Little Jasper

I had several trade offers for Jasper.  The one that sounded the best for Jasper was a man that had 30 acres in Waller.  On the other hand the pony he was trading me was a 6 month old Welsh cross gelding.  I thought OK, he can grow up with the kids.  The man delivered him one morning.  I didn't know the pony had not been weaned.  I didn't know he had not been handled much and was not familiar with a halter.  I'm being really nice here to this guy. The man unloaded this crazy pony and I walked my calm beautiful appaloosa onto the trailer dumbfounded.  He asked do you want to trade? I though too late now....my horse is in the trailer and this pony is running around like he's crazy with no halter on ?!  Then I thought about the 30 acres Jasper would get to roam on and though he would rather that lifestyle....loose on all that land with no kids. 

As the man got in his truck he said by the way he's part mustang too.  I watched the trailer go down the street.  Then the persistant nickering snapped me to attention.  I needed to get this baby in the pasture before he breaks a fence. The pasture fence is much more solid.  So I opened all gates leading to the pasture and began to walk that way.  He decided to go behind my husbands shops which was a narrow path between the shop and the neighbor's fence.  He decided to take this path at full gallop.  To get tot he gate he needed to take a left behind the shop and the gate would be on the right which leads to the small pasture.  Instead he decided to go straight and hit the small pasture fence and flipped over.  I ran as fast as I could to him and just before I got to his side he jumped up and ran to the back of the small pasture.  The poor scared baby.  I got him some hay and our relationship began.  He never suffered any ill effect from flipping over the fence.  Although, he was much more aware when he ran around and careful of the fencing. 

I knew this was pony was not going to work for me.  I even quit watching training tapes because I couldn't get near him and my knowledge of training was very low.  I placed another ad this time for a mini only and I was trading a Welch Mustang cross. I continued to try everyday to touch this baby.  He began to associate me with food and in the beginning he stayed his distance in no time he was the opposite and was all over me at feeding time.  Finally, on Thanksgiving Day I touched him and haltered him for the first time.  A couple of days later my ad was answered.

My ad was answered by a man's wife that said he needed a project and they were geting out of breeding minis.  The had a small herd of mustangs so her husband was knowledgeable in their training.  They offered me a 16 year old mini mare. It was a trade.