Spa Day at the Stable

Though not as extensive as some of our bath days, Halo got a good grooming on Sunday. I have been wanting to try a trick for tail whitening that I learned from Amy of the Guns & White Roses blog. Apparently soaking in vinegar is the trick to a glowing white tail! It seemed like a good idea to me, and since it's non-toxic and bleach free, I figured it was better than trying endless rounds of products.

Before starting, I was cautioned to make sure to put a flymask on so that Halo couldn't swish the vinegar into her eyes. She was less than thrilled at first (head-tossing ensued) but once she realized there were treats to be had if she put her head down nicely for it, it was on in short order. However, I did have to laugh at her expense once it was on.



First I did the vinegar soak, and followed it with a round of rather nasty smelling purple whitening shampoo. Then she got a deep conditioning for several minutes, and this was the result:



When I got her tail clean I noticed that not only does she have a few random black hairs, she also has some chestnut ones. There aren't many, but they stand out much more with her tail nice and clean. It's not unusual for a palomino to have random colored hairs in the tail; I believe the PHBA allows horses to have up to 15% of the hair be a different color. Halo has so few you can barely see them unless you're right up close.



While waiting for her tail to dry, I also made the long-suffering filly tolerate being braided. After the completion, I realized that maybe this was beginning to get a little creepy; after all, I'm old enough now that I don't view my horse as a large My Little Pony.





I have to admit that I get a lot of satisfaction from grooming my horse, though. There's something nice about spending time with her just fussing over her, even if all the dirt winds up all over me instead.

As if I hadn't tortured her enough, I took advantage of the trailer being parked and open to see if she'd load up. None of my previous horses have been easy to load or haul, so I was completely shocked when she followed me in with absolutely not a twitch of her ear or roll of her eye. Here she is unloading herself the second time I loaded her (the first time I DID have a halter on her).



She may be a little silly and spazzy, but she does amaze me sometimes with her aplomb.

Homecoming and Troublemaking

Good filly! I thought as the stock trailer pulled into the driveway. Halo stood within, whinnying to the other horses, but otherwise calm and curious about her new surroundings.



We got her out, and after some high-headed looks around the property, she immediately started cropping away at the short grass . Steph and I introduced her to Chisel, the yearling mustang filly who will be her pasture buddy, and then we walked them around the perimeter of the pasture. All was well until a car went speeding past - Halo has never been near a busy road before! She spooked and plunged in a circle around me, but luckily stopped quickly and didn't escape. Good filly.

Once we let her loose, Halo made a beeline for one of the goats! I have never owned a horse bred for working cows, and as I saw her take off after that goat I started to wonder if I might be in a little over my head. It reminded me of a post I read recently about another cowhorse finding her talent. However, I hope Halo is easier to work with than that woman's horse! After deciding the goats weren't so interesting, Halo and Chisel made for the round bale. At one point when I glanced over, Halo was up to her chest in the middle of the thing, devouring it with great enthusiasm. Sadly I didn't have my camera handy at that moment.

Here are the girls, making friends:



Trying to take good pictures proved difficult, as Halo was mostly interested in eating, and Chisel was mostly interested in masticating the camera. They are both friendly fillies, and kept coming up to me while I was trying to get a good shot.



And here is a picture of Jasper, one of the new babies. Everyone is disappointed because he came out solid chestnut when a paint was the hope, but I think he is just adorable.



Anyway, it was a great night at the barn....until 5:45 am this morning when Steph called me to tell me that Halo jumped the fence during the night. Luckily she is fine, but a bit scratched up.

Bad filly!

Almost Time!

Halo comes home tomorrow! Although Casi is out of town and will miss the big day, I will surely plan to photographically document the experience. Halo's current guardians have been incredibly generous with their time, and have put in hours of work this past week on her tying and trailer loading skills. Look at the good girl now!



I am so proud of her for learning quickly, especially knowing how skittish she can sometimes be when confronted with a new situation. Steph, one of the awesome women with whom we are going to board, has assured me that ALL horses chill out after about 30 days at her place. I think she may be right, because Halo is about to have 80 acres to roam and a new best friend in the form of Chisel, Steph & Paige's mustang filly. And of course two doting moms who plan to spend hours grooming, training, and giving her lots of attention!