare so early?


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

She's gorgeous. I love her coat and she seems so spunky! 


Thanks for showing her off, lol.


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## LoriF

I took Laela out for a ride yesterday evening and had to call it short. The humidity and bugs were ridiculous and driving us all crazy. So, I opted to take some photos instead and that didn't work out so well either because I had my camera set on some crazy settings for video and couldn't change it fast enough. Still learning how to use it lol. I did manage to get a couple even though they aren't that great. The first photos were taken a week and a half ago by a friend but I like them. The last couple were last night. Novia is growing like a weed. 

I am having so much fun with this baby. It's really neat to be able to watch her discover things and see her reactions. She takes most things in stride. It amazes me how many things she does because she is copying her mother.


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## LoriF

Well, Novia is now 23 days old and I'm enjoying her immensely. She is growing in leaps and bounds and getting prettier. If she takes after her mother, I know that I will be hiding her behind the barn in her yearling year though, LOL. 

So now my mind is gearing towards questions of what will be good to feed her, should I creep feed her? Should I not? When should I wean her, blah, blah, blah. To be honest, if I kept my horses on my own property, I probably would be more decisive about it. I have influences coming from outside, other peoples opinions and so forth. The barn owner keeps asking me when I'm going to start creep feeding her and I'm kind of thinking "Well, she's only three weeks old". I don't really like to feed hard feed. My horses do just fine on grass hay, alfalfa, Pasture and a mineral/vitamin supplement. As a matter of fact, they're looking better now than they've ever looked since I stopped with the hard feed. I know that horses are fed hard feed and for the most part they are fine. I have this pull inside me that doesn't want to start Novia on hard feed, but I don't want to be hard headed and have her pay for it either. I really don't want to even wean her until she's getting close to being a yearling either. I really don't even see a reason to do so other than it being a pain when I want to ride Laela but I can take Novia with once I train her to pony beside her mom. If mom starts looking like she's going to lose condition, I'll just feed her more. That's my inexperienced theory anyway. 

I've been trying to read a lot about it and get different opinions from different sources and of course there is an opinion from every direction. What I have noticed though, is that the articles written that are advocates for creep feeding and hard feed for foals are mostly coming from the direction of feed manufacturers. Articles written that talk about highers incidences of DOD's with creep feeding, early weaning, and hard feed for foals are coming from independent places.

Another concern that I have is that I know that my B/O likes to see fat horses and likes to feed hard feed. In her defense, she does work her horses more than I do right now. I'm afraid that if I do provide hard feed for the baby, she will end up getting more than I want her to have. I've already heard the comment "That's all they get?" more than once.

I came across this article and I guess I'm posting it to back up my notions but I would love to hear opinions about it as well.

It's Time to Re-Think Early Weaning of Horses | Horse Journal


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## greentree

We really need to analyze the reasons that we " feed" youngsters the way we do....so many are pushing them for show futurities and halter classes. I never had a problem just letting them be babies, and not siphoning protein down their throats to get them 15 HH by January. 

Let her be a kid....she will grow to her genetic potential and be just gorgeous!


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## LoriF

I think babies do require more protein, but how much more? Where do you cross that line between giving them what they need and giving them too much to where it's detrimental? I think that's where me and the B/O differ a bit. She likes to see a heavier horse and if she saw a little rib showing on the filly, that would bother her, where me it wouldn't. It seems to me that teenage type animals are naturally gawky and lanky and that's the way it should be. I don't really see it as being under nourished. Do I need to give hard feed because foals don't assimilate forage that well? Will she get the vitamins and minerals that she needs? Will mom's milk be enough as she gradually transitions to forage? For now it seems that things are working out pretty well without hard feed of any kind. Novia is pretty filled out and her back is already up to my waist line (I'm 5'7" with long legs).

For now, I'll just keep on reading and try to come to my own conclusions and do the best that I can for little Novia. I don't really have too many people to talk to that have actual experience with raising foals and have gone through the trials and errors. People who have had programs in place and changed them because of bad effects or kept them because they worked well. I have mostly people giving advise that are just repeating stuff that they've heard.


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## cbar

I don't have much advise to give on weaning etc. I can say that I used to work on a race horse farm. The owner also had his band of broodmares and I recall that, up until weaning time the foals did not get any type of hard feed. Once they were weaned they were given hard feed, but nothing while they were still with mama. And they all grew up to be healthy, strong race horses. 

Your girls are absolutely stunning.


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## KigerQueen

out here in az we mostly feed alfalfa. that has resulted in our morgan being 17hh and our paint being 16.3hh. both came out of lines that were 15 and 14.2hh. too much alfalfa can cause odd growth as both horses are all legs and no butt because they grew more than they were meant to. same thing with the 15.3hh mustang (imagine a Belgian with a tb proportions. all leg and narrow with a big block head and thick legs). I also have been around weening. the nicest and less traumatizing one i saw was when the foal was almost 6 months old. they just moved her in a stall next to her dam. she could not nurse but was not stressed. they took her and mom out frequently but worked them separately and turned them out at different times (az horses are mostly stalled). mom was not up set and baby is incredibly independent now. she is now a stall over and is content and there was never any crying or stressing.


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## DraftyAiresMum

KigerQueen said:


> out here in az we mostly feed alfalfa. that has resulted in our morgan being 17hh and our paint being 16.3hh. both came out of lines that were 15 and 14.2hh. too much alfalfa can cause odd growth as both horses are all legs and no butt because they grew more than they were meant to. same thing with the 15.3hh mustang (imagine a Belgian with a tb proportions. all leg and narrow with a big block head and thick legs). I also have been around weening. the nicest and less traumatizing one i saw was when the foal was almost 6 months old. they just moved her in a stall next to her dam. she could not nurse but was not stressed. they took her and mom out frequently but worked them separately and turned them out at different times (az horses are mostly stalled). mom was not up set and baby is incredibly independent now. she is now a stall over and is content and there was never any crying or stressing.


I think this might be part of the reason why Aires is tall, but doesn't have as much bulk as he should. I look at Rafe and Taz (smrobs' draft cross boys who are about Aires' age) and they're just so much bulkier than he is. Until I moved to the barn I'm at now (three years ago), he was fed straight alfalfa.


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## LoriF

Kigerqueen, I do feed my horses alfalfa but it's only about a third of their forage intake, the rest is grass hay or pasture. Actually my Starhorse gets less alfalfa than that, she gets a little bit of soaked cubes once a day so she doesn't feel left out when the others are getting fed, she also gets grass hay in the morning as well and the rest of the time she is on pasture. She's a little chunky but not too bad.


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## KigerQueen

a little is not bad. nothing but alfalfa (odie ate nothing but straight alfalfa for the first 9 years of his life) is a bit much. so some is good, all is bad XD!


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## LoriF

I've never really heard of issues with alfalfa until now. It's the hard feed that I worry about. More and more studies are showing that too much hard feed is troublesome to growing horses as far as bone and joint issues are concerned.


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## LoriF

When I was at the farm today and and hanging out with the girls, I noticed that Novia is just starting to loose her foal coat starting around her nose. I can see a little bit of that golden color and it's like a Christmas present slowly unwrapping. Even though I know what it is, I don't know exactly what it's going to look like. :grin:


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## Dehda01

I believe on weaning at 6 months old. The longer she can be with mom, the better socially and emotionally she will be. They aren't getting much nutritionally nursing at that point but are learning so much and soaking up horse etiquette like sponges. My orphans and the horses I weaned earlier tended to be needier and less socially stable. 

I do grain fairly liberally. I feel they need a solid protein and vitamin/mineral package to grow to their full capacity. I didn't for the first few foals 15 years ago and had a few leg and maturity problems as they grew. Since making sure that the easy keepers have at least a ration balancer, and the harder keepers are on a growth formula my babies have looked good, grown well and shown well. 

I don't mind them occasionally looking leaner during a growth spurt, but only the last two ribs. They should still have good muscling over their backs and behinds. 

I just bought a two-year old this winter who was short changed on protein and had been on adult grain and not enough of it even though her body wasn't skinny she was much shorter than expected. I started feeding her properly and she has short up a hand in the last 4 months and I am hoping I can get her crest to come back up--- but perhaps not. 

Babies need to be fed.


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## LoriF

Dehda01 said:


> I believe on weaning at 6 months old. The longer she can be with mom, the better socially and emotionally she will be. They aren't getting much nutritionally nursing at that point but are learning so much and soaking up horse etiquette like sponges. My orphans and the horses I weaned earlier tended to be needier and less socially stable.
> 
> I do grain fairly liberally. I feel they need a solid protein and vitamin/mineral package to grow to their full capacity. I didn't for the first few foals 15 years ago and had a few leg and maturity problems as they grew. Since making sure that the easy keepers have at least a ration balancer, and the harder keepers are on a growth formula my babies have looked good, grown well and shown well.
> 
> I don't mind them occasionally looking leaner during a growth spurt, but only the last two ribs. They should still have good muscling over their backs and behinds.
> 
> I just bought a two-year old this winter who was short changed on protein and had been on adult grain and not enough of it even though her body wasn't skinny she was much shorter than expected. I started feeding her properly and she has short up a hand in the last 4 months and I am hoping I can get her crest to come back up--- but perhaps not.
> 
> Babies need to be fed.


Thanks for replying, I am not by any means talking about not feeding her. I want her to have the protein/vitamins/minerals that she needs. I want her to grow at a steady rate but I don't want to push it. 

From what I have been reading, it seems that a diet with 14% to 16% is acceptable with the vitamins/minerals balanced for their needs. I'm also coming to the conclusion that too much of a good thing is bad. Studies are finding that foals that have their growth pushed and become too heavy have more of a chance of developing limb deformities and COD's (lesions developing in the growth plates) which affects them later in life. At the same they are finding the same thing if a foal looses weight from the stresses of weaning and then a massive growth spurt when they get back on track with eating. 

I guess what I'm looking for is that fine line between giving my baby what she needs without overdoing it. I think at this point I'm leaning towards weaning late (even up to a year) if it goes well with mom. It will probably be somewhere between 8 and 10 months though. I am not selling her or showing her as a baby, and mom is a pleasure riding horse at this point so there are no time constraints.

I'm probably being a little too over analytical over this whole things and should just relax but I'm looking at this beautiful, perfect, little being (my opinion anyway) and want her to stay that way.


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## Dehda01

Keeping them obese isn't good, but feeding them 14-16% is what their body needs. They grow close 90% of their general growth in their first two years. That takes a lot of protein and requires a lot of calcium and phosphorus to make bone. 

OCD is possible for many reasons, genetics, feed, bad luck. I have had it pop up in a thin, rescued three year old, a fat 4 year old WB and a branded/titled BLM mustang who we both know wasn't fed a growth feed. 

Lots can go wrong with babies, but keeping them too skinny for fear of OCD is going to cause other problems down the road. I worry about my 2 year old and hope I got to her in time to get her turned around. 

They were just feeding her 11% protein and not much of it. She was at a perfectly fine body weight. But man, she just blossomed once she was fed properly. Muscled the way she should have been. Energy and sass the way she should have been and coat suddenly glowed.


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## LoriF

Dehda01 said:


> Keeping them obese isn't good, but feeding them 14-16% is what their body needs. They grow close 90% of their general growth in their first two years. That takes a lot of protein and requires a lot of calcium and phosphorus to make bone.
> 
> OCD is possible for many reasons, genetics, feed, bad luck. I have had it pop up in a thin, rescued three year old, a fat 4 year old WB and a branded/titled BLM mustang who we both know wasn't fed a growth feed.
> 
> Lots can go wrong with babies, but keeping them too skinny for fear of OCD is going to cause other problems down the road. I worry about my 2 year old and hope I got to her in time to get her turned around.
> 
> They were just feeding her 11% protein and not much of it. She was at a perfectly fine body weight. But man, she just blossomed once she was fed properly. Muscled the way she should have been. Energy and sass the way she should have been and coat suddenly glowed.



If you don't mind me asking, what brand of feed do you like to use for foals?

Honestly, what I'm understanding from what I'm reading, it isn't the higher protein that is the problem. It's seems to be the quantity of hard feed that has a high NSC


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## Dehda01

Triple crown growth and the triple crown 30%. I also like Buckeye's ration balancer, but it become difficult to get where I live.


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## Dehda01

Yes, I prefer TRIPLE CROWN because of the lower NSC rating. Also the fixed formula and higher fat in the non-ration balancer rations.


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## Dehda01

There is a lot of information of OCD. Not all of it is accurate. Keep the vitamins and minerals balanced. Be careful with big growthy prone horses. Avoid excess early forced exercise with prone horses.


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## LoriF

Dehda01 said:


> Triple crown growth and the triple crown 30%. I also like Buckeye's ration balancer, but it become difficult to get where I live.


Thanks, Triple Crown and Legends products are what I was feeding my adult horses before I took them off of hard feed. They now are being fed 1/3 alfalfa, and 2/3 grass and grass hay with a vitamin/mineral supplement. They are actually doing great with this but I know that babies have different needs.


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## LoriF

Baby is soooo hot. I'm really tempted to give her the first lesson of getting clipped.


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## Kay Armstrong

Purina Equine Junior. Here is my girl. She'll be a year old on June 12th.


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## Dehda01

I like to do at least a head/neck/body clip. I usually don't clip the legs. Gets the baby hair off so they cool off, but then they aren't protected against flies. And you can't use many fly sprays on young foals.


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## LoriF

Kay Armstrong said:


> Purina Equine Junior. Here is my girl. She'll be a year old on June 12th.


She's very pretty


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## LoriF

Novia's new playmate was born yesterday!!! A little QH red filly named Lotto. She was born early in the morning and I got a chance to get some photos


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## FrostedLilly

I agree with weaning later vs. earlier, but that depends on your mare. If she starts to really lose condition, weaning earlier might be a better option. 

When my filly was born, we were feeding my mare a ration that was suitable for both broodmares and foals. My mare got adequate nutrition that she could pass on to her foal. Elsa would start to nibble on her mom's ration a bit and then we had a creep feeder that wasn't accessible by the adult horses so her feed could be rationed. Most feeds that I've seen will give a % of the foal's weight that you should feed and depending on the feed content, the %'s might differ. We scaled back a little on Elsa's feed because after she was finished eating hers, she'd go steal her mom's and her mom was not food proud at all and would let her take as much as she wanted. 

And I see nothing wrong with a little bit of rib showing, as long as there isn't too much rib showing. As she's grown, my filly goes through cycles of being a little chunky and then leaner when she's in a growth spurt. I keep an eye on it in case she starts to look like she's losing too much weight. When her growth tapers off for a minute, she becomes a little rotund. With her, it's almost like her body stores up a bunch of energy for the next spurt and then it melts away. I would rather a growing horse be on the lean side than overweight any day.


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## Dehda01

If a mare is really losing weight with a foal by her side, she needs her grain cranked up. I have fed enormous amounts of hay and up to 4 meals of grain to a mare to keep her looking decent while feeding a big baby.-particularly month 2.5-4. By by the time they get past their BIG growth spurts, though, at 3-4 months, they start eating hay and grain pretty well on their own and are more comfort nursing and the quality of the milk starts to go down. This takes a bunch of the nutrition burden off mom, and as long as you are feeding her well enough( and yes, still pouring grain down her, particularly if she is a big or hard keeping mare) then she NEEDS to be there for baby's emotional well-being. 

