Ugh this picture is awful. It was so bright outside and all we had was a cell phone, but hey we're on our new trailer!
My husband and I have been looking for a new horse trailer for a long time because the one we have is too small for Chrome and has a few other features I just don't like (heavy ramp!). My dad finally found one for us that a friend of his was selling and he gave us a good deal on it (it's nice to have such a well liked dad!). It's definitely a fixer-upper, but that's fine because our truck broke down and hubby is having to replace the engine in it. We also will have to get a gooseneck attachment. For now it will just sit in the pasture so we can practice loading.
The previous owners used it for horses for a long time, but then they got rid of their horses and used it for cattle. When they got a new trailer this one sat for a while (that's why it is rusted) before they finally decided to sell it. It needs cleaned, sanded and repainted. It has really good mats in it, but they need cleaned as well. I want to pull them out and check the floor really well again even though it has already been checked (I'm really paranoid about floors). A window needs replaced, but the tires are in really good condition, the lights and gooseneck work perfectly and the frame is still in great condition. Most of it's problems are just cosmetic (everything rusts here in our humid climate....sigh).
The first thing I did after crawling all around in it was tie Chrome to it and brush him off. Please forgive his filthy appearance. He's been playing in the pond lately and the neem oil I use for his sweet itch makes everything stick to him. He was curious about it and gave it the stink eye a couple of times, but you can see how relaxed he was. I was so excited to see if he would load I forgot to get a picture of the tack room for you, but it has a tack room with bridle hooks and six saddle racks. The gooseneck can be used for a mattress for camping or for hay storage. There is an escape door in the front stall on the side and the back gate has a smaller gate for access to the rear stall. The divider is missing, but I can get a new one. I'll get better pictures when I can.
After brushing I had him pose in front of it.
It looks so huge to me!! I've never had anything other than the two horse straight load bumper pull that I don't like and I've had for over fifteen years lol. I've also never had a gooseneck before, but I'm excited about it. You can see the tack room door and the front stall escape door here.
Chrome was relaxed (see his cocked hind leg?) while sniffing the thick rubber mats.
I'm going to feed him on it every day, so I put his bucket in the trailer. He walked right on and started eating with no hesitation. I was armed with sugar cubes and my clicker and didn't even need it!! This is the first time in his entire life he's ever been on a step up trailer too. I think he much prefers it over the ramp on our other trailer.
I made him leave his food to unload and reload several times, then I tried self loading him for the first time. See the video below.
I was SO proud of him!! He walked right on with no hesitation. I think he likes this trailer so much better. The other one is too dark and closed in. I love that the inside of this one is white. It will help reflect heat as well. The windows will let lots of air flow in too. He will just have to wear his fly mask to protect his eyes. Stock type horse trailers are very popular where I live because it gets extremely hot here. If I could afford a closed in Sundowner with air conditioning I would totally do that, but this will work just fine for our short trips.
I'll keep you up to date on repairs and repainting and I'll definitely let you know when I haul him for the first time on it! It might be a while though because we are still working on the truck. I have to go now. I miss you guys!!
We dressed up as the headless horseman for Halloween.
I've never been a huge fan of Halloween or wearing costumes, but everyone at work dresses up for Halloween so I joined in and dressed as a Dementor from Harry Potter (costume was cheap). Halfway though the work day I got to thinking how cool it would be to get rid of the mask and accessories and wear the cape as the headless horseman on Chrome! So much more fun than dressing up at work hehe.
For the record I blacked out my face in most of these pictures to make it creepy, but I left one with my face. Also I did not wear a helmet because the hood wouldn't fit over it. I know how stupid that is, but it's my decision to make so please respect that.
I was lucky we happened to have a bunch of pumpkins sitting around because hubby gets them from the local grocery store for free once they've gone past their prime and won't sell. We feed them to the goats. Goats LOVE pumpkin! It worked out great for the costume.
So creepy right?? I wish it had been overcast and at dusk, but the pictures turned out better in the sun than they would have on a rainy day, so it's okay that the atmosphere isn't quite right.
One with my face so you can see I didn't really lose my head lol.
Chrome is so handsome! He outshines my costume hehe.
For those who can't see videos I have some screenshots below.
My first time cantering Chrome with no hands (that I remember).
First time in a costume on Chrome too.
I wish I could have kept the hood up, but it blew back in the wind.
He did so awesome!!
