I absolutly love Giva. She’s def. a beauty! She is HUGE though!
Need your opinion!!!
Hi! I need your sugestions and advice now.
Today is the first turnout day when we put them all three together in electric fencing. Shella is great, calm and sweet, Puika is calm, shy and ABUSED and Giva is not letting these two even close to each other - she runs between them all the time and chases Puika away from Shella. At the same time Giva by herself goes to Puika to tell him nice hello. Poor Puika is so confused and sad that he is not allowed even close to Shella.
Shella is pregnant, Giva just was on heat. Maybe that? Or she is just very bossy mare, and Puika will have no life with her 
If it helps, when one of our dogs went close to the fence, Giva stood between Shell and the dog as well.
Or what to expect? In general all in all is going nicely - no real agression, few kicks from Giva, but it was more showing off, not to really kick Puika, and Puika instantly turns away, he respects her completely. Shella is nice as always to everybody and Puika just wants to be their best friend.
What do you think? Giva’s beheivior will progress towards Puika, she will calm down and all will be ok or something between that?
Giva just happy
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/29-08-08/1stturnout072.jpg
Giva splitting up Shella from Giva
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/29-08-08/1stturnout086.jpg
Giva between Shella and dog the other side of the fencing
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/29-08-08/1stturnout051.jpg
Giva saying individual HELLO to Puika
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/29-08-08/1stturnout083.jpg
Puika who wants play too 
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/29-08-08/1stturnout087.jpg
Pleeeez!
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/29-08-08/1stturnout052.jpg
Calm down, girl, calm down
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/29-08-08/1stturnout045.jpg
and the remaining of today here
Giva is establishing herself as the herd boss. She is protecting Shella and will not let Puika near her until she decides that he is safe and not a threat to either Shella or to her superiority.
Sometimes it takes a few days for the leader to allow another horse into the herd, sometimes weeks. It is very interesting to watch! As long as Puika does not try to challenge her, they will settle and be fine soon and you will see all three grazing side by side. Usually it is a mare who will be the herd leader in a mixed herd.
Puika is on his best beheivor ever already, including humans (Thank You Giva for that!). And Giva is definitely decided that she must be the leader. It is our mistake actually as we worked much harder with both mares to make friends than Giva with Puika - I’m great believer that no horse will seriously attack mare but two mares can create a mess especially if one is pregnant.
Hello!! My first post to you ~ such a wonderful story!! Your horses are so lucky to have you!! Love the pictures of your girl in the house!! I look forward to reading more!
Anna, how is the herd doing? It is very hard to watch dynamics sometimes, with the lowest horse (Puika) being kept away from the others by the leader. He will have to be very polite and wait for her to give him permission to join. If he gets too close without her permission she will chase him away. He is probably actually quite relieved that there is a strong alpha mare present to look after him and Shella.
Maybe we did it wrong, but we split them apart yesterday. Both girls needed to go to the stables for their treetment -Giva needed her back wound treatement, Shella - antibiotic injection and tummy dreinage checking by vet, and Puika DID NOT LET US GET THEM OUT.
He was really silly. He was kicked by Giva several times, but just igored that and then Shella lost her temper and also kicked him (she has all 4 shoes on, so it might injure him).
Even Peter got a light kick (accidentally, it was supposed to go to Puika, and it was light - he has no bruises at all today).
It took us 3 hours to get both mares out - they wanted, Puika was turning them back, they told him off and it was complete mess. So we decided to keep him seperate at least until both mares will be finished with their treatments.
So we got both mares out, then we took lonely and very obedient Puika out, both mares went back, and Puika was put on seperate fencing (Electric fencing is a new thing for me, and I just love it - so fast and easy!)
They can sniff each other over the fencing, but Puika just needs to learn rules slowly.
Now they are seperated and it is so much easier - both mares are like two elderly ladies going out for a bit chit-chat around neibourhood - call them and they are here instantly even if you do not have any treats in your pockets, just for cuddles and kisses, and latest gossips 
And Puika is the same - calm and sweet, well beheiving boy without girls.
The only mystery for us - yesterday when we took both mares out and left him alone in the electric fence, he felt lost… And within five minutes we found him near the stables looking for girls. Electric fencing was untached, so the only way how he could sneak out would be under the entrance (hight is 4 ft, and with his size he would need crawl on his belly) or jumping over the top line which in lowest bits is about 4 ft…
Can a horse of his size and draft horse body without any jumping experience take such hight without any visible signs? Last 10 years he had never shown any ability and interest to jump even over a log… Mystery.
