Sweet little Poppy is the more timid of the two black pony cross mares, but it’s impossible to decide who is cuter.
Poppy can be difficult to catch, so she still has to wear a breakaway halter to make it easier for her to catch in the paddock, but we have been working on catch and release in the round pen with various people to get her more accustomed to multiple people approaching her and catching her up, and it has already made a huge difference in her willingness to be approached — the breakaway halter should soon be a thing of the past.
She is a nice little mover, and we have been working her through the Red Book progression with the intention of saddling her, as it is unlikely she has been saddled before. She will need a bit more time working through when aids like the flag or the rope mean something and when they don’t, but she is a fast learner. She is still nervous about the flag touching her, but has made great progress changing eyes on the rope and giving to pressure.
Poppy is nearly up to date on vet and farrier care. She has a dental float scheduled, where she will also get a microchip and a teat cleaning. She is up to date on her vaccines. She was also dewormed upon arrival, as she arrived with a positive worm load. She is gentle about being groomed and having her feet handled – she has been trimmed twice since arriving at SAFE, with a 6 week trim schedule set going forward. She gets daily thrush treatments to help combat the thrush all the Graham horses arrived with.
She is currently turned out with her near twin, Moshi. The two enjoy sun bathing together and chats with their next door neighbor, Picasso.
