When I first met Greta in 1995, she was just a little baby orphan. She was a very healthy and spoiled orphan though. Her mom, Emerald, had died soon after she was born. The first year, she was a cute little baby, the next she was a little yearling monster. To help her get over her attitude, she was turned out with Erazmie, who was then Pregnant. Little Greta wasn't very trust worthy, even as a 2 year old, but she had improved some. I don't think pulling her mane the second year was quite so bad as when she was a yearling. As a yearling when I pulled her mane, she was very very nasty. She was bucking and trying to rear. We finally ended up with 2 or 3 twitches on her. This was after we were half done with the mane and she had kicked me, a good one in the thigh. She was real flexible to reach all the way up to where I was standing by her neck. I was very happy in 1998 when I was there, that she had gone to training, and her manners had improved so much. Though lunging her was still a real trick. She had no respect for whips, you got a good work out longing her. At first there had to be two people, my aunt had to stand on the outside of the circle and help keep her going. Though, we eventually got her so that she could be lunged easier with out two people. Many times near the end of the 2 months, I would wander out to the barn looking for my Aunt, and she would have Greta all saddled up and longed and ready for me to ride. Usually I was wearing shorts. But I would just have to put my chaps on and ride her that way. Riding her was also a quite entertaining. At the beginning, she didn't like to go forward. I had to ride her in 2 whips. She was so smart that if you had one, you would be continually switching sides with it. With 2 all you had to worry about was which whip to hit her with, or if she needed a swat with both at the same time. She got both if she wouldn't go forward, and when she was bucking in protest. But by the end she was going forward pretty well, and we even had cantered a few times.


Bottle Feeding Greta


Greta eating grass as a weanling


Greta as a yearling pearing over the fence


Greta's head


Greta's head as a yearling


Greta and Erazmie


Greta and Erazmie


Greta as a yearling