horspoor

Disposable Horses

2010-12-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

That is my Spyder horse in the picture, the dark mare. How the hell does that happen, having no pics of horses you had for years. I loved this mare. I realized I don't have any pictures of Leggs. Also an amazing mare.

Spyder and Leggs weren't really wanted by the majority of the horse world. Spyder because she didn't want to jump after an injury. Leggs...okay I have no clue why Leggs wasn't wanted. Spyder was a Swedish Warmblood mare. Whoever trained her did a lovely job. She was one of those horses that was quietly companionable. Just really nice to be around and hang out with. Things could be going to hell and I could just go sit in the field and Spyder would be this lovely quiet presence right next to me. All 16.2 or so hands of her. She loved water. She would bury her face to her eyeballs in the trough and blow bubbles or splash massive quantities of water out. She taught that to her daughter.

She was tough to keep weight on. I had to keep three different kinds of hay on hand. She apparently liked variety. She never seemed to have a great appetite. If you sat with her, and kept her company she'd eat more. In her later years I she ended up on hay and this mush mixture. The mush mixture was the bomb according to her. As I was mixing it up she would bang on the gate in an attempt to speed up the process. It was a mixture of rice bran, beet pulp, alf pellets, a cup of soy oil with joint supplements and just a tad of cob for flavor. OMG...she loved it, and actually got a little tubby.

She passed from colic a few years ago. Horrid way for a horse to go.

Leggs I got for the cost of her last vet bill. She was a TB mare. Black bay and exquisite. I mean take your breath away beautiful. Wonderfully trained. Had been an 3Day horse before I got her. I guess she went Intermediate in eventing. I rode her dressage. She was marvelous. I think some riders in the past may have run into trouble by being 'too much on the aids'. She could get a little claustrophobic (and that was a little scary). When she went there, pitch her and push her forward...then go back to picking her up.

Leggs could make you feel like a genius when you rode her. I took her through a jump course the first time I rode her. AMAZING! I swear that mare counted her strides. She'd jump an obstacle, she'd land, collect herself, look for the next jump and calmly canter toward it. Easy peasy. I might consider getting off the flat again if I had something that went like her. lol Nahhhh...this fat old woman likes it on the flat. I lost her to EPM a few years ago. Just awful.

Now there is a new 'Disposable Mare' in my pen. Canyon Kate. Kate is beautiful. Kate is a really good mover. Kate is a pyscho! She is unpleasant with people. She is unpleasant with other horses. Hence the 'in the pen' part. (Okay you all, it's not like she locked in some 32' x 16' she's in a 110' x 130' foot pen, with Divi the Wonder Horse keeping her company. Poor Divi, she's such a good girl she always get the crap detail. (Oh, you can't ride for sh.... let me get Divi. Oh, your confidence is shot....let me get Divi). You get the picture. Divi has earned a cush retirement. Although she LOVES children. She'll either retire with me and eat well and kick it, or I'll find a good home with a little kid. Or she'll go back to original owner who still loves her and would take care of her. (Divi is the red mare with the child on her)

So, yesterday I'm talking to my ex about Kate and her issues. She belongs to our niece. When her mother died a few months ago she inherited the mare. He says, "Well, sometimes those horses that are bred so much to run loose other attributes." I say, "Yeah, she looks like a running Qtr. He looks at me like I'm pretty vacant. So I ask, "How is she bred?" He gives me a little lopsided smile, "She's Julia's daughter, you know the mare that took your cousin to the NFR in barrels." Well hell. She was pretty skinny when she arrived. Draggin her hind legs around all lethargic. So, I fed her up. She's now fat and sassy and BORED. Apparently good food and a sedentary life style make Kate nasty.

Checking In

2010-08-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Whoa, is my Cami horse fat or what? I swear she has cellulite on her butt. Hey I knew she was tubby, but DANG. Do you think photos put 100lbs on a horse if they put 10lbs on us? She is fine boned, but her legs look like toothpicks in comparison to the girth.

Her weight of course has nothing to do with my schedule. I'm blaming it on the pasture. Look at that field they are walking through. It rained late into the season, and never really got hot enough to crisp the grass. It just kept growing.

Iris the Virus is so fat she waddles. Seriously. She's kind of a short backed mare with a big barrel anyway...but she is turning her stifle joints out a little to get around her gut. She and Maisa are back together in the field so they are slimming down some. They play. Especially fun is tag, or I run at you, then you run at me, and we'll both rear...party buck and run off again woohoo woohoo. They are just goofy. I've taken to calling Cami, Maisa and Iris 'The Three Stooges'. All grass and no work makes for goofy horses. They careen around, bounce off each other and freeze and stare at me like, "Hey are we going to go do something?"

