Day 3 After Day 2 After Day 1

I thought I would blog my schedule this year for my ponies journey to Congress. I didn't post the last two nights, thought about it, but went to bed instead.

Two nights ago it would have been New Year's Eve Eve. I worked with my yearling fillies. I hung a loud sounding clipper in their stall, against the steel wall, so it made a louder noise then usual. I worked through their manes. I haven't really messed with them for a bit because I wanted them to be fillies and have some freedom. And then I weaned them on December 10th. Which for Cookie, has gone well. For lady, it hasn't gone well, she is still slightly upset.

A little back drop - I have worked fairly closely with both fillies since the day they were born. I literally helped bring Cookie into the world, she got hung up on her mommie's hips a bit. And Lady, well lets just say I didn't see her hit the ground, but I was there right after helping mommy dry here.

Since, Cookie has had 3 major issues and I have had to spend countless hours working with here.

Lady on the other hand has thrived and been basically issue free since birth. But I still sat on the bucket in the stall for countless hours.

So now - I have let them be free for a bit and its time to wheel them in and get them ready for they journeys this summer. So I started with their manes. I got a comb through their thick, fine foal manes. I didn't touch their tails. LOL!

Then I worked the clippers up and down their necks and around their ears. They were pretty okay with it. Then I wanted to swipe their bridle paths, well that's not quite so okay. I got Cookies done. She pretty much figures after all the fusses this summer, she pretty much gives in after a few minutes. So a few more months of clipper training and I expect her to be good to go.

Now Lady on the other hand, well it was okay to play, but not to do an actual clip. So we will try again this weekend.

Okay so that was day 1.

Now Day 2. After the show season I let all the show ponies alone. Let them be ponies. Run. Play. Kick up their heels. You name it, they have done it.

So its been cold, but I trimmed a few of the older ponies and they have so much dead skin built up under their manes, forelocks and tails, I have to start using astringent and oil to get it under control, or they will ulitmately mutilate their manes and tails and to my horror, forelocks with a few quick rubs on wood, or steel or whatever they find.

Smokie was up first. It took me a long hour to painstakenly work through his mane. He had on very large snarl in the middle of his mane. I got him oiled, trimmed his forelock and bridlepath and then did his tail. Which thankfully is only a few inches away from the ground now. YIPPEE!

Tonight, I worked through Cowboy's mane, forelock and tail. His forelock and mane were easy. His mane on the other hand. I have never seen him with such snarls. He literally had half of it in such a twisted mess. It took me an hour and a half. But its done. Now to keep after it.

If by some miracle I have the money to upgrade the trailer and could haul the boys with me this summer, I will try to keep after their manes, tails and forelocks like they could be shown this summer. That's my resolve.

So 4 out of 15, just 11 more to go and then I can start over! LOL!

I literally am wet from head to toe, its a lot of work!


Thus ends days 2 and 3.