I was so happy and excited I leaned forward and started patting him on both sides of his neck. His ears immediately popped up. I wish they'd been forward for the canter, but I think he was watching the fabric whipping in the wind behind him. Oh well. He still did so awesome and he wasn't spooky at all. When I first brought the costume out I waved it all around him and snapped it in the air around his head and he didn't react at all except to want to sniff it. I love how nothing I do bothers him because of all of the training we did when he was young.
I'm so proud of Chrome. How many horses can go six months without being ridden, get taken out of the pasture on a cold day with the wind blowing and a neighbor zipping around on a four wheeler next door, have their rider dress up in a costume they've never seen and canter with fabric snapping in the wind and be totally cool with it? Chrome can!!
P.S. I have stuff to share. I've just been too busy to blog. I do want to reassure you that nothing was wrong with Chrome over the summer other than his sweet itch. I've just decided to give him summers off because it's not fair to ask him to concentrate when he itches and we are both pouring sweat just standing around in the shade. Now that the bugs are gone and it's cooling off I'm going to try to ride more (if I can stop spraining my ankles that is!). I'll catch you guys up on some other stuff as soon as I can. For now I have to go.
The slow feed hay net finally arrived!! It's only been a few days, but so far I think this thing is going to be worth the money. The horses figured out how to use it in a single night. I was very impressed. When they eat from it, it really is just like grazing. Here is a short video showing them eating from it. Sorry for the horrid quality... stupid cell phones...
This next one looks like my hubby has a horse head lol.
He was tightening the net because I wasn't able to tie it completely closed when we first put it on (I'm a wimp). It's going to be so much easier to put on when the tractor is fixed and we can put it on while it's in the air.
The reason Rocky has so much hay in his mouth in the second picture is because hubby pulled some out and gave it to him.
Here is a further out picture so you can see the net. It looks like they've eaten a ton of hay in a short period of time, but it's just because they pulled on it so it fell down on the sides making it look wide and flat. I'm curious to see how long a bale lasts with the net.
Look at how filthy my horse still is. I'm glad for the rain because we've been in a bit of a drought (we were under a burn ban) but I'm so tired of the mud....
Anyway I'll update more after we've fed a bale or two out of it.
I think I worry too much haha. Understatement of the year. I always worry after a long ride that I've overdone it with Chrome....
I think not. He was feeling good today! I was letting him graze at the end of the driveway by the road, but he kept galloping to the backyard. I didn't want him grazing there because it had just been mowed and he was scalping it to the ground, so I kept moving him to the longer grass up front.... and he kept galloping back lol. Here's a couple of blurry screenshots.
I also got some pictures of Zep eating his timothy hay because a friend was asking for new pictures since it's been a while.
NuzMuz, Jackal was posing with Chrome just for you. :D
Chrome, Rocky, Hubby and I went for a fun ride today! We started out on the road and then when we got back home I did some cantering on him again. It was awesome! He moves so much better at the canter after a really long warm up. There is video further down in the post, plus screenshots for those of you who can't watch videos.
I thought Rocky was walking weird, so I had hubby trot him out and Chrome was watching, so alert, but with his hoof resting lol.
When they got out of sight up the driveway he started pawing lol.
Luckily he only did it once or twice and then he stood still again...
well after trying to use the tree to pull his halter over his ear...
he's getting really good at that...........
Rocky was fine so we tacked up and headed off down the road. We went a total of 3.20 miles and the part of the ride on the road was an hour and ten minutes. My total ride on Chrome was an hour and twenty eight minutes. There was a bit of trying to turn around and balking going on at first. Ugh! We also stopped to talk to a neighbor who drove by.
Chrome started out being really annoying. Part of the problem is that he was looking for the neighbor horses, but they aren't there anymore.... I don't remember if I mentioned it, but neighbor girl B had to move her horses so my riding buddy is gone. :( Chrome doesn't know they are gone though. It was so funny because when we passed the open gate he tried to turn in. He really wanted to go in and look for them.
Taking pictures of hubby taking pictures hehe.
Rocky is soooo black and shiny right now! Love it!
Eventually they stopped being so annoying and started walking out. Rocky always starts out trying to turn around because he's barn sour, but he really wasn't as bad as he used to be. Chrome being a butt was causing Rocky to try to turn more than he would have if Chrome hadn't been weaving back and forth across the road. Chrome's problem was looking for the horses. I'm hoping once he realizes they are gone he will chill out! We actually only saw a couple of horses today even though we rode around the block and they were at a distance so he didn't act stupid. It was so nice! I kind of wish more people would move their horses away or that they would always be in the backs of their pastures lol.
His neck looks so thick because he had it arched.
