He's baaack...!

So I woke up this morning, and one of my first thought processes of the day was how I feel like I have been neglecting to post on the Durango blog any posts about, well, Durango!  My inspiration turned to motivation, and we got a lot accomplished today.  While doing my morning internet check, I decided to see if there are any Appaloosa shows coming up in the area.  Well, there are, and closer than I thought!  There is one two weeks from now and one three weeks for now.  They only have hunter in hand and halter available for yearlings right now, but I thought it might give him good exposure and a start to his show career.  So here are the pros and cons to doing any shows this month:

Con:  He is still has the hair coat of an Alaskan Mountain Yak... I mean Appaloosa.  The weanlings always seem to go overboard with the hair in our Florida winters and Durango was no exception.

Con:  I still have to send in his registration papers.

Con:  I have to teach a baby some semblance of trotting in hand and setting up in one week.

Pro:  He is shedding in handfuls and handfuls.  Whether or not this is good enough to get rid of the hair in 2-3 weeks, I don't know, but it doesn't hurt to keep scrubbing!

Pro:  I found out today I can rush his registration and have it back in 48 hours!  Way to go Appaloosa Horse Club!

Pro:  Well, he is our little prodigy, after all!

So, our show agenda for the month is yet undetermined, but now we have a goal to work for.  So, in honor of day one of Project Turn Alaskan Mountain Yak Yearling Into Show Horse, I ventured out to Durango territory to take his registration photos, which turned into full blown grooming and photo session.  I pulled him out of the good life, aka, the pasture where his lazy butt has been knawing on an alfalfa block for two weeks since he's been on the backburner, and into the barn for his first taste of a show horse worthy grooming ritual.  The good minded baby doth not protest much, though.  He stood (mostly) like a champ while I curried off buckets of Yak fuzz, and even put some bands in and trimmed his mane for the very first time!  Goodbye baby faded mohawk mane *sniff*.

In the barn after his first haircut!

This was probably the highlight of the day.  Continuing to awe me with his high horsey IQ and rational thought processes... you are looking at the first time Durango was ever fly sprayed.  Other than looking mildly offended, he did not budge an INCH.  You would have had to see it to believe it.  He stood better than most of my adult horses!  I was expecting spooks, snorts, jumps, run-offs, ANYTHING but the actual result.

Okay, on to the good stuff... Durango's first "real" photos as a yearling (well, almost yearling physically, he was a May 25 baby if you can believe it!).  Still fuzzy, but the fuzz kind of adds to the cute... this is the last time we'll see Durango in his furry baby coat... this time next year, I'm sure he'll look all grown up! *sniff*  Enjoy!

Okay I'm signing off, it's a late night but I wanted to share these... goodnight!