RiverOtter's pony and thread drift thread

[RiverOtter]

Hey, @Overo Mare , @MIAMI LEGHORN , and the peeps from @The Moonshiner 's thread, over here!

Poor Bessie's hock was pretty swollen at the last check and for the first time since the first day, we had to really roll her instead of just encouraging her to her other side. She either banged it (again!) trying to get up or her calf stepped on it, so we separated the calf, who is happily old enough to wean - and nurses on our Jersey cow anyway. Bessie started to get a good sulk going after being rolled (we had to roll her to her back and get her one leg tucked under her, because she was pushing to stay as she was, and then quickly roll her back and keep going to her other hip. Took two tries) but a few flakes of nice hay and some snuggles cheered her back up. A dollar says she's back to her favorite side in two hours.

But, to cheer me up, the promised pony pics! Gandalf (yeah, I'm a giant geek) is a 7 yo, Connemara Sportpony stallion, and the kind of horse I breed for. He is happy to do anything, so long as he does it with people. Wanna take a trail ride? OK! Let's mount up;


Then through the woods

Over a mesh bridge at a construction site


And a break at the top of the mountain!


Then maybe some jumps


And we'll finish the day with a little light logging


Btw, not my house. I live in the barn. Really.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Tagging @casportpony over here also.

 

[casportpony]

Lovely pony!

 

[Painted Calls]

Love him and his name! I'm a huge LOTR fan too.

Hopefully swelling goes down.

 

[RiverOtter]

Tagging @casportpony over here also.

Thank you!

Thanks, @casportpony, I'm really pleased with him. We have 3 foals on the ground from him, and are expecting more this year. But soon, sadly, he is to be gelded unless he goes out on a breeding lease. Not through any fault of his own, but I can't keep 2 stallions and his sire just came to live with me! I'm wildly excited.

Gandalf's daughter Zephyr


And his sire, Connemara Kaleidoscope's O'Really

 

[RiverOtter]

His son, the foal in the other thread, is Rohan. It's been a family tradition, starting with my Dad, to always have a pet named from LOTR. My daughter isn't that into it, but my son LOVES the movies, so hopefully he'll keep it going.

I'm sure Bessie will be ok. She's young and healthy overall. I keep telling myself it's just a sore leg, we just have to make sure it heals ok. And keep reminding myself that a cow down is not the same heart-stopping emergency that a horse down is. My old vet had a stubborn cow down for 3 weeks before she decided to stand again, because if they're sore, they'll lie there.

 

[Painted Calls]

His son, the foal in the other thread, is Rohan. It's been a family tradition, starting with my Dad, to always have a pet named from LOTR. My daughter isn't that into it, but my son LOVES the movies, so hopefully he'll keep it going.

I'm sure Bessie will be ok. She's young and healthy overall. I keep telling myself it's just a sore leg, we just have to make sure it heals ok. And keep reminding myself that a cow down is not the same heart-stopping emergency that a horse down is. My old vet had a stubborn cow down for 3 weeks before she decided to stand again, because if they're sore, they'll lie there.

Oh that is awesome!

Glad that she's young. That helps. Taking that calf off was a good call too.

It's not as bad, but usually a downed cow is a dead cow. Unless they straight give up, or show improvement, I give mine a week. Sometimes two. That much weight resting on nerves is not good at all. Every day they are down, chances of them staying up go down. Unless of course they're in a sling and on their feet.

Not being negative! Just real. I'll definitely be thinking about that sweet girl!

 

[casportpony]

I am a huge fan of sport ponies, hence my username!

 

[casportpony]

@RiverOtter, what is Gandalf's registered name, I'd like to see if I can find his pedigree online.

 

[RiverOtter]

Not being negative! Just real. I'll definitely be thinking about that sweet girl!

I know you are! I appreciate all the support. And yeah, she's only just 3, this is her first calf, low milk production (which is good in this case) and perfect health. She just slipped a bit and strained something, it's been really icy here. She could get up on her hinds and knees, but then can't rock back, take all her weight on her hinds for a sec, and bring her front legs under her.
She's more an educational animal than a production one, so she has that in her favor - she's steady tempered, hugely handleable and I don't care a whit about withdrawals or off-label useage. I'm really hopeful.

@RiverOtter, what is Gandalf's registered name, I'd like to see if I can find his pedigree online.

Sigh, you can't. We only decided fall before last to register him and keep him intact, and Connemara half-breds get inspected. Inspections were scheduled for the spring ... which obviously didn't happen. I'm working with the Connemara Association to try to figure out how we can get him done.

But his father is Kaleidoscope's O'Really, who is by Big Bear's Special Order and out of Gately's Red Robin, sired by Balius Rhyddspence.
His Dam is registered half-Arab Ody's Lady May, by an Andalusian stallion. I don't have her pedigree to hand, but hers IS online.