Ruby has been at Hanaeleh for a few months now, so we thought we’d share about how well she is doing. We did move her down with Tamahome for a few weeks, but she really did not enjoy being in the lower stall with him, so we moved her back up into a stall next to Ulysses and Rio, and she’s much calmer and happier. In fact, she is quite in love with Ulysses, and calls for him when he is turned out. Horsie love!
Ruby has been gaining weight steadily and looks great! We’ve had her feet done a few times, and they are looking good as well. Last week we finished up her vaccinations and she was great for all of them. We also had her teeth floated, which she really needed, as she had some ulcerations on both side of her mouth. The vet said that they were not terrible, and would heal within a few weeks now that her teeth are no longer cutting into the side of her mouth. Ruby was a great dental patient for the vet, and it took only a short time to get her teeth done as she stood nicely.
Now that Ruby is strong enough, we have been starting to work her more than just turn outs and free longing in the arena. We have longed her on the line, and now are starting to work on ground driving. Because Ruby only had training under saddle for racing, and that was over a decade ago, she will need to be completely retrained for a riding horse. On the plus side, she is very smart and has a good mind, so we are hopeful that she will quickly take to the training. She did very well today, as you can see in the video (you can also see her new Thoroughbred-y haircut, courtesy of Megan B. and Elizabeth).
We are looking for people who are willing to sponsor Ruby as she is trained to be a riding horse. If you are interested in sponsoring Ruby through her training, please click here!