Anyway - today we had calm day and horses also had calm, boring day… Even vet was not here once
And an extra bonus - we had the third day without rain! But swans are still happy swimming in our cellar
Oh you have some interesting herd dynamics going on at your place! Yes, Puika can jump the fence, but more likely he crawled under it. Lots of horses learn to do it, and fast! Another possibility is that he just walked right through the fence, although you would have noticed that!:lol::lol:
Puika may have squeezed in between the two strands of tape. I think Puika has not ever been in a herd before and has no idea how to behave or what the rules are, and might be challenging Giva for the herd leader. 3 hours to get them out…Bad idea, Puika! Probably best to separate for awhile, as it will take Giva a long time to forgive him for his lack of respect. Sometimes a gelding can emerge as herd leader, but with Giva’s size and attitude, I doubt it will happen.
So far both mares are doing great, Puika is left outside, but close to them so he can watch, has comany and hopefully will learn horse language and herd thing.
Peter is teaching both girls to respomd to verbal comands at present - “left”, “right” and “stop”. And they both like it. Giva is doing great and to be honest she is learning faster than Shella. Peter is seriously considering to take Giva to few shows next year if she will be keen jumper, but so far seems that she is keen on everytning - she was a great choice to get.
Well, if you like, here are some today’s pictures
Good girl, here, time for some work
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6797.jpg
See, dear, we shall do it this way…
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6798.jpg
Go right!
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6799.jpg
Here both girls must stop on command (You can see that Giva already does it better than Shella)
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6796.jpg
Little helper comes in „Girls, you must turn together”
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6769.jpg
Ok ok, only which one was left?
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6768.jpg
Or right?
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6767.jpg
OK, then we can walk like that
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6763.jpg
Good girl, good!
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6749.jpg
We did it! We did it!
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6772.jpg
Most funniest part - we finished the lesson, went back home, looked through the window and here they go! Both girls were doing all the excercises by themselves, all the eights and other figures, another hour or so… again and again, exactly the path were they were walking with us. So I’m sure that they do like these lazy excercises.
But when you tell them "go!’ and send them away, Giva is going like loonie. She runs away like that - seems for me that she is happy
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6815.jpg
You guys are amazing! I stand in awe of you…You have taken horses no one wants and made them safe and happy…How is Giva’s wound and Shella’s breathing? Poor Puika, he is all left out. He used to be the one getting all the attention now he has to share…How is he taking that?
Do you have room in the barn for them in the winter? and a nice big box for Shella to foal in?
Keep up the good work
Boxes in barn are ready (Giva used them for the first nights, and surgery for Shella was done there), the winter turnout with a run in shelter is on its way
- so far it looks like that
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6716.jpg
It is on top of the hill, so hopefully it will be dry at winter
View from inside shelter
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-09-08/PICT6718.jpg
So in general we are getting ready for winter. Must to get more straw in, hay is all stacked. And then get some outs as well - the season of crop just started, harvest is good, so I’m waiting to see what this year’s price will be - last year it was quite poor so prices were high.
Puika enjoys the situation so much. He is not left out, far from it, he is just not let to enjoy girls company until he will get used to the other horses. But he is learning all the same commands as well and is doing fine - this summer just bought too many changes in his life, and he had not had experience enough to take it all in - ten years most of his life was a stone walls around - now he has soooooo many things going around so he feels like a prisoner released - a bit wild and overexcited, skipping around.
But he has learned hand signals, like go there, come here, and does what he is told to do quite well. He likes his head touched now, and he is asking for scraches and pats… He watches us with both girls and learns from them. We keep him just another side of the fence, so he can see, talk and learn, and is not left out about the pack thing.
I still do not trust him 100%, but it is just me, Peter loves him to pieces. And I do not let niece to play with him, just in case, but she goes to him to pat him and give him some treats, supervised. He is sooo careful with her, even I can see that, but he just do not know how, and it makes him nervous. Poor boy - he just needs more time to learn all the things that normal horses learn as babies. We do not know anything about his youth, but his impossibility to communicate with other horses I suggest that he has taken away from mother and herd too early, maybe he was hand fed as a foal or something like that. If you would see him around two mares you would know what I mean about his beheivior - he is like a boy for the first time in the night club - completely crazy about all girls around but having no idea about how to talk, how to aproach, how to chat them up… He can not pick up their body language and facial expressions, so they just kick him when he is getting on their nerves. It seems for me that he even enjoys all the kicks - at least some attention. I would let them be, but Shella has all 4 shoes on so it can be dangerous - I really would not like get into situation at present when Puika needs some medical care - even minor things would turn into the dangerous fight with vet. At present we are happy that he lets us to brush him in field and enjoys it. (before it was impossible - to brush him we needed to take him in his box and put on cross ties). Slowly, slowly… We do not have him for purpose, so all what we try to do - to keep him mentally and phisically stimulated to settle in and learn, but the main thing - to see him happy. So if something seems too much at present, we go back one step and move slower.
