What's the One Thing You'd Like to Know About....
...bringing up a weanling?
Here's a picture I took yesterday of my weanling, Smitty, as he modeled his very first horse blanket. (It's not quite the horse equivalent of a human infant's onesie, but close. It seems teeny compared to the big horses' blankets!)
Smitty went through some prep work before I made the move to put this blanket on over his head and buckle the straps. He learned the head-down cue I wrote about a couple of posts back. He had his back legs and underside desensitized to the tickling feeling of dangling straps (I used a longe whip's tail end for this, so I could stand back out of range in case he kicked.) He got rubbed over the back and sides with the blanket a time or two. He got a chance to get used to the sound of the nylon fabric rubbing against itself.
The actual blanket application was a non-event because of these prelim steps. In fact, because it was a cold morning when I put it on, he seemed to snuggle right into it with a measure of horsey gratitude. Smitty doesn't know this, but wearing a blanket is going to prepare him for other things in life, like wearing a saddle and feeling light pressure against his sides.
Raising a horse is a special experience. If you've never done it before, you might have a question or two about it. And even if you HAVE done it before, each new weanling is its own experience, with potential for a question.
Got one?
posted by Juli Thorson @ 8:35 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Juli:
Smitty does look warm and comfortable in his blanket. I have a questions but its not about a weanling. Can you explain (or direct me where to ask)? In Horse & Rider’s Practice Pen, Al Dunning stated that the fender needs to be cut shorter. I really dislike appearing stupid but I just don’t understand what he means. Can you explain how to cut the fender shorter? Looking at the picture, my fenders look similar to the rider’s.
Thanks
I love that lil horse!! He is SO CUTE!! I love that I get to watch him grow up here :)
For anon, I can try to answer that (I saw it too, in the latest edition)
Take your saddle and you to a saddlemakers shop, tell them what you think, have them take a look at you in the saddle. Don't cut fenders yourself unless you are a saddlemaker or the equivalent. I know from experience, lol.
Most saddlemakers won't charge you much for just paring it down a bit.
Oftentimes saddles have to be adjusted that way for smaller riders. No big deal and definitely not a stupid question.
Hey Smitty! You look so doggone cozy in that coat I want one too! Momma put brother's fleece blankie on me yesterday after a brisk walk down the road in the rain. It soaked up the water so fast I never felt a chill! And I got treats in my bucket for being so good this time walking past a wooden trash box! Don't ya just love the way our momma's treat us!! As soon as my momma gets backto riding she said she will start to "pony" me with brother. Not sure what that means but it can only be something good. Neigh to ya soon....Paha
I tried my hand at a weanling, I really didn't like it. I like to be able ride and do things. If I hadn't gotten the awesome deal on my mare I would have kept my weanling. I miss her but I knew she wasn't my perfect match. I just got my new H & R today so excited. I read most of it already!!!
Barbara
It never ceases to amaze me what horses horses will tolerate as long as you prepare them for it. Every year, when I do my ridiculous Christmas photos, it always amazes me that they just let me do it, albeit with the horsey equivalent of embarrassment.
You should see the ones of our Christmas pictures from 2008. Them horses had never seen anything like that before. My horse even let me put a Santa hat on her!!!
I have a flea bit gray horse that I can do ANYTHING to him, I think I'll use him for Christmas photos... White looks good with a santa hat :) he has something up with his eye it doesn't seem to affect his sight but it has a blue sheen to it. Maybe I'll put up a picture here when Christmas rolls around :)
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