Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Horse now on farm! Extra!

Well, here it is, the big announcement.  Ok, it's not my announcement, but it's exciting nonetheless!

Today Mooshum and Kookum brought home their newest member of the farm!   With help from Tim, Brandy (16 year old Percheron cross) came home to Black Sheep Farm this morning and is settling in nicely.  She loaded into the trailer like a champ and stood nicely all the way home.

She came from a place that does trail-riding, but has been pulled, driven, logged and ridden. A  great all-around package!

This was the photo from her ad on Kijiji. Looking a bit rag-tag (and like she has a dingle-berry).  A stout girl!

After a brief stint in the grass with Tim, we brought her around front and gave her a quick trim. Despite having quite a few superficial grass cracks (which are starting to grow out), her look feet pretty good. She's been unshod since she was pulled as a youngster, and this makes for some decent feet - nice big frogs, healthy heels and tough soles. We'll have to keep an eye on the cracks (none in the quarters), but with some supplementation and good exercise to take some weight off, she'll have great feet in no time.

Kookum gave her a good brushing and worked on her mane and tail for a bit while I gave her a trim.

Just out of the trailer, with Tim and the dogs - Stella and Morag. Brandy is big, but not huge.

She stood very well for her trim and lifted each foot for me. Say hello to my butt!

After her trim, we went for a wee walk. This road is perfect for her - it's not asphalt, nor is it too rocky. I didn't even have to hold her lead as she walked when I walked and stopped when I stopped. I turned around in both directions and she followed me to a T.

She's wonderfully calm. Throughout the entire adventure today, she showed interest but remained level headed. The only time she was a bit hesitant was when we went by the blue garbage bags by the side of the road.  This is not surprising, however, as they contained chicken parts and probably smelled a bit off.  Her head and ears came up briefly, we inspected the bags and were on our way.  I didn't even have to hold the lead, she was so relaxed.

Coco, the Jersey calf, seemed to stare in wonder at the huge animal getting out of the trailer.  All Brandy had to do was look at him and he took off back to the barn.  She had her head hanging over the fence, trying to engage him, but he wouldn't move from the door of the barn. It was quite funny to see him interested, but so tentative.

After a bit of a walk down the road, we turned her out into her new pasture where she wandered a short distance and started to graze. I asked Mooshum to come with me, just to see what would happen, and we walked to the other side of the field.  When she realized we had wandered off, she gave a whinny and walked briskly over to be with us.  It was so great to have her already looking to us for companionship and direction.

A bit of supplement for those feet, a bit of exercise for the chubby bits and a bit of love and structure and I think she'll be an absolutely great horse - she already is!

(I can smell horse on me as I write this... I've missed that smell!)