Went to go pick up my new girl today - her name will be Daisy. I have a new registered name picked out but won't disclose until I send it in, I love it that much. We had some ups and downs today, and overall I am happy with her, but worried she may be a n/h horse after all. Worried enough that I sent off her hair today fedex to UC Davis - with the holidays I am hoping to know within a couple weeks.
She had a 10 hour haul Thursday, got in Thursday night, and then spent a day recovering before I went and picked her up for the 1 1/2 hour ride home. She was ridden Friday and did well...
I went to get her this morning - she is a pretty, sweet girl. Her toes are long and she may toe out a smidge, still bum high, but overall, pretty darn cute - even if she is furry. I measured her today, she is 15.1 and wears a 78 blanket, which I wouldn't have believed because she looks tiny next to Whiskey... I got her health cert, coggins, and papers. I like the looks of her, she is a little drawn up, looked a little dehydrated and a little jumpy at the barn I got her from, but there was lots of activity and she wasn't disrespectful, just a little nervous.
I got a very bad vibe about her hypp status, though - this is the mare I bought sight unseen because she lives 9 hours away... (videos and pictures, phone calls)... but then realized she has two traces to Impressive... didn't even think to check because she is a western pleasure bred APHA mare - by the time I did ask, the check had been cashed and she was already mine.
When I realized her risk, the answer was mom is n/n and dad has no ties to Impressive. OK! Great! But - when I got there and asked again, she told me mom has had five babies, none have shown symptoms, mom never shown a symptom, Daisy never has shown a symptom. :shock:
Little side rant here - With two traces to Impressive, WHY did they not test the MARE?? :evil: All of Daisy's full siblings are point earners in pleasure and halter, and her full brother won Pinto World's this year in western pleasure, so they apparently figure if they don't actually test, they don't have to disclose. Inexcusable.
So it took about 10 minutes to get her in the trailer, she was clearly not happy with the prospect of another trailer ride. We took our time, and she got in, tried to spin around to get back out, but we tied her up and she rode quietly home, I only felt the trailer move at a few stops... I went to get her out, and she was slightly sweaty and trembling in the trailer. So of course i am thinking, "is this an attack?" I backed her out of the trailer, and she stopped shaking immediately and got very interested in the new place. So maybe dehydration, or nerves?
Daisy drank lots of water, ate her grass hay (she was on an alfalfa diet, but until I have confirmation one way or the other I will treat her as a positive horse). .. I went over her with the brush, picked up her feet, let her out with George and Whiskey, and they had a few "who is the boss" moments but generally had a good time together. I put her blanket on and tucked her in her stall for bed and by then she was already coming up to me... nice quiet eye, nice girl.
I had a very nice n/h show horse before, so the prospect of her being positive isn't earth shattering... when you don't pay much for a horse you get what you get - and I do think she'll be a nice little horse... I just really wish that these breeders would do the right thing and not stop breeding n/h horses!
So, I'll be watching like a hawk these next few weeks until I get the letter in hand and treating her as a positive horse in the meantime..
Here's a few pics for your viewing pleasure...
She had a 10 hour haul Thursday, got in Thursday night, and then spent a day recovering before I went and picked her up for the 1 1/2 hour ride home. She was ridden Friday and did well...
I went to get her this morning - she is a pretty, sweet girl. Her toes are long and she may toe out a smidge, still bum high, but overall, pretty darn cute - even if she is furry. I measured her today, she is 15.1 and wears a 78 blanket, which I wouldn't have believed because she looks tiny next to Whiskey... I got her health cert, coggins, and papers. I like the looks of her, she is a little drawn up, looked a little dehydrated and a little jumpy at the barn I got her from, but there was lots of activity and she wasn't disrespectful, just a little nervous.
I got a very bad vibe about her hypp status, though - this is the mare I bought sight unseen because she lives 9 hours away... (videos and pictures, phone calls)... but then realized she has two traces to Impressive... didn't even think to check because she is a western pleasure bred APHA mare - by the time I did ask, the check had been cashed and she was already mine.
When I realized her risk, the answer was mom is n/n and dad has no ties to Impressive. OK! Great! But - when I got there and asked again, she told me mom has had five babies, none have shown symptoms, mom never shown a symptom, Daisy never has shown a symptom. :shock:
Little side rant here - With two traces to Impressive, WHY did they not test the MARE?? :evil: All of Daisy's full siblings are point earners in pleasure and halter, and her full brother won Pinto World's this year in western pleasure, so they apparently figure if they don't actually test, they don't have to disclose. Inexcusable.
So it took about 10 minutes to get her in the trailer, she was clearly not happy with the prospect of another trailer ride. We took our time, and she got in, tried to spin around to get back out, but we tied her up and she rode quietly home, I only felt the trailer move at a few stops... I went to get her out, and she was slightly sweaty and trembling in the trailer. So of course i am thinking, "is this an attack?" I backed her out of the trailer, and she stopped shaking immediately and got very interested in the new place. So maybe dehydration, or nerves?
Daisy drank lots of water, ate her grass hay (she was on an alfalfa diet, but until I have confirmation one way or the other I will treat her as a positive horse). .. I went over her with the brush, picked up her feet, let her out with George and Whiskey, and they had a few "who is the boss" moments but generally had a good time together. I put her blanket on and tucked her in her stall for bed and by then she was already coming up to me... nice quiet eye, nice girl.
I had a very nice n/h show horse before, so the prospect of her being positive isn't earth shattering... when you don't pay much for a horse you get what you get - and I do think she'll be a nice little horse... I just really wish that these breeders would do the right thing and not stop breeding n/h horses!
So, I'll be watching like a hawk these next few weeks until I get the letter in hand and treating her as a positive horse in the meantime..
Here's a few pics for your viewing pleasure...