photo by Lisa Garr
If you are missing one of your fellow volunteers during your shift at Safe Harbor there is a good chance you will find that person making googly eyes and stealing kisses from our baby Piper! She is a very sweet filly with a naturally lovely disposition. We have started adding some very light groundwork and handling to begin her education. She catches on quickly and is a smart little cookie! She is very young so adding just a few things here and there is really about all we want to do at this time. She is very brave and curious, which can be used to our advantage. It certainly helps us get her comfortable and have positive experiences with new things in her life.
She is now fully vaccinated and boosted, and our Herd Health Manager, Melinda reports: “She didn’t react at all to the needle. No problem there at all.” Once her vaccines had time to build her immune system up, we were able to take her off quarantine and introduce her to a pasture mate. Since Piper’s arrival, Tasara had been very interested in her and had often called out to her from her nearby pasture. Since Tasara is a petite 13 hands tall, it looked like a suitable size match. Both did great for the introduction. Piper immediately started “clacking” at Tasara tel tell her “I’m a baby.…don’t hurt me!” The two quickly hit it off and are now very good buddies. Piper is learning that sometimes Tasara has to go away to be ridden but that eventually she’ll come back. She calls out just a little and then goes back to munching hay. It is really a perfect little match and we’re so happy they both have a friend now!
We had fun with Daphne for Piper’s first hoof trims at Safe Harbor. It was a blessing to have such a skilled farrier working with her for this introduction. As Daphne said: “You just have to go with them… make your body into Gumby, and just don’t let go of the leg…she figures it out quick enough.” And sure enough within just a few tries, Piper grasped the concept and did very well. Here are a few photos of her and Daphne:
