Prairie Fire Equine & Wildlife Art: Thanksgiving

SO - I get out to the farm yesterday morning and THIS!

Poor guy! There is an upper and lower gate on the barn where the hay bale is. The upper gate was closed but the horses can still get in and out. Judging by where I have hit MY head on it - it is about 5'6" up. There was a zap strap around the bottom bar and the tail part was snipped off.... I THINK that he was chased out by one of the grouchy mares and cranked his melon on that piece of tie strap. He's fine... he had a bit of a bleeding nose as a side effect, which became a bit more bloody after some excitement with a new horse. Of course - me having very little experience with horses as an owner - I was a bit panicky on the inside. Luckily I keep him with a friend who has had horses her whole life - so I really don't have to worry unless she is worried.

We consulted with someone she knows and we were advised to watch him for concussion symptoms. We put him by himself in the barn so he wouldn't get agitated. I went out to check on him and he was fine - other than being a bit bent outta shape for being in solitary confinement.

We are working on putting more weight on him before winter. Poor old guy is having a hard time with it. Feeding him a high fat food and going to get some beet pulp as well. Picked him up winter blankets to make it easier on him.

He has made so much progress over the summer. The last few times I have been out there I have been able to catch him without issue. Food is a great motivator. We did 2 big rides a few weeks ago and he was a bit slow... but a quick ride a few days ago and he was really zippy.

Oh! Proud horse mom moment: Saturday before we went to the lake for our ride, I was leading him around with his saddle on. He was being very good and it wasn't taking much effort to get him to walk with me. So I dropped the rope and he continued to follow - starting and stopping along with me. So - fully aware of the fact that my $500 horse may run off with $700 worth of tack on him - I took the lead rope right off. He continued to follow.... so I walked right onto the trailer and he just followed me in. He has been a great horse to trailer since I got him. I have accomplished a lot with him and I am so excited about it!

NOW - this is Reno. Reno is the project horse.

When we were out riding last weekend, we ran into my friends friend out walking dogs on the trail.

Part way through the ride, Vanessa asks me 'Hey - you want another $500 horse?'

UH-OH.

We want to do some big rides next year - and I feel so bad pushing my old boy. Also - I always have people who want to go riding but it is hard with only one horse to accommodate the requests.

Had we not run into this lady - Reno would have been auction bound. Fate?

He needs to be broke to ride... so Vanessa picked him up - and if he works out as planned and if we are a good match I will be buying him. I wasn't really ready to get an unbroken horse and he was too good to pass up - so either way, one of us will have him in the end. He is a sweetheart. I REALLY hope this works out. I would love to have him.

HOW EVER - this is what Scooter thinks of him...