Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Corbin, Rene and Magic

Meet Corbin.  He is a colt that was rescued from a herd of horses from Crested Butte that were scheduled for slaughter in Mexico.  Corbin came here with a HUGE distrust of humans.  A wonderful lady from Rocky Mountain Horseshoeing, Chelsea, introduced us to Rene, a man who has a very special way with horses.  He gained Corbin's trust in a short time.  Here he gets Corbin to hold  a saddle pad.

 Now Corbin calmly walks with pad.
 Now Corbin gets acquainted with a saddle.
 Now Corbin holds a saddle calmly.
 The purpose is not to ride but to earn Corbin's trust gently.  Corbin can not carry any weight for at least another year.
 Corbin learns to collect body and feet when going carefully over a low obstacle.
 Corbin learns not to be afraid of scary objects above him.  Like later when a rider will be above him.
 Corbin trusts Rene to hold feet in preparation for a hoof trim.
 Front feet, too.
 Rene shows volunteer Diane how to build trust with grooming.
 The weather is finally warm enough for a bath.  Who would have guessed that Corbin is bright white with pink skin.  What a beautiful colt he is.  Now we can see the terrible scar left from the sloppy branding done by a rancher in an effort to claim the abandoned horses to sell at slaughter.  Rene showed Diane how to give Corbin this bath as part of trust building.
 Corbin's reward for learning so much is a big hug from Rene.
These pictures were taken over several weeks.  Rene has worked with Corbin 7 times.  Each time it is marvelous to watch.  No one can believe how much he has accomplished.  We are so glad Rene came around to help us.  If you want to know more, you can contact Rene at  Liztuttle@wildblue.net

Pat and Sophie

This is Pat.  She sponsored Lamborgini's haircut.  Lambo says BaaBaa which means "Thank you" in sheep talk.  Pat also took time to give some special attention to Sophie, one of a pair of two year old Chihuahuas needing a good home.  Come visit them and pass the word that these two little dears need a home.

Lamborgini gets haircut from Lou

It is spring--finally.  Lamborgini, the sheep, gets annual spring sheer.  In about 3 months he will look like a sheep again. 

Lou has been sheering sheep for decades.  We learned so much from her.  We learned where the lanolin glands are.  Two on the underside.  The lanolin travels up to the back and keeps the fleece waterproof.

The horns on sheep help to regulate temperature.  In the winter the horns warm the blood circulating in the horns.  In the summer the same horns circulate blood in the air to help cool.  We think Lou started sheering at age 5!  After this picture, she was going home to start sheer her own sheep.  We want her vitamins!


Heritage Title Donation

A wonderful group from Heritage Title took time to deliver donations of dog food, treats and toys on their way to work.  Volunteer Diane gladly accepts their gifts.  Thank you.  We are still looking for a home for two sweet little Chihuahua girls.
This is Katie and Sophie.  They are two years old.  They need to stay as a pair.  Come meet them!  They love the treats the Heritage brought them.