Iris resembles a 'Thelwell Pony'...I swear to god. One day when I went out to catch her, she dropped her head, looking at me out of the tops of her eyes. It was a straight on shot. Have you ever seen the tee-shirt with the pony, and the script says, "I can only please one person a day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either." Well that would be Iris.

It has been pretty hectic since December 15th. I hope things have leveled out to just mildly insane and I can do more with my horses, and post more often. We'll see. lol

Top is Moving

2010-04-02T22:51:00.001-07:00

Woohooo, Top is leaving the barn in town. He is moving closer to home. There is an opening at a boarding place near my pasture and barn. It seems great. Top will have a shelter and large pen. It is probably 200 x 150' pen. All lovely green grass.

I went with Blueheron today looking for places to board her horses. They only had one opening. Blueheron said, "This would be perfect for Top." I was hesitant at first. I've been pricing gravel, and trying to figure out how to get him home. This will at least buy me time to figure out a good set up for him at home. I don't think he'll ever be able to function in the general population of the pasture. I could be wrong, but I don't really want to risk injury to him, or any of my others. He really has no herd sense.

I am going to try and get him moved tomorrow. I have to check the weather. I don't want to have to haul hay in the rain.

Things Have Been Hectic

2010-03-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

Well, my life has been total chaos since mid December. My boss has been very ill. I've been alone at the office. He is retiring the 31st of this month. I'll be starting a new job on April 1st.

I haven't been riding my horses. By the time I finish at the office I'm beat. I've been keeping up with a few of my lessons, so any free time I have tends to go to the students, and their horses.

They have certainly stepped up to help me out with feeding and cleaning. Another old student is coming back soon and says she is more than happy to help pick up the slack. Hallelujah. She is the one that was thinking of taking Top for the winter.

That's Top in the picture. I haven't been on him since early January. Figured it was better to leave his fragile self alone, rather than go erratic on him. Too hard for him when there isn't a routine. I'm going to try and move him home in April. It will make it much easier to have all the horses in one location.

My next Top goal is to take him down the beach. I figure after a couple weeks of consistent riding, he ought to do well. I'll take him with a safe sane horse and rider. I really really don't want Top running loose on the beach if I come off. lol That would be awful. I don't think he'd be an easy catch. I think he'd lose his little mind and run in a panic.

So, hopefully I will be posting more regularly soon. Once I have some sort of real schedule it should be easier to ride, post on my blog and breathe. lol

Maisa's First Carrie Lesson

2010-02-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

That's Maisa. He had his first lesson with Carrie today. He kind of looks like he's saying, "I went to Carrie's today. I'm a very good boy. They all thought I was very smart."

In all fairness Maisa is very smart and has a very good mind. Not much bothers him. I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've seen him spook. Oh, he's aware, he just looks, doesn't get worried. Goofy Arab, don't you think?

With all the insanity that goes on at the barn in town he stays steady. He hasn't been there much. But he seems to take it in like it was 'Horsey TV'. It is there for his entertainment. Sometimes he'll look over at me, like he's looking for some sort of validation, "Can you believe this? Did I really just see that?"

I hadn't ridden, or done anything with Maisa since Christmas time. I pulled him out of the pasture, loaded him in the trailer and headed up to Carrie's. The first thing I did when we got there was to head for the wash rack. Had to hose most of the mud off of him, well his legs and tummy anyway. After he was sort of clean, I tied him to the trailer and knocked the mud off his neck, chest and face. He at least looked sort of presentable.

We went down the hill to the indoor arena. Ran into Cathy on the way. She looks at him, says he cute, but boy does he look like a baby. Well, he does. He's just one of those late bloomers. She asked if I'd be more comfortable in the round pen on him, and that would be no problem for Carrie. I told her I take him down to lunge, see how he was and go with whatever Carrie suggested.

So we 'gumby' ourselves the rest of the way down to the arena. He's got this loose elastic way of going. Looks like slow motion, with all kinds of supple elasticity to him. (He just smokes way too much dope. Think Shaggy on Scooby Doo).

I hook up the balancing reins (Yes GL....Strangler Reins), and put him to work on the lunge while Carrie is finishing up the lesson before me. He just goes to work. Looking around a little, but pretty good.

After we lunge for a bit, I head down to Carrie. She's looking at him. (He's definitely not Top). She asks, "Who's this?" I say, "This is Maisa Fahim." "Oh, it's your baby. He seems pretty settled. Has he been here before?" I say, "No, this is his first time here." Carrie looks more interested, "Really? He's a very good boy isn't he."

So, we lunge some for Carrie. She has me shorten the lines some, push him up more. And states, "Well, you may not have done much with him, but what you have done is very good. You've done a nice job with him." With just a hint of....now keep going, finish the job!!! She's ever nice, but she gets her point across.

We finish lunging. I'm thinking...'okay we're good. either we're done or heading up the hill to the round pen' Carrie says, "Okay, get on." I just looked at her for a moment. She says, "What, he's fine. Get on." I say, "I haven't even sat on him in a month." (yes I lied. I didn't want her to know I hadn't done anything with him since Christmas). I just pulled him out of the pasture, and hosed the mud off of him. "He's fine, get on." (yeesh, this is becoming a reoccurring theme with her, and my horses).

I lead him over to the rail, and hang the side reins, and lunge line there. Go to get on, and stab him in the side with the toe of my boot. Nice...ever graceful. Stella was there, and asked if she could help. I said, if she could just stand on his offside we'd be fine. She did, he was and off we went.

Maisa went pretty well. Struggles with staying between the lines. He'll bow and against your leg, and run through the outside. We worked on that, it did get better. We ended with trot work. He was going pretty good by the end. I usually just post on youngsters. Easier on them. Well, I was struggling with him falling in and out. So, I sat to try and correct our line of travel. He was in a good sized working trot, heading toward a medium. It took no effort to sit at all. I was shocked. It was soft, easy, forward. I don't need no stinking abs. Pilates, schmilates.

I say, "He is so much easier to sit than Top." Carrie, "It looks great, just sit, he does much better with you sitting, now push up a little more...see how he handles it." OMG....EASYBEANS. How cool is this. The more connected, the more forward, the more forward the easier to sit, and the more connected and through he was. I am SOOOOO pleased.

We talked a bit after my lesson. She is really pleased with his mind. Says he is going to be a really fun horse. I said, I realized he probably wouldn't be 'monster horse on the dressage court', but he'd be really competitive Sport Horse. She said, Sport Horse will be no problem for him. It will be very tough for a little half arab to compete against WB's in open dressage, but we have a shot. It is beginning to really show now. This mind seems to really run true. So far (knock wood) all the Omega Fahim babies have been like this. I think I need another one. lol

Top's Bad Day

2010-01-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Top had a very bad day. He hasn't had one of these for quite awhile.

I felt like I was watching him shake apart and there was nothing I could do to help him.

This wasn't all Top's doing. I hold a great deal of responsibility for his meltdown.

He really hadn't been worked in a couple weeks. Things have been so hectic lately he just hasn't gotten out like he should. He was worried and puffy getting tacked up. These are some photos from his bad day.

It took awhile on the lunge before he even was present. When he was present it was shaky at best. He had foam between his cheeks within ten minutes. Not work sweat, but brain sweat.

I should have just quit when he was going sort of decently on the line. Called it a day. Gave him some treats, groomed him and put him up.

I was feeling the pressure of time and not getting him out enough and though I should ride. Felt obligated too. Even when I was questioning if I should. Even asked it out loud. If I am second guessing getting on a horse that much...I need to not get on.

Well I got on him, and my stirrups were at jockey length. Really not a good thing on Top. He felt like a coiled spring under too much pressure.

Blueheron was there. She was trying to adjust my stirrups while Top was whipping around, slamming into her.

One of my students asked if I was moving him. Uhm, no. He's just doing it himself. Finally got my stirrups down a bit, but not far enough.

I swear, I am going to whack the next person that uses my saddle and doesn't put my stirrups back.

He just couldn't get it together. I guess I have too good of a front. Nobody realized that he was so out of control and I had no way too salvage the situation until I said, "Grab him, NOW!"

He was kind of shifting, scooting. Rocking back on his haunches like a dog sitting, head up in the air, trying to whip it around to see me. He'd get a glimpse...settle for a nano second...spring back up. It felt like we were headed out over the rail and I had no way to get ahold of him. He'd stuff his head to his chest, and sling his body to the side...no contact in the reins.

Blueheron got a hold of him, and I got off as quickly as I could without flat bailing. Figured that would of just cinched his meltdown, I think he would have crumbled if I'd panicked.

He did get in trouble. He was blowing over me on the ground. I took him out to go find the monsters. Told him, "I am way scarier than any monsters out here." So we went for a walk. We walked with intent..."Lets go find the monsters." We went to every place that seem scarier to him...look for the bogeymen. "Nope no bogeymen." After about three of his omg scary spots he almost seemed embarrassed and quit. He did have one moment where he went to run over the top of me, and I kicked him in the chest to keep him from flattening me. HOLYCRAP...who knew Top was a full contact sport. He quit. He seemed genuinely shocked that I'd kicked him. Not more worried, but kind of ashamed. It seemed like slapping a hysterical person to snap them out of it.

