Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Date: 9-19-10
Age: 16 months
Height: He is now 14.2 (58 1/8th inches). He's finally a horse!!!
Height Gain: 5/8ths of an inch.
Weight: Approx 700lbs (317.5kg)
Weight Gain: About twenty five pounds.
Progress: Chrome is doing very well. His growth is steady. I'm cleaning out his hooves everyday except for the occasional missed day when my back just can't take it. While cleaning out his hooves today I found a place where the thrush has eaten out a bit of his frog so I think I'm going to treat the fungus more aggressively for a while and then use the salt to maintain/prevent further thrush. He acts a tiny bit sore in that spot but he's perfectly sound. There is no heat in his hooves or joints so we're good right now lol. Who knows what will be next with a yearling hehe.

I'm also slowly adding beet pulp back into his diet to supplement his roughage because the summer heat has killed out most of the pasture. I'm planning to wean him very slowly off of the Safechoice and put him on a ration balancer to cut out the starch/sugars in his diet (to prevent future insulin resistance and/or laminitis issues). I've spoken at length with people who have used it with growing horses and I can see their horses with my own eyes to know they matured perfectly fine on it. :) Don't laugh. Decisions that some people make easily I agonize over for ages before I convince myself to do it lol. Lots of research.

Goals: My goals for this month are to continue working on his hooves to beat the thrush and get him trimmed. I still think his heels are too long. I'm also going to get his diet change under way when I get low on Safechoice. I want to make the transition slowly to prevent any problems. I want to continue walking him occasionally and get back into clicker training as the weather cools off. No specifics because I don't want to pressure myself. :)

And here are a couple more pictures from the modeling session. Do you think Chrome can make the big time as a model? I think he's kind of a diva. ;D

Chrome - "How's this mom? You're really worried about one ear??"

Chrome - "What about this? What do you mean I'm angled toward
the camera?? If you want a different angle move your stupid camera!"

Chrome - *SIGH* "Who would have thought
modeling could be so much work?"

Me - "Oy Vey!"

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Isn't he just gorgeous? With a little more impulsion from behind to round his back and bring his poll up a little he'd be in a dressage frame lol. All by himself. :) He's going to be so much fun to ride when he's all grown up.

Date: 8-19-10
Age: 15 months
Height: He is now 14.1 (plus half an inch), so with a half inch more growth he'll no longer be pony sized lol! -- Ponies are under 14.2 hands and horses are over. :)
Height Gain: Almost three quarters of an inch.
Weight: Approx 675lbs (294.8kg)
Weight Gain: About twenty five pounds.
Progress: Up until this stunt yesterday Chrome was doing great (still is so far, but I worry). He is loving having the lease land to graze and explore on. I haven't really worked on anything because of the heat, but in our daily handling he's doing fantastic. He's also being a really good boy about us picking up his feet to check for heat. :) Also as a little side note: Zep is doing so fantastic. He now lets me pet him on the face, cheeks and ears all I want. I just have to be careful how I approach him and not turn to look at him directly. :)
Goals: My goal for right now is to keep them both healthy after what happened last night. After that I don't know. Probably more hiding from the heat. Can you believe it's 99F and it feels like a cold front has come through? That's how hot it's been. I can't wait for autumn so I can start working with them again. :)

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Date: 7-19-10
Age: 14 months
Height: Just shy of 14.1hh (a little over 4ft 8in/56.7in/144cm/1.44m)
Height Gain: Almost three quarters of an inch.
Weight: Approx 650lbs (294.8kg)
Weight Gain: About thirty pounds. Can you tell I increased his feed?
Progress: Chrome is doing great. He's on free choice hay and I ran out of beet pulp so I haven't been feeding it anymore. He's gained weight and looks great. I've taken him for a few walks and he's done fabulous. I've also loaded him on the trailer a few times and he did good. I haven't really worked on anything else. Oh wait! I did fly spray him while he was eating without having to put a halter on him! :D
Goals: My goal for this month is to start introducing him to things like saddle blankets, plastic bags, etc. The crazy thing is he does most of his de-spooking by himself!! Check out the hard work (I took pictures and he played hard) we did with a box yesterday below . . .

He completely destroyed the cardboard box. And thoroughly enjoyed it lol.

Here he dropped it and then walked through it. He actually put two hooves in it. I just missed the perfect shot. Learning to walk over unfamiliar objects and surfaces is a great lesson! Good thinking Chrome! ;)

Stuffing your face in a box is not something I would have thought of. :)

Even Zep got in on the action.

Zeppelin showing off his pretty neck action too. :)