It's been a long time since I updated this blog, mostly because I was writing all about my recent move to Los Angleles in my other blog ( www.anenglishgirlinla.blogspot.com) but seeing as this new adventure I'm undertaking is more about the horsey part of my life and hopefully the start of some more work for equal equestrian, this seemed like the most logical place to write about it!
Through my work as a trainer at Lifesavers wild horse rescue near Lancaster, California, I had fallen for a 5 year old bay mare called Arianna. Her back story is vague, but we do know she can from the fallen feed lot auction (an auction where horses are sold for meat, before being transported to either Canada or Mexico for slaughter!) and that she had a chestnut foal last year called Cosmo.
Cosmo was since adopted but Arianna was still at the ranch with some 200 other horses, still being cared for at the Lancaster site. I fell for her or farrier day when she refused to have her wormer and I stepped in to help and she ended up closing her eyes and resting her head on my chest!
Since then I've spent a little time grooming her and leading to and from different pens. We had one short session in the round pen (it was very hot that day!) and we even taught her to go in the trailer before the big moving day. The trailers here don't often have ramps as they do at home but the horses just jump right up in to them.
Arianna is a quick learner and takes everything in her stride so far. Her give away when she's nervous is her head goes high and she tucks up under her tummy whilst taking everything in. and she loves to do a load shout out to her friends in her paddock, usually right next to my ear hole!
She had her vaccinations, her feet trimmed, her teeth floated and then a few days later, we were ready to move her to the new ranch nearer my house.
Day 1
Tommy my farrier, very kindly transported her his trailer the 75 miles to "Shadow Hills Equestrian Centre" where I'd be keeping her going forward.
She stepped straight up in to the trailer without hesitation (whilst munching on a few carrots) and we tied her up and closed the partition, something that was new to her, closed the doors and we were off. As we passed Tommy and Arianna on the free-way, Arianna looked remarkably calm, enjoying the breeze through the windows of the trailer. When we arrived at Show Hills she wasn't even sweaty, although I think her legs were feeling a bit wobbly as she almost face planted coming off the trailer!
She spent the afternoon and first night in her own pen to acclimatise
Day 2
Chloe and I spent a bit of time brushing and fussing over Arianna before I took her for a little walk to get a closer look at her new home. We went into the big arena which was a first for Arianna and just to make it more interesting there was another horse already in there. Arianna was a little distracted, but she still was polite and walked with me and we played a bit of the friendly game. Then Chloe and I gave Arianna a wash down. This isn't something I think she's ever experienced before, but she seemed to very much enjoy it, even a little in her mouth and on her face!
Then we put her out in the big pasture where she is going to be living with 4 other horses. She kept herself to herself mostly whilst assessing her new room mates!
Day 3
Today we took Arianna in to the tie up area to groom her for the first time. We didn't use the cross ties but just practised being tied to one side and standing still. She was very good with her fly spray and even let me spray her face whilst I covered her eye with my hand!
We did a little leading practise in the area as well. She's learning to walk next to me now, instead of following behind me or walking on top of me! Then I put her back in the pasture to have her supper with the other horses.
She's already my little star and I'm loving have that one on one bond with a horse again.....
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