Moving on

Maybe give her some alfalfa cubes or pellets in her feed to help with her not liking the hay. Maybe try a low port correction bit on her. I don't care for Tom Thumbs either. Maybe once her feet are done she will start feeling better. It will take her some time to settle in and she will start liking the hay. She was spoiled on lush grass. No she will never replace Steve, but she will have a place in your heart soon enough. Time will tell.

Wanted to give everyone an update on Skye - she has been on 2 trail rides now (it has been raining buckets here) for the first ride we rode approx. 7 miles and did it in about 2 hours. She walks out pretty well (flat walk) but her hooves are so long I did not try gaiting. She is spooky putting the saddle and pad on and was not like that at her home in So IL - so that is one thing to work on. She has very little stop to her - and I believe that is because she was usually the follower. I made her lead and she was testing me by stopping and trying to turn around and a few whacks on her butt with my hand got her going. She did pop up a little in the back and it just made me laugh. Steve bucked almost every time I rode him so I can handle a little buck.

Her hunger strike is over for the most part but she is a picky thing when it comes to her hay. So some days she eats it and other days not. Our second ride was mothers day and she did really well - and led with no whacks on the butt. Still no gaiting as I try to bring her toes back slowly. She is still testing me a little and I am OK with that -I tend to like a thinking horse and not a dead head.

An unpleasant surprise happened as I was filling out her transfer papers to be sent in. Her papers do not match her- I don't think it was the lady I bought her from but someone else that did this. The lady I purchased her from never transferred ownership and she must have ended up with a broker or something because the last owner had purchased her as a weanling- I contacted that person and she said she had purchased Skye and her sister from the breeder as weanlings - and had to sell them both a few years later after the death of her young son. I sent her pics of Skye now and a pic of the papers and she thinks the papers were switched between the two mares. But could not remember the registered name of the other mare. So I have a grade-ish horse.

Vet was out to do Coggins and give shots and she stood like a champ - knowing what I know about her papers I asked him to age her based on her teeth - he guessed 8-9 and the papers say 11 so pretty close. He liked her and agreed that she is shorter than Steve but that may be just what I need.

I have attached a pic of Skye - she is still chubby but has lost quite a bit of weight (guessing 100lbs) I need to work on muscling her up before we hit some of the more challenging trails in our area - but so far I am fairly pleased with her.

I think she is such a cutie! It sounds like she is going to be a great trail companion to you, especially once her feet are back to normal and you can really take her anywhere. Steve is smiling down on you and I know he is so happy that you have a new partner.

She looks good. Just get her muscled up and she will be Da Bomb. I would go ahead and see how she gaits. Get her in a good gait and she will muscle up in no time and you will enjoy the smooth ride. Can't see her feet in the pic. But I would try it. Glad it is all working out.