She is so much more than a milk-bar. She is teaching important lessons that that foals needs to learn to be a horse. Feeding a lactating mare isn't cheap, particularly if you don't have alfalfa or lush pasture available to you which does help take some burden off grain.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

I feed my mares Purina Omolene 300 and they let the foals take what they want when they want. I don't creep feed unless the foal looks needy or mom is a hoarder and have never had any issues. We wean between 4-6 mos, depending on mom's condition and whether or not she's letting the foal nurse much or getting cranky when they try. I keep the foals at 16% protein until weaning and then they switch over to Purina Junior which is 14.5% until they're 2. After 2 they get an adult ration, either something like Strategy & Ultium or Nutrena Empower Balance or Boost, depending on what they look like they need. I also add Moorman's Gro Strong Minerals, we're real mineral poor here. 

Depending on if they are showing or not, I may or may not clip foal coat. I usually clip a little 2 X 2 patch just so I can peek at the adult coat as it grows in, but I really prefer to leave foal coat alone as long as I can because it's like sheep's wool, protective and helps keep them at the right temp, even if they sweat.


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## FrostedLilly

I think the OP is in Florida, so my guess is that it's pretty hot and humid this time of year. What do other horse breeders in your area do with their foals? I'm in Western Canada, so I don't have experience with extreme heat or humidity. Is there a major risk of her dehydrating? I mean, you could clip, using an adjustable clipper and keep it a little longer and put on a rain sheet in inclement weather, but this is something I've never had to deal with, so I don't know if that's the best course of action.


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## LoriF

Dehda01 said:


> If a mare is really losing weight with a foal by her side, she needs her grain cranked up. I have fed enormous amounts of hay and up to 4 meals of grain to a mare to keep her looking decent while feeding a big baby.-particularly month 2.5-4. By by the time they get past their BIG growth spurts, though, at 3-4 months, they start eating hay and grain pretty well on their own and are more comfort nursing and the quality of the milk starts to go down. This takes a bunch of the nutrition burden off mom, and as long as you are feeding her well enough( and yes, still pouring grain down her, particularly if she is a big or hard keeping mare) then she NEEDS to be there for baby's emotional well-being.
> 
> She is so much more than a milk-bar. She is teaching important lessons that that foals needs to learn to be a horse. Feeding a lactating mare isn't cheap, particularly if you don't have alfalfa or lush pasture available to you which does help take some burden off grain.


I don't plan on weaning Novia too early, 8 to 10 months is good for me or even letting Laela do it if she will. 
My big question is when to start creep feeding if at all. People keep asking me when I'm going to start that and I don't even know if that is necessary on top of she's only going on a month old. 

Laela has always been a very easy keeper and I don't feed her hard feed at all under normal circumstances. She's the type that will develop that big cresty neck. At the moment she is getting 1/3 alfalfa (soaked cubes), and 2/3 pasture (which is not up to her knees, but it's there) and grass hay. I also mix my own supplement which consists of California Trace, Yea-Sacc, ground flax, and vitamin E. At the moment, she's lost a little topline but she still has tons of padding over her ribs, you can barely feel them. I don't have a problem feeding her as much as she needs. 

I'm kind of leaning towards Triple Crown 30% for mom and Triple Crown Growth for baby when she becomes more interested on nibbling moms food. She already nibbles a little on moms alfalfa cubes but not much.
What are your thoughts on this?

This is what mom looks like now


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## Dehda01

I will venture that your mare is going to need more calories soon than the ration balancer can offer. I am not sure what her top line looks under normal circumstances, but she might be just starting to loose there. And she is going to be ramping up calories for baby right now. I would be leaning towards to low end of TC GROWTH just because she is feeding two right now. Maybe you can eke by with 2lbs of TC30%. And REALLY good hay. But I would watch her like a hawk.


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## LoriF

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> I feed my mares Purina Omolene 300 and they let the foals take what they want when they want. I don't creep feed unless the foal looks needy or mom is a hoarder and have never had any issues. We wean between 4-6 mos, depending on mom's condition and whether or not she's letting the foal nurse much or getting cranky when they try. I keep the foals at 16% protein until weaning and then they switch over to Purina Junior which is 14.5% until they're 2. After 2 they get an adult ration, either something like Strategy & Ultium or Nutrena Empower Balance or Boost, depending on what they look like they need. I also add Moorman's Gro Strong Minerals, we're real mineral poor here.
> 
> Depending on if they are showing or not, I may or may not clip foal coat. I usually clip a little 2 X 2 patch just so I can peek at the adult coat as it grows in, but I really prefer to leave foal coat alone as long as I can because it's like sheep's wool, protective and helps keep them at the right temp, even if they sweat.


Someone else had suggested Omolene 300 as well and that's a condsideration. I use California Trace because the pasture has tons of iron (no iron in CT) and hardly any selenium in this part of Florida. Also it has a good amount of copper, zinc, biotin and lysine. I haven't heard of Moorman's gro strong so I'll take a look at it.

It is very humid here, but so far, she seems to be doing ok. Great idea about shaving a small chunk, I am dying to peek at what she will be looking like.


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## LoriF

Dehda01 said:


> I will venture that your mare is going to need more calories soon than the ration balancer can offer. I am not sure what her top line looks under normal circumstances, but she might be just starting to loose there. And she is going to be ramping up calories for baby right now. I would be leaning towards to low end of TC GROWTH just because she is feeding two right now. Maybe you can eke by with 2lbs of TC30%. And REALLY good hay. But I would watch her like a hawk.


Part of her topline issue is due to the fact that she had a hock injury (18 months of healing time) and after that just an occasional trail ride. Then she was bred and more occasional trail rides until she was about 5 or 6 months pregnant and not ridden anymore. About two weeks ago, I had a chiropractor out and he did some adjustments on her. Last week I took her for a spin in the arena. We did some walking and a little trotting and then I decided to try her canter. It was wonderful, I felt her lift right up underneath me. I haven't felt that in so long, I just wanted to cry. we only got 3/4 of a circle before baby got in the way but it was good enough. 
I really feel that the topline thing is more due to lack of exercise but I am watching her like a hawk anyway.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

Grrrrr.......I had a nice little thing all typed out and lost it. I'll ditto what Dehda said about the topline of your mare. Once these mares start to get pulled down, it can be nigh unto impossible to get them back in condition until the foal is pulled off. If she's losing topline already, and that baby has barely started to demand from her, I would start feeding her SOMETHING, whatever mare & foal suits your fancy best. I make sure to feed 1 lb/day/month of foal age extra to Patti. So, Chippy is 1.5 months, 1.5 lbs extra, Two is 1 month, 1 lb extra. The mares get fed according to weight, so I'm going through about 25 lbs of feed/day.

First pic is Patti & Chippy, 2nd is Two and 3rd is Boo. Patti's about 1250 lbs, Boo is about 1500 and the babies are 200 ish.


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## Dehda01

Good, I just found top lines to be the first thing to start disappearing on my mares so I tried to use them as a divining rod. My mares would often have large bellies and decent fat covering their ribs, but would start to loose muscle if they weren't being fed enough protein so they would give it up from their own muscles to create milk. Being a mom is a hard job and the babies truly can suck the life right out of them.

My goal would be to have the mares a bit on the heavy side month 1on and then attempt to keep them there. It could be hard to do month 3-4. But I would pour it into them. Particularly the BIG mares. Even the normally easy keepers get pulled down.


----------



## LoriF

On my way to the feed store now for growth food  and will bring the drill and screwdrivers to the farm with me tonight to put up the feeder I have for baby.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

Dehda01 said:


> Good, I just found top lines to be the first thing to start disappearing on my mares so I tried to use them as a divining rod. My mares would often have large bellies and decent fat covering their ribs, but would start to loose muscle if they weren't being fed enough protein so they would give it up from their own muscles to create milk. Being a mom is a hard job and the babies truly can suck the life right out of them.
> 
> My goal would be to have the mares a bit on the heavy side month 1on and then attempt to keep them there. It could be hard to do month 3-4. But I would pour it into them. Particularly the BIG mares. Even the normally easy keepers get pulled down.


I've found the same thing. I've also found that if I ramp them up a little before birth and get them a little "well padded" and aim to keep them that way once I pull the foal for weaning; it's really easy to get them back into shape and eating a normal amount of food. Otherwise, I've been 6 months AFTER the foal is weaned trying to feed them up, get them back into condition and ready to ride again.


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## Dehda01

Yup. I have two mares that have difficulty eating ttHat last month of pregnancy because they are fairly small and there is not room for a stomach with the baby in there. So for them I am often slightly behind the ball, but they bounce back quickly once baby is born and then I try to keep them on the round side. Because like dreamcatcher said, once you get them skinny with a baby... You ain't getting her to gain until the baby is weaned. 

And then it is a SLOG to replace all the protein and vitamins and minerals she has lost. I almost find it is worse than the rescue horses I have turned around. I think they almost give MORE of themselves, so you are just replacing so much.

It is just so much easier all around not to let it get that far but it sounds like you are on it!

Oh--- and I find... You have to feed toplines protein- even under regular circumstances without babies. Toplines need PROTEIN!!! And work is only secondary.


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## LoriF

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Grrrrr.......I had a nice little thing all typed out and lost it. I'll ditto what Dehda said about the topline of your mare. Once these mares start to get pulled down, it can be nigh unto impossible to get them back in condition until the foal is pulled off. If she's losing topline already, and that baby has barely started to demand from her, I would start feeding her SOMETHING, whatever mare & foal suits your fancy best. I make sure to feed 1 lb/day/month of foal age extra to Patti. So, Chippy is 1.5 months, 1.5 lbs extra, Two is 1 month, 1 lb extra. The mares get fed according to weight, so I'm going through about 25 lbs of feed/day.
> 
> First pic is Patti & Chippy, 2nd is Two and 3rd is Boo. Patti's about 1250 lbs, Boo is about 1500 and the babies are 200 ish.


I really hate it when that happens, all ready to hit the reply button and then BAM! gone.

Your babies are getting prettier and prettier everyday.


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## Zexious

Loving all these sweet baby pictures <3


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## LoriF

Dehda01 said:


> Oh--- and I find... You have to feed toplines protein- even under regular circumstances without babies. Toplines need PROTEIN!!! And work is only secondary.


That is why I was thinking the 30% I had her on it once before but her coat and hooves weren't looking that great. That's when I discovered that she was getting a lot of iron in her diet which was depleting the copper which she was not getting enough of to begin with. I'll start with the growth formula and keep her on the alfalfa and the California Trace as the feed doesn't have a lot of selenium in it so no worries there.


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## LoriF

Really? Nope, no milk there.


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## LoriF

Novia is getting tall fast. Every time I look at her and interact with her I feel so happy with my choice. She's just a neat little filly. 

Here she is with one of her favorite friends. She really likes this little boy.


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## QtrBel

subbing


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## LoriF

Novia is now 7 weeks and growing fast and strong. She runs from me when she sees the halter, any other time I can walk right up to her and she'll lay down right next to me and sleep so I know that she is not afraid of me but she wants nothing to do with the halter. I have no problem with her once I put it on though. Any ideas on how to correct the moving away when the halter is seen?


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## Triple E

OMG SHE IS INCREDIBLE!!! What a cutie pie! 

For the halter question my filly did the exact same thing. I got a nice little leather halter that if she got it stuck would break and left it on her for a couple days. I'd then walk up with the lead and if she ran work her until I could clip it on and let her drag it. Then when she would let me grab the drag rope without issue I would take the lead off and let her be free. 

After a few days of that she learned that the pressure would be relieved if she stood quietly and let it happen. Then I would take the halter on and off a few times and when she stood quietly I left it off. Worked like a charm and she now meets me when she sees the halter and even drops her nose into as soon as she possibly can.


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## LoriF

Triple E said:


> OMG SHE IS INCREDIBLE!!! What a cutie pie!
> 
> For the halter question my filly did the exact same thing. I got a nice little leather halter that if she got it stuck would break and left it on her for a couple days. I'd then walk up with the lead and if she ran work her until I could clip it on and let her drag it. Then when she would let me grab the drag rope without issue I would take the lead off and let her be free.
> 
> After a few days of that she learned that the pressure would be relieved if she stood quietly and let it happen. Then I would take the halter on and off a few times and when she stood quietly I left it off. Worked like a charm and she now meets me when she sees the halter and even drops her nose into as soon as she possibly can.



Thank you, I think that she is amazing but I know that I am biased too. 

Thanks for the tip on the halter thing. It sounds like something that will work. I'm always hesitant to leave a halter on in the field but I just bought a larger, leather foal slip as she grew out of the first one. I think she is strong enough that the halter would break before she would if she got hung up.

She did get hung up once already, leg caught under the fence, and just stayed still until someone came to rescue her. I almost had a heart attack but glad to see that she's smart and calm enough to not hurt herself too terribly. She rubbed a little hair off trying to get free and then made no further attempts. The fences where I'm at are not ideal, but not much I can do about it.


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## QtrBel

I have two ways. First was like what was mentioned in that I left a halter on except that I would bring out another every time I went out. I'd catch her and either leave it hanging over my arm, rub it all over or put it over the one she had on and we would work on lessons. They never know which will happen and get over it quick. The other is to always have one hanging on my person and bring out a rope and use that to rub all over and wrap around various body parts using it to get them used to things going around the head, muzzle, neck or girth. When they will stand quietly for that then the halter gets rubbed all over while the rope is held around the neck. If there is no resistance then it goes on and is left on for a couple of hours or as long as I am around doing chores and can keep an eye on them then it comes off. After a few days of that then I intermittently either just put it on and leave them alone or work with them. Doesn't take long for it not to be an issue. ETA: Beautiful baby!


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## FrostedLilly

She is just too adorable. I look forward to seeing her grow!

And for the halter thing, I think you've gotten some good advice, but I'll add my two cents in as well. My filly did the exact same thing and it was so annoying. Because I could only come out and see her on weekends, I didn't want to leave the halter on her unattended. I used to bring her and her mom inside the barn. It was a smaller area and she didn't even bother trying to get away. Once I had the halter on, I would feed her her foal ration. It didn't take her long to figure out that the halter lead to good things and she quit fleeing me every time she saw me. I tried not to make halter always = food, so once she was ok to catch outside of the barn, I made sure we always did pleasant stuff like butt and withers scratches and didn't necessarily give her her foal ration. From what I recall though, she was closer to 3 months when she decided the halter meant work and was well on her way eating solid food, so I could use that as an incentive to start. Good luck! I'm sure she'll come around eventually. It seems they all go through a phase early on where they discover that they don't _have _to do what we want when we want them to.


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## SummerAwaits

Beautiful baby!


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## LoriF

A little update on Miss Novia.

She is doing so well, she's just a mellow little girl. When I'm asking her to do something that she doesn't really want to, her idea of a hissy fit is to stomp her foot and then she gives in. Or, she'll do it and then stomp her foot in protest. LOL, if that's all I get then I'm happy. 

She now lets me walk up to her to get her (no more running away, Yay!!). She knows how to move from pressure, she stands tied (although I really don't tie her, I just make her think she's tied), she lets me handle her feet with no problem, she stays out of my space, no kicking, and no biting. She's just a sweetheart and I love her. Her favorite spot for scritches is on the base of the neck. She been a little itchy lately losing her foal coat.

What else can I be doing with a two month old foal? Any suggestions?