I took him out the next day. He'd lost 2-3 inches in girth size in a 24hr period. He was much more himself the next day. Kind of subdued, almost fragile. He got treats, lots of praise and pets. I put one of my old students up on him on the lunge line. She was a witness to the previous day. Kind of in shock at his behavior. Her quote was, "That is the scariest thing I've ever seen." He did really well with her on the lunge. I did not turn them loose. She noted, "As long as he can see you he's fine." They'd be on the circle around me, and he'd look at me, checking in...'Am I good? Am I doing it right?' He did quite well, and we ended on a good note. Hosed his legs off. Groomed him well, more treats and put him back in his pen with a snack.

This horse can make me feel so sad. I can't imagine what it must feel like to check out in panic like he does. I'm glad these episodes are becoming few and far between. In the moment when he's checked out he's a danger to himself and those around him. We're going to work on this. These is nothing so scary or bad that is going to come for him that I wont stop before it gets to him. That's what he has to believe. He was starting to believe it on our walk. Now we have to reinforce it with repetition. He almost has to believe that I am scarier/meaner than anything else out there, and I'm on his side.

Well Crap

2009-12-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well crap. I came off of Maisa on Sunday. We were in the roundpen. The grey in the picture is 'the Evil Daf'. The black is the clueless Maisa. (Or he's stoned...not really sure).
I had just gotten on. My student, the owner of 'the Evil Daf' (as she shall be henceforth known) held Maisa and my stirrup while I got on. She'd tied Daf to the side of the round pen. Good plan, no big right? Oh, so wrong.

I had lunged him in the big arena. Nobody was around so I figured I should err on the side of caution and head to the round pen.

My student and Daf show up. Maisa was wiggly, so she stood at the front, and held my stirrup. No big, standard for Maisa. He's very used to Daf and the student. I sit for a moment. Student exits the round pen, and is standing by the gate. Daf is tied to her right. I ask him to move...and he slow motions his way forward. We've make it about halfway around the pen. I hear a hiss...and my horse is shooting sideways.

I had a moment when I looked down as we were moving at light speed, with that weird slow motion taking in everything that you get when things are going bad...I could see the front of the dressage saddle, and my legs...but there was no horse in front of the saddle. I thought, 'pull him up' and in the next instant my mind jumped to 'if I pull on him, we're going down together...better to go alone.' Don't be pulling on unbalanced babies, you are likely to end in a heap together.

I landed in a mud puddle. It's like 38 to 40 degrees out. I get up, my horse has run over toward the student for safety, and I see the sprinklers are now on. I ask my student, "Who turned on the sprinklers?" She says, "I don't know." Then she looks over at Daf and says, "Oh! I think Daf may have turned them on." Yup...Daf had turned on the sprinklers. I swear she has the ability to have worked this out. Too dang smart for her own good (or mine apparently). I think her evil little brain went to, I can't get rid of her, but I know he can. lol

I had her hold him while I got back on. He was still worried, but I figured we better get this worked out now, and not let him dwell on it. So I had her walk with me until the hump went out of his back. Once he was moving forward freely I got off. Took him back to the barn, gave him a treat, and cleaned the mud and muck off of my Passier. That was the hardest part. Stepping up into my lovely saddle with all that wet mud all over me, soon to be transferred to my saddle. The sprinkler had hit him on the left side of his neck, in his ear and down his cheek. Guess he had a right to leave. The hiss and then getting blasted in the head by the water seems like a pretty decent reason for a colt to blow.

Gave the student a lesson on Daf after I put Maisa up. She was a holy terror. I was too cold and tired to even think about fixing it on Sunday. I'm sure Daf is stewing, waiting...

Cami (aka Shesa Peppy Cami)

2009-11-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

This is Cami...most often called Cami-do. Cuz, Cami do everything, and is very pleasant about it. She is my catch all, put pretty much anyone on. Probably one of the smartest if not the smartest horse I've ever owned.

I bought Cami on a mad. I was ticked off. I had just sold my 3rd, training 4th level gelding...because I just had to have the Hann mare. Well, that isn't the only reason I sold him. I sold him because he had broken a coffin bone a few years before, and everytime he fell on the forehand, tripped, seemed uneven I'd panic and think I'd broken him again. So, I didn't use him much, and sure didn't use him like he should have been used. I sold him to a woman as a trail horse...and have regretted it ever since. Have even tried to get him back...no go, no dice. My farrier laughed at me, and said, "You are never getting that horse back. She loves him. I keep expecting him to turn up on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." Yeah, Strider has it pretty cushy, with a lady that adores him. It would probably be culture shock to come home.

