Another shake up at HGR...or "How we acquired and are keeping a Heart"

So many changes at Heavenly Gaits Ranch. 

Let's see, last Sunday we added Chantilly (Tilly). 

And then THIS Sunday we added Zurkh.

In a round about way, if you do endurance, you may have heard of the Limitless crew.

But, if you're NOT into endurance, or you have NO IDEA what Limitless is, you can check out their Facebook page here:
Limitless Treks (Facebook)

OR you can go to their webpage here: Limitless Treks (web page)

Anyway, having done that, if you look under the "Team" and "Horses" option, you'll see Zurkh.

(From the Limitless page)
Zurkh is a 13.2hh Arabian Pony cross who was spotted at a feed lot by Heather Russel in March of 2017. Underweight, suffering from a gelding infection, and not halter broken, he had a lot of strike against him. Luckily, Heather recognized him as a diamond in the rough and contacted Devan. Together, they sprung him from the feed lot, gave him the health care he needed, and began an intensive training and TLC program. Today, Zurkh (Mongolian for “Heart”) is an overly-friendly, healthy, keen partner, who will be Devan’s companion for the Colorado Trail.

Now, how did -we- end up with Zurkh?

Pure chance.

I'm friends with Devan on Facebook, and we know each other from endurance.  Granted, she's always a front of the pack rider because she's that skilled and has more of a competitive drive than I do.  But, I have nothing but respect for her, and her adventures are completely worth following.  I'd go into them, but, well, suffice to say, when I grow up, I want to be half as bold as she is. 

SO, I posted on Facebook that Joe and I were CASUALLY looking for a pony for Kaylee.  Our budget was tiny.  Just wanted something safe.  Was considering that we'd be bringing home a pony for Christmas.

And then Devan sent me a message; "Zurkh has always wanted a little girl of his own."

Internally I started to laugh.  No WAY could we afford this adorable, plucky little pony who had just finished the 500 mile Colorado Trail.  I told her "Oh man, don't I wish!  But, I'm sure we can't afford him."

Turns out, we could. 

Devan wanted him to have a job, and to stay with someone she knew so he'd be well cared for.  And, when Kaylee outgrows him, or we no longer need him, we return him to Devan.

And, she mentioned he has some natural ability to do endurance.  Meaning that if Kaylee shows the desire, she can come do it, so Devan will be seeing him at rides, in about 2 years (my projected goal for Kaylee). 

I was floored.  Incredibly floored.  The number of people who love that little pony...well, those of us who are in the know...we all think he's adorable.

I will certainly say that, as of right now, he has endeared himself to me, simply by being so sweet and docile.

I picked him up early Sunday morning after the clinic so I could drop off Dakini and pick up Strider from H's, and then get the horses home so Kaylee could see him.

Poor little guy gets unloaded at a strange place after his first time in a straight load trailer (I couldn't get him to back off, so we'll work on that in the future) with not just ONE strange horses beside him but TWO strange horses.  He gets led off, saddled up and gives pony rides.  Without a single complaint.

Kaylee and her Zurkh

Poor guy is like "What is going ON?!"

When she gets older, we'll work on that "holding the horn" thing.  And, appropriate attire.  She just wanted to ride him SO BAD!!!

He's now been with us a whole 3 days.  And he is unfailingly sweet.  He doesn't run away when you approach him in the field.  I can lead him to the barn simply by draping my arm around his neck.  He is a little confused by Kaylee, but stands there while she pets his nose, gives him hugs and tells him he's a "good boy".

However, he's SO docile that all the horses abuse him.  Strider, which I expected.  But, on the first night I was feeding, he was done with his grain, so I opened the gate to his pen so he could leave when he wanted, but he wanted to munch some of the hay I had tossed a week ago that the horses hadn't finished.  Tilly crept in, and I was like "Well, MAYBE she'll play nice?"

No.  Not at all.  She crept up on him, very carefully, and finally lunged, bit him on the side, whirled and blasted him as he scrambled out of the pen.  Damn mare drew a little bit of blood.  And the poor little man has war wounds from his time in the pens I'm sure.  Scars, that is. 

And on Monday night, after feeding, I had let everyone out, and was doing my final checks on the herd.  Well, he was off, grazing by himself (he's always by himself because my horses are JACKASSES), about 50 yards away from the rest of the herd.  I had patted him, loved on him some, then went to go touch the other 3.  As I was patting Strider, who was grazing, Strider's head came up and he CHARGED at Zurkh, ears flat against his head and bit him on the butt.

NO idea what triggered it, but I was so mad at Strider.  I can't make them accept him, but it makes me a little more amenable to the idea of a donkey.  Zurkh doesn't appear to be lonely.  He seems quite content to be lonely, but it makes it an interesting conundrum about what I'm going to do and who to use as a pony horse when Kaylee is ready to go ride.  Probably Socks.  Because Socks is okay with everyone.

On Monday night, I had Zurkh penned up to eat, and needed to go find Strider.  I had Kaylee in the barn as we had been watching him eat.  I'm a little hesitant to leave her alone by herself as the barn has some things she could get hurt on.  But, I want her to be independent too.  So I asked her if she wanted to come with me to find the horses, or stay in the barn with Zurkh.

"I want to stay with my Zurkh."

I checked with her, but she was insistent.  She wanted to stay with Zurkh.

So, after getting Strider, and because Pancho kept stealing Zurkh's food (I did mention he lets ANYONE push him around, right?), Kaylee and I went into Zurkh's pen.  She wanted to hold his feeding pan.  Except, she finally told me it was too heavy, so we put it on the ground for him.  So she just patted him and told him he was a "Good boy!" and gave him kisses on his side.  Told the dogs to leave him alone.

And then she helped me again last night to catch and feed him.  She wasn't happy getting rained on, until I told her it was just water, like her bath.  Then it made it tolerable.  But, after getting his food to him, she was ready to go inside since Daddy got home.  I told her that was okay (she's only 3 for goodness sake...I'll teach her eventually she'll need to come back out to let him out when he's done eating).

Strider is a jerk in his own feeding pen.  Right now just Zurkh and Strider get grain.  Zurkh is getting 2 handfuls of grain, CocoSoya and a scoop of Cool Calories (he's lean, but, I want to give him a little bit of weight before winter comes) and Strider is on a hoof supplement and Precision Joint Solution right now.  I'm trying out the PJS, and think I may put him and Socks on it.  But, Strider will charge the fence, ears pinned and Zurkh scoots away from his food.  Last night I flipped their pens and Strider didn't charge him.  I also put Zurkh's pan in the far corner and Strider's well away from him.  Eventually I'll get the feeding situation worked out.

It also has me wondering what to do if I ever need to pen up all 4 horses at once, how do I arrange them?

Can't put Zurkh with Tilly.
Can't put Zurkh with Strider.

Not sure how Strider will be with Tilly.

So, one of these days I need to try Socks and Zurkh together and see how they do. 

Now, if it would just stop raining so Kaylee could ride her pony again, that would be great!!!