I’m pretty good at admitting when I’m in over my head.  And I found myself there with this little pony, Domingo.

On Thursday evening, it hit me.  I’d had 3 or 4 days of working with him and we were making teeny teeny little advances, but then would have a very rough day.  I know it sounds like it wasn’t very much time, but I was getting very stressed working with him.  He was such a handful.  Just everything about him was a handful.  I have learned my limitations with horses at this point, and that is, I’m just not equipped to handle such a rough diamond. It was a decision based on a TON of thought, prayer, wisdom and emotion.

It was Thursday night that I thought…  I wonder if there is anyone out there that would be a better match for him.  Could provide him with the proper training and structure to make his revolving door of homes stop and give him the skills to be a good pony.   A great pony.  Like Cody.  Like so many other horses and ponies I know.

So, I wrote up an ad, with nice pictures and I was super super honest and truthful about him.  Put it on Craigslist.

Well, I was floored.  I got over 8 responses in just a few hours.  It was the sign I was looking for.

I talked to them all, I listened to their voices, I heard about their experience.  I wasn’t just going to let him go to the first person with a rope and a trailer.  I wanted to make sure they understood his issues and the things I had observed and learned.  I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to see him at auction next weekend and I wanted to make sure they didn’t just want a pasture pet for grandkids. (Because he needs training, real training and is not safe with little people)

I finally narrowed it down to a fellow that has been working with horses and ponies for over 30 years and his Dad, had been working with them just as long.  They raised horses, ponies and minis.  Had trained for both saddle and standerdbred trotters.  Had a nice 45 acre farm.   Looked them up online, all legit.  And I could hear in his voice that he loved horses.  We talked for a gooooood long time.  He was very aware that he was going to have to start from the ground up and all.  I felt good talking with him.

I was mostly worried about Cody.  I knew the two were pals, no doubt.  I was ready with tissues and cookies for my man Cody, and expected him to be frantic, but the thing was, he wasn’t.  In fact, when I had to put Domingo in the barn for a bit, since we had some folks over to do a few things in the yard, Cody was a little hard to catch.  He didn’t really want to go back in the barn since I’d just let them out an hour or so ago.  So I thought, heck, Domingo can hang out alone.  It was one of the things we’ve been working on.  But once there, Domingo was squealing and kicking and mad as a hornet for being stabled.  Cody gave him one long look of consideration and then went out to the back pasture with the sheep.  That told me oodles.  A couple weeks ago?  Cody would have been frantic.  But now?  I think it was his sign that he was a little weary of the youngster.  In fact, as they were loading Domingo to leave, and he gave out a few cries to his buddy, Cody just looked up and walked off to the back pasture.  I didn’t need any tissues for him, just me.  Felt a little like giving up, a very hard lesson to learn.

In the evening, things were so much calmer.   I called Cody and he came with a whiney and  a trot.  Gave him a good rubbing all over, and he used me as his scratching post for his head.  He just gave me a good sniff over and bumped his head on my arm and just seemed happy to see me.  Something he hadn’t been doing as much the last week or so.

I moved his feed bucket into his barn, and gave him a big cup of sweet feed for bedtime.  He calmly walked over and started munching.  I didn’t have to worry about him rearing up or pushing me around.  He waited paiently for me to give him his treat.   I fluffed up his hay in his manger and he watched me with his big lovely eyes, crunching away.  Gave him a big hug and some pats and told him goodnight and just walked out, not worrying about looking over my shoulder for a wild pony to try and bust past me.  He got to eat in peace and quiet, without Domingo hogging his snack and then pushing Cody out of the way.  It was a quiet and calm end to our crazy weekend.  I liked it.  I loved it.