When we cut across the field at the halfway point they both were a lot more eager and happily moving along. Sometimes I wonder if the pavement bothers them both a little.... maybe I should get boots. I just don't know if boots will fit Rocky's weird twisted pigeon toed hoof.... Part of it was probably because the field is novel to them both. They so rarely get to go there. I LOVED it!! It is so much more fun to ride out across a field than it is to be on a paved road.
Oh I almost forgot to mention. I opened and closed the gate from Chrome's back both when we left and when we got home!!!! Hubby and Rocky had to help though because Chrome doesn't neck rein or sidepass. Opening it was easy, but closing it isn't because it swings away, so I positioned him where I could reach the latch and hubby swung the gate to us. It worked well. Such good teamwork!
He arched his neck again looking down at the tall stuff we walked through.
It makes his neck look weird lol.
Both horses in the field.
I have to get pictures of Rocky.
He is SO black and SO shiny!
Yay hubby got a picture of me riding Chrome through the field.
He took others but they were really blurry (worse than this one) for some reason.
Hoses on a tupperware tub! Scary!!
There were several things that spooked the horses a bit. One was the hose up above. There was two other tubs several feet over back in the brush that he couldn't see very well so it had him freaked out. He would not approach it at first until Rocky walked toward it. Then he walked right up to it, as you can see above. He was so puffed up though. Once he was satisfied it wasn't a monster he turned away and pooped next to it haha.
The other things were deer in the woods (they didn't spook, just paused and stared up the hill) and geese! The geese were a totally different story. We were walking down the road on the way home and on our left side was a fence absolutely covered in brush, so they couldn't see anything on that side. Up ahead there is a driveway and pasture on the left and two Canada geese with their babies came out onto the road. Rocky spooked, but Chrome didn't notice them at first.
They turned back, but then finally crossed the road. Chrome finally saw them and stared at them, walking forward eagerly until they disappeared in the tall grass on the other side of the road. It's like once they were in the grass and all he could see was their little heads it flipped him out! It felt like he was going to turn and bolt. It took forever to convince them both to walk forward again.
When Chrome got to the driveway where they were originally before crossing, he was staring around the corner and when he drew even with it he tried to bolt. He didn't make it more than a stride at a trot before I got him stopped. I was laughing so hard I can't believe I didn't fall out of the saddle. He did some prancing, but eventually got over it. I'm so happy that his spookiness and prancing don't scare me anymore! It's such a huge breakthrough for me with the whole stupid fear crap.
Like hubby said earlier Chrome has a lot of potential and the only thing holding him back is me. He's right. It's always been me that's held him back. I don't care though. You can't just rush through fear. I had to have good experiences with him and learn what his reactions to fear are before I could be comfortable. Now that I know the worst he is going to do is bolt (and that I can stop them easily) I can be more confident about riding him through his shenanigans. :)
It's really funny though what bothers him and what doesn't. They were eating hay in the pasture yesterday and I was mowing the fence rows and around the barn with my push mower where hubby can't get to with the bush hog. I was mowing right behind Chrome and he didn't care! In fact when I got too close to Rocky he left, but Chrome didn't. :D
Hubby selfie with me in the background with my wrist looking broken haha.
Love Rocky's thick neck and shiny mane!
Anyway sorry for all the rambling. When we got home hubby got off, but I spent another eighteen minutes riding. Around ten minutes of that was spent trotting and cantering! That's probably the longest I've trotted and definitely the longest I've cantered him at one time. :D
Here is the video. It shows a bunch of canter clips and some trot and walk ones. I LOVE how he can canter around and then immediately walk around on the buckle. :D There's a surprise at the end....
Don't worry I have screenshots for people who can't watch videos. They actually didn't turn out as good as the last ones, which surprised me. I think there were several reasons for that. One is that the sun was shining and where it came through the trees it made Chrome really bright. Another is that hubby was further back. The last thing is that I told him to just hold the phone still instead of following me with it because I thought that would make them less blurry. It made the background less blurry, but not us! Oops! I got it all mixed up in my head haha. Anyway here are the screenshots. Please ignore my slouching and crappy riding. I wasn't paying any attention to my posture at all.
Look how stretched out he was! I wish the sun hadn't been so bright on him in this one.
Then he walks on the buckle. :D
No hands! My arms were out straight. This was right before he started cantering.
Cantering with no hands!!!!!! So exciting!
I've come a long way from the person who was terrified to canter. :D
Just ignore my crouching forward. Apparently I think having no hands on the reins is going to mess up my balance haha. I seriously need a longe line lesson to work on my seat with no hands.... bad!
That's all for today! Sorry it was so long. I hope you enjoyed all of the pictures.
