We have all the horses home, now.  That includes Abbey and Joey as well as Peanut, a “free” pony we welcomed home this fall.  Things seem to be falling into place — at least as much as they ever do.  We have the barn up, the pastures fenced, and 3 stalls built.  We have water, and are still working on the electric.

Our breeding project will start next spring.  I’m still not sure which stallion we’ll use.  But in the meantime, we’re getting in as much riding as we can before the weather makes conditions really intolerable.  We have no arena, so we’ve been hacking out.  The horses seem to really like the change. 

So I’ve been neglecting my website.  Instead of trying to recap everything that’s happened since the last post, let me cut right to bragging on my girl Abbey.  She and the others have only been home (at our home!) for a few weeks now.  And I haven’t had much time to work with her, Joey, or the new pony, Peanut. 

Until today, I’d really only worked with Peanut.  I had to be sure she’d behave for a weekend of pony rides, having not been ridden for 2-3 years.  In the meantime, Abbey had begun acting up.  She was being extra bossy in the pasture, and fussing when she was in her stall, pacing and pawing at her stall door and such.  I was a little worried about the “attitude,” which seemed to have developed over the last few days. 

I have always found that Abbey likes to have a job.  The more you work her, the happier she is.  Today I walked into the pasture with her halter, and she came *running* up to me.  She eagerly shoved her head into the halter and dozed happily in the cross ties as I brushed her.  After saddling her up, a repair guy showed up and I had to put her back in her stall for about 20 minues — no fussing at all!  When I got her back out, we went on a little trip around the perimeter of the pasture and she had a blast.  So I decided to take her out in the adjacent field.  Then I took her around our wetlands, through the harvested soybean fields…  all the time with hunters shooting loudly in the not-too-distant countryside. 

At some point, when the barn was out of site, it occured to me that I was *technically* on a green horse.    And *technically* I didn’t have a cell phone on me, and no one was aware that I was riding waaay out there.  Why was I doing all this with the greenest horse in the barn??  But over the uneven terrain, through questionable footing, and confronted with lots of unfamiliar sites and noises, Abbey was perfect.  (And the Irish Draught enthsiasts out there are all saying, ‘well of course she was.  She’s bred to do that!’) 

But since the ride she seems to be back to the lovable, goofy mare I know.  Mental note — don’t make Abbey repeatedly stand in the pasture while playing with other horses!