Shaun is about as fuzzy as a horse gets. Twice the hair of my mares, and of course we are having a very warm winter for Kansas. 60 the next two days, and the poor guy breaks into a sweat if he gets out and moves around. Has a scratch on his butt when he hit Kansas mud and took a slider across the pasture, all four feet in the air. Kansas mud can be the slipperiest stuff on the planet. He's learned "go to your spot" and will immediately turn, go and wait at his spot for meals. Smart boy! He's loving his life, I think. Lots of room, freedom (as much as I can give him with a 40 acre fence line) and a herd to follow. His feet are growing well, and he's doing real well in the epona shoes. My mare, Bit is always spotless with nary a mud bit on her. Shaun? His new name is mud muffin. I can't believe how dirty he gets. When I saw him in the kill pen, he was very muddy. Now I realize, he just likes it that way. He was very thin, but the mud was his idea.
He's put on an amazing amount of weight, and muscle. He looks good, is moving well, and I think he's going to be ok. The only issue is his choke, which I manage by soaking his food WELL. It takes him a lot longer to eat, and I think he feels satisfied. Always first to greet me in the pasture, and walks with me up to the tack room to feed. Hope to be riding him this summer.
