Three Weeks

Today marks the end of the third week of Thee Ashke being with us at Christensen Stables. I have to give a shout out to Christensen Stables (CS). They are clean and most of the people there have been very friendly. The stalls are shaked down every day and new shavings added, and completely cleaned out once a week. The tack rooms are clean and locked and people are pretty good about keeping their equipment clean and covered. Ashke is getting plenty of food and continues to put on weight.

Ashke has adapted to his schedule and I have no issues with getting him out of the stall and into the grooming stall, even after moving him down the aisle. He isn't happy to be groomed or worked when there is food in his feeding bin (this happen on both Saturday and Sunday). I wish we could have washed him today, since he is laying down in his stall to sleep and his white/grey coat is completely covered with poo. Brushing him out only does so much, and there is still places on his body that haven't gotten really clean since moving him up here. I can clean all four feet without issue and the farrier trimmed them, so they look nice and neat.

As for the weight gain, Ashke has done better than I ever expected. He has gained weight everywhere and his haunches are finally gaining some roundness. His spine is not nearly so boney, although he still needs to gain weight through his barrel. His shoulder has almost filled enough to cover the bone, but not entirely. His ribs are no longer so visible, but again, he needs to gain weight in his ribs. He still has a small wound on his back right hock, but it has scabbed over with no swelling or heat, so it seems to be healing quickly.

We got to the barn early today and pulled him from the stall. Ashke was ticklish on his flank and his belly. Silly boy. I think he was being twitchy because he wanted to go eat. I didn't do his feet cuz J had already pulled the saddle out of the tack room and was standing there holding it. I didn't have the heart to make her hold it until I was done with his feet. I did comb his forelock and mane, however. J didn't want to do his mane or tail because he was being so squirrelly.

So, I walked him out to the round pen and this happened.

I had to laugh cuz Ashke kept walking over to where J was on the other side of the fence and stopping. I think he thought she was going to save him.

He is so cute when he tries to let me know he doesn't want me on his back. He does this little hop and buck. Its very cute. I think as we keep working on it, that will stop and he will start relaxing into my hands.

I really think the idiot who said this horse wasn't trainable had a frontal lobotomy. Does this horse look untrainable to you?

So, I want to point out that while we were working our way around the arena there was a huge semi with a big hopper and a trailer with a front loader with a scoop that pulled into the stable area. The guy backed the trailer in between the round pen and the large arena. The guy got out of the truck and then asked me if my horse was going to be okay. I had to laugh. If my horse was going to have an issue it would have already happened. I think Keili would have killed herself if that had happened to her. Ashke just wanted to know what was going on. He didn't turn a hair. The guy started loading shit and shavings from the barn's dump pile into the back of the manure extractor (which was what the semi was called). I just get more impressed with this horse every day.

Next Saturday, we will get the boy bathed and groomed and some new pictures posted.