Home

Horse links

How to read
a horse's
emotions

Paso Finos
and mustangs
at play

A stallion's
love life

How to Buy
a Horse at a
Livestock
Auction

How to Breed
for Color

Killer Buyer:
True Stories

Visit to Canyon
de Chelly

Sandi Claypool's
Mustangs

Horse photo
gallery

Longears

Poultry photo
gallery
 

Sandia's Foals

By June of 1992, we had about a dozen goats. Some horses really like goats. They caper with each other and take turns watching for predators. We also had chickens, dogs and cats. Some horses like those sorts of critters, too, enjoying having them ride and nap on their backs.

Coquetta didn't like goats. She ignored the chickens. Our Siamese cat kept on jumping on her back and riding around on her. The way she put her ears back made it clear that she disapproved, but was just too ploite to buck him off.

Coquetta actively hated dogs. In particular, our Border Collie Joe Kid was determined to learn how to herd a horse. Coquetta was determined to turn her into sausage. Jo Kid always cheated those flashing hooves. Coquetta always figured where Joe Kid was trying to move her, and wenbt somewhere else.

 

Coquetta with White Knight, the Siamese, on her back.

When Coquetta wasn't trying to nail Jo Kid, she mostly stood in the southeast corner of her pasture watching Arlene's Blue and Ginger on a rise a quarter mile beyond. Sometimes they whinnied to each other.

June 7, 1992, during Sunday school, our church phone rang. It was Al Miller, and he was looking for me.

"Would you like to buy my colt," he asked. He explained that the owner of the ranch he managed had said he could only keep two of his horses there. He had to sell his yearling colt quickly.After Sunday school, Virginia and I went over to where a friend was keeping Al's colt. Al and his wife, Mary, met us there. He pointed out a sorrel whom he said was ¾ Arabian and ¼ Quarter Horse. At 16 months, he was already taller than many grown horses. He had a blaze on his face and white stockings on all legs. His face was beautiful, with big eyes, bulging forehead, dished face and delicate muzzle.

The colt also was covered with scrapes. Al said the colt had gotten into a fight with the other ranch horses.

This was only part of the colt's problem. His belly was bloated, with parasites, I guessed. He was cow-hocked (crooked hind legs) and had weak pasterns (the "ankle" part just above the hoof).

More --->>

© 2022 Carolyn M. Bertin. All rights reserved.