Weaning Lil Heart (Music)

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

~ Trish ~

I smiled inhaling all the scents of the horses in the barn, it was the most wonderful smell in the world to me. I sighed as I walked down the aisle of young weanlings they nickered and turned back to their eating. I smiled thinking of the beautiful little filly that me and Katie had gotten from our lovely horses. Kickstart was her daddy and that made me extremely happy and proud to be half her owner. As I walked down the hall way I thought of life and everything that had happened over the past few days, it seemed like a lot of things had hit me all at once and I wasn't sure if I was ready to accept them or not. As I walked I turned and saw a little buckskin filly getting up set no doubt she was just starting her weaning much like Lil Heart was. That's when I regonized her as Kesha's little filly that had been born the same day as Lil Heart. I smiled looking at the little thing, she seemed to have more of her sires personality then that of her dam.
I sighed and slowly moved onto Lil Heart's stall she was fretting and snorting and I was not the least bit surprised because it hadn't been that long since she was away from her mama. I whistled lightly trying to get her attention, her little ears pricked forward and she whinnied not to me but more so for her mama. But at least now she was giving me both her eyes. I leaned on the stall door watching the up tight little girl move and pace around, almost making me feel sorry for her but I had seen many horses go through weaning and I knew that she would be fine soon enough. I whistled a calming tune that I had used on myself as well as my horses and thought about what would have to be done with her first. I couldn't wait for Katie to get here so that we could start hanging out with the little filly.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

I fast walked hurriedly into the weanling stables, Timber close at my heels. I wanted him to stay away, but he followed anyways. I heard a bark not too far off and he ran away clumsily, right as I walke into the stable. I saw Trish leaning against Lil Heart's Stall and smiled to myself. So far I didn't have a problem only half owning Heart, but I secretly wondered to myself if it would become a problem when she was older. I shoved the thoughts out of my head and focused on the little filly and Trish. I frowned a little when she whinnied, I could tell it was more ofr Light than for Trish. I walked up and leaned against the stall, smiling down at Lil Heart. "Still wants her mama," I said with a half-smile, I felt bad but I knew she would act like this. I lowered my hand into the stall and she kind of lipped at it, but then whinnied again when she found out it wasn't edible. "Someone's a bit hungry," I laughed a bit. I was still a bit wierd about the whole Light having a foal thing, I couldn't believe my mare had a foal and I always thought I was going to do something wrong around Heart. I glanced to Trish, she seemed more calm about it and I wondered if she ever got doubtful too.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

I smiled at Katie and nodded. "Yeah she is gonna be like this for awhile." I said looking to Katie and then added. "Makes you feel like a monster doesn't it?" I asked looking back to the filly. She was up set about not having her mama. I smiled to her and let her sniff my hand, "Your gonna be fine Lil Girl." I said with a small smile. I laughed at the filly and nodded to Katie, "yes she sure seems to be." I studied her for a spilt second and wondered if she was nervous about Heart sometimes? I knew what to do around babies but with her being Kickstart's it made me all worried that I would mess it up or something. I smiled to Katie and looked down at the little filly. "She's gonna be a lot of horse." I said gently rubbing her face, she slightly jumped away. I smiled and said. "Guess we'll have to round penning soon then." I said mostly to myself but asked. "So when do you wanna round pen her for the first time?" I asked with a smile, thinking of how awesome it would be to start halter breaking her.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

i nodded in agreement to what Trish said, and then my face kind of fell when she said that. I had never dealt with foals before, and since the first foal im dealing with was Light's, it made it twice as hard. I didn't say any of my thoughts aloud to Trish, I smiled down at the filly before Trish looked up at me again. I nodded againg, Trish was right about that. She was going to be an amazing horse, especially if she followed after her parents. I glanced again to Trish, wondering what would happen. I hated thinking about it, but would we just have to switch off riding with her when she was old enough, or would one of us keep her in the end? I pinched myself, I couldn't think of that right now. I smiled and almost jumped up with excitement. I couldn't wait to start halter breaking her, and we did have to start soon. I shrugged. "I'm not even sure. I really want to and I think it would be better if we started halter breaking her and stuff as soon as we can, but at the same time I want to take it slow. So I'm not even sure. What do you think?" I asked looking to Trish. I kind of hoped she would say sooner rather than later, but either one would work. She could probably learn more in a shorter amount of time and get use to things quicker if we started her off with things quicker, but if we took it slow it wouldn't be too scary for her. I looked to Trish, wondering what she would say.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

