07.28.06
Baby Colt in Acadia National Park, Maine
Early excursions with our first Arabian/percheron foal, Bask’s Commandant aka. Gilford, as appeared in Newsletter for Granite State Carriage Assoc. 9/22/03
Colt in Acadia Sept. 12, 2003
R. and I, with management’s consent, took our 3-month old colt (now called Gilford) on our yearly week-long Acadia vacation in Sept. Our choice to do this was not made casually, as we had spent the foal’s entire baby life exposing him to everything possible, teaching him to pony beside his mom and to understand that certain things are his job not a game. We had advance permission from Wildwood Stables to bring him; he was stalled with his mom, and ponied out with us on our excursions on the carriage roads.
Connie brings Gilford and his mom Willow’s Bask out for ride in Acadia National Park, Maine
Gilford was first haltered at 2 days, introduced to leading about 4 days old, first ponied at 1 month, and trailered at 2 months. He went in a parade at 2 1/2 months led from the ground, next to his mom, and with his Aunt Abby pulling her cart. I still practice with him and the spray bottle (his imprint training at birth was mostly just handling his body.) Since day one he has ALWAYS been corrected for acting nippy or threatening towards people, and in that regard he shows great respect along with curiosity towards humans.
Connie ponying the colt at 3 mos. beside his Arabian dam
The basic procedures of teaching him to be handled, halter, lead, and tie were gleaned from books readily available (thank you Dr. Robert Miller and John Lyons); often however this training is done at a much later age, usually after weaning. No one had told me I couldn’t do certain things with a baby horse, so I figured it’s so much easier (and safer) to introduce stuff when he’s smaller rather than larger. We show him the world from beside his mom, who is a very sensible and stable mare, and he goes where she goes, willingly.
I am first to admit he is pretty laid back and not skittish, but how much of that is early exposure I don’t know. He has plenty of energy when he feels like frolicking, but seeing and doing many different things is his normal life. I think that’s the way it should be.
Dressed for Old Home Day parade when Gilford was 2 1/2 mos., with Abby (morgan/percheron mare) put to our Meadowbrook cart
**UPDATE** See Gilford at age 3 pulling a cart, along with his baby brother Glendale being ponied at 11 months old, on posts Horse Peaches Training Cart and Carriage Driving Young Horse Training and many others on Blog, especially in August 06.
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Connie Moses, petArtist– website since 2001:
Portraits With Pets.com aka PortraitsWithHorses.com
Ian Cox said,
August 2, 2006 at 11:41 am
Hi, Connie
I like the horse photos. This site’s getting better and better. Thought I’d mention a blog I posted today which might interest you: Pet Pawtraits. It’s a Brit. PDSA exhibition featuring their 2007 calendar: celebrities with their pets. That must be a winner.