Well, I was supposed to get this Hann mare, five years old. I told a woman that was going down to this farm if the mare really looked suitable, just to pick her up. I already had a deal with the breeder. Well, the woman picked her up, and when I asked...her price had gone from $5000 to $7,500. The woman bought her. That hauling charge was a just a tad too steep for me. In retrospect, I'm really glad I didn't end up with the mare. Her gaits weren't very good, and she was a worrier.

So, me in a tizzy fit I start searching the horse classifieds. Am I looking for another WB dressage horse? Oh hell no. I decide I'm so bent, I'm over that and those people...screw them. I'm looking at cutters and reiners...going back to my roots so to speak. I find a yearling Camiseta Badger daughter over in Red Bluff...$5000, and chestnut. Allrighty, I like red horses. Well, I watch it for a few days, call the folks...they're willing to sell her for $3500. Sounds good to me...so I make the 3-4 hour drive over to Red Bluff.

I get to these folks' place. Very nice people. Cami is not quite what I was expecting...being a Camiseta Badger x Robs Prescription bred mare. She was kind of scrubby. Her front legs came out the same hole. She's a long yearling, and nobody has ever done anything with her. Oh...PERFECT.

So, me being the diplomat I am...and irritated I say, "There is no way I could see giving you more than $1500 for this filly." The woman should have told me to take my rude butt off her place, she would have been quite justified. It wasn't Cami's or the woman's fault I didn't get the Hann mare (blessing in disguise). The woman says, "Well, okay I think my dad will go for that, but I don't think he'd go any lower." In my little pea brain I'm thinking, 'Well crap, I just bought this dink. Now what am I going to do.'

Cami loaded well, even though she'd only been in a trailer once as a suckling or weanling. I hauled her home to Humboldt in a driving rainstorm. She rode like a trooper. I get her home late in the afternoon. She comes out of the trailer calmly and just looks around. I put her in a pen. She'd spook a bit...but she'd stand still, and drop her head and look. Hmmmm...at least she's thinking.

I didn't start Cami until she was four. She just looked too babyish until then. Her teeth say she is a year younger than her papers say. I'd be really questioning who she is, except that she's DNA'd.

I started giving sporadic lessons on her when she had about 60 days on her. Cami is the bomb. The first time I took her over to Elaine's after I started her Cami was quite the hit with Elaine. After working with her, Elaine reaches over, rubs on her gives her a pat and says, "You're just the little Einstein of the horse world aren't you." Elaine loves Cami...even if she can't move her way out of a paper bag.

It's Been Hectic

2009-11-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the even later than usual post. I've just been buried. By the time I get home trying to put a post together seems overwhelming.

I haven't gotten to my horses as I should. Had Top out the other day. The footing wasn't spectacular and I realized Top has no sense of self preservation. Yeah, I was scared. Not for the normal reasons. I wasn't worried about him being naughty. I was worried he was going to pull something, bow something, hyper-extend something, or we were going to land in heap in the slop.

I took Maisa out to lunge. There was a big puddle at the back of the arena, but plenty of room in a dry area with good footing to lunge. Maisa decided he wanted to run through the water. He drug me over to the large puddle and gleefully would accelerate his way into the water. He'd canter through, slapping his front feet to make a bigger splash. He did this over and over, like a child playing in mud puddles. One of the ladies from the barn hollered over to me, laughing, "Where are his rubber boots." Maisa is an odd one. At least he's never dull.

I always think of Maisa as a raw boned, kind of rangy thing, without much depth. And then I realize things like, he and Top pretty much wear the same size blanket. They cinch the same, but Maisa needs a wider tree on his saddle. I look at the pictures of him with BH on him, and realize how much shoulder is in front of her leg. It is really quite long and sloped. Kind of curious as to what he'll look like at 7. Most winter blankets are too snug through the shoulders for him. And if they are cut like a Big D...they slide behind his withers and will rub. So, Weatherbeeta's, Turnout Masta, and Pessoa's fit well. His Amigo Bug Buster fits well too. He wears a 76-78" winter blanket. Cob sized bridle with a full horse brow, 5" bit. Passier wide tree saddle. Medium splint boots, med bells. Not sure of his shoe size, probably 1's. Haven't shod him yet. He has very round feet. Perfect circle prints. Stands just about 15.2h.