I smiled not sure what Katie was thinking and wishing I did cause well she was one of my best friends and I could never live with myself if I thought that she wasn't okay with us sharing Lil' Heart. I laughed at the filly when she bobbed her head neighing again. I looked at Katie and laughed at her excitement. I smiled and tilted my head to the side and thought a moment. "I think halter breaking and desensitizing and sensitizing as soon as we can is a good idea. I think it will make her more respectful and you know what they say the younger a horse is the faster they learn at least that's what Clintion Anderson says." I said with a shrug and smile, I loved that method when it came to working with horses and my entire family and Barbie practiced that method had never steered us wrong before. "Do you know anything about DUH?" I asked with a smile watching the filly circle in the stall and whinny again, "It will deffently help with this I tell you that for sure." I said with a laugh at the little filly who seemed more ticked off then missing her mama anymore. I heard Adaila Whinny and start snorting and kicking at her stall, I smiled and looked to the little buckskin filly, "Kesha is gonna have her hands full with that one. Adaila is just like Aqustin!" I said with a laugh. I saw the buckskin filly buck and that made Lil Heart whinny more and kick at her stall. "That is something you'll have to learn not to do quickly." I said with a laugh.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

I smiled when Trish laughed at how excited I was and smiled even more when she said she would rather do it sooner. "Yes! Okay yeah, that's what I was thinking. Gah, I can't wait!!!" I exclaimed almost jumping up and down in excitement. I was even more nervous about training Lil Heart now, but I was also excited. Also, I got to do it with my best friend. I shooke my head, with a confused kind of look on my face. "What's DUH?" I asked Trish. I turned, noticing the other filly that was born the same day as Heart. I laughed watching the filly buck and then Heart whinny and kick her stall. I shook my head in a "tsk tsk" kind of way. Kesha was going to have a handful with her filly, but I had a feeling we would have a handful with Lil Heart, too. I was depending almost entirely on Trish for training Heart, or at least to tell me how to. I was so worried and nervous that I would do the wrong thing.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

(DUH is what they call Clinton Anderson's method Down Under Horsemanship, I love that method! It works great for training horses.)

I smiled and looked to Katie straightening myself up. "Okay well we'll have to get her to the round pen which shouldn't be that big of a deal since she understands the rope around her neck." I said with a smile running and grabbing the rope and clucked her back to me. "That's a good girl." I said as I slipped the little rope onto her neck. "The first time I tried that with Kickstart he bit me and tried to kick at me!" I said lightly rubbing her nose to get her used to the touch there. "Your gonna be a fiery one aren't ya girl?" I asked and she whipped her head. I smiled and looked to Katie leaning against the stall with my hip. "DUH stands for Down Under Horsemanship, its also known as the ultement method by Clinton Anderson. He is one of the best trainers in the world! He has helped so many people with their horses." I said with a smile. "His training method is one of the best and easiest to understand. Actually I need to learn more about it and master the skill of it but I know the basics like for training young horses." I said with a smile thinking of how much better Kickstart would have been if I had used the method better.

(I am not kidding if you can watch videos online go to this site www.downunderhorsemanship.tv it has some awesome videos showing how he has helped people with their horses)

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

(Ohhhh Down Under Horsemanship yeah I know who Clinton Anderson is and I kind of know what Down Under Horsemanship is I just couldn't put it together )

I nodded to Trish, getting her to the round pen would be the easy part. I had helped train mustangs and such before, but training a foal was so much different to me. I watched Trish grab the rope and slip it on Heart's neck. I laughed at what Trish said and Heart whipping her head in response. I looked to Trish and slowly nodded my head. "Yeah, I think I have heard of it," I said to Trish. I shrugged to Trish. "As long as you know the basics, I've trained older green horses but training a foal is so much different. Atleast it feels a lot different," I said. I looked to Heart. She was oing to be fiery and maybe sometimes fiesty, but she was going to be a quick learner. VooDoo was supposed to be mt project horse, but he was way better than I expected him to be. If I could just get him to behave himself around food he would be perfect. He was an amazing dressage horse. Light was pretty perfect too, I just had to build her courage up with jumping. She was getting more confidence too, so she would be fine soon enough. So it looked like Heart would now be my new project horse, and I knew she was going to take most of my time.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

(Yeah I didn't get it at first and then I saw that it stood for that I was like oh... I feel smart But I love that method Marya has started to behave soooo much better since I started training him with it.)

