Feeling at Home

Charlie has settled in quite well at my friend's farm. Three days after their arrival they got let out into the big field. DH and I helped put up the cross fencing for the field and it definitely sold me on the electric tape. In about two hours we'd put in 180' of fencing. And if you put the lowest strand low enough it keeps dogs/coyotes out too. That will be the plan for our property. 

There is a single strand of electric wire on the top board of their paddocks. Both boys had discovered the strand the first day. We felt pretty bad, but it was going to happen at some point. And after Charlie's mom taught him fences were optional by knocking out bottom boards to get to grass, he did need to learn that fences are not removable by ponies. 

Prior to getting let loose in the pasture, they got led as a pair around the whole field. Neither of us saw the boys hit the electric tape out in the pasture though. They may have because Charlie opted to stay a solid three feet away when I came to look at them through the tape. 

At this point, Charlie and I resumed adventures too. Just little forays into the front field and away from Bubby. On the first such journey, Charlie met my friend's dog. He was pretty worried about her bounciness and she pretty much thought he was trying to play with her (do you see where this is going?). A few minutes of this with brief intermissions when I asked her to sit or lay down and eventually he spun his butt around and nailed her with a hind foot. She then realized that he was not in fact trying to play with her and exited. Fortunately she was just fine although her feelings and side definitely stung a little. Charlie had a bit of a look like "mission accomplished" though. Apparently dogs are not his favorite. 

I brought down the ball that Butterball and co had declined to play with. Bubby thought it was pretty fun. Charlie and her other horse were not so sure. 

"You can't give away my toys!" 

Charlie is also learning about things like fly spray (pretty okay on the legs, WTF was that on the top of his back and butt) and barn utensils. We've also worked on halter getting pulled on/off over the ears (still not his fave, but he's learning while short that the option of flailing his head about isn't a good one). 

Sampling the oak tree, not sure it is good 

That well shed was the cause of a bit of anxiety

But he can always eat 

Looking all kinds of cute and set up

His stifles went through a phase of being very locked up about a month prior to weaning (to which my friend responded "sounds like a pony!") but they seem quite happy now. I'm sure his next growth spurt will trigger a bit of that again, but I think he's moving around a lot more at the new farm AND there's a hill in the field - miracles in Florida LOL. 

We'll continue adventures farther and farther away and start to add in a (re) introduction to the trailer for our next tricks. We also need to do some work on standing STILL, I'm not sure how to go about that one TBH.