Top's proportions don't make much sense either. Wears a medium to medium wide tree. Stands 16.2h. Wears #3 shoes on the hinds, and 2's on the front. Regular horse size bridle with 5.75" bit. Large and x-large splint boots, x-large bells. And...a 76"-78" winter blanket.

My student that usually cares for Top and Maisa in town went home for Thanksgiving. I had to move my pen and gravel while she was gone. Feed and clean and do my usual chores. I only got her mare Daf out twice while she was gone. Suffice it to say, Daf is a lunatic at this moment. I let the girl that was caring for Daf lunge her yesterday. OOPS. Kind of a mistake. She has Daf in just a halter on the line. Daf is flying around the girl, slinging her head, and starting to cut in on her. The girl goes to check her, to slow her up and stop the head slinging. A Daf I hadn't seen in a year appeared. She cocked her head toward the girl, and was eyeing her, sizing her up starting to move in on the circle. OH CRAP. I hollered in a mean growly voice, "DAF!" She slowed and looked toward me. Gave me the stink eye as if saying 'You fun killer, I could have had her. '

Daf can be pretty intimidating if she chooses. It is disconcerting to have her tracking around on the lunge with her head cocked toward you...moving steadily around staring you down. Waiting for you to weaken, or lose focus. When she first arrived she cow kick at you, or try and come in on the lunge to get you. One of our first few sessions she came in, head down snaking, stomping her front feet at me. Those of you touch feely folks should probably stop reading now. I slid my whip, handle up, and drilled her right between the eyes with a good deal of force with the handle end of the whip. She stopped, and looked at me in shock. I hadn't given any ground, and she was surprised. I put her directly back to work. We've never revisited the 'I'm going to stomp the trainer into the ground' again. Funny, I'm now one of her favorite people. If her owner is riding her, and she sees me coming, even my car coming...she'll bolt in my direction. "Hello, hello, I'm here..so happy to see you." She's quite the goob, and really terribly sweet. She just has these moments now and again. And if she can intimidate or bully she'll go for it.

Maisa, Daf, and Top

2009-11-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

I had lessons in town today. It was a pretty nice day. Not the normal lesson routine. Daf has been doing something funky with her right front. She shortens the stride, and sometimes doesn't swing it forward well and will kind of stab it into the ground. Now this is a very athletic girl...so you gotta wonder. Not sure what it going on. It isn't consistent. It is intermittent. Gave her owner a lunge lesson on her. It improved, but didn't completely disappear. Put another student up, and it lessened, but would still show up now and then. Had the owner just ride her loose, and forward. Don't worry about position, or anything, just go free and forward. She did better out strolling around the barns than in the arena.

The other student and I went to get Top. She was going to have a lunge lesson on him. She groomed him, and I tacked him up. He was even good, and held his feet up for her. She's 11. Apparently he likes children. A LOT. I had her lead him to the arena. (Yes, we took peppermint treats). I lunged him for a bit to see where his head was. He was very good. Her father had to give her a leg up to get on Top. A little bigger step up than she is used to. I was actually impressed she got her toe to the stirrup...up on her own just wasn't happening. Maybe next time.

We started slow at the walk to let her get the feel of him. She is smiling. Says she loves his walk. So, I have her start to pick him up. Make him round up a bit, and go to the bit. It took more leg and contact than she is used to. It took a minute to get the feel. Once she had it, she was on. We went with this forward, connected swingy walk for awhile. I said when she felt ready to ask for the trot. (I'm the dope on the rope at the moment. Just there as a safety net). She asks for the trot. Top wont trot. She asks again, more firmly...he gives her more walk. I take a good look at him. He's worried. He is walking on eggs. I say, "He's babysitting. He's worried...who knew." She laughs, and pats him, tells him he's fine. He halts, knickers for a treat. She whips one out and gives it to him, before I can say, "No." I tell her to make him go again. She does...he makes a quarter circle, halts, knickers for a treat. UHM...NO. I say, "No treat, push him up, and go. Make two circle...halt then give him a treat. You halt...don't let him decide to halt." She does this. Top now seems to be on the same page as us.

