Update

My home for the next five days.

I apologize for the recent absence.  Not only has nothing really been going on, but I've been on large animal ICU overnights for the past week and a half, and the schedule is really starting to take its toll on the zoo and I.  It's a fairly laid-back rotation, and we've had no emergencies.  I haven't decided whether this is a good or bad thing yet.  Good for the horses, bad for me.  

Recent snowfall on the farm.

I took Jasper for a short road ride this past weekend since I have a feeling the Mountain will be closed for the remainder of the season due to recent snow.  We had a pleasant enough time, and although Jasper got a little jiggy about a quarter mile from home, he held it together.  

Coming home, I crested a different hill to drop down onto our property.  At the top I called to Onyx, who promptly poked his little head out of the barn....and started running back and forth like we were a couple of cougars on the prowl.  Just as we reached the bottom of the hill, Onyx took a full-tilt gallop towards the corner and popped up and through the top rail of the fence.  Once he landed, he must have realized who we were, and casually strolled up as if he'd meant to do that.  I couldn't help but laugh, but admit I held my breath as he galloped and leapt through the air.  He had only a superficial scratch on his front right foreleg and some missing hair.  He was, understandably, a little shaken but pulled through like the little champ he is.

Onyx's injuries.  You can see the missing hair from his legs just above the knee and the long scratch on his right leg.

Our goals for the winter are simple: Fatten up the ponies, get some good groundwork done on Onyx, and maybe (just maybe) do a couple of first rides on him.  So far, Jasper is looking quite plump, and I can no longer feel ribs on him even when I poke (a fact he SO appreciates...grouch).  Onyx is going through another growth spurt and has lost the prominent spine he had when I brought him home.  I can still feel his ribs, but he's got a better fat layer on top now.  I'm probably going to back off on Jasper's fatty-mashes and continue beefing up Onyx's. 

Onyx, 11/17.

Look, Ma! No spine!