Shoshone Trail: Dusty trail diary

05/27/2026

Finally an new milestone from Io. Shared feed validates social integration. Io is learning to respect boundries in the herd. This also helps lessen the reliance on humans for development. It also will help to remove her isolation from the other horses. The photo... Bixby and this is the first time she has alowed her foal to eat with her!

05/20/2026

On days like this, when the weather is agreeable. Io loves being out without her blankets.!

05/20/2026

I know everyone has been waiting on an update about Io. I'm sorry it took so long.
Io is doing really well. She's continuing to make strides with mobility and balance.
Just in the last week, she has started taking sips of water instead of solely being dependent on milk replacer for hydration. We have graduated from 3 hour feeding intervals to 4 hour feeding intervals. She continues to nibble grass alfalfa and is consuming nearly 2 cups a day of pelleted first foal creep feed.
She has started exhibiting some of the typically bad behavior that comes with being a bottle baby. These are behaviors that normally would be disciplined by her parent or the rest of her heard, but because she does not have a strong bond with her mother, nor does she have a herd bond it is up to the humans to modify those behaviors. Not only so that she is safe to be around people, but also so that she doesn't get herself into trouble with other herd members.

05/06/2026

The difference in 2 weeks! Apr16 to May 2. Hemi is easily doubled in size. He is going to be a beautiful beast.

05/06/2026

They never fail to fing the old GREEN panels....

05/05/2026

Why running and bucking is good news...
Here is what these specific behaviors tell you about her development:
​1. Advanced Neurological Recovery
​When a foal is suffering from neonatal encephalopathy (dummy foal syndrome), the brain struggles to communicate properly with the limbs. The fact that she can execute complex movements like cross-hopping (lateral movements) and bucking means that:
​Proprioception is restored: Her brain now accurately understands where her legs are in space and can coordinate multiple limbs at high speeds.
​Equine motor pathways are firing: These are natural, innate motor programs, and her brain is successfully accessing them.
​2. Resolution of Muscle Weakness
​Dummy foals often spend the first few days of life struggling to stand, which can result in muscle weakness or soreness. Bucking and leaping require a high burst of explosive power from the hindquarters and core. This shows that her muscles and joints are strengthening properly and compensating for any early deficits.
​3. Return of the "Play Drive"
​In the wild, a foal's play drive is a direct measure of its vitality and energy surplus. Because she is taking in more calories than her body needs for basic healing, she has surplus energy to burn. It indicates that her metabolism and digestive system are operating at 100%.
​4. Psychological Healing and Confidence
​Bucking is an expression of joy and well-being. By engaging in these behaviors, she is showing that she feels safe in her environment. Even without a traditional maternal bond, she has adopted you and her environment as safe enough to let her guard down and act like a foal.

05/05/2026

Zoomies!!! Yes this is a HUGE milestone. The "zoomies" combined with cross-hopping and bucking are incredibly positive and exciting milestones for IO's recovery. In equine veterinary and rehabilitation terms, these actions signify far more than just high spirits—they are concrete proof of neurological integration and physical rehabilitatio.
I will post an explanation of the significance....but here's another video.

05/03/2026

Answers to some recent questions.....
Yes this is our home farm. We have quail, chickens, ducks, geese emus, cats, dogs, goats, alpacas, mini horses, mini donkies, Gypsy horses, an iguana, 2 chinchillas and sun conure.

We are in Northern Wyoming.

Nothing presented prenatal for IO. Bix had a normal pregnancy and birth.

No IO and Hemi are not related. IO"s sire has been gelded and there are no other foals.

IO is short for Ioilte, Hemi is short for Hematite. My horses are High Desert Gems. All of our foals get names after stomes that represent their personality or their color....

Yes IO is smaller then Hemi. But Bix is a much smaller horse. She is 1½ hands(approx 6 inches) shorter than Khira(Hemi mom). So no, IO will never "catch-up" to Hemi. She can mature to be a fully healthy and functional horse.

We haven't decided if we will retain both these foals. IO may not stay with us forever, we have several people waiting for a short Cob.

I have both riding horses and driving horses. Some can do both. Gypsy and crosses are short, stout and athletic. That makes them sturdy for larger riders with out having to have a full size draft horse.

We do not know what color Hemi actually is. We are waiting on a color panel test.

Are Gypsys for everyone. Thats much harder to answer. The short answer is NO. But Gypsy horses can go into any discipline. No horse is perfect for everyone.

05/03/2026

Few people have asked about how they could support us. I am so humbled by the offers, but we do not have any plans to create a patronage. You are free to visit this page, there is not going to me more content in another place. I do from time to time post artwork or crafts and they are available for purchas.

Please feel free to message me if there is an update you would like to see and I will do my best.

05/02/2026