She walks a couple more circles, asks him to trot. No go. I tell her to hold the reins, and grab strap...ask him to go. I take a connection on the line, and lift the tip of the lunge whip and cluck to him. He goes into a trot. Well, Top's version of a western pleasure jog. I have her halt...give him a treat. Tell her to push him back up, mean it...and go immediately to posting. She does, and he 'jogs'. I tell her to squeeze every up stride...and he loosened up a little and had some forward. She is thrilled. Starts to laugh...pats him and says, "He's like a giant Shad. I love him." Kind of choked me up. He is kind of a giant Shad when he's on. This is the kid that could sit Shad's extended trot at 6.5 or 7 years old. And Shad could extend. He'd look like a speed boat cutting across a lake. Haunches buried, and front end elevated and just snapping out the front. She loves forward. Now Shad was a big 14.2h, maybe 14.3h if he needed his feet done, and Top is 16.2h...slight difference. I think there will be more lunge lessons for her on Top. Top likes this kid thing. He drops his head, for brushing, is all attentive and quiet.

When we finished with both Daf and Top, on to Maisa. Maisa is now on about 5-6lbs of grain a day. I'm thinking it is a good thing. One of my students went out and got him. I see them round the side of the barn...and he is just all loose, swinging gumby horse. He looks like he's walking in slow motion, but my student is walking at a good clip. He's all blinky, eyes half lidded...looking like a stoner.

I lunged him. He was a good boy. One of my old students comes into the arena. Now, I'll be perfectly honest here...Maisa's stopping makes me nuts. I get irritated. Not fair of me, I know. But I start to get mad at him. And that just isn't going to help anything. I ask if she wants to ride him. She's more than happy to get on. She rode him after I rode him the other day, and loves how he moves...when he moves. lol I'd forgotten a whip. Of course. I'd packed a whip the last two rides, and the halting had pretty much stopped. Now and then, but pretty much gone. So, he starts out pretty good. Then he starts gawking around and halting. He is in love with a little paint mare that was in the arena.

So, I grab a lunge whip and help from the ground. She got him going, and then we went to trot. I've never seen him trot with a rider as I'm the only one that has been on him. OMG...it was beautiful. Heather just posted along and let him go. She's very quiet. Once the stop was off, he just went. Free and forward. Once he gets the idea of carrying and connecting it will be gorgeous. I'm so pleased. The first time she rode him, she could see I was getting irritated. Kind of cocked her head looking at me. I said, "You want up?" She laughed and said, "Yeah, of course." She gets along well with him and likes him. Doesn't have any expectations, is just enjoying the ride.

Some Maisa Pictures

2009-11-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

Okay this is Maisa Fahim. Gee wonder why Elaine hasn't used any of these pictures on her website? LOL I really need to get some good pictures of him.

He is bigger than the Quarter girls. But they just rule him. Kind of sad. Iris is only his friend if her mom isn't in the field with them. He just doesn't get it.

Toys, everything is a toy.

Okay, here is Maisa this summer. ( I think?) lol

Top and Maisa

2009-11-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

That is KB Maisa Fahim with BH on him. Yes, I happen to own the only ugly KB Omega Fahim baby in existence. Go figure. Okay, so he's not ugly, he just isn't as beautiful as his siblings and cousins.

What Maisa lacks in looks he makes up for in movement. I'll be lunging him before we ride, and I find myself just staring at him. It is all so effortless and correct.

So, the rule is now...I work Top before I work Maisa. If I work Maisa first I keep looking at Top trying to figure out what is wrong with him. Is he off? Why is he so thuddy, why isn't there a lovely upward jump to the canter, does he look a little lateral? Why isn't coming through from behind more? Poor Top.

Maisa is still very babyish. Much younger than his years. He looks like he's two, acts like he's two. That is probably my fault. I haven't gotten his training going as I should. It has been pretty hit and miss. I started him about a year ago, and I think I can still count the rides on my fingers. Not good. He isn't fearful, or worried at all.

I was riding him Friday. We couldn't stay in motion to save our lives. Maisa would be trucking along, and suddenly halt. It isn't the normal slow to a crawl baby halt. We have forward, swing and then we have halt. No middle ground. Something will catch his eye, or he'll just stop for no discernible reason I can find. The more that is going on in the arena the more prevalent his halting becomes. Funny, I've never had a horse do this, quite this way. Lovely forward walk to halt. He is either moving forward well, or not at all apparently. His isn't pissy, or resistant...he just stops.

Maisa has kind of been a little contradiction from the get go. He is very people oriented. He is an orphan foal. His mother died when he was 2mths old. When I first took him home to the pasture, I put him in my pen with another babysitter horse. We'd have to sneak away when he was occupied or he would run screaming and calling for you as you went to the car. It was heartbreaking. This lasted for a couple months.

He's never quite figured out herd dynamics. Okay, that is an understatement, he is clueless about herd dynamics. Seems to always have at least one bite mark on him. They warn him and warn him to leave them alone...and he just doesn't move. So, they finally nut up and bite him. Half the time he doesn't move even then. Lately, I've been seeing him stand up for himself more, but still doesn't quite get it. He is the largest in the field, he is however the youngest.

