Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Date: 3-19-11
Age: 22 months
Height: 15hh ¼in (60.25inches)
Height Gain: Hm . . . it didn't show any gain. He's almost two so I guess it shouldn't surprise me that his growth has slowed down.
Weight: Approximately 825lbs.
Weight Gain: If the weight tape is accurate he actually lost a little weight. He still looks good to me though. :)

Progress: I've stuck with the clicker training and I'm very proud of myself and my colt for the progress we've made. :) I haven't done any walking because I hurt my foot, but as soon as it's better we are definitely going to get back on the roads. :)

Goals: I want to have him hauling in the trailer this month and I would like to get him gelded this month as well. I can't put it off too long because it will get hot soon. The flies and ticks are already showing up. I want him confident in the trailer though because he'll probably be disoriented as he's recovering from the sedative. I would have the vet come out here but a farm call is so expensive (especially considering it's only ten minutes away)! I want to also keep up with the clicker training and go walking. Along with focusing on the trailer training I also want to focus on hoof training because he's doing so well and I'd love to impress our farrier with his progress. :) She loves him already, but she'll love him even more when he's all cooperative and helpful lol. I guess that's all for this month.

Oh and we didn't do any clicker training today. I had to work and then go to a friend's wedding. I did get some pictures with Chrome when we got home from the wedding since I was actually dressed nice, so enjoy!

A kiss.

"Where's your treat pouch mom?"

He started to walk off but his arched neck is so cute I went ahead and posted it hehe.

Led Zeppelin wanted attention too. :)

I'm glowing (photo overexposed) in this one, but Chrome is handsome so that's okay. :)

I love his smile! I'm glowing again, but had to add it.
I'm amazed at how high he gets his head considering I'm 5'11".

Hugs! And he didn't even try to bite lol.

I love how laid back this horse is. I can drape myself all over him and he doesn't care. :)

*sarcasm* Doesn't he just look soooo concerned with me hanging all over his head? *sarcasm*

More hugs.

That's all for today. I wish I could post some of the wedding pictures I took. It was so beautiful. Unfortunately I don't have permission to post them on the internet, so we'll just have to enjoy the horse pictures. :) Tomorrow I'll post a few pictures I got of me and Jackal today. I got some cute ones. Oh and thanks to my hubby for taking the pictures!

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

In case you don't follow Chrome's blog here is his progress report for this month. Check out the cute video at the end!


Date: 2-19-11
Age: 21 months
Height: 15hh ¼in (60.25inches)
Height Gain: He grew half an inch.
Weight: Approximately 830lbs.
Weight Gain: Approximately 20lbs.

Progress: Yay, he made fifteen hands! I did a bunch of clicker training. I did work on hindquarter yields like I wanted to. I also worked on head lowering and lateral flexion, which I think would be considered softening. I'd say this month was a success. We didn't do much walking, but we had lots of fun with the clicker training and growing apparently. :)

Goals: I want to continue working on clicker training. I won't put anything specific because there's no telling what I will decide I want to work on. I would like to get some more walking done and maybe a bath. I guess that's all for this month since I don't know what the weather will be like.

And for fun here is a video we took this morning of Chrome working on smile. :)

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

** The picture is really bad. It was too dark to not use flash, but flash looks horrible. He is really butt high right now (more than it appears in this picture because his left rear foot is forward) so I'm betting he's starting another growth spurt. He's been looking so gangly lately.

Date: 1-19-11
Age: 20 months
Height: 14.3¾hh
Height Gain: Only a quarter of an inch this time. So much for him making 15hh this month lol. Oh well, he'll get there. There's no hurry.
Weight: The weight tape still said 810lbs. Hmm.
Weight Gain: I'm not convinced the weight tape is accurate, but it said he didn't gain any weight at all this month. It did finally get really cold this month so I guess it could be that, since he's using more energy to stay warm. I'm not too worried about it. He looks great and that's what matters. :)

Progress: Ugh, I didn't really get anything productive done this month. I did work on some desensitizing and went walking, but that's about it. It was cold this month and I've been busy so I'm not too worried about it.

Goals: I still want to work on softening exercises, specifically yielding. I want to do more walking. I want to start clicker training again, but that will depend on how cold it is. Operating a clicker is difficult when its cold! :) That's all for this month.

