Poor Tacoda. We took his name and butchered it, like we do every critter on the farm. Tacoda got shortened to Cody, then Code, then Toad, and sometimes Toady.
At any rate, he wore a headstall and bit for the first time yesterday. It's a simple D ring snaffle with a copper mouth on a brown nylon headstall with Texas stars on it. My sister got it at the auction for like 11 bucks used. It's very heavy buckles and actually very nice.
It fit him very comfortably and after about ten minutes of chewing and begging me to take it off, he settled in and acted like he'd worn it all his life. In the first few minutes he tried to wipe it off on the water bucket, the gate, the feed trough. Then he tried to get Jackie and Bo to take it off of him. I swear I heard them snickering. Jackie actually did nibble at it in an attempt to look helpful.
Pretty soon, Cody completely ignored it. I slipped a light halter over it and lunged him in a few circles and went through some ground work and he did just fine. Eventually, I'll drive him with it but for right now, this is enough.
In the last week he has been lame on his back legs. It looks like a stifle issue. Which is sad, since he is only 20 months old. Bo has the same issue but he's in his teens! I'm hoping it was just a growing thing. He's growing so fast and I haven't been working him religiously. He's out of shape. And weekend before last, we went riding out at RV Griffin (it was FABoulous) and left poor Toad at home. He didn't seem to care much but while we were gone, he may have paced his stall (though it didn't look dug up). A couple days after that, he came up lame. Looked as though his stifles were locking on him. He's always dragged his back toes a bit.
He's much better now, but I still see some favoring once in a while when he steps to the side. I'll have the vet look him over.
We are still searching for a gaited mule for my sister. We did find a 3 year old but it was unbroken and 2K. Sounded lovely though. There is a molly mule a few hours away for 2500. We'll see. I think the perfect one will eventually come along.
At the last two auctions, there have been bay paso fino geldings. Both thin and looked very similar, but were not the same horse for sure. We bid on them both at 100 bucks but the owners wanted more. Since we aren't actually in the market for a Paso, we didn't meet their price, however, I can't help but keep thinking about them. Like it was some sort of sign that out of the blue, 2 auctions in a row, in the sea of usual quarter types, there are these identical Pasos.
I think the horse market is in sad shape right now and unless you are breeding a speciality horse (Gypsy Vanners, Mules, or something unique), there are more sellers than buyers. Good horses are going unwanted.
Some people are upgrading their old horses with fresh young ones since the prices are so good, and that leaves the poor old horses out of a job. And on the market.
It makes me sick to see ads where people are advertising their "Good old reliable 22 year old gelding" that they've had for 20 years... WTF?? I know there are always circumstances people can't control. But "Selling my old horse so I can afford the new one" is NOT valid. That's like firing an employee to cheat him out of his pension.
Our boys will die right here with us. Even if I have to eat peanut butter and jelly to afford the horsefeed in the future.
