Yep, it happened. Liam left for his new home.
In some ways it’s the end of an era. These two have been BFF’s since birth and spent their first 10 months pretty much side by side. They were the best of friends (and occasionally the worst of enemies) who played together, slept side by side, and had a lot of adventures.
But at the same time, this is how life goes. At some point they have to part ways and move along to the futures that are waiting for them. Liam now belongs to a Grand Prix showjumper, the same guy who owned and rode his dam. His situation couldn’t be any more perfect for him. He gets to live in a nice pasture and make new friends for the next few years before his real life begins.
Presto was pretty beside himself when Liam walked out of their paddock and into the trailer. It was kinda like Weaning: Part 2. But he did settle down, and it’s had a little bit of an impact on how he views himself. He’s always been a cocky little turd, very sure of himself and his superiority. I call him “street”. But without Liam he’s not quite so sure anymore, and it took his swagger down a notch (now it just needs to go down like 25 more notches).
Yesterday Murphy (the QH baby) was weaned, and he got put in with Presto. Right now Murphy is a little upset, and Presto is actually being really nice and helpful to him. We’ll see if that continues once Murphy settles down a bit. Murphy is not nearly as placid and submissive as Liam, so once things go back to normal Presto might be in for a continuation of his reality check about just how much of a top dog he is.
My barn owner did offer me a “second horse” deal on board, so as soon as Presto is gelded and deemed ready to go, I think I’ll probably just move him there. My only real reservations are a) it’s not the big pasture I was wanting, b) I don’t love the fencing. He’d be in one of the shedrow stalls with a run, and turned out probably in one of the paddocks near Henry. There are a lot of positives to having him there, mainly that I can see him every day and work with him a lot. It would be great to be able to pony him off of Henry, trailer him places, etc. I’d just be giving up the benefits of kicking young horses out in big pastures to grow up, which is my preference. That’s just proving quite impossible to attain here, at least in my budget.
Also, can we talk about how hairy this little horse is? I love that he got his momma’s floppy, sideways pointing ears and soft sleepy eyes, but he also inherited her ability to grow excessively ridiculous amounts of hair. I think there’s a horse somewhere underneath that shag carpet?
SO cute! He and Remus must have studied togethr at the school of TOO MUCH HAIR! OMG. And i am SO glad you are bringing him to you. I know it is not perfect but how cool to have them both at the same place. THERE are loads of pasture places up here you can send him up to me if you want 🙂 HA HA HA
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I thought long and hard about sending him east, I just don’t know anyone that a) I trust to keep an eye on him, that would also b) want that kind of responsibility. LOL. I’d want him to at least be near someone I know that can peek in on him regularly, but that’s a lot to ask.
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ha ha ha we have a board spot open 🙂 12 acres 🙂 just kidding i know you wont send him up here.
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Do you REALLY want to deal with me asking how Presto is every day?
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you could come with him!
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that’s been the idea but no one is cooperating
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Aww poor Presto! I’m glad he settled quickly tho! It must be baby coat or learning to cope with weather or something. Amber was a hairy hairy pony when she was younger, too. Not too much anymore. Whisper, however…. She looks like a mammoth. Every. Year. Especially with her tuft of forelock she looks like Manny from Ice Age. Pretty hilarious. That lip, tho….What about Tweedle Derp and Tweedle Dum?
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LOL totally a Tweedle Derp. But what about when he and Henry get together? Then its Derp and Derp.
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Haha true. Or Derp and Derper? LOL That one doesn’t really work
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That lip + those ears + so fluffy omg he really is Tweedle Derp. In the cutest way possible. Also I love Murphy so much still.
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The hair!!!! I love how fuzzy he is!!!! Hope he enjoys his early fuzzy years before he becomes a sleek Eventer and has to get clipped multiple times every winter to keep that coat to a rideable minimum 😂
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Dude, I clip Henry like every 2 months all year long. WHY. WHY HORSES.
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Awww poor babe! I feel like Liam moving was probably harder than leaving his momma. Or maybe just for me reading this? Either way, sadzzz! Selfishly, I would love for you to have Presto at Henry’s barn cause that would mean we would get all the pictures all the time. Plus we can watch them try to out derp each other.
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You would probably just get a lot of head shots, because there is not a lot of cute happening at the moment and it’s definitely gonna get worse before it gets better…
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Funny you say that… I was trying to find some photos of Jamp when I first got him because he came awfully skinny and scrawny (he didn’t handle the trip from Europe very well… Should have been my first indication he was neurotic.) But all I can find are head shots or blanket photos because clearly I didn’t want anyone to know what he looked like. So even old horses can have awkward stages I guess?
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I don’t have a lot of pictures of his mother in her first 2 years either LOL
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I think you will be glad in the end that he will be close to you. In the compromises we have to make for our horses and our horse sport, I suspect that is going to be the best option in the long run. He has had most of his first year in a reasonably natural horse setting, being raised to be a horse. Going forward, I’m sure your attention will make up for a lot of extra acres that he might or might not actually use, as there is a chance he would just hang out near the gate, waiting for the next meal. 🙂
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Yeah, the ideal situation just doesn’t exist, so I have to compromise somewhere. In the end I’d rather have him close and be able to see him every day and do stuff with him.
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I can’t wait to hear about daily Presto interactions! And if you want to see yak, you need to visit my buttercream version up here. So FLUFFY.
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I don’t understand why all of my horses are so deadset on being as hairy as possible.
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Poor Presto with you to pick on his state of disheveled every day!
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That mane is making me twitchy even from 300 miles away…
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I’m seriously a tad heartbroken for Presto & Liam. Hopefully, one day, they will reunite. At least he’s got a new buddy for now.
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Awww! I understand your reservation but the rewards of daily interaction will outweigh your worries. I raised 2 at my place and when time came to swing a leg over, they just thought it was just another day of stupid human tricks. Spending the time annoying/training them on a daily basis over the course of a couple years works wonders on baby horse derps when they eventually become big horse derps. My babies just turned 5. Damn. Time sure flies!
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We seperated our two who grew up together (into different paddocks) and got a far smaller reaction than anticipated.
Girls are cruel.
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Ruh roh! Tumultuous life changes – how will he every survive without Liam?!
Hair or no, he’s still freaking adorable.
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On the issue of hairiness,the answer is obvious. Take a*close* look at Presto’s pedigree again – there’s either an Icelandic or a Yakut back in there – or maybe both! ;O)
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