"Tink"

We got a new horse on the farm!! She is 3 years old.  She hasn't been started (started = taught how to ride) but was imprinted* as a foal and has been thoroughly desensitized.  She is beautiful.  She's a Grullo-dun.  Grullo (her coloring) is a little darker that buckskin, and dun means she has a stripe down she back.  She is a papered mare her Mother was a direct descendant of Dash for Cash.  Her Father is out of Poco Bueno.

  

Steve had been starting Daisy Mae (the mule) to trade work for this mare.  She is so sweet, and gentle.  That's amazing for as young as she is.  Jenny (Daisy's mom) must've spent a lot of time with her.  Like I said before she has been thoroughly desensitized, that means that she isn't sensitive to touch.  You can brush her down, rub her ears, pick her nose if you want to and she won't flinch.  She will be Eden's horse.  Eden doesn't know that yet, but we plan to give Eden the horse for her birthday.  I'm excited to have Steve start her.  I think she'll be an awesome 'kids' horse.  If you want to watch her progress being started I'll post her work on our business blog it is http://livinghorsemanship2008.spaces.live.com  I'm not sure when he plans to start her.  He has another horse lined up, that will be his last this year.  (unless we figure out how to afford a indoor arena!!)  He'll work the other horse from Sept. 5th through Oct. 5th.  After that we run out of daylight and it's between 5 and 15 below by 6 P.M.  So, he doesn't take other peoples horses.  He still works ours (weather permitting!) but won't take other people's because he has to be consistent, but can't guarantee that in the winter because of the snow.

*Imprinting n. A learning process occurring early in the life of a social animal in which a behavior pattern is established through association with a parent or other role model. -The American Heritage Dictionary.

Basically horse owners will touch a foal all over their body just hours after their born. We will hug around their mid-section (like a saddle) put our fingers across their tongues (like a bit) even put a halter on and take it off.