Historical Articles - April 2006

April 2006

March and April have been busy months for us between our trip to Penn National in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and having additional horses shipped from West Virginia and Pennsylvania. But we have a great group of horses to work with for the next couple of months. Sammie joined us in late February from the Penn National track. What a trooper! We had to haul over to Philadelphia Park to pickup a horse for a friend of ours and then head home. The trip was a long one. We pulled in at 6:30am on Monday morning after having left at 11:30am Saturday. Whirlwind trip!!! He settled right in and thankfully didn't lose too much weight with the long trek.

While we were at the track we purchased another horse from the same trainer, Tuffy. He was just too cute and had loads of personality. I couldn't walk away from that opportunity. But we didn't have enough room on the trailer. He shipped down to our farm by way of Mountaineer in West Virginia. 20 hours later he arrived safe and sound. I was amazed how calmly he walked off the trailer and settled into his stall. Apparently the roll in the shavings wasn't enough to get that itch on his back so he bent down underneath his feed bucket and proceeded to rock back and forth scratching his back. Good flexibility!

Since Tuffy's arrival he has settled in and taken to his new life. He loves his turnout. I knew he had settled in when I was standing with him in the pasture and he took that huge sigh that lets you know they are settled in and happy.

Shortly after Tuffy's arrival came Coby from Mountaineer Park in West Virginia. He was delivered in style - a semi-horse trailer all to himself. But what a gentleman, after 14 hours on the trailer he stepped off the semi and right onto our 3-horse slant trailer. The next morning when he got his first taste of turnout it brought tears to my eyes to watch him play like he had never been turned out before. We know he hasn't been turned out for several years, maybe not even since he was a 2 year old. And then the sigh...all was right in his world. He too has calmed down tremendously since his arrival. But that movement in the pasture shows great promise for what's to come. Everyone knows I'm not a real big fan of Chestnuts, but I might just keep him for my upper-level event horse if someone doesn't buy him soon.