Shimmer

The pony we brought home earlier this year turned out to be way to much horse for a 4 year old kid.  She was a bit too much horse for me too!  She was really nice on the ground, had a great soft mouth, but she was really jumpy and had issues with things touching her body.  I also aged her to be early teens (though I was told she was 8 years old).  We sold her to a lady who trains mustangs and gives lessons to kids.  She wanted a smaller equine for the kids to work with.  She's pretty convinced she can work her through the jumpiness.  I just didn't have the time or desire to do it.  I felt bad riding her even though she really did carry me with ease.

So, in place of Ginger, the pony, I ended up bringing home Shimmer, a 2 year old.  She is unbroke, and was given to me by a client.  They just didn't want her anymore.  The woman who owned her was inexperienced with horses and afraid of her, and her sister didn't have time to work with the horse cuz she had her own young horse to work with.  The people owned two 2-year olds and a yearling.  Well, Shimmer beat up the yearling pretty badly (left huge bruises that turned into abscesses that had to be opened and drained).  Shimmer was given a bad reputation as being aggressive and not afraid to use her hooves or teeth.  I figured she really just needed a stable herd with older horses to teach her a few real life lessons.  She has been with my herd for a month and a half now and she really has learned her place.  She is at the bottom, except for the babies, but the babies momma's protect them from Shimmer for the most part.  Shimmer does like to try to be the boss, but she's rapidly going to be outgrown by the babies.  She's pretty small.  I don't have any idea what she really is, but she is POA sized.  I think she may have some arab in her, with her tail flagging and I can see it in her face a bit.  I think she'll turn out to be a nice horse.  My plan is to work with her a bit and sell her next spring as a 3 year old ready to start.

I think she's gorgeous.

The following pics show the first time I turned her out in the big pasture...by herself.  The neighbor's Tennessee Walkers thought she was pretty neat and ran back and forth with her along the fenceline.