Lexie's Honour

domane

Retired cob mum
Jul 31, 2005
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Cataloguing life with my new filly.

Having been offered a private field at the yard where Jack can live out his retirement as a happy field ornament rather than a stressy stabled one, I started looking for another youngster...despite having said "never again" last time! Having been a gelding lass through and through the arrival of Gracie last year and the subsequent bond with her made me re-think, especially as the last colt I bought turned out to not have two complete testicles! So I started looking for a filly and eventually found this little lady...

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Her advert said "to make 13.3hh" but as I have no desire to ride her, height is not important. By the time she is old enough to be backed, I will be pushing 60 and besides, hopefully I will still have Gracie, so she's been bought primarily as a companion for Jack, to learn manners, be educated and to just....well.....grow! Certainly for the time being.

She was nicknamed Roxie by the lady selling her, which was fine, but I thought of her as more of a Lexie. But I also liked the name Honor so I needed to get her to home to decide which suited her best.

The seller was going to have her passported and microchipped for me but this fell though the day before I was due to collect her as the vet had to go off to an emergency.

Lexie was weaned as we collected her. It sounds traumatic but I understand the owner's comment about weaning and moving at the same time...it gets the trauma over all at once. Lexie had a 10 second tantrum when mum was removed from our trailer, but then stood quietly. She had already been Little Miss Independent in the field and her behaviour enforced that. Apparently het mum was put back in the field, put her head down to eat and didn't call once! We had driven 125 miles to collect her and I wouldn't normally travel a baby horse that far but the route was primarily motorways and straight roads, so although long, it wasn't arduous. Lexie travelled loose in my trailer with a block of 4 small bales ratcheted together in the nose so that she wouldn't come under the full-width breast bar...and a nice deep straw bed. We didn't get a peep out of her and she wasn't sweaty upon arrival at the yard.

I decided to keep her in Gracie's stable for the first week, so that we can get to know each other. I can start to introduce her to new things and by the time she goes out into 3 acres with Jack she will hopefully know me well enough to come and see me rather than bombing off!

She didn't eat much for the first 24 hours but was calm, curious and only a bit shouty for mum. She was happy for me to scritch her from her head to her tail, although I didn't attempt legs or hooves at this early stage! By the second day she was tucking into her hay and pooing normally. This all boded very well....
 
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This is a direct copy and paste of my earlier post...for records.

Well the name that's stuck is Lexie so that was easy! :p Every time I walk up to the stable I call it and I *think* she is starting to recognise it. In any case she's actually very friendly and comes over to me anyway and if I'm outside her stable and walk away she whinnies after me. She's still wearing a headcollar but I've practised taking it off and putting it on each time I'm there and she actually doesn't mind this at all so I'm going to leave it off after the vet has been to jab her today.

She's been gently brushed a little and I can run my hands quietly down her front legs without her panicking.

She's getting bolder and starting to investigate us with her teeth, as they do. Her favourite scratchy spot seems to be her forehead! Not hugely fussed about bum or withers but likes the forehead/forelock region...unusual, but hey, I'll take that. Not too fussed about her ears being touched either which is good.

Leading was a no-no. Any pressure on her head meant an instant plant and reverse - and obviously you don't get into a tug of war with a baby horse! So I've been working with her in her stable, encouraging her to me from the side which gives us both softer and safer options and she's now a little less resistant to slight head pressure. On Monday night we tried getting her out of her stable and it wasn't very successful and ended with Dom having to lift her back into it! :p Last night there was no one else at the yard to distract her so we tried again....and she found forward.... by following one of the yard cats!! She was fascinated by it! Some of you may have seen the vid I posted on FB. I managed to get her successfully back to her stable door but understandably she was "I don't wanna!" about the prospect of going back in.

After 24 hours of picking at hay she's now scoffing well. I'm not mucking her out, just deep littering for the week and her poos are so small this is working well and the top layer is staying clean...ish. I tried her with a little FF and HH in a shallow trug but she just wanted to chew the bucket, sniffed the food and went back to her hay.

So I'm very pleased with her so far. Looking forward to getting her out in the field. It feels so wrong and unnatural to be keeping her in but I already don't think I'll have a problem catching her. I feel that we've bonded.