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Date: 12-19-10
Age: 19 months
Height: 14.3½hh
Height Gain: Approximately half an inch. In another month he should be fifteen hands and not even two years old yet!!! :D
Weight: Approximately 810lbs.
Weight Gain: He gained thirty pounds! I was happy to see this because I thought he was losing weight. I guess it was just a growth spurt that made him look like he was losing weight while he added on height. I better be careful about increasing his feed too much.
Progress: As you know from the post a couple of days ago I finally had Chrome's hooves trimmed again. I think this farrier will be a lot more reliable and easier to schedule with. She was very organized and even had appointment cards and invoices!! He looks a lot better after having his hooves done. Considering she took off almost half an inch it makes me think Chrome probably made it to fifteen hands for a little while at least lol. :)

I did get hay finally, yay. At least selling my goats provided me with enough money to do that. I do miss them though. The farrier also gave me some insight into Chrome's behavior. She said he's very lazy, which I knew he would be because Friesians aren't known for being energetic. She also said that I'm letting him get away with too much, blaming it on him being a stallion. She said I need to make him behave or having him gelded won't do any good. I will admit that I have been letting him get away with stuff. As you know from a previous post he was crowding during feeding and I resolved that. He's been nipping, but all I have to do is reprimand him in a stern voice and he stops, because he knows better, he's just testing.

I need to start taking him for walks again and make him work and pay attention to me before he starts seeing me as a lowly pasture mate. He's not rude at all, he's just started to test his boundaries. I haven't been working on any yielding or softening with Chrome so I think I'm going to use the methods Kate wrote about on her blog A Year With Horses. I think those will help get him softer and listening to me better. I have a head cold right now though so we'll see how that goes later when I'm feeling better.

Goals: My goal is to get better lol. I want to work on the softening exercises with Chrome and start walking him again. If that goes well (I'm super lazy in the winter) I might start trying to clicker train him again. I've just been so busy with the extra hours at work and my husband's doctor appointments for his back that I haven't been doing anything. I haven't even worked with Jackal on crawling. :( I'll do better I promise!! I also need to read blogs. I'm soooo far behind. I have almost three hundreds posts to read. Sorry I haven't been commenting a lot. I am or will read all your posts though. Okay I'm going to rest before work.

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Date: 11-19-10
Age: 18 months
Height: 14.3hh
Height Gain: Approximately 3/8 of an inch. Not much . . .
Weight: Approx 780lbs.
Weight Gain: Approximately fifteen pounds . . .
Progress: Okay, Chrome's growth has slowed down a LOT! I don't know if that's because I switched him from Safechoice to Enrich 32 or if it's because he's eighteen months old. Or it could be because it has gotten cold and a lot of the grass has died off. I'm not going to worry about it too much. I'm feeding him approximately two pounds of Enrich 32 so I may increase it to 2.5 pounds as suggested on the bag. I'm also giving him some crimped oats for energy so I may increase those. I don't want to increase everything too much and go the opposite direction though lol. I may start using the weight tape on him weekly to monitor increase needs in his feed.

I haven't done much with Chrome besides just spending time grooming and playing with him. I'm trying to get his mane to grow back in. The wet spot on his neck in the picture is the MTG I'm using. It's so oily and gross, but it's definitely helping grow his mane back in.

Goals: My goal for this month is to get hay. That's my number one priority. I also would really like to have the trimmer out again. If money permits. If not then I need to do some trimming on my own. I would also like to start clicker training again.

I'll leave you with my favorite picture from our short photo shoot. I threw my jacket on the ground and got this expression from Chrome lol. :)

I love my boy. I can't wait until he's done growing so I know what size halter to get him. That old green one is ugly. I've had it for fifteen years lol.

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Date: 10-19-10
Age: 17 months
Height: Chrome measured 149cm, just shy of 14.3hh.
Height Gain: Hard to say . . . see below.
Weight: Approx 765lbs.
Weight Gain: Good heavens!! Could he really have gained sixty five pounds?? He doesn't look fat to you does he?
Progress: I think the reason Chrome didn't show as much growth height-wise this month is because he got his hooves trimmed. His heels were long and getting them trimmed probably took off half an inch lol! I know bad mommy for waiting so long. They do look better although his left rear still looks like a club foot. A club foot is rare in the rear hooves, so it's weird but it's pretty obvious if you compare them. See how it's more upright with a longer heel? The farrier is going to work on it slowly, but it'll take a long time to start looking more normal and may never look normal.

I've been worrying about him because he seems to be walking with a short stride in the rear. He moves out normally with his front, but seems quick and short strided in the rear. I've been checking his legs and hooves daily and there is no heat, swelling, fluid, bumps, sores, etc. Everything looks and feels completely normal. He still gallops, bucks and plays like crazy so he doesn't appear to be in pain. I have read that a club foot is caused by contracted tendons in the rear legs so I'm wondering if that's it. That is the extent of my knowledge regarding that though so I don't know what it means for us.

Speaking of playing, Chrome and Zep have been playing too rough. Now that Chrome is so much taller than the shorty donkey Zep is biting him on the neck and chest. Chrome has welts and sores all over his neck!! I can't wait to get them gelded. I don't know when it will be though because we still haven't received my husband's temp disability money. :( I'll just keep and eye on him.