----------



## LoriF

......and one more


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## LoriF

I forgot to add that she stands beautifully for a bath. 

...... and how early that they learn this...


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## LoriF

more pics ......


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## Triple E

What a beautiful neck on her!!!! She is just absolutely incredible.


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## LoriF

Thanks @Triple E , I think she is going to make a pretty decent riding horse. I'm amazed at how fast she is growing.

I'm really curious at what shade of buckskin she is going to turn out to be. She seems to be staying pretty light.


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## daystar88

Ahh she is too cute!! You must be very proud of her. How tall is she now? Cowboy is already 11h at a month old!


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## LoriF

daystar88 said:


> Ahh she is too cute!! You must be very proud of her. How tall is she now? Cowboy is already 11h at a month old!


I don't really know, I haven't measured her. I did measure her cornet band to the middle of her knee and it was somewhere between 15 3/4 and 16 inches though. She will probably be a big girl like her mom.


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## daystar88

Sounds like she will! She may end up being 15.3 or 16h then! Wow!! I love how she's built. You were very blessed!


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## Trying Again

She is very beautiful, nice neck, nicely built all around for such a young baby. Keep having fun with her and take lots of pictures.


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## LoriF

Novia is getting sooo big. If it wasn't for her scrawny foal main and tail she would hardly look like a 3 month old baby. She is doing great, thriving and she is such a mellow girl, she lets me do whatever I want with her.


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## FrostedLilly

:loveshower:


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## Triple E

Good grief! I can't tell you how much I love this filly. I am a QH girl all the way but I'm already trying to figure out how to get a look alike to this baby. She has stolen my heart!!!!


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## daystar88

SHE IS TOO STINKIN CUTE!! I'm so impressed with how she is nicely growing. <3


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

This filly just keeps getting better and better. I think you hit this one right out of the park!


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## LoriF

Thanks everyone for your kind and encouraging words. She's been in my minds eye for quite a few years. I remember back in 2009 looking at a gazillion friesian horses and then coming across a photo of one of her sires offspring and thinking "That's what I want!!" I didn't even have her mother at the time. I guess everything fell into place for me to have her. 
I really think that she will make a nice bridle horse and/or working equitation horse. That's what I want to train her for anyway.


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## Trying Again

I am very impressed with her build. I just can't think of any foals I've known that look so good (I mean really good, not just cute) at her age.


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## LoriF

Novia is doing so well. Growing like a weed and running around like she owns the place. She really does need a playmate as she torments her mother with her antics. Laela is not a really good disciplinarian and lets her filly get away with way too much. She is super sweet and really enjoys the company of people. She's very well behaved for the most part. 
She had her first professional trim the other day and was super with the farrier. I have been working with her since she was born with the feet and have done a little rasping across the bottom to get her used to it. The farrier was pretty good with her handling. He was patient when she got restless, but for the most part, she stood there like a trooper. 

I'll have to take more pics next week. I wanted to take some this week but kept on forgetting to.


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## LoriF

A few pics of Novia at 5 1/2 months old. I will be separating her from her mom in a couple of weeks when the other mare goes home and her baby is left. I don't think she is going to be too happy about it.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

I really love the eye on that filly! 

Where's your mare going to be at weaning time?


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## LoriF

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> I really love the eye on that filly!
> 
> Where's your mare going to be at weaning time?


I love her eyes too, she has the sweetest expression. 

Laela is going to be on the other side of the farm. If they don't settle in a couple of days then I'll move her to down the street for a week or two and then bring her back.


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## daystar88

She's growing up too fast. It's hard to believe she was born almost 6 months ago!


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## LoriF

One part of me just wants to leave her with her mom. She's not pulling her down at all and she still comfort nurses. I really don't see her nursing much anymore but if she gets upset, that is the first thing she wants to do. The other part of me can't wait for her to be with the other filly so she has a playmate and will get a little more active as she is pretty fat. She really does need someone to play with instead of hanging out with the grumpy mares. That other little filly is a little spitfire, she'll give her a run for her money.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

LoriF said:


> I love her eyes too, she has the sweetest expression.
> 
> Laela is going to be on the other side of the farm. If they don't settle in a couple of days then I'll move her to down the street for a week or two and then bring her back.


We pulled the mares on Weds, last week, and by Fri I was making arrangements for them to leave the property. I normally DO pull them and take them off property, but with the huge vet bills we've had this year, I tried moving them to another pasture on the other side of the property. Welllllllll.......Boo settled down pretty quickly but Patti was keeping everything stirred up. Every time Chippie would settle down for a bit, then Patti would hang in one corner where she could see her and start hollering and Chippie would wind up, which would wind Twoey up, and then neither one of them acted like they had any sense, I remembered very quickly why I like to remove the mares. So, they're now at the "Mare Spa" (7 miles away) and the 2 fillies have settled down considerably. Lonesome and kind of giving me a guilt trip, but no so bad that either one is even slowing down on the feed. And it's much much quieter.


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## LoriF

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> We pulled the mares on Weds, last week, and by Fri I was making arrangements for them to leave the property. I normally DO pull them and take them off property, but with the huge vet bills we've had this year, I tried moving them to another pasture on the other side of the property. Welllllllll.......Boo settled down pretty quickly but Patti was keeping everything stirred up. Every time Chippie would settle down for a bit, then Patti would hang in one corner where she could see her and start hollering and Chippie would wind up, which would wind Twoey up, and then neither one of them acted like they had any sense, I remembered very quickly why I like to remove the mares. So, they're now at the "Mare Spa" (7 miles away) and the 2 fillies have settled down considerably. Lonesome and kind of giving me a guilt trip, but no so bad that either one is even slowing down on the feed. And it's much much quieter.


Yeah, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to keep the peace. 

I'm thinking that Laela won't be ridiculous about it because I have separated them briefly and Laela could care less. Her baby would call, she would call back once and then on to grazing and forgot all about her while baby was searching for her. I think Novia will take it harder than Laela will but hopefully get over it in a couple of days with her new companion.


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## LoriF

Novia will be being weaned next week, wish us luck. I've been taking her out on her own for little bits at a time and it hasn't been too much of an issue so hopefully she will be ok with her new friend. 

I took lots of pics as she was having a blast running around. I can't believe she was such a little thing 5 1/2 months ago.


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## PoptartShop

Novia is sooooo cute! She looks so happy & playful! Love her legs!


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## LoriF

PoptartShop said:


> Novia is sooooo cute! She looks so happy & playful! Love her legs!


She actually is a pretty happy little pony


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## LoriF

A couple more photos


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## daystar88

I love how big she's gotten!


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## LoriF

She HAS gotten pretty big. I'm not really liking how fat she is though. She has at least an inch of fat covering her ribs. I can't even feel them. I'm might change her diet because I don't want excessive weight wreaking havoc on her joints. I'll see what happens when she gets weaned and playing with the other filly more. She might just drop a little fat naturally with being weaned and having more activity.


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## daystar88

That's true. Hopefully she does drop some weight for her own health. Cowboy is a bit chubby too right now. But I don't have any foal to run around with him.


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## LoriF

Well, today was a big day for little Miss Novia. It was weaning day. I ended up just putting the babies together and taking the mares as far away as possible. They ate a little alfalfa and when they realized their moms were no where in sight they became frantic. I ended up putting Starhorse in with them as they both know her and she is kind but doesn't take any crap from anyone. The kids instantly settled down. 
When I left, they were hanging out with Star and whinnying every once in a while between bites of hay. We decided that it would probably be best to not feed them any hard feed for a day or two until they are settled. I don't know if it makes a difference, it jsut seemed like the right thing to do.


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## Triple E

Awwww! Such a hard part of growing up! But it sounds like it went pretty good which is awesome


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## LoriF

Tuesday was a crazy day to say the least. I won't go into detail but it was a mess between the babies going crazy, and everyone between me, the B/O, and the owner of the other filly all wanting something different.

I just wanted the fillies to settle down with as least stress as possible. I also feed Novia slightly different than the other filly. Novia is pretty fat so I am feeding her two lbs of ration balancer per feeding (per instructions on bag for her weight) plus all of the grass hay that she wants and alfalfa hay. The owner of the other filly is giving her foal 1 1/2 three quart scoops of 14% pellet, grass hay and soaked alfalfa cubes. Star needs to go into the stall that's in the paddock for feeding so she will let the kids eat. That is not an easy feat sometimes. The B/O says that she only has 20 minutes to feed everyone on the farm so she wants Star out of there. Sigh :sad: 

Well, I took Star out and the babies started running again. After about an hour of this I noticed that the other filly was slightly limping. It made me kind of sad to take Star away because she was a comforting presence for them. I pretty much stayed at the farm for the day (7 am to 7 pm) and watched them all day. I took Star for a ride a couple of times but pretty much kept her in their visual and by the end of the day they settled down and I was able to put her in another pasture without much incident.

By Wednesday the fillies started becoming friends and all is well, right? Ha, ha, Noooo. Thursday I get a text from the b/o telling me that Novia is eating Lotto's food with her and what do I want to do about that. I told her that the previous day the same thing happened so I directed Novia to her own food and when she tried to go back Lotto kicked her and she decided that her own food was better. I asked her if she would try that and I was pretty much told that she doesn't have time for that. I pretty much said to her that I've tried to make things as easy as possible and I don't know what else to do without cooperation. I talked to the owner of the other filly and we decided to go in together for a couple months worth of alfalfa so the b/o can just throw it over the fence along with the grass hay,so hopefully that will work. Going over this morning on my way to work to check on them. Hopefully all is well.

I'll have to say. Dealing with animals is not always easy, you just have to deal with who and what they are. When you throw people into the mix it just gets crazy.


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## LoriF

On a lighter note, Novia now has her official name. It is Luz Revelada :smile:


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## Trying Again

LoriF said:


> On a lighter note, Novia now has her official name. It is Luz Revelada :smile:


Very nice! Wish I had thought of that. It fits her coloration.


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## LoriF

Trying Again said:


> Very nice! Wish I had thought of that. It fits her coloration.


I named her that because of her color and coming out of a black mare.


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## daystar88

Photos are needed!


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## LoriF

It's not like I don't have tons of them, LOL


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## daystar88

I'm so excited to see how she'll turn out when she's done growing. And you should get more! LOL!!


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## Trying Again

LoriF said:


> I named her that because of her color and coming out of a black mare.


Ah. Makes sense.


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## PoptartShop

I like her new name. Fits her!


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## LoriF

daystar88 said:


> I'm so excited to see how she'll turn out when she's done growing. And you should get more! LOL!!


Nope, no more. I seriously have enough on my plate. I'm looking forward to riding her mama again too.


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## LoriF

Hanging out with Novia and her bestie Lotto


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## LoriF

Curious girls


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## daystar88

She looks so good!!


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## DraftyAiresMum

Big girls! Or are you shorter? lol


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## LoriF

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Big girls! Or are you shorter? lol


I'm 5'6 or 5'7 somewhere around there


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## DraftyAiresMum

LoriF said:


> I'm 5'6 or 5'7 somewhere around there


So they're big girls! I'm about the same height and my old gelding was 14.2hh and came just a little taller on me than Novia is on you. :shock:


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## LoriF

DraftyAiresMum said:


> So they're big girls! I'm about the same height and my old gelding was 14.2hh and came just a little taller on me than Novia is on you. :shock:


Novia's sire and dam are both 15.3 but they both look taller than they are because of the way that they carry themselves. I'm thinking that Novia will come out to be around 15.3 or 16 hands. I'm really looking forward to seeing her mature, it's neat to be able to see the way she keeps changing and growing.


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## LoriF

Such a beautiful gentle baby


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## LoriF

Novia's first actual trailer ride and visit to the vet. Trailer rides are so exhausting


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## Triple E

She is so incredibly beautiful! I just love how elegant and majestic she is, even if she is still just a baby


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## LoriF

Thank you @Triple E I think she is going into her homely stage which I have expected (it didn't help that the goats ate some of her tail through the fence) lol. Like most of them do, her mother went through that stage as a yearling too. It's pretty cool to be able to watch them develop into the mature beauties that they are.

Pictures of Laela as a 3 1/2 year old


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## LoriF

and as a yearling


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## horseluvr2524

Novia is my favorite baby ever. No joke. I just love her, and I have no doubt that it is because I am largely biased towards horses with spanish blood. But its mainly because she really is gorgeous.

If the same pairing brought another foal like her, somebody would pay big money for that foal! Probably not worth the cost of breeding/pregnancy/foaling though.


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## LoriF

horseluvr2524 said:


> Novia is my favorite baby ever. No joke. I just love her, and I have no doubt that it is because I am largely biased towards horses with spanish blood. But its mainly because she really is gorgeous.


Thank you, I'm glad that you like her. I am very biased towards the Iberian breeds myself.



horseluvr2524 said:


> If the same pairing brought another foal like her, somebody would pay big money for that foal! Probably not worth the cost of breeding/pregnancy/foaling though.


It probably would be worth it but I'm not really a breeder. I did briefly eyeball a really nice black Andalusian stallion and then got it out of my head. I was really glad to get my mare back into regular riding and I'm not really ready to give that up.


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## LoriF

Novia turned 10 months a week ago and she is doing great. After her weaning pal left for new adventures I had put her back in with Star and Laela. Well, she went right back to nursing and Laela was happy with it. Honestly, I really didn't even care until I wanted to take Laela out for a ride and they both had a fit about it. 

Now Novia is in the big pasture with the big girls and one gelding. The crabby mare out there that I was most concerned with took Novia under her wing and everyone is happy. Right now she is 14.2 at the shoulder

Here is 10 month old Novia romping around a little bit


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## PoptartShop

Wow so precious!!! Aww


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## egrogan

She's so gorgeous!


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## Triple E

Wow! She's just keeps getting prettier and prettier! I love the first picture of her where you can see what a kind eye she has and then the incredible dapples are just the cherry on top


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## LoriF

Thanks guys, She really does have a kind eye and a temperament to match. 
I'm really excited about her. She's probably going to be my last horse so I'm really glad she's turning out the way she is. It's really fun working with her and she gets things pretty easily. She doesn't always want to do what I'm asking and gets impatient but she's a baby. The most she does when she's being rebellious and bratty is stomp her foot. 

So far she is leading well, trailers pretty good and has no problem getting in and out, she's really good at being ponied off of her mother and she patiently waits for her food when asked to stand back. I don't even have to catch her as she's the first one at the gate for attention. She's learned to stand and be good for grooming and the farrier. If something startles her she will spook but then turn right back around to go investigate. I really like that and is one of her mothers traits that I like. About the only thing I'm kind of not liking but not hating either is that she seems so mellow that I'm hoping she is not going to be really lazy. Time will tell.


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## LoriF

Triple E said:


> Wow! She's just keeps getting prettier and prettier! I love the first picture of her where you can see what a kind eye she has and then the incredible dapples are just the cherry on top


Thanks Triple E. I really hope those dapples stay. Wouldn't that be nice. If it's a seasonal thing I'll take it, but permanent would be great!!!


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## daystar88

Oh my goodness you have a gorgeous girl there! LOVE LOVE LOVE her dapples!


----------



## Dphoto45

*Wondering...*

Hello, I was just looking through your thread and am enjoying the pictures of your foal immensely. I see her mom is a Friesian but what and who is daddy? Did I miss it?


