Ssp1

The ride home was not as bad as I thought it was going to
be. After buying 6 horses that I didn't need to have, Cathy
gradually warmed to the idea that I had a plan ! And I
better think of one quick, I thought! The blind old horse,
the kids named "Puddin" rode in the two horse trailer with
us and the 4 new fillies and the colt where following behind
in a stock trailer a friend of mine had. Getting them in the
trailer was not a easy job. I tried the gentle approach, of
trying some grain in a bucket but these fellows were very
nervous of people and wanted nothing to do with me. One of
the fillies was a kicking fool and took the bucket out of my
hands with both rear feet, that was all the warning I
needed. We waited for everyone to leave the sale that night
and at around 11pm and we backed the stock trailer tightly
up to a loading gate and herded them all in the trailer. It
reminded me of a wild burro sale I had attended out west! In
they went and so closed the trailer door! "Safe for now", I
thought.

At 1 O'clock we arrived home, I had decided to back the
stock trailer up as close to our round pen as possible and
with a few extra panels make a shoot, to get them in the
ring, I'll put then in the ring tonight, give the some hay
and water and let them relax a bit and start fresh in the
morning. Puddin was now enjoying life at the Waldorf! The
kids felt so sorry for him that they where now trying to
kill him with kindness. A warm blanket, a hot bran mash,
plenty of hay and a warm house is all he could handle
tonight, I told the kids, and we packed it in for the night.
Time for bed!

The first thing I need to do with theses five horses was
to get halters on them and teach them to lead. If they
got loose we would never be able to catch them let alone
bring them back.

Now, how do you catch and halter 5 young wild horses in a
round pen without sending them over the top of the panels
in a panic? Well luckily in the center of my round I had
planted a large round post that would come in handy
later.

I started as all men do , by feed bucket and rope in
hand, only to quickly realize that I was just wasting
feed and time. So I had a bright idea! A "lasso" but one
problem, I have never used one , nor have I ever seen an
Englishman use one either, that was something my teachers
had failed to pass along to me. Never mine just give it a
go! Well to old Bobs and my wife's surprise, it turns out
I'm not so bad at it after all. With my second throw,
around the neck of one of the fillies it goes! Now at
that exact point I was in bliss! A great throw! just like
you see on TV! but those guy's on TV wear gloves! Ouch!
that was a lesson I only needed to learn once!

So with glove covered hands I returned to the job of
wrangling theses guys.

This time it took me a few more try's but I got the rope
over the neck of another filly, I let her canter around a
time or two, pulling her in to the middle a bit and when
I thought we were ready gave her a strong pull into the
center, bringing her to a full stop facing me. This was
when that post came in handy, I used the rope against the
post to shorten our distance between each other and
slowly by sorely worked my way up to her head, she was
not happy! striking out, I was sure glad to use that post
to deflect her feet. Slowly I was able to lay a hand on
her, I had special halters designed for horses just like
this , so i was able to clip a halter over her head from
the front without to much bother. Once a halter was on
there heads I undid the quick release on the lasso and
set them free. That was enough for them for the day.
before I left them and as I always do , I like to name a
horse in the round pen, I like to give them there names
just by what comes to me by the first time working with
them and how they do. So at the end of the day we had,
Buffalo, Flippa, Oxegen, Canon & finally Supra.

Supra was around 7 months when I got him, I belive his
breeding is a Haflinger cross with a Welsh with a
touch of Saddlebred. What ever it is seems
unimportant, the little fellow has heart. I saw it in
him very earl. To be honest, there was just something
about him that I just could not put my finger on ,
"but" I knew there was something special. Over the
first few years, I sold off some of his sisters to
some friends of ours. My wife's close friend wanted
Supra for her stable but I just could not part with
him. I had turned Supra out to grow. In the summer's I
put in on a hilly field we had to strengthen his back
and shoulders up & in the winters I brought him home.
Even though he was turned out, I handled him ever day
it seamed. He was the first horse I ever really
connected with. I really like him & it seamed he
really like being with me. I noticed it more when he
was with a group, most horses will spend a little time
with you and rejoin the herd. But with Supra he would
always stay with me. I would feel bad leaving the
little guy.