Raising Baby

 

     We bought Angel in December 2014 in foal and decided to keep the foal as well. Highway was born on April 4, 2015 at about 630 in the morning. He is Angel’s third foal. Highway is the first horse I have raised and trained from the day it was foaled. It has been a fun, exciting, and fascinating process. Watching him go from a tangle of legs to the graceful, fully-grown horse he has become has been an awesome experience.

Highway just a few hours old

     I had a good coach on how to handle babies during the early phases. My barn owner has helped raise many youngsters and was a good guide in the early days. We did the initial “hold” by wrapping arms around his chest and rump so he would learn to stand restrained, which paid off recently when Highway had a complete meltdown over a goat temporarily being in the stall next to him! He actually bolted out of his own stall, but I was able to wrap my arm around his chest and grab his blanket until I could get his halter and get it on him. Thankfully, my husband was right there to help. I got him used to wearing a halter early on and leading with a butt rope as well.

The hold, he was a day old. I have short arms so this was not easy!

     During my daily grooming sessions with Angel, which took place in the indoor arena they had access to when no one was riding, Highway would get curious, providing me an opportunity to casually introduce the soft curry combs and soft brushes along with me running my hands down his legs and picking up his feet. I also introduced him to accepting his halter without being held. That took a week or so, but he eventually got used to standing still while I put his halter on him instead of him having to be held. We then gradually introduced leading without the butt rope by me initially walking alongside him as he wandered and gradually guiding him to change directions and go where I lead.

Some grooming time with momma

He had a pal with whom he was turned out, a filly born about two weeks after him. They were given tarps, feed bags, an old kiddie swimming pool, and other things in their paddock to play with and desensitize them. His older sister foaled in 2014 and eventually joined the pair in late summer after they were weaned.  At about five months, we began introducing the idea of crossties. The initial cross ties were made from the remains of one of those lightweight, shrinking garden hoses. A snap was tied to each end of the hose sections, and I used a loop of bailing twine on the halter rings on each side to attach the “cross ties”. We started with only one cross tie and kept his lead rope attached to his halter. I praised him for standing still and repositioned him when he would move around too much. I initially kept the crosstie sessions short, gradually increasing the time. By the time he was six months old, he was standing in regular crossties like an old pro. I did use the twine loops at first on the regular cross ties as well. During this time, I also introduced him to turnout blankets, saddle pads, leg wraps, fly spray, hosing, and several other things. I just kept it simple and fuss-free. We walked through the hay shed when both doors were open, walked near the road, and explored the farm a bit. They are all used to tractors with a bucket or hay fork, muck buckets and carts, wheelbarrows, 4-wheelers, and other barn activities. The only one I halter while blanketing or removing blankets is Lasie. For the others, I can blanket or remove blankets without a halter. I have even done some light grooming in their paddock or stalls without halters on.

Highway at about 6 months in crossties

While I don’t regularly wrap their legs, they got familiar with it early on so that they knew what it was like when we needed to wrap them. They have all had a few bouts of minor cellulitis since our move to Memphis, and sweat wraps or poultices were used as part of their treatment. When the weather is colder, they are blanketed against getting wet, and they are now all stalled overnight. Chilly and rainy weather is more of a concern than cold and snowy, as is windy weather.

Highway and his pal at about 2 months old

     During Highway’s 2-year-old year, I introduced him to the bit and bridle, splint boots, bell boots, saddle pads, surcingle, and very light longeing at the walk only to develop the concept. We didn’t even work every day. For me, the less fuss I make about things, especially when they get stubborn about something, the better. The thing that took the most time for him to get used to was the bit. He now accepts the bit calmly. He deals with most new things calmly and has a very laid-back personality. He often follows me around the paddock or pasture like a big puppy dog.

Learning to wear a saddle

     He finally developed some natural grace in his movements. His 2-year-old year was NOT his most graceful. He grew quite a bit throughout the year, so he was often butt-high and seemed to be a bit sore in the hocks and stifles. He has matured beautifully!

     

Highway at 9 years old

Once I got out of my cast in June 2018 and moving well again, I introduced the saddle, and we spent a bit more time on the longe line as he got used to the noise and movement. During all this, he learned to stand at the mounting block while I climbed on and off it. He got used to the stirrups hanging at his sides at the walk, being flopped around, and I put my hands on the foot of the stirrups and leaned some weight into them that way. I used a set of sandbags consisting of gallon Ziplock bags filled with sand in pillowcases tied together with rope that can be draped over the saddle and used before I got on him the first time. Highway proved to be more challenging than Lasie to start under saddle as he did not like something up high behind him. He put me in the dirt a couple of times and did the same with another rider. We spent a lot of time at the tall mounting block that my trainer here in Memphis has to get him past that issue.  Getting to be the first to back Pistol and Lasie has been special, each in their own way, but riding one you have raised from birth is even more special. 

Video of the last phases of time at the mounting block. I finally successfully backed him a few days after this.

Highway is still fairly green, as he has not had a lot of riding time. He does well under saddle, and I am beginning to develop him more now. Another lady who rides at the same barn has been riding him some lately. Over the years we have been here in Memphis, he has popped over the cross-rails and a few low verticals and gates. I plan to develop him for dressage and probably as a hunter also.