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## LoriF

Dphoto45 said:


> Hello, I was just looking through your thread and am enjoying the pictures of your foal immensely. I see her mom is a Friesian but what and who is daddy? Did I miss it?


There are pics of her dam and sire on the beginning of this thread. Her sire is a lusitano.

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-breeding/breeding-my-mare-ai-year-565426/


----------



## LoriF

A couple of weeks ago I got my hands on a stick to measure horses and Laela is now 16 hands even. Somehow she grew a quarter of an inch somewhere in the last three years (she's ten now). Her cannon bone has always been 16". Last night I decided to measure Novia's cannon bone again. I had measured it when she was much younger and it came to 16". They say that the cannon bone is 98% of it's mature length at birth so I think "close enough, she'll be 16 hands". Her cannon bone now measures a hair under 17" WHAT? :eek_color: Did I just breed a draft horse? Maybe I measured wrong, I'm going to do it again today.


----------



## LoriF

11 month old Novia is growing so fast. She is naturally a very gentle horse and just takes everything in stride. She does get a little impatient when tied so we'll have to work on that some more. She gets fidgety and paws when she's over it. 
She goes out with us quite a bit on the trails and seems to enjoy looking at all the new things. I'm thinking about taking her out by herself and walking with her maybe tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how she does by herself.


----------



## Triple E

She looks so grown up and elegant! My guess is she will just be perfect when you take her out by herself.


----------



## LoriF

Triple E said:


> She looks so grown up and elegant! My guess is she will just be perfect when you take her out by herself.


Well, we won't be going anywhere today. I had to take the dog to the vet this morning and it took longer than I thought.  Maybe next week. She's a sweety but she's still a horse and a baby one at that. She does get a little excited about new things but doesn't take long to settle at all. She does do great with other horses around though so she shouldn't be too bad.


----------



## PoptartShop

She is getting so big.  So pretty!


----------



## Fimargue

I hope your dog is alright? 

I'm looking forward to hear how miss Novia does out by herself. Haven't yet had a baby who wouldn't stress even a little at first when I take them out by themselves the first time. That's something to be expected from a herd animal.


----------



## knightrider

She is SO beautiful! I hope she does well on her "walks."


----------



## LoriF

Fimargue said:


> I hope your dog is alright?
> 
> I'm looking forward to hear how miss Novia does out by herself. Haven't yet had a baby who wouldn't stress even a little at first when I take them out by themselves the first time. That's something to be expected from a herd animal.


My dog has developed a mammary tumor and has to have it removed. The vet is so backlogged with surgeries it's going to be about three or four weeks. She did say to let her know if it continues to grow and she'll try to get her in earlier. I'm kind of nervous about letting it go for that long, so I might have another vet look at her.

I'm sure Novia will be a little nervous but I'm think she will be fine by herself. Might as well get her used to it now.


----------



## Fimargue

Oh no... I think I would consult another vet as well, just to be sure.

Sure, but so they all are. I usually have started taking them away from the friends when they are around 12 months old as well, increasing the distance a little every time.


----------



## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

I've lurked a bit but not posted since right after she was born. I felt the need to say now though that she is absolutely gorgeous!


----------



## LoriF

Thanks guys, I am enjoying watching her develope so much. Her temperament has been so easy, I can hardly ask for better. 

Her gelding friend has taught her the biting game and she thought she would try it out on me! Seriously? One swat on the shoulder and she decided that it wasn't such a great idea after all. Lol. As she matures, I'm sure it won't be the last time she tries to test me.


----------



## LoriF

Miss Novia is officially moving up from weanling to yearling status this week with an attitude to go with it. I won't be able to take photos on her official birthday which is Thursday because I have to work (they just don't get it, lol). I still wanted to get some to look back on later. 

She will be spending a lot more time being tied as she just doesn't have the patients for it. I left her there for about an hour and when I untied her to bring her to her stall to eat she had just about enough of me telling her what to do and she was going to be sure to let me know about it. Sooo, we had to take some time to play the I move your feet where I want them to be game. All in all, she wasn't really that bad though.


----------



## PoptartShop

Pretty girl.  Growing by the second!!


----------



## LoriF

It's been a couple of months since I posted anything about Novia. Not much going on but I can say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this filly. The horses are on summer break as it's not much fun riding in the heat and the bugs so it's given me a little time to work with the filly and keep her on her best behavior. Really an easy thing as she is just so mellow and sweet. 

Novia at 15 months old


----------



## LoriF

Sideways pictures drive me crazy. Whenever I post photos from my phone it does this.


----------



## phantomhorse13

She is developing so nicely and that color is just icing.


----------



## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

I agree, she is growing into a fine little lady! I can't say I wouldn't steal her if given half a chance


----------



## LoriF

phantomhorse13 said:


> She is developing so nicely and that color is just icing.


I think she is turning out nicely too. I'm also finding out that light buckskin is not my favorite color. She's dirty more often than she is clean. I bathe her and 10 minutes later she's filthy again


----------



## phantomhorse13

LoriF said:


> I'm also finding out that light buckskin is not my favorite color. She's dirty more often than she is clean. I bathe her and 10 minutes later she's filthy again


I have 4 greys. You will learn to embrace the filth!! :wink:


----------



## daystar88

She's really grown up!!!


----------



## QtrBel

Love the frosting!


----------



## iloverains

She's stunning!!!! 

Now I'm really excited for my mare to foal! 
Did you have a photo of the sire? I tried to view your other thread but all the photos were blocked?! 

How old is she now?


----------



## LoriF

@iloverains Novia is a yearling. Here are photos of her sire and dam


----------



## iloverains

No wonder she's such a stunner! Her parents are gorgeous.


----------



## GracielaGata

LoriF said:


> I think she is turning out nicely too. I'm also finding out that light buckskin is not my favorite color. She's dirty more often than she is clean. I bathe her and 10 minutes later she's filthy again


This may get better as she grows up and out of the messy baby phase. My mare is the same color as your Novia, and she is hardly ever dirty as an adult. She barely even rolls when wet or there is mud, given the chance. 

Yours is a beautiful girl and reminds me so much of my Sonata's baby pictures. (I got her right before she turned 3.) 

I wish Snoty had more of her guard hairs, but she is pasture kept and has plenty of trees to scratch her itches on, so it rubs her guard hairs away. I just keep her mane roached at about 1-2 inches shaped to her neck in the riding months and it looks better.


----------



## LoriF

My phone was ringing at 7:30 this am and when I looked and saw that it was the B/O, I was thinking "Uh Oh, who is this about?". It was Novia colicking. I ran out there to find the b/o and her son walking her. She just kept wanting to lay down and roll. She was only a little dirty on one side so I'm thinking at least she wasn't thrashing and it probably just started before the B/O went out to feed. I was hearing gut sounds but very faintly so I was a little worried. There was no banamine on the farm so I had to wait until the vet opened up to go get some. Ended up not needing to use any as I put her in the trailer to go for a ride and she got a little nervous and pooped, (still picked up the banamine so it's on hand). It was huge and a little dry so I'm thinking that she's not drinking enough. Time to start putting salt in the feed as I've been neglecting that lately. Anyway, as soon as she pooped she decided she was starving and wanted to graze on the grass. I hung out with her a couple of hours and she's fine. I'll be back there this afternoon with the salt and hopefully I find her still acting fine.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Fingers crossed she is back to normal!


----------



## twixy79

Colic is my biggest fear with my old man. He eats grain like he has never seen food before, and I am never sure how much water he is getting. He does have a salt lick in his stall and one out by the water and one hanging outside on his "rubbing" tree and I have to change them all every few weeks so clearly, he is nibbling away on those! 

Novia is absolutely beautiful and has grown up so beautifully!


----------



## LoriF

Well, I went back there this afternoon and she was still fine. Gut sounds are normal. Novia hasn't really caused me any grief yet so I guess she was due.


----------



## LoriF

twixy79 said:


> Colic is my biggest fear with my old man. He eats grain like he has never seen food before, and I am never sure how much water he is getting. He does have a salt lick in his stall and one out by the water and one hanging outside on his "rubbing" tree and I have to change them all every few weeks so clearly, he is nibbling away on those!
> 
> Novia is absolutely beautiful and has grown up so beautifully!


I usually have salt available to them. I normally put a little in their food and also have a block out. The block has been riding around in my truck for three weeks now and I usually remember it about halfway home coming back from the farm. Also ran out of loose salt and keep forgetting to buy more. That's how it starts, lol


----------



## KigerQueen

i soak my old mans food to force him to consume water with his pellets and supplements. At 32 i take no chances!


----------



## LoriF

KigerQueen said:


> i soak my old mans food to force him to consume water with his pellets and supplements. At 32 i take no chances!


At 32 I'd be soaking his food too.


----------



## KigerQueen

my arab has needed her food soaked since she was 18. she dislikes drinking apparently and likes to eat to fast. so dehydration colic and choke. so if i can i soak food. my other two wont eat their food if you sneeze on it or theirs would be soaked too.


----------



## LoriF

KigerQueen said:


> my arab has needed her food soaked since she was 18. she dislikes drinking apparently and likes to eat to fast. so dehydration colic and choke. so if i can i soak food. my other two wont eat their food if you sneeze on it or theirs would be soaked too.


Horses are sooo picky. 
I've been adding a little vitamin E into their ration here lately. I'll bite the gel capsule and squeeze it on top of their food. Star felt something funny on her lip and wiped it all off on the fence. So now with her, I have to mix it around. Laela, the pig in horse clothes, gobbles whatever is in front of her so I splash a little water in it just to make it more moist. Novia hates her food wet. She'll eat it but grudgingly.

Maybe I just spoil them too much, lol.


----------



## iloverains

How's your beautiful filly going? No more bouts of colic?


----------



## LoriF

iloverains said:


> How's your beautiful filly going? No more bouts of colic?


Thanks for asking, she's doing really well and has not had any more bouts of colic. Florida winters always agree with them and they are all looking great. 

At about 18 months old she really went through a stage that made me feel like hiding her but she's now starting to grow out of it. I can't wait to see her at about 4 or 5 years old. She still looks so immature to me, I probably won't even get on her back until the fall of her third year at the earliest. I'll probably start ground driving her in the late summer or fall of next year.


----------



## iloverains

LoriF said:


> iloverains said:
> 
> 
> 
> How's your beautiful filly going? No more bouts of colic?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for asking, she's doing really well and has not had any more bouts of colic. Florida winters always agree with them and they are all looking great.
> 
> At about 18 months old she really went through a stage that made me feel like hiding her but she's now starting to grow out of it. I can't wait to see her at about 4 or 5 years old. She still looks so immature to me, I probably won't even get on her back until the fall of her third year at the earliest. I'll probably start ground driving her in the late summer or fall of next year.
Click to expand...


Oh good! Hahaha, did you happen to have any photos you could share? Wouldn't mind seeing how "ugly" she actually is. It's amazing how much they change and I'm sure she's still beautiful!


----------



## LoriF

These are the only photos that I could get recently and they're not the greatest. Cell phone pics in the almost dark. Also, she just came in from the rain and a little muddy. 

She is getting so big and had a major growth spurt this winter. She's eating like two horses and I can still feel ribs. She does look good though weight and health wise. I haven't measured her lately, but I know that she is over 15 hands.


----------



## iloverains

She's hugeeeeee!! 
And such a kind eye.


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## LoriF

She's growing right before my eyes. Her personality matches that kind eye. She's such a love and the sweetest animal.


----------



## RedDunPaint

She even looks drop-dead gorgeous in grainy cell phone pics! Can't believe how time has flown! She's taller than my full-grown mare lol!


----------



## iloverains

Were/are you hoping for a particular mature height? 
Awh how lovely.


----------



## LoriF

iloverains said:


> Were/are you hoping for a particular mature height?
> Awh how lovely.


It doesn't really matter to me how tall she is or isn't as long as she's big enough for me to ride (as in not itty bitty pony) and she's already past that stage. I believe she will mature at 15.3 to 16 hands.


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## iloverains

Oh cool, that's good then!


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## QtrBel

She's grown into such a beauty! Such a kind expression with just a touch of imp.


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## LoriF

I thought I would share a few photos of Miss Novia. She is doing really good. A bit of a stinker but hey she's not two yet. She doesn't have the patients to completely tolerate anything other than what she wants to do.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Novia is such a good-looking girl.. she is going to be an amazing saddle horse for you. Can't wait for the pony ride report!


----------



## LoriF

Thanks @phantomhorse13 I think that she is going to amazing myself. Right now she is acting like a two year old, go figure. lol

I asked Knightrider if she wanted to meet up somewhere for a ride and she was all for it. She's going to ask 4horses if she would like to go, I hope she does. It should be a fun day and hopefully the weather cooperates.


----------



## PoptartShop

She is so pretty. She is looking good!


----------



## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

Talk about some eye candy!


----------



## JoBlueQuarter

Miss Novia is drop-dead GORGEOUS!  I'm a little late in finding this thread, but I'm definitely subbing now! Excited to see where you go with her!


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## Triple E

I can’t believe how tall she has gotten!!! I have loved this filly since day one and love seeing updates on her! Thanks for sharing her with us


----------



## daystar88

She looks incredible!!! I can't believe it was almost 2 years ago she was born..


----------



## LoriF

I met up with @knightrider and 
@4horses for a ride at San Felasco Hammock preserve for a nice trail ride and Novia got to go. This is the first time that I have ponied her for more than an hour and she did really well. I think that she was getting tired. According to Knightrider, we rode for nine miles. 

Novia was being such a good sport and her mother was being more of a pain than anything. Still, she wasn't too bad either. Laela always seems to be on high alert and worries more about things when her kid is around.

I really think that I should start practicing with her more on ponying at a trot and canter. When we do that, Novia wants to start showing a bit too much exuberance and kick her heels up a bit.


----------



## LoriF

There is a new guy at the farm and Novia is terrified of the adorable little thing. When he brays, her expression is "what the ???? is that?" I think that they will become fast friends. They are in stalls next to each other at night.


----------



## QtrBel

He's too cute!


----------



## LoriF

For some reason this little guy loves Novia. I'm not too sure how she feels about him in this pic taken last week but at least she was curious. This week, they are buddies.

It seems like every time I see her she get bigger and I see her most of the time, every day. She's really starting to fill out but she still looks very immature to me. Yesterday she spent a couple of hours in her stall wearing a bit. She was chomping away at first but by the time that I took it off she was standing quietly with it.

Speaking of mouths, the guy that does the horses teeth usually comes out once or twice a year. I'm suspecting that Novia's mouth may need to be looked at more than once this next coming year as I know that her mouth will have many changes.


----------



## PoptartShop

LOL, how cute!  Sure she had to warn him, look buddy I'm a mare, don't mess with me! :lol:


----------



## LoriF

PoptartShop said:


> LOL, how cute!  Sure she had to warn him, look buddy I'm a mare, don't mess with me! :lol:


That look was actually an "oh crap" look as her mother was coming up from the side (not in the photo). Mama really doesn't like the little guy and I would trust her with him for about as far as I can throw a piano. Novia really likes him now.


----------



## LoriF

*Happy Birthday Novia*

Yesterday Novia celebrated her second birthday. She got a new halter, lead, and an extra flake of alfalfa. I tried to give her a peppermint but she didn't know what to do with it. 

She's just been an amazing filly and I love her so much. She's smart, easy going and just has a wonderful personality.


