Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Educating Yalla! Tying

I tied Yalla! up to the pipe fence post today while I brushed her down. She kept leaning on the rope, testing it, and then going forward again. I worried that she'd sit back and break the old cotton lead rope so I doubled the rope up through her halter and around the pole.
 Then she began chewing on the rope. She's like a little kid, busy all the time and putting things in her mouth.


I've been finding teeth in her feeder and on the ground recently. So far, I've found two front teeth (one broken and one whole) and two molars (one broken and one whole). I'm hoping that the teething finishes by the time I start to ride her this summer.


  She was restless and pawed, while standing tied, digging a fair sized hole, when I left her standing there, while I went into the barn to do other things. She definitely needs more time being tied up. I didn't want to leave her too long so after about 40 minutes total standing time, I let her loose.

I filled the horse water and took the opportunity to spray water at Yalla! She did not like it at all. But she did keep coming back within range. I figure that, over time, she will accept it. I can spray Scout and he won't move. Of course, after he's all wet, he rolls! I did get her in a corner and sprayed her really good, at least on one side. She hated it. She tried to run out past me and I kept diverting her back to the corner. At one point, I think she considered running me down. She did as a yearling once when I tried to hose her leg off. I tripped over the hose and she ran over me. I got my face stepped on and a bloody lip. This time, I could tell that she decided it wouldn't be a good idea and I managed to get half of her very wet and the other half spotty. For a few minutes, she looked gorgeous, all shiny black, and then she also rolled in the dirt.

Later, I was sitting on the rails in her stall and she and Scout were nuzzling me as they stood along the rail. I was above them and I laid a leg across her back. She moved out of range and then came back. I did this with her several times and she seemed to get more comfortable with my leg across her back. 'Oh, how easy it would be just to drop down on her back', I thought. But I know she's not ready. Some day, but not today.

13 comments:

Shirley said...

Hopefully she'll get to like being sprayed down- especially on really hot days. Had to laugh at the last bit- I did that with Rio yesterday; where I feed him I'm about 4 feet higher because I have the hay on a cement loading dock and as he was happily munching, I was rubbing his back, then slipped a leg over him; he twitched an ear at the sight of my foot but otherwise didn't mind. I plan to start sacking him out and round penning this summer.

Dreaming said...

That would tempt me, too.
Buck pointed out that it's important to 'bump' the young horses all over - where the cinch will go, where the legs will touch, on the shoulder where you might accidentally put your foot if your are going down a hill, etc. It was interesting to watch the young horse flinch when Buck's foot touched him in some areas.

Dan and Betty said...

Nice pictures. Her coat reminds me of my horse Sugar - looks black but there's a chocolate brown sheen in it.

40 minutes is a long time so she's getting there.

Dan

Unknown said...

Wow it seems since I have been gone Yalla! Has grown into a beautiful young lady.

Sherry Sikstrom said...

She is growing into a beautiful horse. Sounds like time at eh "patience post " is just what she needs

Reddunappy said...

She is a pretty little girl!

I have to tell you Emma was the same way, chewing on everything. She is 12 now, and she still does it!!! I have to make conscious effort to keep everything out of her reach!! Still! LOL

C-ingspots said...

All in all a good lessons day. She certainly is turning into the pretty young lady, isn't she? Just curious - why does her name have the exclamation point at the end?? Yalla!
I've never seen that before...

Paint Girl said...

Wow, Yalla! is gorgeous! I just love her and it is so funny how Yalla! and Chance look so much alike!
Chance has the tying down and the spray bottles. I really worked on spray bottles last year and she would move away at first, (but I do remember the first weeks of spraying, oh goodness! She was all over the yard with me following and spraying, waiting for her to stop moving!) then let me spray her. This year the first time I sprayed her, she started to move, then remembered it wasn't gonna eat her and she stands stock still while I spray. I don't even untie her to spray anymore. She is so good about it.
But I have only attempted hosing her down once, like 2 yrs ago. So that is definitely what I have to work on this summer!!
How tall is Yalla! now? I can't wait for you to start riding her!!

Fantastyk Voyager said...

Shirley, I wanted to do more with her last summer but I couldn't with my broken ankle. I'm getting back to normal now, although I'm about 10 pounds heavier and I'm not quite so fearless anymore.

Dreaming, Yes, they need to be "bumped" all over and then all over again on the other side. lol.

Dan, yes, she does look like Sugar's color with the brown sheen on black.

Sydney, you have been gone a while. Glad you're back and hope all is well.

Fern Valley, I do intend to use the "patience post" for both her and Scout.

RedDunAppy, thanks, I don't mind too much as long as she doesn't try to bite down. Funny thing though, I have tried twice to open her mouth and put in a bit and I CANNOT pry her teeth apart! I have bitted lots of horses in my day too. Any suggestions?

C-ingspots, I have always used an exclamation for her name. Her official name is Yalla! FantastyKheema but neither the Arabian association or the blogger tags will allow characters in the name. Yalla means "hurry up" or "let's go" in Arabic so I think it should have an exclamation point, don't you?

Paint Girl, I am always amazed when I see Chance, that she looks so similar in coloring to Yalla! although Yalla! has a pure black mane and tail. Chance is so pretty now and she's such a nice size too. It's fun seeing them blossom at three years old, isn't it?

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Those teeth are so cool. I've been wanting to ask you if you had found any of Yalla!'s shed teeth. Such a neat keepsake for you to have.

Yalla! sure has grown up quite a bit over the last 6 months or so. She seemed almost pony sized this past winter and now looks like a beautiful elegant Arabian horse. She sure is gorgeous, especially now that she's shed out, too.

~Lisa

Fantastyk Voyager said...

Lisa, thanks! I do wish she'd grow taller though.

PG, I've been afraid to measure her because she's not as tall as I wanted or expected.

Tammy Vasa said...

Just thought I would come back to this post to comment. I cannot believe how big she is getting and she looks fabulous! Just wow!

I check in on you all the time but I am at work most of the time and our firewalls won't let me comment and then by the time I get home, I never get back to it. Just wanted to say hi and hope you are doing well. See New Mexico in the news with the fires. Scary. HOpe you are well out of the way.

Achieve1dream said...

Yalla! is so cute! She looks much more mature in her summer coat for some reason. Her winter coat made her look like a little yearling lol. It's funny the second picture where she's chewing the rope reminds me of Chrome through some of his growth stages with the short neck and long body lol. Must be an Arab thing. :D

That's really neat that you've been finding her caps. It can take until they are five years old to fully erupt all of their teeth, but I think the caps are gone by three or four. I'd have to check to be sure.

I feel like I've been a bad blogger friend. I was so excited to have a couple of blogs I could follow along with because we had young horses all the same age and then I stopped reading blogs and totally missed out on all of Yalla! and Chance's adventures. Sorry guys. I will get caught up though. :)