I smiled and nodded. "Its a great method for training horses and that is why Kickstart is getting to where others can ride him now and not just me." I said with a proud smile, it had and was taking a lot to train that big ol' stallion. I nodded and looked to her. "Yeah that's mostly what I was learning while I Was gone was that method." I said with a smile, I let Lil Heart sniff my hand and then I looked to Katie. "So should we do the first session?" I asked slowly unlatching the hook on the door and slipping in the stall. Lil Heart pricked her ears and swished her tail excitedly, I laughed and glanced at Katie. "She thinks she's getting to go back to mama." I said and then turned back to the the little filly and made a kissing noise. "Her lil girl were gonna go practice some stuff now." I said with a smile. Waiting to see if Katie wanted to do this now or later.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

( Ahh haha that's good about Marya! Haha I don't help train the horses at my barn... If anything we act so crazy they like to misbehave a little with us... like we'll go to the haylofts and sometimes accidentally scare them... not good. But yeah, I probably will in a few years but I dont help with the young horses yet )

I nodded and smiled happily to Trish. "That's good! One day you should ride Light and I'll ride Kickstart," I said to Trish with a wink. I was half kidding, but it would be fun to ride lil Heart's daddy. Plus, it would be cool if I could get Trish to try some stuff with Light. Light could do so much, I just didn't have alot of time having to excercise VooDoo, spend time with Lil Heart, and then excercise Light. I didn't have too much time to try new stuff with her, but I did have some days laid out just for riding. I looked to Trish snapping out of my thoughts and nodded excitedly. "Yes! What should we do first?" I asked her. I laughed a little half-heartedly at Lil Heart, I felt a little bad for her and kind of guilty when I laughed at her being so excited. I smiled at Lil Heart and Trish as Trish made the kissing noises and talked to the young filly. I couldn't wait to start training her, Heart was going to be an amazing mare.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

(Yeah he is working out real well My mom just ordered me a handy stick, training halter and lead by CA to start working with the horses with! I should get it tomorrow or 31st between those days If you can download things I have a link to send you that might help if you were interesting training horses )

I laughed and nodded to Katie. "Sounds like a plan when Kickstart isn't so crazy about others riding him." I said with a smile, I actually thought it would be cool for Katie to ride Kickstart sometime. I thought about all the stuff I had to do this year and was so excited with everything I got to do this year. I looked up from the little filly and smiled to Katie. "Well one of the first steps to halter breaking is getting them to follow you around the round pen like they were leading. For this all I need is her in the round pen and my lead rope and we'll get to see how fast a learner she is." I said with a smile rubbing the little black filly's coat. I rubbed around her legs and neck and she seemed fine, "Well at least she's fine with being touched that will help out a lot! You ever seen a foal that's never been touched! They are so spooky of just being touched." I said with a smile thinking of all the crazy foals that I had seen Barbie and mom work with. "Well if you want to take her to the round pens and see how shes gonna take all this." I said with a smile.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

(That's really good! Haha I love getting new horse stuff, and it sounds like it'll help now that youre traiing all these horses(: Yeah you can send me the kllink, I can download stuff(: )

I smiled and nodded to Trish with a smile. "Okay, it's a deal," I said to Trisj with a laugh. I listened to what she said about the first step to halter breaking and nodded. I was pretty sure she would be a fast learner, I couldn't wait to ride her. I was skipping to far ahead though. she was still a foal. I nodded to Trish. "Yeah, it actually surprises me that she's so good being touched," I said looking down to the little filly. I couldn't wait until she was grown to, it would be cool seeing her coat change from this pretty much black color to an almost pure white. I looked to Trish. "You want me to lead her to the round pens?" I asked her just to be sure.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

(sent you the link And I didn't get the stuff today might get it tomorrow *crosses finger!* )

I smiled and continued to rub down the filly with my hands looking for 'Oh No don't touch me there' spots. I ran my hands over her back and then down her flanks she jumped and kicked. "Found one touch spot." I said making a note of where it was to come back to it later. I smiled and nodded to Katie. "Yeah but she has had the touching thing around her since was born so actually it makes since that she would be just slightly better about it then one that hadn't been handled at all." I said rubbing up her neck and when I got to her ears again she got goofy and tried to pull her head away. I clucked and held her there rubbing her ears till she relaxed and then retreated down onto her neck and shoulder. "Well now little girl you have some goofy ticks." I said with a smile to Katie. I nodded. "I have to go get my training lead and then we can get started on this." I said with a smile.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

(Thankies(: I hope you get the stuff soon!!! *crosses fingers with you* )

I watched Trish rubbing Heart, looking for her "dont touch me there" spots. I watched what Trish did, secretly noting it in my head and wishing I knew as much as she did about handling and training foals. I nodded to her with a smile. "Guess that proves our theory, sooner is better," I said with a smile. I watched Heart try to take her head away when Trish got to her ears, it was funny to me because Light's favorite spot to be rubbed was her ears. I smiled at what Trish said to Heart and looked up to her with a nod when she said she had to get the training lead. "I'll stay with Heart then," I said to Trish with a smile. I looked to Heart and smiled, then leaned down and began to rub circles around her ears. She tried to ull her head back at first, but eventually relaxed into it and I smiled.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

