Big Wish Brabants

10/19/2021

04/07/2021

03/06/2021

Our "Bee" 🐝
"Driftwood Farms Hope"
100% European Belgian 3 year old mare,
American Brabant Association, Book 2
American Belgian Corporation

01/02/2021

Little Bee goes to school 📚📝
Abel is the big guy (spotted draft)

11/10/2020

First Ride
11/10/20
Lena, age 3

11/05/2020

Lena!

10/01/2020

Progress!
Notice how Sally is giving Lady Bird a chance to move away if she would like. There's plenty of slack in that rope. We don't want to add to the horse's apprehension by restricting her movement. If she moves away, Sally will just move with her.
Slow and steady wins this race!

09/19/2020

Just don't call me late to supper!

09/18/2020

Because I am loved, that's why.

09/14/2020

3 up, 3 down!
Good manners, amazing feet. Alan basically treated them like he would a foal, keeping things quick and calm while gently correcting any distortion in their feet. This was their first time to be trimmed by a farrier, and it feels good, like the last piece of the puzzle 🧩😅.
Early intervention by a farrier is crucial in a draft, because all of that weight can wreak havoc on their feet. Keeping the hooves in good shape will keep them stronger, thereby keeping the horse comfortable, and prolonging its useful life.

09/14/2020

Early breakfast on pedicure day 🍳

09/13/2020

Up early to watch livestream of a Brabant show in Belgium 🥰
Click here to watch with us:
https://www.vfbt.be
Another good article in the post comments!

09/10/2020

"Stand still" means just that!
Preparing to start the girls in harness this fall. They must be able to stand patiently and perfectly still when asked, for their own safety, as well as that of their handlers. We hobble them until they stand quietly, making peace with the fact that they cannot walk away. When they've accepted that fact, the hobbles come off and the praise begins. Smart horses!
Another milestone down - the next one is the farrier on Monday, when the girls will have their feet trimmed for the very first time! 🤞🏼

09/01/2020

The constant pampering does take its toll on a girl 🏝🧉⛱

08/27/2020

A little trot time, & giving to pressure from the rope.
Horses learn from us applying pressure until they do what we need, with the release of pressure serving as the reward.
The critical part is our timing. The pressure must be released at the exact instant that they react favorably, or the lesson is lost. In this example, I must slow and stop the buggy when she is keeping slack in the rope. If I stop it when the rope is tight, I've just taught her to pull away from me.
Immediately after this, they'll be tied to a shade tree for a bit, then we'll pick their feet and hose them off.
Can't believe we dodged Hurricane Laura, praying for those caught in her path 🙏

08/26/2020

Sunset Girls

08/25/2020

Preparing for saddles and storms 👍🏼

08/24/2020

This is Lena, getting her teeth "floated" by Dr. Abel.
In horses, the top set of teeth are somewhat wider than the bottom set, so there's a fair amount of side-to-side motion when they eat. This motion creates sharp points and hooks that can cut the cheek. So, you can imagine how important this is to take care of.
Our horses get dental work every year with their vaccinations and bloodwork.
Dr. Abel says Lena's teeth are remarkably good, with one wolf tooth easily removed, and all molars making good contact.

08/20/2020

Hey! Turns out I actually CAN balance on three legs!
(Bee learns to lift her feet for routine cleaning. Her very first hoof trim will be in a few weeks. She's GOT this 👍🏼)
Special thanks to our friend, Debbie Williams Halford, for letting us borrow her stuff! 💋

08/17/2020

We have now had Bee for a little over a week. I noticed at feeding time that she was dropping wet food out of her mouth, as well as holding her head at an odd angle while doing so. And, she has hard lumps on her lower jaw. All of these things can signal dental problems.
Our vet looked at her today- his first words were, "What a mess!" 😳
She had 3 sharp, shattered baby teeth (presumably from a trauma at some point), and her front teeth don't meet properly, his guess was from chewing on hard objects or wood.
This is a wolf tooth, the only tooth he could remove in one piece. Wolf teeth are relatively common, and don't always need to be removed. They can, however, become irritated in horses that will wear a bridle and bit.
Dental health is extremely important in a young horse, because fixing things now can head off big issues down the road. And those big issues can REALLY interfere with effective training. Not to mention, if they can't chew properly, they can't get all the nutrition from their food.
We've included a good article in the comments about wolf teeth, as well as a diagram of where they are located.
Bee is one step closer to health (and comfort)!!! ❤️🦷👍🏼

08/10/2020

Here's Bee, July 22 & now.
Less than 3 weeks!!!
Shots, dewormer,antibiotics, immunizations, feed, grass, hay, a brush & a comb.
Imagine what these babies will look like in 6 months ❤️

08/09/2020

Look who's home!
This is Big Wish Beloved, we will call her "Bee."
She recently turned 2, and she's definitely got some growing to do. She's really affectionate and quiet. We're so excited to watch how she matures.
Bee completes our Brabant herd at Big Wish Farm ❤️

08/08/2020

Trying to think how in the world these babies could like water so much, then I remembered this!
Watch, it's amazing 😂
I'll also post a great article about it in the comments.
And, yes, these are Brabants, in the country of their origin, doing something they were bred for!
Who's ready for a beach ride next year??? ❤️

15 shrimp fisherman on horseback in procession to the Belgian coast and in the North-Sea in oostduinkerke. The UNESCO has added the shrimp fishermen on horse...

08/07/2020

Unbelievable!!! 😂

08/07/2020

Success!
Also, they both whinnied and met us at the gate, and it wasn't feeding time!
Beginning to think working with unhandled horses beats working with MISHANDLED horses any day 👍🏼

08/07/2020

Y'ALL, I found out today that Lady Bird has either a chain or a huge piece of wire firmly embedded in her tail. She's only just now gotten comfortable with us brushing her, now I'm contemplating having her sedated so I can really get this thing out. Not sure if it's involved with the root of her tail or not.
I'm going to work hard on it the next few days, but I have a vet appointment set up for next week anyway.
Oh my, these poor babies.

08/05/2020

Day 5.
Time to get those manes right!
Lots of work getting the horses used to touch and handling. The results are so encouraging ❤️