Sammy the Saddlebred: New Barn #2!!

So it was time to move the Sammy-monster again. I went around looking and found the perfect place. My lesson teacher would come there, the grounds were clean and beautiful, and, best of all, the roundbales were clean and dust/mold free. Not only that, but they didn't use roundbale feeders, so the hay would easily get spread out and the horses wouldn't be burying their faces in the holes. So Sammy could stay in the herd all year round and no worries about heaves.

The new barn was a lot smaller, only on 20 acres. Very few boarders=very little barn drama=perfect!! The facility was older, but very clean, with super safe fencing, and nice sandy soil. No mud anywhere to be found. The outdoor arena was the perfect size, and the indoor was well maintained. So very nice.

The New Barn Owner and her SO came to load Sammy, and I was bit leery. After all, our last attempt to load him didn't go so well. I put shipping boots on him and got him set to meet his new caretakers. They greeted him enthusiastically, and we headed into the chilly December morning over to the waiting horse trailer. They led him onto the trailer quite easily, but he quickly shot back out. In, out, in again. Then they led him on and backed him off quickly before it was his idea to leave. And then we couldn't.get.him.on.the.trailer.again. Not for two hours.

Thankfully, the New Barn Owner was ridiculously patient and wanted to make it a good hauling experience for him. So she took her time, and finally he was standing calmly in the slant, not flipping out or anything. It took two and a half hours in the freezing cold, but it was so worth it.

We got him to the new place and unloaded him. He took everything in and seemed much calmer than I would have expected. This is the beautiful driveway that pretty much sold me on the place right away.