I smiled and nodded to Katie and said. "Yup sooner is always better then later, cause you do it sooner you end up with a well mannered respectful horse that trusts you with everything." I smiled patting the filly's neck and I watched Katie and smiled when Lil Heart pulled her head away at the ears. "She gets annoyed real easy about the ears don't she?" I laughed and watched as she relaxed to Katie doing it. "But she is a quick learner but we will have to keep coming back to those ears so doesn't one day decide to freak out when we put a halter on her." I said thinking of how ears being sensitive could be a very bad thing. I smiled and opened the door and said. "I'll meet you at the round pens since she knows how to lead on the rope around her neck and my ropes back in the main barn so I'll meet there. Kay'?" I said waiting for her answer before I went anywhere.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

I nodded to Trish. "We do have to keep coming ack to her ears, it could be pretty bad," I said thinking about putting halters and bridles on her. I nodded to Trish. "Yeah, I can take Heart to the round pen and you can go get your rope." I said with a smiled to Trish. I stroked around Heart's ears and she jumped again and then began to lean in to it again. She was flicking her ears back and forth, as if wondering if she liked it or not. I smiled to her and she snorted and pulled her head back, deciding she didn't like her ears getting touched. I snapped off a small piece of the carrot in my pocket and started to rub her ears again, and I waited until she leaned into it to give her the piece of carrot. I smiled watching her lip of the carrot. I turned to Trish. "So yeah, you want me to take Heart and meet you in the round pen?" I asked her, just to make sure.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

I smiled and nodded. "Yes it could and it cause a lot of problem with bridling when she's older or if something flew onto her ears it could spook her." I said with a serious tone but a smile on my face. I nodded and snapped my fingers before saying. "And I'm not saying don't do it but when you mess with her ears, when she relaxes make sure you do more then just give her a treat, move your hand all the way back to her shoulder. And then give a treat, its like saying I'll move when you relax." I turned and started to walk to the door and called. "Oh yeah meet you at the round pens!" I called and started to jog back to the main barn to get the lead I needed to start training.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

I nodded to Trish, taking in her warnings and her serious tone. I use to miss lessons alot because of having to bridel the horses, I hated it and some were so bad it took forever. I smiled and nodded to Trish again, remembering what she said about when Heart relaxes into me touching her ears. I looked to Heart and waved to Trish when she left the barn without taking my eyes off of Heart. I grabbed the lead rope that Trish had already put around her and lead her forward without a problem. She would probably be puitting up a fight and kicking out like most foals would probably do, but she thought she was going to see her momma. I felt bad, but I lead her forward anyways and out of the barn towards the round pen. She pricked her ears towards it and seemed curious. I smiled and lead her towards it.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

I smiled to myself in thought of training Lil Heart but that wasn't real reason I was all happy and chipper today, I had a surprise for Katie and I couldn't wait to spring it on her but it wasn't ready yet so it would be a little while longer before giving it to her. I popped my knuckles as I walked into the barn and whistled my three tone whistle and Kickstart neighed, when I stopped at his stall he snorted and whipped his head around nickering to me. "Hey ol' man how ya been doin'?" I said with a small smile I couldn't believe Cammy was gonna be having his baby, what a mix that would be! Clydesdale Thoroughbred cross, I couldn't wait to see the foal. I was a little shocked the day Barbie said she though Cammy was preggers and it turned out she really was! I said my good byes to Kickstart and started towards where I kept my training and tack stuff, I got there and picked up my DUH weanling halter and 24 foot DUH lead and headed towards the round pens hopping Katie would already be there.

[musicluva789 LOVES KM!!!]

As Lil Heart and I approached the round pen I clucked to Heart. She swiveled her ears toward me, but I wanted clucking to be her "go" signal. When we got inside the round pen I said "whoa" in an even tone as I stopped her. She again swiveled her ears toward me, seeming a bit confused but going with it anyways. She sucked in a breath of air and neighed, as if realizing this was where I was taking her and realizing her mom wasn't here. "Shhhh" I said to her in a calming voice before I started to scratch between her ears. She jumped and jerked her head the other way, and I again started to scratch between her ears. I held her still until she leaned into my touch and I treated her and lowered my hand down to her shoulder, like Trish had told me to. I smiled to myself and hoped Trish would be here soon.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

I coiled my lead up into two big loops and walked back down the aisle as I passed Kickstart's stall I paused and grabbed my handy stick just in case I needed to drive Lil Heart more, everyone always thought that they were harsh but I really didn't understand how they even came to that idea since more then 90% of the time it didn't even touch the horse except to scratch and rub the horse. I rolled my eyes at the thoughts and walked back out into the aisle and headed for the round pens, still planing out my surprise for Katie, I wasn't sure yet how it was gonna go but I was excited. The only thing that sucked about it though was I had to wait like a month for everything to be all sorted out before I could even mention it to her. As I got to the round pen I hopped over the top of the fence and dropped my three things on the ground and then jumped down. "Well I think were ready to start." I said with a smile.