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So today is day 5 of Lexie's life with us and it was a milestone day for her.... passporting, vaccinating and the dreaded microchipping!

The vet drew her markings whilst I wittered on and I mentioned that I haven't attempted to touch her hind legs. I'm very much working on getting her to trust me first. Vet forgot and tried to look at the hoof markings on her off hind and she swiftly kicked out at him! Oops! She didn't make contact and he was very apologetic to her and me. The vaccination went as well as I could expect. She jumped with pain, half-reared and leapt forward..... and of course her trust of the vet had then gone so she wasn't happy when he approached her again with the microchip. As a seasoned pro, he went at lightning speed and the deed was done quicker than her explosive reaction thankfully. No-one was injured and he consternation passed as quickly as it had arrived.

As soon as we left the stable she had a few mouthfuls of hay and then lay down for a snooze.

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When she woke up and stood up I took her headcollar off because she is calm to be touched around her head so I don't feel that she needs to have it on 24/7 any more.

Afterwards the vet told me that she was actually very well behaved for a filly of her age and experience *swells with pride*

Chatting to a yard mate afterwards, I remembered my trusty friend "hand on a stick" which I've had for my previous babies, so I need to pad out an old glove and attach it to a bamboo cane for leg desensitising. I can't believe how much I've forgotten!!!
 
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Tonight I put her headcollars on and led her around her stable with no resistance.... huge progress! And she met the scary Builder's Bag of Doom. As I'm deep littering her for the week I am putting a big bag of straw in every other day (I did it the other night when she was out in the barn with Dom). She was fascinated and pawed at it...of course! I didn't leave her to investigate it because I didn't want her to get a hoof caught in one of the handles.....then I'd have been really stuffed! Haha! So I tipped the straw out and she took a step back...but then was fascinated by the straw pile instead and watched curiously as I forked it all around her. She's very bold.
 
Ouchie!!!! Had my first foalie bite! My phone dropped out of my pocket and in the split second of bending down to retrieve it she got me right on the bone of my shoulder....proper circular bite too rather than a nip. Unfortunately I was only wearing a T-shirt as well. So she's had her first instantaneous "NO!!!" and a tap on the nose. She shot to the back of the stable, wild-eyed but as soon as I'd left the stable she was back over eating hay and after a couple of minutes we were back having cuddles, everything forgotten..... my shoulder is smarting though and the bruising is developing ....I didn't even know she could open her mouth that wide! Broken the skin too!! But you can't hold a grudge, it'll have been long-forgotten and to Lexie, she's just doing what is natural to her.

I don't like reprimanding them which is why I try to be careful to not get in a position when she can investigate me with her teeth, but it needs to be done from the start. Avoidance is far better, which is what I try to practise around het but I do start as I mean to go on, as another horse would also retaliate if she bit them hard too. I've never had one become headshy from an occasional tap on the nose for biting and she'll soon learn that it isn't permitted. Nipping also gets reprimanded at a lesser level but a big hard bite gets a hugely negative reaction from mum!! I've started setting my boundaries and another thing learned for her. Also better for her to start to learn that there can be consequences for her actions. I do appreciate that she's probably full of energy and bored witless but she'll be going to the field either tomorrow or Sunday and that will subject me to a whole new level of potentially dangerous "playing" from her! This is when I have to remember to poo pick without ever turning my back on her!!
 
Freedom! Well it didn't rain as heavily as I thought today so we moved them to their new field. Although the field is attached to the yard, it is about a quarter of a mile down the road so we trailered her there. We parked outside the barn and she led really nicely to the bottom of the ramp - huge progress in just a week. She needed a slight prod on her bum to walk up but it was all calm and willing, no force and then she stood calmly as I held her whilst Dom put the ramp up and closed the top doors. I drove to the field and waited 5-10 mins for Dom to lead Jack down from his field on the main yard. We put him in the field first and then let Lexie out....and she walked straight down the ramp with no hesitation! Good girl.

