The weather is definitely cooling here in Ashland. We have some lovely days, but also some cold, wet ones. Not wet like in Portland, though. Hardly any steady rain, but intermittent stuff. One day rained all day and really made things nice and muddy. The dirt at the stables clings to our feet (and hooves) creating huge balls of mud. Not fun to walk on. We walk slowly along the pathways through the paddocks, it's so slippery.
Dakota is definitely losing weight. She's getting extra hay and I'm starting her on some feed and vitamin supplements to help. Alan the stable owner recommends rice bran, which I may also start her on if she doesn't pick up weight soon. It's the cooling weather for sure, and also her change of diet (from non-stop grass to hay) as well as her growth spurts. She has had a really good start, a good foundation, now it's up to me to keep it going. I still feel bad that she is no longer with her herd, in the idyllic setting she grew up in. But it's the life of a domesticated horse. Someone was going to buy her. I feel good it was me. She'll have a good life with me.
But the main thing now is consistency and training. My two weeks (almost) off having the flu set her back a bit. She's gotten a bit bratty again. So back to daily Parelli work and then our walks. We both have a LOT to learn!
The weather is definitely cooling here in Ashland. We have some lovely days, but also some cold, wet ones. Not wet like in Portland, though. Hardly any steady rain, but intermittent stuff. One day rained all day and really made things nice and muddy. The dirt at the stables clings to our feet (and hooves) creating huge balls of mud. Not fun to walk on. We walk slowly along the pathways through the paddocks, it's so slippery.
Dakota is definitely losing weight. She's getting extra hay and I'm starting her on some feed and vitamin supplements to help. Alan the stable owner recommends rice bran, which I may also start her on if she doesn't pick up weight soon. It's the cooling weather for sure, and also her change of diet (from non-stop grass to hay) as well as her growth spurts. She has had a really good start, a good foundation, now it's up to me to keep it going. I still feel bad that she is no longer with her herd, in the idyllic setting she grew up in. But it's the life of a domesticated horse. Someone was going to buy her. I feel good it was me. She'll have a good life with me.
But the main thing now is consistency and training. My two weeks (almost) off having the flu set her back a bit. She's gotten a bit bratty again. So back to daily Parelli work and then our walks. We both have a LOT to learn!
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