Happy Birthday Rushcreek Aurora!

On the evening of April 23rd, 2014, nearly 6 months after I first saw her picture under For Sale on a Facebook page, a scrappy 8 month old bay filly stepped off of a shiny transport trailer at the end of our driveway. 3 days previously she had followed a stranger and a bucket of grain onto the first trailer she'd ever set hoof on, in Eastern Nebraska; 1500 miles later she disembarked to an eager redhead, hollering kin, and a  whole lot of green.

welcome to California, have some grass! 

(wait, you already have a Scrappy..)

True, and though the barn name fit her better in that moment than it did the rightful gelding owner, she was to be called something else. On paper she is Rushcreek Aurora, a strange coincidence which leaves her needing yet another name, because THAT one is already in every day use here too. Though there are some current votes for Freckles, this littlest Rushcreek nugget of mine is now familiarly known as Rory.

early days..lying down eating is AWESOME

filly yoga

testing her legs on CA turf

 scruffy 8 mo old RC butt

early clues that Rory is really into Selfies.. <3

Starting to gain weight and pretty pleased with herself

the FIRST mash she ever ate. Took 3 weeks and a different sort of hay pellet to convince her that wet mush is all that is good

starting to shed out, getting interested in human doings, like throwing random ropes around

and that's how exciting her first haltering was! 40 minutes of "I'd rather not" and Tah Dah, halter broke baby 

Oh yeah, this Selfie thing is going to work out..

Weeks roll by and Rory grows in girth and height--as does her affinity for humans

she outgrew her baby halter and moved onto Sheza's old hand-me-down <3

Rory learning about standing for hoof trims

  

Once she was convinced humans were the bomb, Rory got to hang out with step-momma Desire to learn some more horse manners. They love each other as only mares can...

 ..with caution.. 

 Summer got hotter and the Selfies kept rolling in

riding my other filly Sheza, looking down at her momma Desire and step-sis Rory

Just last week! Rory's front end is finally catching up to her hind :-D

And finally....Yesterday was Rory's 1st birthday! Hard to believe how far she has come both physically and mentally in the *3 months* she's been here (really, that's all?!). As you can see, we have leveled up on Selfies, we don't even need halters anymore. 

Happy Birthday Rory filly, here's to many more!