The girls are good with it, and a little sad, sure.  It’s a hard part of pets and livestock.  You need a certain harmony in your mix.  One or two wildcards and all the sudden, everything just seems harder.  We also found a home for Domino… the Dominque rooster that was so mean and we had gotten by accident at auction.  He went with a few other roosters from our neighbor’s farm to a fellow that loves chickens and wants to raise his own.   So, it was kinda cool that he was not going straight to butcher, but would have his own flock of ladies.  Perhaps he will do better there.  I hope so.

And we got the big barn properly outfitted for sheep just yesterday afternoon.  Gideon, our ram, was giving us a little run for our money as well, just needed a good safe enclosure.  He’s a strong boy, no doubt, and he needed a safe strong enclosure to stay safe.  He is getting very comfortable in his surroundings and perhaps a bit too comfortable.  He managed to corner Maggie and was head butting her a little too roughly one afternoon.  Jessy had to come to her aid and that was part of my final decision that naughty animals need better management.  Letting everyone roam in Dr. Dolittle style has to end.  We need some distinct places for folks and routines that work a little better.   Thank goodness I can now let Cody out with the sheep. We spent all week playing pasture swap games because we could no longer leave Domingo with the sheep.  He was just too rough on them.  So we had to move livestock around several times a day and it was tough on us.  It was almost impossible to do with just one person.

Just one of those weeks, let me tell you.  We had several of our meat chickens get all weird and started pecking on each other very violently.  We lost two and two others were pecked badly.  Had to separate them, medicate and apply BlueKote to their rumps and made some changes that the poultry book suggested.  Chicken aggression is something that is very unsavory about chickens.  They can get along just fine but then one little thing and they just can become very mean.  And it’s hard to narrow down the cause.  We keep them clean, lots of water, feed, etc.  And it could have just been one of them getting scratched as they are pretty rough on each other at the feeder and such, and they see blood and they attack.  It’s scary.  We added a bunch of branches and things in the brooders for them to play on and use as safe spots and such.  Cleaned the brooders, added scratch throughout the litter for them to seek and find.  I just loved how the book had like oooooodles of reasons for attacks…  and I was thankful that Maggie listened to me that it was so many possible reasons.  She was in tears when she found the two dead in the morning when she did chores, thinking she had done something wrong.  She loves her birds.  More hard lessons.

And if it wasn’t enough…  we have one of the bunnies just not doing so great.  She’s the little runt of the litter, and after much consultation and such with other breeders we know and all our books, we have learned there is something called  “failure to thrive”.  When they start to wean off and get on real food, sometimes one or two in a litter will just not really make the transition well.  The other four are bruisers…  all big and fat, eating well, doing great.  But little Sylveena, she’s just sort of not thriving.   She’s eating, she’s drinking, but she’s just frail.  Momma spends a lot of time with her, cuddled up and licking her, just sort of watching over her.   We have been giving her a special electrolyte powder in her water, and lots of fresh greens and grass from the yard.  Jessy has been keeping a very diligent watch over her, making sure she eats and pees and keeping her warm and snuggly.  I spent about two hours with Sylveena, nestled in my blanket and just talking and petting her Sunday morning.  She is so sweet, you just want her to get the hang of big bunny living.  We’re doing all we can to just keep her strong.  She really likes the special water and this evening we found her in the food dish with her siblings, eating away.  Hopefully, she can get a little more meat on her bones and get the hang of it all.  We are going to start seperating her with her mom for a few hours each evening to see if she can get a little more nursing time alone, without competition.  That was an excellent suggestion from one of the breeders.  Being the runt, she does get pushed aside a lot.  Perhaps a few days of one on one evening feed will help as well.

Well, rough little week for sure.  But we’re getting through it and I think we will all be fine in a few days.  Looks like we even have homes for the last two kittens!  Yeah!   The Windhaven Ark will be smooth sailing soon, with just the right mix of critters and all.  Tomorrow is shearing day for the sheepies and I can’t wait to see what they look like nekked!!!   We are taking video and camera pics of the event… it’s sure to be a fun day!

And if you can, say a little prayer for Domingo.  He needs a good forever home and I so truly hope that he has found it.

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