----------



## iloverains

Wow - Can't believe she's two already!! She's such a stunning Filly, or should I say Mare?!!


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## LoriF

iloverains said:


> Wow - Can't believe she's two already!! She's such a stunning Filly, or should I say Mare?!!


Thank you. She's still a baby so I would say filly.


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## daystar88

OH MY GOSH LOOK AT HER!! I remember when she was first born! She's grown so much and looks so mature now.. Where has time gone?!


----------



## LoriF

Novia had a bath today so I took some pics of her rarely clean self. She is starting to change to a more golden color but I guess only her neck.















I've been working with her two or three times a week with groundwork and and she's been doing really well. She's had a couple of tantrums but gets herself together fairly quickly when she realizes that she's not getting away with it. She really is a sweet filly, I'm so happy with her.


----------



## QtrBel

Her coloring is stunning. Such a beautiful little lady.


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## LoriF

Thank you.

I've been working with her and getting her ready to start ground driving. She really picks up on things quickly. She does get impatient easily and I pretty much chalk that up to her age. I do question myself if I am working with her enough, not enough. I think that she's old enough to do quite a bit as far as different things but I rarely work with her more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time. The last time that I ponied her we went quite a long ways for her and she got tired out. I don't want to over face her or sour her although I don't think that I'm getting anywhere near that point. I don't drill her at all.


----------



## QtrBel

Age or mental readiness. Is she more BTDT and ready to move on or whatever it is we are doing I see no point to it so tantrum time? Impatience or impertinence? My feelings are as long as she is soft to the lead, relaxed in her approach to what you are doing and has the basics down then moving on to the next step is the next step. I love that you are ponying her on rides. That does so much for them exposure wise and gives you a great way to exercise their body while you are exercising their mind.


----------



## LoriF

The third time that we worked on long lines only lasted 5 minutes because the neighbors showed up with beer in one hand and fireworks in the other so I just put her back out to pasture. Yesterday she did fabulously with it. We are still in the round pen with the driving but maybe in the next couple of weeks, I'll switch over to the arena. I really only have two or three days a week to work with her but that is probably enough anyway. 
I can't wait for the fall to come so I can get back to ponying her. Right now, unless I get up at 4am on my days off, it's just too hot and buggy. Plus, my go to place is closed for riding as there is too much water.


----------



## LoriF

On Wednesday, I took Novia out to work with her a little bit. I tied her to the trailer so I can brush the dirt off of her and get her ready and the funniest thing happened. She saw her reflection in the glass window of the trailer door and nickered to herself. She was so enthralled in this new horse that she was seeing and couldn't take her eyes off of it. She just kept staring with her ears pricked forward and nickered a couple of more times. She got over it in a couple of minutes but still checked a couple of more times to see if it was still there. It was just too funny.


----------



## LoriF

QtrBel said:


> Age or mental readiness. Is she more BTDT and ready to move on or whatever it is we are doing I see no point to it so tantrum time? Impatience or impertinence? My feelings are as long as she is soft to the lead, relaxed in her approach to what you are doing and has the basics down then moving on to the next step is the next step. I love that you are ponying her on rides. That does so much for them exposure wise and gives you a great way to exercise their body while you are exercising their mind.


I really do believe that it is impatients. She is very soft and giving to pressure but if she wants to walk away and I don't let her she will stomp her foot and other little things like that. She has never really had any full blown temper tantrums, it's really not in her nature. She does get a little over stimulated sometimes and acts out so I just have to slow her down and start again. Although very mild, I still call them tantrums as she is acting out from not getting what she wants.


----------



## QtrBel

Opinionated, I'd say.


----------



## LoriF

QtrBel said:


> Opinionated, I'd say.


Yes, I would say that you are probably right.


----------



## LoriF

How dirty can I possibly get? The joys of owning a light color horse.

View attachment 966505


----------



## LoriF

Poor miss Novia has been sick. Everyone caught some kind of virus. I think that it started with one of the horses that goes to compete as he had a cough and runny nose. And then my girls got the same thing. Everyone has pretty much gotten over it except for Novia. She then proceeded to have a really one sided snotty nose with thicker white snot. The vet believes that she got a bacterial infection in her sinus that started from being sick. Her lungs and heart sound good but the snot is just pouring out. I don't think that she feels that great as she is laying down and resting more than usual. She is still eating with gusto though. Hopefully the antibiotics that she is receiving knock this out.


----------



## carshon

I Hope she feels better soon


----------



## PoptartShop

Awww I hope she feels better ASAP :sad:


----------



## QtrBel

Hope she gets to feeling better soon.


----------



## LoriF

Thanks guys, me too. Sinus infections.aren't anything to play with on horses. I hope the antibiotics resolve this.


----------



## knightrider

I hope so too! She is awesome beautiful, and I hope it clears up soon.


----------



## LoriF

Novia is still having the snotty nose. After three rounds of antibiotics, it's still there. My vet wants to wait a week or two but it now seems to be coming back more and more. She doesn't feel bad, that I can tell and is still full of energy. No swelling anywhere and no fever. I think that I am going to make another appointment with the vet and have them look at her again. I'm really thinking that if the antibiotics are not working then something else needs to be done.

On another note, she is learning to carry the saddle. I put it on her and we went for a walk, me leading her. She's a little dirty but I think that she looks pretty nice with a saddle on.

View attachment 969621


View attachment 969623


----------



## iloverains

That's a nice saddle! Such a good looking mare. 
Shame about her snotty nose! Hope you figure that out soon. I don't know if it'll help, but I gave my mare that had a snotty nose for weeks on end some dry echinacea, not sure if it was coincidental, but a week on it it all cleared up, and stayed away.


----------



## PoptartShop

Aw, sorry to hear she has a snotty nose still. :sad: Hopefully it can be figured out asap! She is gorgeous. I've probably said this before, but she reminds me of my old lease horse Lexi. I am a sucker for buckskins.  Glad to hear the groundwork is doing well, too.

She does look nice with that saddle, pretty girl!


----------



## knightrider

@Kalraii had a horse with a constantly snotty nose. I believe it turned out to be a tooth issue. You can check her journal. I hope Novia gets better very soon!


----------



## Kalraii

@knightrider she still has a snotty nose! Thing is she's had CT and ultrasound AND been scoped. We did all that to figure out the snot thinking it was connected to her refusing to bend left at the poll and a straight line would be with her nose pointed out 90 degrees to the right. She hated left. Turns out she has TMJ disorder, her right side being worse. It's her right nostril that runs. The scans showed that the right cavity had more fluid but said cavity is inaccessible to scope or biopsy. Steroids make all the snot go away so we are convinced it's inflammation somewhere. OR she has an ongoing allergy which I should know the answer to in a month and a half (we're moving) and it's just a coincidence that she has TMJD. Antibiotics make literally ZERO difference and she's been on them enough by now to know. But since having her teeth done properly she's a much happier girl and the snot isn't an issue for her at all. All in all she's had a snotty right nostril for 9 months. 


Big difference in snotty nose when on bute so you could always try it. It's for the anti-inflam obv but in my specific case we aren't 100% sure if her TMJD is contributing to nasal issues directly or indirectly yet. Or even try a steroid injection? But then again what your horsey has could be viral/bacterial and just needs more time or the correct medicine... oh the woes. Good luck!


----------



## QtrBel

Does she ever (look nice) and that is one nice looking saddle too!


----------



## LoriF

Thanks guys, I love the saddle too. I asked a local guy to make me this for Laela and it fits her like a glove. The cost really wasn't that bad either as far as saddles go anyway.

Novia's nose is still snotty but she's feeling fine. I tried to get in touch with the vet Fri. but they were out in the field all day. So, Monday it is to see what else they want to do.

I worked with her a bit today and boy was she feeling full of herself. In the end she was being a really good girl for me. So after that I gave her a nice grooming session which she loved.


----------



## LoriF

I brought Novia in to trim her hooves and in this cooler weather she was just being a pistol. She's so full of herself. She finally settled down and was really good standing to get her feet trimmed. When I put her back out to pasture, her momma was really instigating a play session and both of them were running, bucking and bouncing all over the pasture. It was really nice to watch them play together.

@knightrider and @4horses are coming out my way next weekend to camp at Princess Place and we're going for a beach ride one day as well. I'm really stoked about it and really appreciative that they are willing to make the drive. I'm really considering bringing Novia along for the experience. The only hesitation is the logistics being a bit of a pain. 

Next spring is the start of her formal riding training. I think that I will start her in the spring lightly riding her three or four days a week for a month or two and then give it a rest for the summer. Come fall of next year I'll really start trail riding her. She will be 3 1/2 by then.

I'll have to take some updated pics of her as she really has been growing and changing over the summer.


----------



## knightrider

You bet, we can't wait for this camping trip! It is going to be so fun!


----------



## JoBlueQuarter

^^^Cool! Wish I could join y'all


----------



## LoriF

JoBlueQuarter said:


> ^^^Cool! Wish I could join y'all


That would be awesome, I bet you would really appreciate a warm beach ride right about now. I lived in Minnesota for a little while so I know that I am spoiled rotten now as far as weather goes.


----------



## JoBlueQuarter

Ohhh, yeah, that would be amazing! Right now it's really cold here, with a lot of slushy, icy snow so I can't ride much anyway :/


----------



## LoriF

The dentist is coming out this month to pull Novia's wolf teeth and to check her caps again. He's looked at her twice and so far she is doing fine teeth wise. He really didn't see the point in pulling her wolf teeth until now if I was not going to be putting a bit in her mouth yet. She has had a bit in her mouth but not put to use, she's just worn it for a couple of hours at a time to get the feel of it.

She's in a pasture with her mother and my other horse Star. Star is very much the boss out there but she's not mean. Well, Star got a stone bruise and became dead lame on her front right. I ended up having to remove her from the pasture totally because Novia was being so mean to her. I guess Novia thought that she was taking over. When I left for my road trip Star was still slightly lame but much better. I can see a very faint limp where before she refused to use her foot at all unless she had to. It will be interesting to see what happens when Star is back out with them and Novia still thinks she's hot stuff. I'm pretty sure Star will remind her that she still has some growing up to do.

I love it that I get to watch Novia grow up. Watching her make her way and seeing her development towards maturity has been so much fun and really interesting. It's hard to believe that not long ago she was this.


----------



## knightrider

Oh no! Star got a stone bruise? Not when we were riding her, I hope. Poor Star. I hope she is better soon.


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> Oh no! Star got a stone bruise? Not when we were riding her, I hope. Poor Star. I hope she is better soon.


I'm thinking that she probably got it while riding. Their pasture is so wet a lot of the time and no where else to put them so it makes for soft feet. Poor Star, she's had a rough couple of weeks. I've just been hanging out with her and grooming her to try to make her feel better. 

I think that ordering boots for my girls might be the thing to do when I'm going to ride them. That property just gets so ridiculous with the water sometimes.


----------



## knightrider

Oh, LoriF, I feel so bad for Star. She had rather a rough camping trip, didn't she? And I enjoyed her so much! I am so sorry.


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> Oh, LoriF, I feel so bad for Star. She had rather a rough camping trip, didn't she? And I enjoyed her so much! I am so sorry.


Knightrider, she is fine. I never even thought about their feet being too soft (she's never had a lame day in her life) and who would think that there much much of anything there but sand to step on. I'm not even sure 100% if that is what caused it. She's much better and I'm making it up to her for her bad weekend being extra nice to her. Totally not your fault, you were great with her, I was the meanie She could have stepped on something out there in the pasture as well, who knows? And, she didn't start limping until almost a week later. I was thinking maybe abscess from maybe a bruise. I'm still stuck up here in SC due to train cancellations from weather. I'll be giving her foot more care when I get back but from the looks of it, she may just well be totally fine by the time I get there.


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## LoriF

I just love this filly soooo much.


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## QtrBel

She reminds me of the blooms on my magnolia tree. Sweet and spicy all in a beautiful package. I bet she smells good too.


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## LoriF

QtrBel said:


> She reminds me of the blooms on my magnolia tree. Sweet and spicy all in a beautiful package. I bet she smells good too.


She is sweet and spicy and she does smell good. How did you knw?


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## QtrBel

That picture is worth a thousand words.


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## LoriF

I've decided that it's time for Novia to start being a grown up and get ready for work. Ha, ha, we'll see if she agrees. 

So far, she's been pretty agreeable and has done what I've asked. I have been driving her with long lines on occasion but I haven't been consistent. All in all she has done really well and wants to learn. She figures things out pretty easily. I really do think that she is going to make a pretty sweet riding horse. 

I'm don't really think that she is ready for riding yet. I have stepped up onto her back and walked her around for a few minutes a couple of times and she's very awkward with her feet. I think that I would rather build her up from the ground first and give her more strength. When I did sit on her back and walk, she did really well. She walked right out and didn't seem afraid at all to move her feet, just a bit unbalanced is all.

I've contemplated on sending her to a trainer by the end of next year, but I don't know. She is a super sweet filly and afraid of nothing and I want her to stay that way. I just need to find the right person for us both. Within the next year or maybe next I will have her started so that will give me time to find someone who is more experienced at helping me finish her. 
I would really like to get into western dressage or working equitation or both. At the moment, I'm searching for a trainer/coach to start on me this year. Hopefully by next year I can be with someone who will work with us both. It's been kind of hard because there is not much opportunity in my area for this type of riding.


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## carshon

I for one always vote for taking it slow. If you really want to use a trainer - research research research. So many sensitive young horses are totally mind blow by trainer expectations. We waited until my App gelding was almost 4 before sending him off for 30 days. I am so glad I did - he was pretty mature physically at 3 but his mind was just not there.


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## LoriF

I'll have to take some new photos of her. There hasn't been many photos because unless I go with the intention of photographing, the camera stays at home and my cell phone is not taking very good photos. 
She still seems quite immature physically to me. Mentally, she is pretty good but still seems a bit babyish in that area as well. Not saying that should stop me from starting her on the ground and maybe later on in the year riding. I just feel that she has a ways to go as of yet in both of those areas.
Believe me, I have been doing a lot of research for trainers and just when I think that I found someone that might be suitable, I watch them more. As I watch, I then realize that their agendas get mixed in with the training a lot of the time so I end up not even contacting them. Oh well, we still have plenty of time. I'm sure the perfect person will turn up when we are ready.

On a side note, I just measured her again last night and she has made up to the height of 15.2. I have no doubt that she will make the 16 hands that I thought she would but 15.2 would be alright with me too.


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## iloverains

How exciting. Hope you can find a suitable trainer.


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## Elsie

Novia is STUNNING. You have a gem there.


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## LoriF

@iloverains I will be starting her myself and am pretty confident in doing so. I think I will need help if I continue with her for what I want to do. I still have plenty of time and I'm sure something good will come along.

@Elsie Thank you, she is exactly what I wanted and had in my mind when I bred her mother. I know that I am lucky for that to happen.


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## phantomhorse13

I think you are smart in waiting. Always listen to your gut!


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## LoriF

phantomhorse13 said:


> I think you are smart in waiting. Always listen to your gut!



I agree with you. 

When I go to the farm today, I'm going to get her out of the pasture and long line her. Just walking around as that is how far we have gotten with that. I been working with her sporadically and she seems to retain what I've shown her. I'm going to start in the round pen so she has less room to act up and wreck but if she does well I think I will take her to the arena for the first time. 