Other than that he's been doing great. His coat is turning so dark and pretty with fall coming on. They are playing constantly and feel great with the cooler temperatures. I don't remember if I mentioned that I switched him from Safechoice to a ration balancer and beet pulp. He's doing great on them. He looks absolutely fantastic.

My only complaint is that his mane is AWFUL!!!! It's all short, scraggly and dry. He keeps it completely torn out and destroyed. So much for have a hairy pony to play beauty shop on hehehe (can I borrow some mane Star???). The bits of mane that are growing in are coming in white. :) I'll have to get pictures when the weather clears up. I really want to wash and condition his mane before it gets too cold. I'm thinking of putting him on a hoof supplement because they encourage hoof and hair growth. I really love flax seed for coat and general health but I can't seem to find any. We'll see how it goes when our financial situation is back to normal.

Goals: My goals for this month are just to keep Chrome happy and healthy. I want to get his hooves trimmed, but that's about all I can plan on until we start getting a steady income again. I just want to spend time with him and enjoy him.

Also an update on my husband's back since it basically influences everything in my life right now. He had his first physical therapy today. They did the electric stimulus therapy and gave him a lot of tips and goals. He gets his first epidural steroids on Thursday and will go back to the physical therapist in a few days for another session. I think I mentioned it already but they are thinking the end of November is when he'll be able to go back to work. She's also going to try to get the doctor to prescribe pain medicine or anti inflammatory. She couldn't believe that he hadn't had anything except muscle relaxers this whole time. They also gave him a really fancy ice pack (can be used for heat too). Please keep him in your thoughts!

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Date: 9-19-10
Age: 16 months
Height: He is now 14.2 (58 1/8th inches). He's finally a horse!!!
Height Gain: 5/8ths of an inch.
Weight: Approx 700lbs (317.5kg)
Weight Gain: About twenty five pounds.
Progress: Chrome is doing very well. His growth is steady. I'm cleaning out his hooves everyday except for the occasional missed day when my back just can't take it. While cleaning out his hooves today I found a place where the thrush has eaten out a bit of his frog so I think I'm going to treat the fungus more aggressively for a while and then use the salt to maintain/prevent further thrush. He acts a tiny bit sore in that spot but he's perfectly sound. There is no heat in his hooves or joints so we're good right now lol. Who knows what will be next with a yearling hehe.

I'm also slowly adding beet pulp back into his diet to supplement his roughage because the summer heat has killed out most of the pasture. I'm planning to wean him very slowly off of the Safechoice and put him on a ration balancer to cut out the starch/sugars in his diet (to prevent future insulin resistance and/or laminitis issues). I've spoken at length with people who have used it with growing horses and I can see their horses with my own eyes to know they matured perfectly fine on it. :) Don't laugh. Decisions that some people make easily I agonize over for ages before I convince myself to do it lol. Lots of research.

Goals: My goals for this month are to continue working on his hooves to beat the thrush and get him trimmed. I still think his heels are too long. I'm also going to get his diet change under way when I get low on Safechoice. I want to make the transition slowly to prevent any problems. I want to continue walking him occasionally and get back into clicker training as the weather cools off. No specifics because I don't want to pressure myself. :)

And here are a couple more pictures from the modeling session. Do you think Chrome can make the big time as a model? I think he's kind of a diva. ;D

Chrome - "How's this mom? You're really worried about one ear??"

Chrome - "What about this? What do you mean I'm angled toward
the camera?? If you want a different angle move your stupid camera!"

Chrome - *SIGH* "Who would have thought
modeling could be so much work?"

Me - "Oy Vey!"

Monthly Progress Report 8-19-2010 - Also Update on Yesterday

So far so good. Both Chrome and Zep seem fine so far. When I woke up this morning they were playing their stallion games just like every other morning. Zep was braying for breakfast as usual. My husband checked Chrome's feet before he left for work and they were fine. So far so good. Keep the good thoughts and prayers coming because from what I've read we aren't out of the woods for 72 hours.

As far as Chrome's progress report I'm very happy I took his measurements and pictures the other day because I really don't feel like doing it today. I'm sick from the stress yesterday and have a horrible headache. Also didn't sleep well.

Here is the picture I saved from our walk the other day.


Isn't he just gorgeous? With a little more impulsion from behind to round his back and bring his poll up a little he'd be in a dressage frame lol. All by himself. :) He's going to be so much fun to ride when he's all grown up.

