Chili Update

Well where to start.  First day she come it was snowing and cold and late, so I just unloaded them, was no big deal for them and left them together even though they had never been together before, usually a trailer ride to a new place makes them best friends.  Well the next day I went out and saw Chili kicking the crap out of Trio.  Well not happening in my corrals, gotta learn that fighting is NOT allowed ever when I'm out there.  So I figured I should separate them, I had another pen anyways.  And so Chili was heading towards the gate when I went out there so I just walked towards it to close it after her and just as she was almost through Trio come out of nowhere and hit the gate which closed and hit Chili and kinda freaked her out and she got a cut on her shoulder, nothing serious but looked gross cause was so red against her black.  But got them separated anyways and and fed them and figured in the morning I would come back and deal with everything when they were calmed down.

 (this is how I saw her for a long time, she'd watch but wouldn't turn to face me)

 I was thinking of a bunch of names and never really come up with one I liked and funny thing I just accidentally started calling her Chili, so I have to say thanks to Mrs Shoes who suggested it somehow it musta stuck in my head.  And I think it fits, as Caliente is translated to mean hot so somehow it works.

Anyways the next morning seeing as I was told she was halter broke and gentle and so I just went out there expecting to walk up to her and catch her.  Well no.  Apparently halter broke doesn't mean knows how to be caught.  So I moved her to a smaller pen so I could actually do something with her, got her caught and treated(it wasn't pretty that day)  and left her in there.  Well she run the fence and she didn't care if I was there or not so I let her settle down and put Trio with Razz and Jessie and she was totally calm and fine about that.  Weird how a yearling can be calmer and more relaxed about new things.

So after she finally quit freaking out, I went back and thought I could make frineds with her and help her over her worries.  Well it started slowly, I been feeding her everyday off a bale and so she started looking for me to feed her, eventually she started nickering when I came out, good start.  And then I went and stood in her pen and visited my other ponies, she would stand close and then one day she walked up to me and I could pet her neck.  Good sign.  A few says of that and I figured it was time to get the halter.  Well no good.  I walked in there with a halter and she sticks her nose in the corner. OK well I just put it down and got my whip and made her move around and round penned her in a square pen until she faced me.  Took a while and only lasted till I picked up the halter, so I held the halter and did it again.  Took longer but got there.  I pet her and quit.  Came back and did it again a few days was getting so much better.  So started to put the halter on her, no go as soon as I got to her she'd be fine while I put it on her nose but left before I got it done up.  OK more work.  Finally she quit moving and just faced her butt to me, so I just kept tapping her butt until she moved it away from me (was super hard not to hit harder but I know that doesn't help, lol)  and it only took a minute till she faced me and I pet her and walked up to put halter on again, same thing.  OK more tapping, only took a second and she turned and stood facing me while I put on the halter.  Yay!  Finally!!!  Gave her big scratches and let her relax and took it off.

(just hanging out having fun and relaxing and taking selfies lol)

Next day took a second but walked in and haltered her :D  Was super excited, now we can move on even though we are 5 weeks behind where I thought we would be the day I got her home.  Well I got out my rubber curry, everyone likes that brush and shes shedding like crazy so I figured its a good one.  She loved it on her neck and withers and chest.  A little unsure about it on her back but she just tensed up a bit so I kept going till she relaxed again and then went to the neck again and then quit.

The next day started over again, and brushed her girth area, oh that was a jump.  Guess shes never been touched there before.  Well we dealt with that and not a big deal the second time, I think I just caught her off guard.  Which is OK cause she jumped a bit but was no big deal, calmed down easy, I like that.  So every day kinda been building on that.  Still feel unready for a clinic this weekend specially if she is so unsettled as she was as when she came to my house, and I don't know if I can tie her, not sure I will take her, might take Dee and still get help and ideas I can do with Chili at home, still undecided, lol I got a couple more day I guess.

(weird swelling over her rump, and if you biggify the last pic it looks 

like a poor fitting saddle, lol only I know its not

 cause shes never had a saddle on)

And Lisa, I would like to cut some this summer, haven't been to any lessons this spring cause I wasn't sure I could with my sore back, I think I can now and as soon as we have a break from branding I will go back, a friend is also interested in going to a few shows this summer so I will probly go to a few just to keep in it a bit.  Not sure if I will ever be super competitive on Jessie or keep her, but that's a whole nother story for a whole new day.  If you ever want to come to our branding you are sure welcome, whether or no you are help, its always good to get new people into brandings its so fun, we are the 8th of June this year.  And grazing school in a mostly cattle management ut on by the government and all for women who want to learn without anyone saying they know it all, lol.  Its always fun and informative, since its in different areas every year. They bring in ladies who have been successful so we can hear there stories too.