.....from a new owner of a Hickory Lake Ranch horse, Ravin. I just love to read such incredible accounts of our horses in their new homes! Read below for the entire email as received from Ravin's new owner, Carol.
Thanks for sending this, Carol!!
"Hey Jessica,
I’m on vacation and haven’t been at work or at my e-mail for more than a week – I’ll be on vacation through New Year’s. This is a catch-up until I can get back to you then…
Ravin has been having fun exploring the place. She follows me around like a puppy, and let Joann’s 9 yr.old granddaughter lead her all over the property with a gentle hand. Next day (warm weather) she found the lake when loose and waded right out into it chest deep and splashed up a happy storm. I don’t think we have to worry about that bath you mentioned not having. Josh for the first time in his life tried it, copying her – she’s already working a miracle there. She climbed halfway up into the tack room with me just to see what I was up to, found a flock of geese at the lake and walked right into them, flapping wings and noise and all, and seemed delighted to be part of the flock, waded in after them until they flew off. I so wished I had my camera – looking down the hill at Ravin, big and black and beautiful, and all those black backs of the geese waddling along with her in the midst of them, her ears tilting playfully towards them, left and right. She found the way across the bridge and to the trails on the other side of the lake and lead Josh on a head high jaunt through the trails. She does that just about every day. She and Josh eat out of the same dish together now, and Josh will follow her everywhere, doesn’t want to be without her. I put out two dishes but they voluntarily share one and then go share the other one. So when I medicate Josh’s supper I have to separate them (who would have thought…) One day on the trail in the woods at the back fence line where other properties back up to this one, Ravin’s playful trotting caught the attention of one of the new home owners who came out of her house and up to the fence line to meet us, admiring Ravin. When I said she was half Friesian she said “I know !” I asked how she knew and she introduced herself as the coach of the equestrian team here at U.Ga. We had a good time getting aquainted and Ravin ate up the attention from our new friend.
I’m impatient for her new saddle to arrive. I finally just went out yesterday and got a longer girth so I can try my old saddle seat show saddle that is flat enough to use for now, and improvised a mounting block for our first few rides around the place… I’ll tell you all about them when I do. I’ll try not to go on and on…like now. Today will be a good day and I’m heading out there to the barn as soon as I send this. In the meantime I have been tacking her up every day without a girth anyway and walking around the place looking for a tree stump tall enough to allow me to ride her bareback.. Ha!
And the bonding continues… I’ve found her favorite scratching spots, and can put her in a trance now! Like under her jaw, and under her mane on the right side of her neck, and even her hind legs. If I’m sitting down on the tack room steps she’ll walk up close to me and I’ll draw lightly on her legs and chest with my fingers. She’ll move up until she has her hind leg right in front of my hands and then when I “draw” on her hind legs she “trances out”. May come in handy some day. She absolutely loves groomimg doesn’t she! One of Chumley’s bridles fits her and will still let out a lttle more as she grows, and I got her a new adjustable halter that will grow with her. I ordered a Wintec Wide saddle for her and now if I could just find that breaststrap.. just as well, she probably needs one her own size anyway. That’ll be next.
I chuckle when I think of delivery night, when you passed along Larry’s message that she could be lazy. I meant to tell you that since my car wreck I’m kind of lazy too so we’re just right for each other.
Oh and please send me a saveable copy of the videos before they get removed from your website. I still have people to e-mail the news to, who are too far away to come and see her yet for themselves. Plus I still like looking at them – I want to ask you and Larry for the dimensions of the control pillars and how did you make them, hollow out one big piece of lumber, or put sections together? They are the first things I want to make right away.
Have a very good Christmas and a very happy New Year! "
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful New Year :)
~HLR~
Thanks for sending this, Carol!!
"Hey Jessica,
I’m on vacation and haven’t been at work or at my e-mail for more than a week – I’ll be on vacation through New Year’s. This is a catch-up until I can get back to you then…
Ravin has been having fun exploring the place. She follows me around like a puppy, and let Joann’s 9 yr.old granddaughter lead her all over the property with a gentle hand. Next day (warm weather) she found the lake when loose and waded right out into it chest deep and splashed up a happy storm. I don’t think we have to worry about that bath you mentioned not having. Josh for the first time in his life tried it, copying her – she’s already working a miracle there. She climbed halfway up into the tack room with me just to see what I was up to, found a flock of geese at the lake and walked right into them, flapping wings and noise and all, and seemed delighted to be part of the flock, waded in after them until they flew off. I so wished I had my camera – looking down the hill at Ravin, big and black and beautiful, and all those black backs of the geese waddling along with her in the midst of them, her ears tilting playfully towards them, left and right. She found the way across the bridge and to the trails on the other side of the lake and lead Josh on a head high jaunt through the trails. She does that just about every day. She and Josh eat out of the same dish together now, and Josh will follow her everywhere, doesn’t want to be without her. I put out two dishes but they voluntarily share one and then go share the other one. So when I medicate Josh’s supper I have to separate them (who would have thought…) One day on the trail in the woods at the back fence line where other properties back up to this one, Ravin’s playful trotting caught the attention of one of the new home owners who came out of her house and up to the fence line to meet us, admiring Ravin. When I said she was half Friesian she said “I know !” I asked how she knew and she introduced herself as the coach of the equestrian team here at U.Ga. We had a good time getting aquainted and Ravin ate up the attention from our new friend.
I’m impatient for her new saddle to arrive. I finally just went out yesterday and got a longer girth so I can try my old saddle seat show saddle that is flat enough to use for now, and improvised a mounting block for our first few rides around the place… I’ll tell you all about them when I do. I’ll try not to go on and on…like now. Today will be a good day and I’m heading out there to the barn as soon as I send this. In the meantime I have been tacking her up every day without a girth anyway and walking around the place looking for a tree stump tall enough to allow me to ride her bareback.. Ha!
And the bonding continues… I’ve found her favorite scratching spots, and can put her in a trance now! Like under her jaw, and under her mane on the right side of her neck, and even her hind legs. If I’m sitting down on the tack room steps she’ll walk up close to me and I’ll draw lightly on her legs and chest with my fingers. She’ll move up until she has her hind leg right in front of my hands and then when I “draw” on her hind legs she “trances out”. May come in handy some day. She absolutely loves groomimg doesn’t she! One of Chumley’s bridles fits her and will still let out a lttle more as she grows, and I got her a new adjustable halter that will grow with her. I ordered a Wintec Wide saddle for her and now if I could just find that breaststrap.. just as well, she probably needs one her own size anyway. That’ll be next.
I chuckle when I think of delivery night, when you passed along Larry’s message that she could be lazy. I meant to tell you that since my car wreck I’m kind of lazy too so we’re just right for each other.
Oh and please send me a saveable copy of the videos before they get removed from your website. I still have people to e-mail the news to, who are too far away to come and see her yet for themselves. Plus I still like looking at them – I want to ask you and Larry for the dimensions of the control pillars and how did you make them, hollow out one big piece of lumber, or put sections together? They are the first things I want to make right away.
Have a very good Christmas and a very happy New Year! "
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful New Year :)
~HLR~
