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Updated November 12, 2005

 

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As you can see, Echo is quite healthy this year. Her heaves did not come back this summer- thank goodness! I imagine a combination of better feed (we were avoiding hay that first winter, and gave her a combination of pellets and mulch), better conditioning, an irrigated pasture and probiotics called Respereaze helped. You can clearly see the relative size of each horse here, with black Moony at the back at 15.1, Toby in the middle at 15.2, and Echo in front at 16.1. Echo's conformation looks quite good in this shot!

Here's a great action shot (other than being blurry)! Yes, there is a clear path through the rocks!! Echo is clearly much more athletic than she let on that first year. She is also no longer so "fat" that I can't get my rear cinch around her! Clearly most of that big belly was actually accessory muscles in her effort to breath that first summer. :-( Thank goodness she showed no signed of heaves this summer at all! :-)

Another blurry action shot- she moves out quite well!

Here's a much calmer shot. Look at those cool dapples! Even now, with her winter coat, you can see them. As previously mentioned, the horse pasture is now fully irrigated. The neighbor's pasture in the background is what our California summer pastures look like without irrigation, and Echo's first summer here was spent in our pasture looking like that. It was dry and dusty, and we had to feed hay (until we realized she was having so much trouble). This year, we got the irrigation going. We did not have to feed any hay to any of them this year, though they all got supplemental pellets for vitamins etc. While the pasture looks quite short and thin, all three horses kept good weight on it just like that. In the spring, when the grass is full and thick, I have to put a grazing muzzle on Moony (the black Quarter Horse) in order to prevent her from getting too fat, or worse, foundering. She is really quite crabby as a result during the spring! :-)

    Here's another shot that shows Toby's relative size compared to Echo. Toby is now (as of this update) 18 months old. He is clearly destined to be pretty big! That's fine with me, as I have always actually preferred larger sport-type horses. I have been doing lots of ground work with Toby, including ground poles to help develop his balance, back and tummy muscles, and self-carriage. I also frequently pony him with me when I ride- which is pretty comical. Toby will mess with Moony, biting at her butt, or grabbing a rein in his mouth, or deciding he doesn't really want to keep up any more and leaning against the lead rope, or looking off one way or the other. Meanwhile, I am trying to keep Moony from snarling at him, and keep her on a nice, steady path. Moony still is quite suspicious of various places along the trail ("Oh, my GOD, they had a PIG here in the past! And what is THAT tree! I don't remember seeing that before!!") while Toby could care less. I've also ponied him with my dressage saddle on. The first time I put it on, he was curious, but not in the least bit bothered. :-)

 

 

Now below is one of my favorite shots! Talk about choreographed! It couldn't get any better than this! I was out trying to get good pics of the horses, and they decided to do several laps around the pasture. I just happened to catch this one *perfectly*, don't you think? :-) I had no idea the goats could go so fast...

 Here is Toby's action shot. Rest assured, there is a clear path through the rocks! :-) I have been considering taking him for an American Warmblood Society inspection! What a kick that would be- a red dun sabino Warmblood! For those that are not aware, the requirements are that the horse be anything other than 100% hot blood (Arabian or Thoroughbred) or 100% cold blood (draft). Toby is 1/2 Canadian Paint (APHA- but the Canadians tend to prefer a larger, rangier Paint and Quarter Horse), 1/4 Canadian AQHA Quarter Horse, and 1/4 unknown draft. Echo, as previously mentioned, is by a registered palomino Canadian Quarter Horse (AQHA) and out of an unknown draft mare. To register with the AWS, Toby would have to pass an inspection by sanctioned judges, and earn a minimum score on such things as his walk and trot as well as his conformation. They can also confirm his parentage (type at least) by DNA analysis. I was going to take him to an inspection this month, but he has a split hoof (after some raucous galloping around in the pasture- not the day this picture was taken) and is not "sound" at the moment. He actually is not limping, except when the piece of hoof that split is unprotected (as in unwrapped) and catches on something. The farrier will be screwing a plate across the split and fitting him with an egg-bar shoe until it grows out.

 

 

 

And lastly, Echo also gets her own Special Run model from the Peter Stone Company! This was released exclusively at the Fall Fiesta 2005 model horse show as a run of only 84 (39 glossy and 45 matte). There are actually still some available, and again proceeds after the show expenses are met go to help the United Pegasus Foundation. To find out more about the model and order one for yourself, see the ordering web page. The picture below is more orange than the model actually is- it really matches Echo's color quite well!

 

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