New horses AND new babies!

All kinds of things have been goin' down the last few days here at the Corral... hehehe.

I drove to Columbus Monday night to pick up two horses up thataways. Artie is a Thoroughbred who was adopted out from our program about eight years ago. His owner had given him to another home, and now that home didn't really need him anymore, so they gave him back. I loaded the poor horse in the trailer all by myself - he did not like that. It took us like an hour! I can't blame him though, it's kind of confusing when you haven't been loaded in a while, and it's a little straight load. Poor guy. Anyway, he is pretty underweight, but he's gonna be darling once he gets fixed up. Victoria said that when he was here before, he was really an anyone-can-ride kind of horse. I groomed all the burrs out of his mane and tail yesterday and he just looooved it! A real sucker for attention.

After I picked up Artie, I headed over to Beulah to pick up another Thoroughbred, straight off the track. Beulah instituted a new rule in the fall, following the example of several other major racetracks. Any trainer who is known to sell his horses to slaughter will no longer be given stall space. This means that those trainers would NOT be able to race horses at Beulah. So, the politics are changing! There is another organization called CANTER who picks up a lot of the Thoroughbreds down there, and New Vocations is another good rescue based out of the Columbus area who takes a lot of them. So, we end up with a lot fewer OTTBs from Beulah than we did ten years ago. But, this trainer had heard of us from a friend of his, and decided to send his horse Ruffie to us. A Ruff Way To Go is a ten year old Thoroughbred. This trainer has had him for six years. Ruffie hasn't been off the racetrack backside in six years. SIX YEARS?! I know. Anyway, he is SOUND - incredibly - and he is just a darling. He was this trainer's best friend, I'd say. Six years is a long relationship. Ruffie started 103 times. Wow. He is about 16 hands, and he could do anything. I think he misses all the attention he got from his 'dad' at the racetrack. He didn't want to get on the trailer, and the trainer said, "It's okay Ruffie, we're just hauling you to your race, you'll still get to work!" And suddenly, Ruffie jumped right on. He went out with other horses today - first time that's happened to him since he was a baby, I'm sure. He loved it! He can't wait to be someone's partner, I can tell.

Also, Oreo arrived on Monday - I can't remember if I mentioned him or not. He is a flashy black leopard Appy with western pleasure training. Rachel hopped on him yesterday and said he's quiet as can be! He will be going to Equine Affaire to find a new home. We are also going to take Chop and Mikey to Equine Affaire. Everyone loves a happy rescue story. ; )

The little Appaloosa baby and the red walker both have the poops something terrible. They are segregated to a stall for the night and they are NOT happy about it! I can see them from the office and they are both staring wistfully into the foal barn. Little miss sassy red dun filly is FULL OF HERSELF tonight.. I have been watching her run around like a little pistol for the last hour! She is learning to rear. It is so fun to watch the babies learn to play, and buck, and kick, and generally just be little demons. Our foal barn has rubber matting under a nice fluffy bed of shavings, but it isn't that large, so inevitably, there are a lot of falls during this learning-to-play time. It never seems to phase them. I have seen a foal run full speed into the foal barn, try to turn and fall, and slide legs-first into the wall... and jump right up and start galloping again. Silly babies. The little pony colt is still here, and he has learned how to defend himself against the big bully colts..... the old back-and-kick-til-you-get-outta-my-way routine!! The little red walker filly is definitely the sweetest of this whole bunch. Every time you walk in the foal barn, she has a deeeep little whicker for you... and then she follows you everywhere!

I got an email the other day with an update on miss Alibi, Skittles, and Polar. They are all doing well. Alibi is being trail ridden all over! She looked all cowboyed up in the photo, and quite pleased about it.

Our coloring book is done, as are our new foal flyers. You should see the foal flyers in the mail sometime next week, as soon as we get them back from the printer's and I figure out how to turn our mailing list database into address labels. Anyone have any ideas? ; )

I can't believe how quickly the temperature dropped! Everyone is in tonight except for Cool and his girlfriend Norell, who get to hang out in the big paddock for the night. Lucky for them! Hehe. Axle is on stall rest for a little bit, his shoulder is bothering him from where he was kicked the other day. The big babies, 7 and 9, lost their "mommy" Valentine the other day, so they are out back by themselves. And of course, Brutus is still on stall rest. And a diet!!! He is getting to be a chunky monkey! Oh, and did I tell you he started back under saddle the other day? Just a five minute walk, but he did stellar.. cheers for him.

Victoria is working on the posters for Equine Affaire... I suppose I better get off my butt and go help her! Everyone have a great Wednesday.... one day closer to the weekend, right? ; )