Hey!!! Who's the NEW CHICK???!!!

Got exciting news from the Hick Chic herd!!

We brought a new horse home on Sunday evening.  So much for all that talk of two horses being the perfect number eh?  Ha!

Monday morning I put the two mares in the corral together, before setting all three loose in the pasture.  The thing with horses is that they go bonkers when a new horse is introduced.  I expected all kinds of squealing and kicking while they get their new pecking order together, even though I know all three of them are pretty mellow.  

Total non-issue.  The biggest problem was Copper fretting about her beloved being on the other side of the fence.  She only cared that this new horse understands that Phoenix is hers so don't get too familiar.

As for the new horse... she's no stranger.  Some of you might remember a pregnant mare at the Little Valley, where I did my instructor training.  Now Oakie has joined me here for the winter and if all goes well, I'll keep her!  Yeah I'm pretty sure she'll be staying here with us for a long long time.

She settled in nicely on Monday.  I planned to saddle her up but I accidentally hurt my hand while helping with a little construction project here on the farm, which makes me think maybe I'm not cut out for construction.  I've got 5 stitches and a big bandage, but Oakie does a nice neck-rein, so as soon as it stops raining I'll get a kid to tack up for me and I'll ride one-handed!!  She has a sweet little rocking-horse lope.

They've developed a routine:  Oakie decides to take a walk.  Phoenix stops grazing and follows her because he's got to be the herd boss/ pseudostud and it's his job.  Copper follows him because she has to.  Her world revolves around him.

I did see the girls grazing near each other while Phoenix wasn't paying attention.

And today, when all of them took a break to lie down, he was so worn out from the increased herding he had to stretch right out with his head down in the grass.  Poor guy, exhausted by the demands of the two women in his life!

They're a nice little herd.  She fulfills my need for a red horse.  She's a nice solid shiny contrast to my two speckled frecklies.  And for the first time, I can go riding with both my kids!