Just thought I would send you an update on Magic.
Magic has been doing real good. She had acquired a hay belly but since has  lost it - she is so spoiled, she gets rolled oats and barley in the morning  that has been soaking over night - along with a cut up apple and usually 3 or 4 carrots - and 3 Kava Kava herbs to help calm her. The she gets 1/2  flake or oats or 3 way and 1/2 flake of Bermuda. While she is eating I  clean her stall and put on her fly mask, fly sheet and fly leggings. She loves her soaked oats and barley and it goes the fastest, when she is done  with them she comes back to me and asks for more. She is getting or letting   her personality come out, she cocks her head to the side and reaches out to me - some times I hold onto the carrots to give them to her one at a time -  then when I give her one she gently takes it and is careful not to get my  fingers.
Her Fly sheet is new - I got it for her on Sunday as a reward of Saturday.   Saturday we went on a 2 - 2 1/2 hour trail ride with two Arabians (and  their owners), our 1st long ride. She did so good, she sweated up a little the first hour but dried - then on the way home she sweated up again - this  time all over, she was a little tired when we got back but did so good, we  went into an area with 6 - 8 dogs that were loose and they did not bother her at all. They were around her legs but she was focused on the trail and  did not let them bother her. She is so bomb proof - she does not mind  water, dogs, flying plastic bags or tarps and white or otherwise. She does not throw her head as much - that is because her back is better and I have  the saddle back further on her back and she likes it better that way. She  still is a little barn sour but I can get her to go with circles - we have even been out on trail rides by ourselves - for about 1 hour and she does  good, she has been on the trail before and is willing to go where I ask her  to. I even let her run on the straightaways for a short time and she loves it.
During the week I work her some in the arena - she runs like a playful kid  - kicking out her front legs. I can even get her to walk and trot with me,  off the lead line, she even stops when I say halt - when she gets tired of  the game she keeps going back to the arena gate instead of stopping when I  ask. She is beginning to trust me more each day.
At night when I feed her she gets a scoop of 50/50 pellets of alfalfa and  oats or Bermuda soaked in water with some FastTrack and Super Gain mixed  in. Usually 3 more carrots and 1/2 Flake of Oats or 3 way and 1/2 flake of Rye. Up till Saturday she used to eat it all - now she is leaving some on  the ground so I'll start cutting back on her food until I find the right  balance. She also gets a blanket at night - my granddaughter Mandi says she looks like a Knights horse with the blanket on. The first time I put the  blanket on she looked at me like I was nuts now she loves it and waits for  me to put it on at night. She is still a little head shy but the blanket is helping getting her calmed down when I up it over her head.
Magic is a wonderful horse - no one can believe that she was headed for  the slaughterhouse. I could not have done better in picking a horse for  myself even if I had had professional help to do so. She was shoed again on the 16th and the farrier said she had greatly improved in her temperament -  she was not bad before - but she was calm this time and had her head  relaxed and allowed him to do what he needed to, to get her new shoes on.
On the weekends when Mandi is at my home I let her sit un Magic and I walk  her around - she loves it and Magic does not mind. Magic's back still needs  to build up more - I know the high withers will never go away but she can still get more meat on her back bone - work in progress.
Magic is in Desi's old stall and is doing good with her 5 stable mates,  the same ones she was with when she first arrived at the stables. They get  along good - I'm glad she has company she likes during the day when I am gone. When I get more comfortable with knowing how she will ride I will  probably switch to an English saddle - she needs the TB saddle tree. Magic has been the best therapy for me since Desi has been gone - I am grateful to have her and hope to have many, many more years to come. I know  I say it every time - but thank you Gail for bring Magic to me. I'd be  lost without her.
Judi -)