I had her on a lunge line in the pasture yesterday for about 15 minutes. She does great with changing directions with my body language and just pointing in the opposite direction. She knows the words walk, trot and hoe and responds correctly and is starting to transition from each pretty quickly.

She is so cute because she seems to be pretty proud of herself when she shows me that she knows the right thing.

I was going to clean my trailer today but it's too cold and I don't feel like playing in the water. It's 55 degrees He, he. I'll wait for next week when it's warmer.


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## iloverains

Oh awesome, I’m sure you’ll do a great job with her. And that’s cute re her being chuffed when she does stuff.


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## LoriF

Novia at almost 3 years. Yes, that is her hair on the ground.


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## knightrider

She is so lovely! I am so happy for you!


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## LoriF

@knightrider She is a cross of the two most dreadful breeds that no one has any use for. I guess I'll just have to keep her.


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## PoptartShop

Aww, she is beautiful.


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## Triple E

She is so incredible!!!! Its insane how much I love this stinking horse


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## LoriF

Thank you guys. I really love her and I'm getting excited about the next steps with her

@Triple E I know that you've always liked her from the begining. You raise some beautiful horses yourself.


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## Elsie

She is almost all grown up. I think waiting another year is a good idea. You can see in her build that she hasn't quite filled out yet. I have to say that she has the perfect angle in her shoulder, so I believe that she will have a floaty trot and a heavenly canter once you do start riding. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.


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## LoriF

Novia is growing up with some pics of mom too.


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## iloverains

She’s so beautiful! Looks like she’s out grown her dam?


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## LoriF

iloverains said:


> She’s so beautiful! Looks like she’s out grown her dam?


Thanks, No, she's still an inch or two shorter than her dam at the withers. It must be the photo, maybe momma is standing in a depression.


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## LoriF

Another one of her an Laela


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## LoriF

And another


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## iloverains

Oh yes I see it there, do you think she’ll get much more height?


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## LoriF

iloverains said:


> Oh yes I see it there, do you think she’ll get much more height?


She's 15.2 right now. I think that she will grow a couple of more inches.


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## PoptartShop

She is so beautiful!!  Love the pictures.


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## LoriF

Novia is officially Three Years Old!!!


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## QtrBel

Happy Birthday Novia! She's turned into a really lovely girl.


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## LoriF

*Novia's first ride!!*

I met up with @knightrider at Doe Lake. We are camping for a few days with her riding club. I decided to bring Novia along for the experience and she's taken to it like she's been doing it all of her life. Everytime she sees a new horse come in, she nickers and whinnies to them in greetings. She's so cute. Knightrider and I went on a ride yesterday morning both of us with an extra horse in tow and it went great. In the evening we thought "why not give Novia a shot so we dI'd it. Knightrider rode Laela and I rode Novia for the first time with a little 45 minute jaunt around Doe Lake. She did so well!! Of course she was a little wiggly but her trot was smooth as silk. I think Novia was just as excited as I was.


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## LoriF

*Novia's first ride!!*

Me and Novia


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## QtrBel

Looking good! So excited for you! Have a great rest of the weekend!


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## carshon

How exciting! You two look great together!


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## egrogan

What fun! Amazing how she handled it like an old pro.


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## LoriF

I wouldn't exactly call it an old pro but she did pretty well. Matter of fact, she did great! Ha ha, until she didn't. She ponied off of Laela like an old pro but she's done that plenty already. I rode her twice. The first time, she did wonderful. That was with just myself and Knightrider riding Laela for a pretty short ride. The second time was with four of us. It was a little bit farther and on the way back Novia had a meltdown. She kind of lost her mind a bit. Yep, time to get off and walk the rest of the way. Mentally, she is great about the trails. She's not afraid and very curious wanting to walk in front. When she got tired, that was it, she was done. Riding her is like riding a noodle but I'll have to say, I love, love, love her trot.

Baby horse learned about electric corrals and got the hang of it pretty quickly but not without glitches. I got so frustrated because I didn't know that an electric fence has a pulse. For some reason I thought that it was continuous. Novia walked right through it the first time and I thought that she would just continue to do this but she got zapped a couple of times and then decided it would be best not to touch it anymore. Laela didn't know anything about this either so she had to learn as well. All in all, this went pretty well once we got past the learning curve.

Off topic, I sent pics to my mom and she said that Novia looks too skinny.


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## LoriF

Camp dogs. Anza had a blast playing in the beautiful lake.


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## QtrBel

Love, love, love your dogs. Reminds me of one we had growing up named Boscoe. She looks great. Certainly not too skinny. But then mine you can see a hint of rib on all of them. Better fit than fat.


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## LoriF

QtrBel said:


> Love, love, love your dogs. Reminds me of one we had growing up named Boscoe.


I love these girls so much. They are just characters and so easy to live with. They give me so much good company.


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## LoriF

QtrBel said:


> She looks great. Certainly not too skinny. But then mine you can see a hint of rib on all of them. Better fit than fat.


I thought mom's comment was funny because I was just thinking that she is turning into a chubster. Not too worried about it as she is still going to have some growth spurts.


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## PoptartShop

Wow, that is amazing Novia did so well!!!   I am so happy for you guys! Sounds like she is pretty bold. Which is a great trait to have in a trail horse! :lol: She doesn't look skinny either, she looks healthy from what I can see!


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## LoriF

I worked with Novia a bit this morning under saddle. Mostly ground work (20 min.) with about 10 minutes of ridden. She did great. I love the way that she wants to learn. She's learning to move over with pressure applied from my foot, somehow it's different than from the ground so I got a short whip to touch her on the side after I touched with my foot. She was a little more reluctant to back than she used to be in the past so we will work on that a lot more. She walked under saddle and went to trot with a verbal cue and back down to walk with a verbal cue. I am learning to give praise for every tiny thing that she does right and she seems to respond well to that.

It was super hot and humid even though I went out there quite early so it was not too lengthy. She got a nice rinse down with cool water and then a little hanging out and grazing on nice grass.


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## carshon

She looks so much like my daughters new TWH mare Sawyer. Who is also learning the finer points of carrying a rider. She is quite beautiful and sounds very smart!


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## LoriF

carshon said:


> She looks so much like my daughters new TWH mare Sawyer. Who is also learning the finer points of carrying a rider. She is quite beautiful and sounds very smart!


Thanks carshon, she is a really fun horse. I just got a taste of her trot last week and love it. 

I would love to see your daughters mare, are there any pics of her?


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## carshon

Hi Lori- here is a pic of my daughters mare Sawyer. this was taken last Sunday. Sawyer sat in a field most of her life as the owner purchased her as a yearling and did ground work for a few years and then her career took off and she was too busy (she is a vet) so at 8 Sawyer is experiencing a lot of new things as well. This trail ride was her 3rd "real" ride and first with strange horses around. She was a rock star


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## egrogan

@carshon, beautiful picture! Both your daughter and Sawyer look so happy. 



Do we need a Horse Forum "beautiful buckskins" thread? :wink:


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## LoriF

@carshon That is a beautiful picture. Sawyer is super cute and looks happy and gentle. 

@egrogan Maybe we should start a beautiful buckskin thread.


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## PoptartShop

What a pretty girl! Glad she is doing so well.  I'm sure she enjoyed that nice rinse off. Humidity is a pain! @carshon I also have to say, gorgeous horse.


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## LoriF

Nothing too interesting happening except Novia is still growing like a weed. Well, maybe not so much like a weed, more like a slow growing beautiful tree.


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## LoriF

The day that I took these last pics were when we were waiting for the vet that didn't show up (administrative issue)
. He was supposed to come and give Novia a very thorough checkup. This weird thing that showed up around her neck showed up again the other day but on her shoulder. 

pic of what was on her neck, but this time was on her shoulder.









I had brought her to the arena to work with her a bit. She got a little sweaty but not much. Afterwords, I left her tied to the trailer. The B/O came home with a new colt and she was having trouble with him. I was helping her and then after about 45 minutes I remembered that I left Novia tied to the trailer. When I went to get her to put her back in the pasture, I noticed that she had that same thing as before but on her shoulder and not her neck. Put her in the pasture and she went straight to the water trough for some long drinks. The raised skin was gone by the next day.

For the life of me, I don't know what this is. Maybe she is getting into something out in the pasture that she's having a reaction to.


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## iloverains

Hmm how odd! My kinda initial thought was just dehydrated loose skin. But I’d have no idea. 

Hopefully it’s just a inconsequential thing.


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## LoriF

@iloverains Yeah, on another thread that I made, it was suggested that it could be dehydration. The first time I noticed it was the worst (shown in pic) Had the vet look at her briefly when he was at the farm for other things and didn't find anything alarming, but of course the welts or whatever they are were gone. The second time it happened it wasn't as bad but still made an appt. but vet didn't show up. The third time was just a tiny bit of area on her shoulder. It's not really loose skin like dehydration though. It's more like welts or vascular looking. 

Anyway, each time that it has happened, it went away in a short time. I'm thinking that if it were an allergic reaction to something, it wouldn't disappear so quickly. IDK. As far as behavior with her, nothing abnormal. She acts like her usual self.


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## LoriF

So I went on a trail ride yesterday with a new friend. I was going to take Laela and Star but at the last minute, I decided to take Novia instead. She is so mild mannered to the point of being quite lazy. She is not an excitable horse at all. 

I had to laugh at her. She kept on wanting to go in a different direction than I wanted to because that was the quickest way back to the trailer. At one part of the ride, I wasn't really directing her because I was fooling around with a bottle of water and she started heading off into the bushes. I got the bottle put away and re directed her and as she turned around and saw her mom, she whinnied as if she were greeting a long lost friend. She's really smart as she learns quickly and retains what she learns, but when she does stuff like that, it makes me wonder. LOL.


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## PoptartShop

What a good girl! I'm sure she was happy to get out, it's always nice to go on a trail.  She sure lets you know if you're not paying attention huh! :lol: She is a very smart girl!!


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## LoriF

Today was spa day for the young lady. She loved her bath as it was pretty hot out today and they are still trying to shed out their winter coats. No more itchies.


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## LoriF

Next week on the 11th is Novia's birthday. Happy fourth to the little lady. She is now officially a mare although she still has some maturing to do. 

It's been a fun ride. I've learned quite a bit on raising a baby and she's turning out nicely. I couldn't ask for a sweeter horse.


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## knightrider

Happy Birthday, Novia! You truly are a sweet filly!:happy-birthday8:


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## phantomhorse13

Happy Birthday to the prettiest filly I know!


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## PoptartShop

Happy birthday, Novia! Such a cutie!!


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## SummerAwaits

LoriF said:


> Next week on the 11th is Novia's birthday. Happy fourth to the little lady. She is now officially a mare although she still has some maturing to do.
> 
> It's been a fun ride. I've learned quite a bit on raising a baby and she's turning out nicely. I couldn't ask for a sweeter horse.


Gosh she looks so much like her mama :Angel: Such a beautiful girl! Happy Birthday sweet one!


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## LoriF

*Feeling Lucky*

Look what I found. It's not anything crazy special but it's cute. An old Simco saddle just waiting for Novia so I got it for her birthday present. It hung out in a ladies basement for a while and she moved down to Florida and decided that she didn't need to hang on to it. It cleaned up pretty well. I tried it out on Novia last night and it seems to fit her pretty well and comfy for me too. And not very inexpensive at all. Later on, when she's done growing, I may get her a lifetime saddle. But, for now, this will work.


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## carshon

Love the buckstitching! reminds me of my childhood


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## LoriF

I meant to say not very expensive. I figured that I can get two or three years worth of use and then sell it. The last thing I need is another saddle just hanging around. lol

I didn't really want to spend a lot of money because she is not done growing yet but also something that fit her reasonably well. Oh yeah, and I'm in the middle of renovating an old house. 
It's a little big but the angles are right for her and a 1 inch pad filled it in.


----------



## LoriF

Speaking of growing, I swear Novia has grown in the last two months. I measured her and she is still 15.2 so not any height, I guess she is just filling out some. She just looks so much bigger.


----------



## LoriF

I went to the farm early today with intentions of doing ground work with Novia. It was so dang hot and humid, the sweat was dripping from me, and I started feeling nauseous. There was not one hint of air movement.

So, instead I got the water hose out and played in it. Novia really enjoyed it too.


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## LoriF

Novia said that she would like to try the Boho look as she is all grown up, young, and hip. I gave it to her. Really, I just want to spend less time detangling.

"Do I look stupid?"








"No Novia, you look adorable"


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## carshon

I have thought about doing that for my daughters mare. She left for college and her mares mane gets crazy. Years ago I worked at a barn and we soaked strips of old bed sheets in fabric softener and water and braided manes and tails of the show TWH horses we had. Some of their manes were 3-4 feet long.

Did you soak yours in anything?


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## LoriF

No, I didn't know that was a thing, maybe next time I'll try that. I tore strips of gauze fabric that I had lying around from another project.

The last time that I braided her mane, the hair got all tangled up. I figured cloth may keep that from happening.


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## carshon

I have read that there is an ethnic hair product that can be purchased at Wal Mart that works wonders. It is cheap and is like a cream or paste and it does great for braiding. My daughters TWH looks just like Novia and has a thick mane that we try to keep braided. But the braids end up all raggedy in a few days. So I will be looking for the cream soon so I can keep Sawyer braided while daughter is away at college


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## iloverains

Wow she’s looking super! Such a nice looking mare. So glad she’s going well for you. 
Have you been riding her much?


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## LoriF

@carshon I think what you are thinking about is sulphur 8. There is another product that someone on youtube was raving about called pomada de azufre sulphur ointment by de la cruz. The second one has 10% sulphur as opposed to the first which is 2%. I actually want to try the second one. 

@iloverains No, I have not been riding her much. I've probably been on her back maybe five times. I have been doing groundwork with her and will probably start trail riding with her quite a bit in the fall when it cools off down here.


----------



## LoriF

LoriF said:


> @carshon I think what you are thinking about is sulphur 8. There is another product that someone on youtube was raving about called pomada de azufre sulphur ointment by de la cruz. The second one has 10% sulphur as opposed to the first which is 2%. I actually want to try the second one.


Actually, you were probably thinking of the second one too. I tried finding it in a couple of walmarts and they didn't have it. I think i will just purchase it online.

Another thing that I am going to start with Novia and Laela is a 'Buns of steel workout" 

I'll use two ground poles and a post to prop one end of each pole about two feet from the ground and the other end each pole on the ground. I'll wrap the hind leg that will be on the inside of the circle and just ride around. Once they get good at lifting their hind leg up then I can use a two lb. ankle weight attached horizontally to the leg with a wrap. Apparently it's important to only wrap one leg at a time. It's supposed to really build up the butt muscles and in turn across their backs. Star already has a decent butt, but it probably wouldn't hurt her any either.

From what I have been reading, 10 to 15 minutes a day and you will see a pretty decent difference in a couple of weeks. Of course, I can't do it everyday but I can probably manage 3 or 4 times a week.


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## LoriF

I rode Novia for a bit in the arena last evening and she was great. She's not really getting the move her haunches over when asked from astride but I suppose she will eventually. She does know this from the ground. She moves her shoulder over and side steps but gets confused when I ask to move her butt over.

I walked and trotted her around a bit and did figure eights and she did wonderfully. She reached right into the bit and was just so relaxed. She has such a wonderful and smooth trot. 