Just a small bragg about Giva today. Peter decided today to test how much Giva has learned so he saddled Shella and rode in pastures to meet Giva.
I was watching with open jaw. Peter had two training sessions with both girls on verbal commands, and today was the third. So Shella was ridden in the pastures, Giva instantly arrived and took the right position on side. Imagine - Peter is on Shella’s back, and has no lead for Giva, so she has absolutely free choice - join or leave, work or go back on gazing.
Giva decided on work! And did it all perfect - they walked, trotted, galloped, side by side, and Giva did all turns perfect! Instantly stopped on command along with Shella, just everything! It looked like both horses had been attached by ropes or something to keep such perfect distance all the time, you know like synchronized swimming.
I know, it is not a big thing for experienced people, but for us… I’m so happy about her wilingness to cooperate and work wit us. It was her choice, and she enjoyed every moment of it.
She is just a month with us, and at the beginning we were ones tormenting her back several times per day, and I was really worried that she might decide that we are evil enemies. Wrong! What a relief for me.
Only one moment she was annoyed when Shella outpaced her on the turn galloping, and what she did? On next turn she did much faster and tighter… Ideal! Self training just to do things better
Peter is laughing that if they will carry on learning so fast and so good, next year he will start performing on shows And on top the funny part - when we left, both mares continued the figures by themselves, side by side, turning, stopping and trotting like practicing to be sure that next time they will do better for Peter
Today I tried to take several videos to show how it looks in practice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tay3yhv4Bmk
Giva still is making some mistakes, but in general you can see how it is going. Today we had two different friends visiting, and both were riding Shella just like in this video - and in both cases Peter sent Giva to follow, and she did it. When released she went back to gazing. Then called and followed again.
Anna, this is MARVELLOUS!!!
You guys are doing an awesome job.
Soon you’ll be the Pat Parelli’s of Latvia ;).
No kidding, in all seriousness, I’m amazed at what great horsehandlers you have become in such short amount of time, no more novices at all I’d say. And it’s great to see the wonderful care you offer these horses!!
Anna, they are looking fantastic.
One thing you said, is that Puika is being a bit beastly now. With three horses, he is the odd man out now (no pun intended), so that could be a source of his issues. Giva has taken over the friend role with Shella, and he feels displaced. Well, not in so many words… he’s probably thinking “Gosh, she was my girl friend, and now all she wants to do is gab with the other girlfriend”. Sometimes, time will work this out. Sometimes you end up with a fourth horse so they all have a buddy… lol…
Wow, I just found this thread! What a wonderful read for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Those are BEAUTIFUL horses! Puika looks like a medieval charger - just lovely!
You are such good people!
yeah you already know that - we are in foal so if all will go as planned, we shall have the fourth horse at the end of May next year
My idea about Puika’s problem is that he has complete lack of horse herd manners. He has been single all his life and he wants, oh, how much he wants to be with others, but he has no idea how to act and approach.
And sad to say, but yesterday he got few punchers from farrier for being bossy - he suddenly refused to give leg, and obeyed only after farrier went on him like ton of bricks. After serious telling off he was ok, holding legs bearable again (seems that he will be never good at that but we at least work on him to reach bearable level so farrier can do the job without danger of injuries )
The good news - since January under care of our farrier that I really like, his hind legs have improved a lot. Also Shella’s shoes were taken off yesterday and as her nails are much better now and had grown back enough. Still the heel part of hoofs need some growth, but on soft pastures she can br ridden without shoes.
In general all is ok - Giva’s back is healing as supposed to, as you can see, she is putting weight on and the main thing - she is getting better and better with her manners, nearly as sweet and human orientated as Shella - I’m so happy about it - she was just a broadmare, with a lot of pain in new place, but she has opened for us nicely - we really are lucky.
P.S. Want to tell you a secret - tomorrow Peter is going for his first jumping lesson so be ready for more funny pictures
Oh, Anna, the horses look fabulous and in the videos, Giva’s ribs are not even showing! When I saw the first pictures of Giva, I thought, wow that is definitely a diamond in the rough and just look what some good groceries and love and medical care have done for her. Congratulations!!
Is his lesson on Puika? He will like that…you guys should chronicle your journey, it is so rewarding to watch love win over all…
I need more pics!