Date: 8-19-10
Age: 15 months
Height: He is now 14.1 (plus half an inch), so with a half inch more growth he'll no longer be pony sized lol! -- Ponies are under 14.2 hands and horses are over. :)
Height Gain: Almost three quarters of an inch.
Weight: Approx 675lbs (294.8kg)
Weight Gain: About twenty five pounds.
Progress: Up until this stunt yesterday Chrome was doing great (still is so far, but I worry). He is loving having the lease land to graze and explore on. I haven't really worked on anything because of the heat, but in our daily handlings he's doing fantastic. He's also being a really good boy about us picking up his feet to check for heat. :) Also as a little side note: Zep is doing so fantastic. He now lets me pet him on the face, cheeks and ears all I want. I just have to be careful how I approach him and not turn to look at him directly. :)
Goals: My goal for right now is to keep them both healthy after what happened last night. After that I don't know. Probably more hiding from the heat. Can you believe it's 99F and it feels like a cold front has come through? That's how hot it's been. I can't wait for autumn so I can start working with them again. :)

Thank you all for your sweet comments. I really appreciate them.

Belated Chrome Progress Report

I was going to post about the turkeys today, but I completely forgot to do Chrome's progress report yesterday. He turned fourteen month old yesterday. I'll post about the turkeys on Thursday.

Date: 7-19-10 (just posting a day late)
Age: 14 months
Height: Just shy of 14.1hh (a little over 4ft 8in/56.7in/144cm/1.44m)
Height Gain: Almost three quarters of an inch.
Weight: Approx 650lbs (294.8kg)
Weight Gain: About thirty pounds. Can you tell I increased his feed?
Progress: Chrome is doing great. He's on free choice hay and I ran out of beet pulp so I haven't been feeding it anymore. He's gained weight and looks great. I've taken him for a few walks and he's done fabulous. I've also loaded him on the trailer a few times and he did good. I haven't really worked on anything else. Oh wait! I did fly spray him while he was eating without having to put a halter on him! :D
Goals: My goal for this month is to start introducing him to things like saddle blankets, plastic bags, etc. The crazy thing is he does most of his de-spooking by himself!! Check out the hard work (I took pictures and he played hard) we did with a box yesterday below . . .

He completely destroyed the cardboard box. And thoroughly enjoyed it lol.

Here he dropped it and then walked through it. He actually put two hooves in it. I just missed the perfect shot. Learning to walk over unfamiliar objects and surfaces is a great lesson! Good thinking Chrome! ;)

Stuffing your face in a box is not something I would have thought of. :)

Even Zep got in on the action.

Zeppelin showing off his pretty neck action too. :)

One last thing before I go. We were weighing the goats so that we could give them their wormer and Storm was standing there watching so I told my husband to grab her. She weighed FORTY SIX POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!! She's never weighed over thirty nine pounds in her entire life! And she's not fat either. Check out these pictures.

Can you believe she's nine? If it weren't for her eye problems you would never guess.

Chrome's Monthly Progress Report

Note: To see previous progress reports please click here. This months progress report and future ones can be found under the new Progress Report label.

Sorry I didn't get a new picture. This is from yesterday.

Date: 6-19-10
Age: 13 months
Height: 14hh (4ft 8in/56in/142cm/1.4224m)
Height Gain: Half an inch.
Weight: Approx 620lbs (281.2kg)
Weight Gain: I'm beginning to think weight tapes just aren't very accurate for growing horses. I doubt very much that his weight hasn't changed. Weight tapes just don't really take into account the horse's height, bone size and growth. Chrome is in a narrow bodied, long legged stage so that's probably why it's saying he hasn't gained any weight. I don't care though because he looks good to me. :)
Progress: I'm now feeding Chrome beet pulp with his Safechoice and I saw a difference almost immediately. He's still getting a little over half a square bale of hay a day, but we've finally found a source of good quality round bales so soon he'll have free choice grass hay which will make him happy. He's gotten to where he's stretching his giraffe neck up to eat oak leaves out of the trees!! I know oak can be bad for horses so we're going to trim the lower limbs and I'm sure he'll stop when he has a round bale to munch on twenty four, seven. Other than that he's doing great. I didn't do anymore walking, clicker training or hoof work. Bad me. Between the heat index of 107F every day and my work schedule I just haven't felt like doing anything. I did hose him off though as you saw in yesterday's post. :)
Goals: My goal for this month is to start walking him again and to keep working on hosing him off and fly spraying him. I forgot to mention that I fly sprayed him the other day while he was eating . . . without a halter!!! I'm not going to give myself anything else to work on for now until it cools off some. It's miserable. We haven't had rain in weeks and the tiny bit we got today just evaporated. I love summer, but not droughts.

Sorry I don't have any pictures to share today. I've been focusing on editing the ones I have instead of taking new ones lol. Later!!