I did buy her a new bit and she seems to really like it. It's just a simple D french link snaffle and it has some weight to it. I'm finding easier to communicate with her with a heavier bit.


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## iloverains

Glad to hear she went well - did you ride in the “new” saddle you got for her?


----------



## LoriF

iloverains said:


> Glad to hear she went well - did you ride in the “new” saddle you got for her?


No actually. I was working with her from the ground with the bridle on and then just decided to hop on her bareback for a few minutes. I wasn't really planning on riding so left saddles at home.

It's always so nice when working with a horse and you walk away with a big, content smile on your face. I feel so good about her.

I haven't ridden her at all in that saddle yet. It seems to fit her. I will know for sure when I feel how she goes in it. If she starts moving funky then I won't use it. If she feels alright it will be a keeper for a while. Things might change for that saddle as she's really filling out this summer, so we'll see.


----------



## LoriF

It's been a while since I have contributed to the Horse Forum let alone my own journal on raising Novia. There has been quite a bit going on for me in the last year and a half and many things have taken a back burner. All is well with the horses though.

Novia turned five years old this past May. She is all grown up and doing well. She has turned out to be the sweetest girl and smart as well. Here is a pic of her with my mom and myself. I think that she turned out to be quite pretty.


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## knightrider

She is stunning! And so big! I love buckskins.


----------



## carshon

She is a stunner. I hope all has calmed down for you now


----------



## Luv2Train81

Pretty baby. Btw if you want to build up butt muscles and topline, working in a chambon while really encouraging them to step underneath themselves by taking a quick step towards their butt so they round that back every time you do is best for that. Also lots of hill work. Trotting with low head.. lunging in a 30 degree incline over poles at a trot and then walk back down the other side and trotting back up is great. 

Gosh when babies grow up huh?


----------



## LoriF

Novia had a pretty good time camping and riding the trails. And.... She didn't toss me off this time.

On a side note, after 8 years of boarding at the same place the girls have moved. The property owners sold the property. The new owners of the property said that they could stay but it didn't take long to see trouble in the making. These people are not horse people at all and just didn't understand certain things. 
This is all ok though, the new place is really nice and the people seem to be sweethearts. Wish us luck and hopefully here for quite a while.


----------



## knightrider

Any updates on the new place? Have you been able to ride the new trails? How do the horses like their new living quarters?


----------



## LoriF

knightrider said:


> Any updates on the new place? Have you been able to ride the new trails? How do the horses like their new living quarters?


I have not had a chance to ride the trails yet. I know where the trail head is but not the trails. I might go exploring tomorrow when I get home, I'll have to see how tired I am. I rode in the beautiful arena a couple of times. The girls are settling in ok.. Someone has been tasting the fence boards a little so I'll have to figure out what to do to nip that in the bud. They are not used to getting hay at only specific times. Hopefully the pasture fences will be done soon as there is plenty of grass. Right now their housing is grassy paddocks and stalls. Laela and Novia are not too thrilled with stalls. Star seems to be cool with it. It's a big change for them, they've lived at the same place for almost eight years.


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## LoriF

Happy sixth Birthday Novia.


----------



## LoriF

Novia and I went on a nice trail ride by ourselves today. If you want to call it that. It was mostly dirt roads to get to the trails. Once we got into the trails there were just too many mosquitos to deal with for me. We did a short loop in there and then headed back. It was a little over an hour so not bad.

She did fairly well being as this is her first time in this area and I haven't been doing a whole lot of riding off the property, just some arena work. She really enjoyed getting out. A couple of little tiny spooks in place, and a threat to buck me off when a horse fly was bothering her. A verbal "Nooo" and pushing her forward we trotted out of the flies territory and we were good. All in all, I think that she really likes seeing new stuff

Novia has dumped me a couple of times. It seems like that is her 'go to' when something is irritating her. I'm trying to teach her that bucking is not a good answer to irritating things. I've been working with her a lot to give me her head and disengage her hind quarters so I can stop her when she thinks that she wants to buck. She already knows this but she has gotten a little rusty at it. She really is a mellow and sweet horse so I really think that this is a greenie thing she is going through. I just need to stay on.

More good news. Now that I have been riding her more often, she is starting to develop a little more lean meat on her bum. Yay!


----------



## knightrider

I am so glad to read this! Yay for you and Novia. Now, get your trailer fancied up and Let's! Go! Camping!!!!


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> I am so glad to read this! Yay for you and Novia. Now, get your trailer fancied up and Let's! Go! Camping!!!!


I ended up not getting a darn thing done with that trailer this past weekend. It ended up getting filled with watching kids for a little bit, fixing an air conditioner, and cleaning the biofilters on the fish ponds. And a couple of hours of riding of course.

When the weather cools, I want to go camping regardless of whether the trailer is done or not.


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## LoriF

Novia has been doing really good as she's been getting ridden about three times a week. She's starting to build up a little bit of muscle. I seriously hate riding in the summer. By 10 am it's just too hot.

There is a young girl (in her twenties) that has started to ride her once a week. She rides dressage mostly but does a little bit of everything. I like her, she's really nice and good with the horses.

The chiro/vet came out last week last week and her back was in need of adjustment. I think that her poll is out too but the vet said it is not. I wasn't there but apparently she used some kind of machine. Hmm Not really sure if that is correct, she looks out to me. I think that I will call someone else out there to take a look at her. When I lunge her, she has trouble going into a canter going counter clockwise. She throws a hissy fit when I ask her to canter that way. Going the other way she is fine. Laela was looked at as well and she was fine, nothing needed. 

Good news, one of the ladies at the barn is looking for someone to trail ride with Yay! We'll probably get out next Monday morning. Her guy doesn't like to go by himself. She has a pretty nice looking gelding and he's big. He is half Friesian and half Paint.

@knightrider There is a cute Paso Fino mare at the barn. She looks just like a palomino version of Isabeau


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## Knave

The poll is pretty easy to put in if it’s out. I think you could do it yourself just fine, I put them back when someone has pulled back or anything like that. I don’t know if I could explain it good though…


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> The poll is pretty easy to put in if it’s out. I think you could do it yourself just fine, I put them back when someone has pulled back or anything like that. I don’t know if I could explain it good though…


I wish that I knew how to do it. 
I used to have a chiro for the horses but he retired. Glad for him but still, I hate that whenever you find someone who's good at what they do, they end up going away for one reason or another. Retire, moves to different local or whatever.


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## Knave

Mine moved away, so I get it! If your horse is relaxed and looking at you straight, you can put one hand on their nose (no pressure, or just a soft kind of stability), and with the other hand pull their forelock toward you and a little downwards. It lets go a giant pop.


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> If your horse is relaxed and looking at you straight, you can put one hand on their nose (no pressure, or just a soft kind of stability), and with the other hand pull their forelock toward you and a little downwards. It lets go a giant pop.


I've seen the chiropractor do that. It must be so satisfying to be a horse (or a person chiro, I guess) chiropractor and make those "pops."


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## Knave

I think it must be @knightrider! My horses appreciate that I picked that up from her. What I really wanted her to teach me, but didn’t want to feel like I was stealing her tricks, was how to get the ribs back in. That was the problem Cash was having since the damage he came with. He hated her putting them back sadly, but was shockingly improved once she did. It would take two of us to block him from killing her, and he despises her for it. That said, it fixed what ailed him after a couple of times of doing it. His cinch had to be let out ten inches! She said they had effectively ratcheted his ribs backwards. He eventually stopped falling and the nerve damage healed. She certainly made me a believer in chiropractic work. I think you have to get someone good like that though, and for that big giant beast she had to be fearless. You should have seen him try and get to her.


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> Mine moved away, so I get it! If your horse is relaxed and looking at you straight, you can put one hand on their nose (no pressure, or just a soft kind of stability), and with the other hand pull their forelock toward you and a little downwards. It lets go a giant pop.


So is it a gentle force on pulling the forelock out and down or something with more ooomph put into it?


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> She said they had effectively ratcheted his ribs backwards.



@Knave, how does someone do that? I cannot imagine it. A squeeze chute?


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## Knave

It’s is middle type pressure. Like… hmm… not super soft by any means, but not like you’re trying to pull off the forelock. Middle type of a pull.

@knightrider the guy who started him was a bigger guy. What we figure happened was that when they said “cinch a horse up really tight,” they didn’t actively explain what that means. So, a guy like him, cinches a horse REALLY tight. When he came home, I had only seen him with the saddle on. His skin was sluffed all along the bottom of his cinch line and a little on the sides. I still had to use him, but I had something much better and it healed quickly. It is white now though, under his cinch.


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## LoriF

Sorry to keep bugging you, lol. A steady pull not a yank right? I wouldn't be strong enough to pull the forelock out, but I get what you mean.


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## Knave

You aren’t bugging me! I will say that’s in between too. It’s kind of closer to a yank I’d say, but keep it smooth and steady.


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## Knave

Sometimes they’ll jerk their head up, but it will still get it.


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> You aren’t bugging me! I will say that’s in between too. It’s kind of closer to a yank I’d say, but keep it smooth and steady.


ok gotcha, I can now picture it. I'm going to try it. It seems like the worst thing that can happen is nothing. It's worth a shot.


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> I've seen the chiropractor do that. It must be so satisfying to be a horse (or a person chiro, I guess) chiropractor and make those "pops."


Kind of like popping bubble wrap 🙃


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## Knave

Let me know how it goes!


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> Let me know how it goes!


I sure will


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## carshon

Following to see if it works! Our equine dentist puts polls back in if he feels they are out. Something he learned from a chiropractor that traveled with him a few times


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## LoriF

carshon said:


> Following to see if it works! Our equine dentist puts polls back in if he feels they are out. Something he learned from a chiropractor that traveled with him a few times


Thanks for reminding me. The girls have to get their teeth done too.


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## LoriF

N









Novia and her buddy Caspian went on a short 7 mile trail ride today. It was nice to get out. See those bloody marks on her chest? The biting flies were horrible.


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## LoriF

I can't believe that this girl has grown to 16.1 hands. The barn owner helped me measure her and we did it three times to be sure we were not mistaken. I thought she would be 15.3 or 16 at the most. Hopefully at 6 yrs. she's done.
I kind of thought she had grown a bit this summer but she mostly looks like she is filling out some.
She doesn't look the greatest here. It was a super hot sweaty day.


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## knightrider

Looks very good to me! 16.1 is very tall!


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> Looks very good to me! 16.1 is very tall!


Yes it is. She needs to stop. Does she not know that she is my old lady horse and I have to be able to climb up there?


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## knightrider

This is a quote from Wikipedia about Clifford, the Big Red Dog:
"Clifford's pet owner is Emily Elizabeth. Clifford has a mother, two brothers, and two sisters, all of whom are normal-sized dogs. Clifford was originally the runt of the litter, seemingly fated to be small and sick, but grew to an enormous size apparently *due to Emily Elizabeth's love and care*."

This is why Novia has gotten so tall. Because you love her so much!


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## LoriF

Time for some pics. 
We had a great day today. I really just got serious with working with Novia late spring of this year and its had its ups and downs. It's really hard to work with her in this heat plus I only have three days a week which two of them are on my way home after working all night. I've fallen into a little routine for her though and it seems to be working fine. 

Thurs. we do some arena work. Sun. I lunge her for about 20 minutes and then just hang out with my girls and take care of their needs. Mon. We go for a trail ride and one day a week a girl that works at the barn works with her training for a half hour in the arena.

She wanted to balk leaving the barn to go out on the trail and we got that worked out. Also, it was some work to get her to canter on the lunge. 

Today I was so proud of her. She picked up the canter as soon as I asked. Once she tried to race off so I brought her back down to a trot, asked again and she picked it up nice, easy and calm. We did that one more time and then stopped to go to the right. She has a little trouble going to the right but she tried right away and then finally got it. She got some treats, a nice cooling rinse and then grass time. All in all, it was a good day.


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## knightrider

She is so beautiful! A dream come true! I am so glad you are getting time to spend with her.


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## LoriF

I


LoriF said:


> I sure will


Oh, I tried the forlock pull and nothing seemed to happen but Novia didn't mind it though.


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## Knave

Maybe it wasn’t out?


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> Maybe it wasn’t out?


Yeah maybe. Or I didn't do it right. Another chiro is coming to the barn in a couple of weeks so I'll get a second opinion.


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## egrogan

She really is gorgeous! So glad she became what you were looking for


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> She is so beautiful! A dream come true! I am so glad you are getting time to spend with her.


Thanks knightrider, she certainly is my dream come true along with Lea Lea.

On a side note, it seems like M is really enjoying Star. I hope that they are getting along OK. She sent me some pics. I can't wait to see them out on the trail.


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## knightrider

LoriF said:


> On a side note, it seems like M is really enjoying Star. I hope that they are getting along OK.


Yes, she told me she really loves her.


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## LoriF

I went to the barn today to take care of sun damaged manes and forelocks. What I was going to do was Laela's mane, Novia's mane and then ride a little bit in the arena. Usually Monday would be a trail ride day but I woke up super late and missed the boat before the heat. My stupid work schedule makes me be awake in the middle of the night many times. What really happened was Laela got a bath and her mane taken care of and that was it, I ran out of time.

While I was hanging out waiting for Lae Lae to dry, the B/O presented a request from another person. There is this lady who half leases one of the horses there from a private boarder but right now the horse is having some health issues so is not being used at the moment. She asked the B/O to ask me if I would be interested in half leasing Novia. It took me about ten seconds to say No (maybe it was five). I just really got her started this spring. My intention was last fall but she threw me and I broke a rib so that ended that for a couple of months. Anyway, I ride her three times a week and another young woman rides her once a week to help with her training. Her and I are on the same page as far as training goes. I just feel like too many hands in the pot might spoil the broth. I don't want the horse to get confused with different methods. The B/O said that she spends about a month with ground work before she rides. I get it that one would want to get to know a horse, but Novia has had ground work handling for six years.
It was a compliment that she likes her though. 

I'm thinking that maybe she would like to ride Laela but I'm not sure. I probably wouldn't half lease her though because when I want to go somewhere (like camping), I want to go.

I've also tried the back up and then move forward. Once again, it's very temporary and then she stops. She is not acting scared or nervous or looking at anything. She's very calm about the whole thing.


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## Knave

I completely understand! What a compliment though. Husband just finally stepped foot on Queen (my filly), because I wanted to see what she looked like with someone on her. He kinda fell in love. That made me happy, but I am so particular about a horse’s riding when they are young that he is about the only person I would let step on her, and even then not go to training on her…


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> I completely understand! What a compliment though. Husband just finally stepped foot on Queen (my filly), because I wanted to see what she looked like with someone on her. He kinda fell in love. That made me happy, but I am so particular about a horse’s riding when they are young that he is about the only person I would let step on her, and even then not go to training on her…


So, how did she look with your husband on her? Were you pleased?  I bet she looked really nice.

When I sold my horse Star was the first time that I actually realized what she looked like with someone else riding her. My niece rode her a bit but we were always on trails so most of the time, I just saw her butt. Knightrider rode her once or twice and the same, a butt. When the woman came to try her out in the arena Star looked really good ridden. I was kind of sad to sell her but three horses and boarding was getting to be too much.


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## Knave

She looked really good! Better than I thought she would honestly. She’s colored up super fancy, so it draws the eye to things. She carried herself really well too. The first day he got on her I noticed she looked angry, and I asked him if she always looked like that, and he said kind of. He said that’s her personality.