Her and Jack met over the gate and she did the typical mouthing which all baby horses do. For those who don't know they open and close their mouth repeatedly which is their language for saying "I'm just a baby". Popped her in the field and Jack did his usual "I'm the big I am" with her but she nimbly leapt out of the way of him and just whizzed around him. Jack trotted around a bit and she ran and grazed, ran and grazed for about 20 mins before they both just settled down to graze. Dom and I were there for 3 hours, repairing fencing and by that time she had found the water trough too and all had been calm. I've walked up to her and she's walked up to me for scritches so I think catching her will be fine. Jack is a bit jealous when I touch her and sees her off, but that will pass. All in all a good day. And no biting!! Got a cracking bruise on my shoulder.

Here's a little vid of her with the zoomies...

 
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They survived their first night together!

Dom and I were back fencing today and all was fine. Jack is still seeing her off if she gets too close to him or us but at one point she lay down for a snooze and he stood pretty much over her protectively which touched my heart.

After we had finished work we put their headcollars on and Lexie and I practised leading, following Jack. She wasn't hugely happy....as she's spent the last 24 hours following him around WITHOUT having to be led, thank you very much, but I was just glad to be able to walk up to her and get the headcollars on in the first place! Early days and baby steps....literally.

Dom took his camera and got some lovely shots.

Good leading....

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"I don't wanna...." leading.... (the unimpressed face says it all)

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Post leading praise....

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A "just because"....

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And the Chief Babysitter....

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I've had a busy few days so pony care was handed over to the very capable hubster in my absence but today I was able to pick up the poo picking reins again. Jack and Lexie have settled really well on the field and into each other's company.

Whilst wheeling my barrow around today I came across a silver-lined crisp packet so I picked it up. However, as I wear rubber gloves to poo pick, my fingers couldn't feel it and the blustery wind whipped it out of my hands and in it's shredded state it wafted like a butterfly over Lexie who was fascinated by it and followed it in the air until it landed. As I walked back over to retrieve it, she picked it up with her teeth. I instinctively shouted "No!" And set off at a cracking walk towards her to remove it, whereupon she trotted away from me, towards Jack, just like a naughty puppy would do if it had something it shouldn't have!!! She definitely has a look of "can't catch me!" in her eyes!! Jack spotted this terrifying flappy thing in her mouth and also ran.... AWAY from her, in terror.... which she enjoyed hugely.... totally oblivious to the "monster" in her mouth, thinking we were all having a game of "Lets run around!" The quicker she ran towards Jack, the quicker he ran away from her.....and the further they got from me!! I slowed to a casual amble so as not to seem hugely interested in the prize in her mouth (obviously hoping she wouldn't ingest the damn thing!!) whereupon she halted, attempted chewing it and then realised it was quite inedible and spat it out. I quietly retrieved it from the grass....normal service was resumed. But it was quite funny, thinking back.
 
Oh, yesterday I thought I'd better attempt to put her headcollar on as she'd had a week to turn feral and she was a total poppet. Did a little leading practise too.
 
And this is why foalies should be wormed frequently....

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She's been with me nearly a month so yesterday she was wormed. I poo picked this afternoon and the fresher, more recent poos are looking a lot more worm free. Some big buggers were in her too. Poor girlie. She'll be done monthly from now on.
 
Today was jab day for all....Jack and Gracie had their annual boosters and Lexie had her second tetanus so she's fully covered now.

We still haven't got round to building a pen yet so my "work" with Lexie currently consists of putting her headcollars on and walking her around for a bit. Then running my hands over her body and as far down her front legs as I can get. She's still quite skittish but I do feel that is because everything is still being done in such a wide open space. In any case, there's no rush and she is leading a lot better now and protesting less.

The vet who came today is fairly new to thst practise and she was very patient. I had Dom hold Lexie because he is stronger and I knew she'd leap in the air when the needle went in. However, in hindsight I think L would have actually been a bit calmer with me as although Dom has fussed her, he's not held her leader so coupled with the vet she panicked and pulled them around a bit at first. However, the vet remained calm and quiet and eventually Lexie settled and the vet was able to have her. I had been holding Jack close but immobilized and immediately swapped with Dom and Lexie soon settled with me stitching her.

The vet left and Dom and I poo picked together. Yesterday Lexie started losing her summer coat and it's gone from nothing to snow storm! I can't believe it's coming out so rapidly but it's made her SO scritch, which is handy for handling!! As we poo picked around the horses, I chanced rubbing her bum with the little Aldi child's gardening rake that I use to poo pick and ...... well, you can see what happened here....


:p
 
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