Well, finally got shoes on Top. What a difference. I'd been calling my shoer a week into his last trim to get shoes on him. Hey, it only took him about six weeks to get it done. Yeah I was a little irritated. I asked him if his back had been bothering him. He said, "Yeah, for about a week or two." I replied, "Maybe a month or so?" He looked a little sheepish and said, "Well, yeah. We're you ready to kill me?" I replied, "I was this close." Holding up my hand showing less than an inch of space between my thumb and forefinger.
Top was good boy for his shoes. He wears 3's all the way around. My shoer actually likes him. Rare for him to like a WB. Top's just not typical WB I guess. He is kind of a giant Arab/TB or something. So, he's a branded Oldenburg. Sire was Holsteiner, dam was Hanoverian. Have no clue as to why he seems like a giant Arab. There is a substantial amount of TB though.
I rode him the other day. Had to test ride the new shoes. They really did make a difference for him, especially over rocks on the gravel drives. I take him to the main arena. The bridge for the trail classes had been left in there from the show last weekend. It was apparently a 'horse eating bridge'. I hooked him up, and started to lunge. Every time he came around near the bridge he'd get tall, and bow his body away from the bridge. I figured I'd ignore that behavior, and just continue like I didn't notice anything. I'd just take a little contact on that side, and redirect him quietly, and wait for him to get over it. He did pretty well going to the left.
Change of direction to the right. OMG...the sky is falling. The bridge looks even more monstrous from this direction. Top can cover about ten feet sideways in one hop, in my direction. Giant horse in my lap wanting me to save him from what I now realize is the 'Troll's Bridge' from the 'Three Billy Goats Gruff '. I'm just not sure how I could not have been aware of that from the get go. I must be very unobservant.
I look at my very tall quivering mass of horse. I pat him, step to his left side and say, "Oh, come on you big baby." We walk together over to the very scary bridge. He stops about seven feet shy of it. I turn and look at him, give a little tug and say, "Oh come on, you're fine." I walk up to the bridge. I stand on the bridge. He stands next to me by the bridge. I turn and walk over the bridge. He walks with no hesitation over the bridge. No big thing. I think we're good to go.
We go back out to our lunging spot, and begin again. He comes around on the circle...sees the bridge, and catches air again. AHHHH! So, we just went in circles until he could walk, trot, canter past the bridge without falling apart.
20 comments:
Please send Top to me I haz no bridges.
Hello Pretty horse.
!!!
My my... what a handsome boy.
Hey most all breed lines in the U.S. have Arab back in there somewhere right? I've seen full TB's who have Arabesque heads/eyes. Genetics are quirky things... but hey, he sure is handsome! Who gives a hoot?
Hehehe... I just see him doing the Scooby Doo jump into your arms. :)
What you described sounds exactly like what all my horses do with tractors. Funniest thing the tractor can be across a field not running and they try to jump in my lap like they have never seen the thing before. The exception is my TWH he trys to charge the tractor like a big protective dog. They were plowing the field one day and I had him out lunging him and he was fine with the tractor but as soon as I stopped him to change directions he walked up to me and turned to face it. I was like ok no big deal then all of a sudden he takes off at a dead run for the tractor. I swear if I hadn't braced for impact on the lunge line he would have been all over that tractor. Could you imagine the vet bill?
I don't know what his deal is. Sometimes he's so brave. Other times he's afraid of the stupidist things. Why he was fine to walk over the bridge, but couldn't go past it is beyond me. All I can figure is he had 'company' when we went to the bridge. He was out there all 'alone' when lunging.
AB, it may be the same in Europe regarding the Arab influence. I know from his papers all but one great grandsire was a tb.
I think he's very pretty. I can't believe what he looks like now, in comparison to what he looked like when he arrived at my place. We all thought he was ugly. lol Poor Top.
Oooooooooooooh. Top.
Have you searched him on allpedigree or anything, HP?
I was fascinated by the amount of Arab in some of the Hanoverian and Oldenburg lines.. I mean I know, Arabs kinda started everything.
Have you ever seen Shutterfly?
Top looks like he could jump the freakin' moon.
He's trying to TelL you something, HP.
I canz JUMP bridge!
sorry, have to go gaze adoringly at him again.
The finest of all breeds, right there.
Oh,my.
Thanks for posting, one lousy (I mean) one picture.
GL...Top's previous career was as a jumper. They dumped he because he started refusing at 5'. Then it got worse, and he refused to jump at all I guess. The girl that had him before the girls I got him from said she got him sort of jumping again, but he wasn't dependable.
Seems like he got hurt, or overfaced and didn't want to play anymore.
So, trying to re-tred a jumper into a dressage horse is interesting. I actually think it is easier to take an OTTB and make a dressage horse. He 'goes' like a dressage horse, but he doesn't seem to 'know' anything. It wasn't his game for sure. So we are working on 'connection' that isn't pulling on me. Leg aids, that aren't ignored...or leaned against. Just the basics at this point.
I put his info on Allbreedpedigree. I have his papers and his passport.
If you want to look at his lines his name is Laptop 9. I'm not very familiar with wb lines.
I hope his feet can get tougher. I wonder if that was his issue?
Nah, probably rider based. Jump, jump, jump 'til it hurts.
He's SO handsome:)
He seems to be thin soled. I think he has probably been in shoes most of his life. I think last fall was the first he'd gone without. I then got him at Christmas.
When I trimmed him the first time, there was bruising all around the sole. But it all disappeared with the trim. I think he was probably lame on all four, like he was the last time I had him trimmed. I think the girls thought they were dumping a lame horse on me.
Wow, just looked at his pedigree.
Ladykiller is pretty famous.
and Pretty.
Laptop should set up his own fan club.
I designate myself Chief of the Laptop9 Groupies..
so there, NCC!
dogs starving, gotta go
Dang ! that is a good looking horse ! Gotta love the "monsters " that masquerade as regular stuff to us huh?
That's a pretty big boy to have trying to crawl in your lap!
Cor de la Bryere, Furioso, wow.
Nice genes, Top!
Could I get an autograph?
Scanned hoof prints accepted.
I'll put them on E-Bay!
14th
ok?
GL, as I am unfamiliar with most of the names I don't know if it is good or not. I did recognize Ladykiller though. Wasn't he a jumper?
Cor de la Bryere "revolutionised the world of show jumping".
Ladykiller sired some of the premier stallions for show-jumping in his day.
Wow..
Here's an interesting link.
Apologies if you've already seen it.
very well bred Top!
sigh. Again.
Hmmm...too bad he's not a she. lol
Beautiful boy!
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