Then he got on her last night and she looked amazing. She didn’t have that mad look, so I do think it was from the idea of someone else stepping on. I’d been the only one on her ever, and she is the type to be very particular about things. Last night she just looked flashy. She curls her neck in this really powerful looking way, that’s never come across in photos as it looks in person. When she gets watchy, just looking at something in the distance, she is stunning!

She moves really well, but I knew that on her back. He was impressed with her handle and her smoothness.


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## Danneq

What a beautiful horse. I haven't read your whole thread, but it sounds like you've got something fantastic with her.


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## LoriF

Right now, I am at my wits end with Novia. In my defense, I'm used to riding very forward horses that want to go. Not Slooooow-via. 

So far, I have gotten her to respond to light cues in the arena and she's doing great with that and moving nice and forward. When I want to ride off of the property is where the problems arise. The first time, we went out with one other person and horse, she did ok. I did have to grab a branch with leaves on it to swoosh by her side and she would go. The second time, we went out with the first person and then another lady and her horse. That ride was horrible. Novia didn't want to go. She didn't throw a fit but just stood there. I bumped her, bumped her harder, swished some leafy branches, smacked her with the saddle strings, nothing, just stood there. I took her out by herself and she tried to pull the same thing so I just kept turning her in a small circle for a few seconds, headed her in the direction I wanted to go, and she would go for a few steps. I had to do this several times but eventually she decided that it was easier to just go forward.

Today, the same thing. No go. I tried the circling thing and it worked a little bit but she just kept stopping. Of course coming home was a different story. She had no problem walking out at all.

I don't know what to do with her. I'm thinking that maybe the next ride, I will ride Laela and pony Novia. Not really sure if that will help at all for when Laela is not around but I guess it's worth a try.


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## knightrider

When I was training Chorro, he would stop. Take 6 steps, then stop. Take 3 steps then stop. Take 8 steps, then stop. It was SO frustrating. It took me a long long time to get him to just stride out, like a couple of years. I had never had a horse that did that, and I wasn't sure what to do. One day I brought a crop, and when he stopped, I smacked him with it. He exploded into bucks and bucked me off. Hmmm, won't do that again. He slowly s-l-o-w-l-y got better. I could see the rides were improving, but it took a long time. Now, he does fine. It took a long time . . . but I had a long time. I knew he was mine for life.


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## LoriF

Knightrider, I was telling the woman that I was riding with today that one day I will look back in time and smile as Novia is moving out normally. 
She doesn't have this problem when riding in the arena or anywhere else on the property. I don't think that she is necessarily scared but I do think she has a bit of a confidence problem and she realizes that she can do this. I got off a couple of times just so we can keep going. The horse that was with us would periodically do the same thing so they weren't helping each other. Also, I held her back a few times when the other horse got ahead and then ask her to move out. She would walk fast or even trot to catch up.

I smacked her a couple of times. No buck but she left me feeling that I could smack her into next week and she would still just stand there. I'm not going to do that, it will only make her resentful.


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## Knave

Hmm…. I have this problem in an arena on my break into a lope with my filly. Outside she is the opposite, but I really put most of her original rides on outside. I think she’s more confident there than inside, plus she says loping circles is stupid. Lol.

I fixed my problem with the break by cheating and asking her to lope off from a kiss to the other side of our worked up area and then slide and eat a bite of grass. That was all she took. Lol

Outside I would think another horse being there would keep her going! I’m surprised she’s solling up on you there. Maybe ponying her and gaining some confidence will greatly approve it.

I also completely agree that we will all look back and smile about the little issues we come through.


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> Hmm…. I have this problem in an arena on my break into a lope with my filly. Outside she is the opposite, but I really put most of her original rides on outside. I think she’s more confident there than inside, plus she says loping circles is stupid. Lol.
> 
> I fixed my problem with the break by cheating and asking her to lope off from a kiss to the other side of our worked up area and then slide and eat a bite of grass. That was all she took. Lol
> 
> Outside I would think another horse being there would keep her going! I’m surprised she’s solling up on you there. Maybe ponying her and gaining some confidence will greatly approve it.
> 
> I also completely agree that we will all look back and smile about the little issues we come through.


The other horse that we were with would do the same thing but her rider could get her going a little bit easier. So, they were kind of feeding off of each other. Maybe this isn't the kind of horse we should be riding with for now. At least when it's just us. When they got ahead a little bit, then I would ask her to move out and she would in order to catch up. If we were riding side by side, they both would just start poking along until they were stopped again. Of course going home was a different story.

It's like they both wanted to be last when we were going away from the farm.


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> I also completely agree that we will all look back and smile about the little issues we come through.


I can pretty much promise you that. When Chorro was a baby, and I was doing a lot of "firsts" with him, I would remind myself that there would come a day when I would swing up on him, completely confident that he would be everything I wanted. That day came a long time ago, but sometimes I remember thinking that . . . and being glad now that he truly is everything I ever wanted.

Isabeau . . . well, there were times when I wasn't so sure we were going to succeed. But nowdays, she is my gentlest, quietest, most trustworthy of my little herd. She is so grand. I am so glad I never gave up on her.

I've started most of the horses I have owned, I think about 12, which isn't a lot, really, but I remember quirks that a lot of them had that became just memories.


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> I can pretty much promise you that. When Chorro was a baby, and I was doing a lot of "firsts" with him, I would remind myself that there would come a day when I would swing up on him, completely confident that he would be everything I wanted. That day came a long time ago, but sometimes I remember thinking that . . . and being glad now that he truly is everything I ever wanted.
> 
> Isabeau . . . well, there were times when I wasn't so sure we were going to succeed. But nowdays, she is my gentlest, quietest, most trustworthy of my little herd. She is so grand. I am so glad I never gave up on her.
> 
> I've started most of the horses I have owned, I think about 12, which isn't a lot, really, but I remember quirks that a lot of them had that became just memories.


I remember when I first met you, Isabeau was still kicking the crap out of your trailer. As soon as you loaded up, you had to get moving so she would concentrate more on balancing instead of trying to put holes in your trailer. You guys have come a long way. Yay Isabeau!! Yay Knightrider!!


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## Knave

That is what I do @knightrider when I feel something is difficult. I remember back through the colts I’ve started, and that they indeed became trustworthy horses. Queen I haven’t had that feeling often; she hasn’t been as difficult as the others. I think it’s because of the new idea I’m trying out, and that since she’s hot I’ve done everything to keep her on the gentler and calmer side of things.

Yet, going out for the first few days of work, I felt once again overwhelmed. It’s good for me to remember that I have always felt overwhelmed on the first days of work. My husband reminds me often during those times “It’s just the way it is with two-year-olds, soon they are four-year-olds and all of that is the past. You just gotta get through these times.” Then I usually say, “this is it. I’m not starting colts anymore!” Lol

So, when Queen started solling up on the break into a lope in the arena, I just took it with a grain of salt. Bones was a horse who solled up, and we got over it. It’s nice when you have a background to come from to remember.


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> That is what I do @knightrider when I feel something is difficult. I remember back through the colts I’ve started, and that they indeed became trustworthy horses. Queen I haven’t had that feeling often; she hasn’t been as difficult as the others. I think it’s because of the new idea I’m trying out, and that since she’s hot I’ve done everything to keep her on the gentler and calmer side of things.
> 
> Yet, going out for the first few days of work, I felt once again overwhelmed. It’s good for me to remember that I have always felt overwhelmed on the first days of work. My husband reminds me often during those times “It’s just the way it is with two-year-olds, soon they are four-year-olds and all of that is the past. You just gotta get through these times.” Then I usually say, “this is it. I’m not starting colts anymore!” Lol
> 
> So, when Queen started solling up on the break into a lope in the arena, I just took it with a grain of salt. Bones was a horse who solled up, and we got over it. It’s nice when you have a background to come from to remember.


This is a first for me dealing with this. My first mare Bella, and then Laela, and Star were all fairly hot and very forward horses. For Bella and Laela, it was all they could do to keep there feet still. Novia is superchill and would just assume to stand there all day. At least I won't be asking how to get her to hold still at the mounting block, lol. She's very sweet and loves people. I just have to try different things until I find what works for her.


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## Knave

Neither Bones or Queen could be called lazy by any stretch of the imagination, so it is possible that is why I don’t think of it as an overly difficult problem. Their solling up was due more to a confusion (and a bad saddle fit, which I didn’t know and caused quite a bit of damage) with Bones, and with Queen it is a stubborn thing. She doesn’t want to lope in a circle. She’s perfectly fine once you get the break, and as I said I think I have it covered now.

I think she thought that it had to be a pressure thing, which was partly due to me. I was trying to not make her cuey, because she takes life awfully serious. So, I wanted her to break into the lope with a little pressure. It became a confusion for her and an irritation. Not outside, because all you have to do is think “faster” and she’s off before you imagine cuing, but in the arena loping a circle… also I think she thought she couldn’t balance when I first asked her to. It was just a buildup of a lot of little things.

On an honestly calmer natured horse, I just don’t know. I do think another horse will give her reason to go though, but obviously not the horse you went with. Lol


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## LoriF

Knave said:


> Neither Bones or Queen could be called lazy by any stretch of the imagination, so it is possible that is why I don’t think of it as an overly difficult problem. Their solling up was due more to a confusion (and a bad saddle fit, which I didn’t know and caused quite a bit of damage) with Bones, and with Queen it is a stubborn thing. She doesn’t want to lope in a circle. She’s perfectly fine once you get the break, and as I said I think I have it covered now.
> 
> I think she thought that it had to be a pressure thing, which was partly due to me. I was trying to not make her cuey, because she takes life awfully serious. So, I wanted her to break into the lope with a little pressure. It became a confusion for her and an irritation. Not outside, because all you have to do is think “faster” and she’s off before you imagine cuing, but in the arena loping a circle… also I think she thought she couldn’t balance when I first asked her to. It was just a buildup of a lot of little things.
> 
> On an honestly calmer natured horse, I just don’t know. I do think another horse will give her reason to go though, but obviously not the horse you went with. Lol


You know, the saddle has crossed my mind. I rode with another girl and another horse and was using my dressage saddle. She was perfectly fine that day. Could have been the horse though. The last three times, I've used my western saddle that was made for Laela. It might be bothering her. She doesn't seem to have a sore back. Her sweat under the saddle was really even. Tomorrow, I think that I will try to go out by myself with the English saddle and see if that makes a difference for her.

I briefly had trouble getting Novia to canter in the arena. I think that it was a balance issue that she was worried about. Once she did it, she didn't have any problems with it since then.


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## Knave

I wish it had crossed my mind with Bones! His withers peel every year now, because I scalded them. I didn’t really know anything about saddle fit. That’s funny I know, not funny haha, being raised on horses. Yet, the tendency in my world is that “this is a good saddle,” or “this saddle tends to sore a horse up.” So, I didn’t even think about it, and didn’t realize I was even soring the poor guy.

I couldn’t figure out why he struggled to change leads or spin either. I wasn’t even smart enough to realize the difference I felt in throwing this super light lazy day saddle I won on him, and suddenly he could move better. It was a live and learn thing, but I sure wish I had known or realized what was actually going on with him. If he were any other horse I’m pretty sure he would have bucked me off.


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## LoriF

I do have another western saddle that I haven't used because the off billet broke. I need to put another on it and I can try that one as well. The saddle that I've been using seems like it fits but maybe not quite for Novia's liking. Her mom, Laela, is a drama queen and will definitely let me know if something is bothering her. Novia's temperament is different. She might be letting me know in a quieter way.


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## knightrider

I was talking about saddle fit with my neighbor/riding buddy. We both remember when we were young, if you had a saddle, you put it on your horse and rode in it. I also remember just about every older horse I knew had white marks on the back or withers. We figured it was just a part of a horse aging. Big improvement over those bad ol' days!


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## Knave

Lol @knightrider. It still rolls that way here for the most part. Which is something one should realize. Now the saddle I used to correct the problem with Bones was an antique saddle of my grandpa’s. My dad said “that saddle always sored a horse.” Well, it was just what Bones needed. Then he grew and I had to swap to another saddle with a bit wider bars, but nothing like the saddle I ride Cash and Queen in. (Isn’t it funny they fit the same saddle?)

I still would choose a horse with white marks out of the corral first if I had to just grab a random horse and ride it.


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## LoriF

I took a really close look at the saddle on her back, rode her in the arena for a half hour in it and also around the property. She did really well. I don't think that the saddle is the problem. I honestly think that she just doesn't want to leave the farm if she doesn't have to.


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## LoriF

Wednesday, I rode Novia in the arena and she did great. We did some walking around for a bit, and then trot work. She was starting to carry herself nicely and she was very light in my hands. I was so pleased with her, she did great

And then Thurs. I wanted to repeat what we did on Wednesday and she was horrible. Leaning on my hands, didn't want to respond to my seat or legs. She was kind of hectic. I should have known it wasn't going to be that great when I was leading her from the pasture. It's like I had to drag her along. She was being very resistant.

Today, I rode her again but this time I decided to leave the property. I didn't know how well that was going to go but I wanted to work on her being light and responsive. But with a relaxing trail ride to go with it.

So, we went out and up the long driveway. She was a little hesitant but I just kept her in the direction that I wanted her to go and took my time. It was stop, go, stop, go but at least we went. We rode about two miles up the road and she was better once we got past the farm property. A little looky and snorty by the tractors but we took our time and got past that. Once by the scary stuff we trotted a little bit and she was fine. We stopped to say hello to the cows and she was totally fine with them, she wanted to sniff a calf's nose but I didn't let her so we just looked at them. I had her do some bending and stuff with a very light rein. It took her a minute but she finally responded. I just kept a very light pull on the rein and waited. 

On the way back we did have one little in place spook when a big blue herring popped out of the road ditch and took off flying. It took both of us by surprise. 

All in all, today was another good day.


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## LoriF

I rode Novia today and she was being a good girl. It was pretty hot today so we just moseyed around and worked on bending and being responsive. All walking for about a half an hour. She was in such a good mood.

I've never seen such a curious, friendly, and funny horse. She's so soft and gentle about everything, yet if left to her own devises, she would be like a bull in a china shop knocking everything over. She has to have her nose in everything to see what it is. She has to visit every single horse and person that she sees to say hi. 
We walked by one of the ladies who was sitting in a chair in front her horses stall and she leaned her face over, brushed her lips across the ladies face and kept going. I was leading her as she was walking behind me, I turned just in time to see this and was mortified. I apologized to the lady as she was laughing. She said "It was so soft, she knows me, she just wanted to say hi and give me a kiss".

Being in a barn with all of these horses and people is right up her alley. She loves to socialize.


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## LoriF

Novia behaved so nicely on her camping outing compared to the last time. I suspect why she acted out before but really only she knows why.

We did a lot of riding, more than she's used to anyway. She's been being worked lightly 3 to 4 times a week over the summer so I don't think I was being too hard on her.

The last night we had to move our campsite so she was a lot closer to the other horses. She had to be highlined which she's done before. I felt kind of bad because it was the first time of the trip that she actually laid down to rest. Before when in her corral space, she really couldn't see the other horses.

The couple of beach rides were really nice and she didn't mind it at all considering it was her first time to the ocean.

All in all, it turned out to be a fantastic trip for all.


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