My son taught him to play fetch. (great, that's what I want, a giant Labrador). When we'd had him home for a couple months our old lab died. My son said, "Well, it's kind of okay. We have Maisa. He's black and kind of like a dog."

Top's New Attitude

2009-10-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, check out Mr. Chunky-butt. I didn't realize how much weight he'd put on over the last 9 or 10 months. I came across some pictures I'd taken after I'd had him for a month. And I was so pleased with how much weight he'd put on then.

(I have no clue why blogger wont let put in all my paragraphs. It is a blogger mystery.)

This was, I think May '09.

This is Aug of '09.

This picture was taken January of '09. I was so pleased with his gain at this point. UGH. He looks almost racy doesn't he.

With his added pounds has come a calmness he lacked before. He is comfortable now. He seems to like his life. He knows what is expected of him. He really likes structure. It makes sense for him, no big surprises from rider or handler. He has his group of people. He knows his group of people and likes them. Scary loud fast moving people need not apply for a position in Top's world. Erratic or unpredictable people and their actions spin him right out of control. (Big bay Oldenburg in your lap, seeking protection is no fun...believe me).

The other day after I'd ridden we had him out. A student's father is looking at him and says, "He's kind of like a plow horse, isn't he." There were about seven people standing around, talking and looking at a mare the student was considering for purchase. You could have heard a pin drop. It struck me funny and I said, "Yeah, he's pretty common." An ex-student (owner of the mare) snorted and said, "Dammit." Then laughed. Then there was a collective exhale, and giggles and laughs.

I knew what he meant though. The mare is a very pretty, small footed, light bones APHA mare. One of those teacup headed, exquisite mares. Alert tipped ears, downright dainty. And there stands Top in his size 3 shoes. Quite the contrast.

I rode him again yesterday. A student was watching. He was so quiet. So present. No tightness, no hurry, or coiling through his back. He was almost 'soggy'. I had to really ride to keep him up and forward. If I 'weakened' at all in the canter, he'd transition to the trot. I'm having to ride him up and forward, and he's taking it. He seems to be liking it. Almost like he wants more input. Interesting. He's not hurrying to get it right. Not rushing through transitions, or getting antsy at a change of bend. Tempo is holding, rhythm is good...hell we're on our way to real cadence.

There was one point in our ride when I realized how much he'd really changed. It became crystal clear. We were tracking left in a working trot. This flock of birds whooshed up and past us. I have no idea where they came from. It was like no birds one instant, and this whole flock darting through the air in front of us, and over us. Startled me, and I jumped. Top didn't even pause, bobble his head, nothing. He was Joe Steady. Kind of like, "Jeez Sharon, they're just birds. Get over it."

Carrie Lesson HAH! Top is So Good

2009-10-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Top and I had a Carrie lesson today. I was concerned as I hadn't ridden him all week. First my son was ill, and then I got it. Stomach flu really hinders the want to ride. Funny how that works. I got on him briefly on Wednesday. His right hind shoe was loose, and both hind shoes were paper thin. We walked around, made maybe two trot circles and called it a day. By Friday the left hind was pretty much gone, or half gone, and the right still hanging on, but it was more welded to his foot than nailed on.

Tuck came out this morning before my lesson up the hill with Carrie, and put new shoes on. We discussed the fact that he was 8 weeks, and the shoes were pretty much toast. We were going to schedule out six weeks, and then decided to just check him at six weeks...and if he needed them done, Tuck would just come out. The front shoes were not nearly as thin as the backs.

Top was a sweaty mess when I pulled him out of the trailer. Dang, we kind of back-slid on that. Tied him to the trailer, gave him a peppermint and let him chill for about 10 minutes. After he was settled, I groomed and tacked him up. We went to the round pen and lunged until he was stretching, instead of trying to look at everything outside. (who's that? what'r they doin? did you see that big dog? is that paint my friend Vandy?)

There had been some cancellations due to sick people (guess it is going around) and a lame horse. So, we could start a little early. I took Top in, and over to the mounting block. He was antsy. (Crimeny, let the old fat chick get on, would ya). He finally was still enough for me to mount. Then he wanted to immediately be on his way. Uh, no. I have to get my right foot in, and squatty body settled, thank you. He stood, and I have him a peppermint. Wah-lah...focus.

I rode around in circles and figure eights waiting for Carrie to be ready. I told her I thought he had turned the corner. She asked if the drawreins had helped. I said yes they had, but I thought the peppermints had been the tipping point. She smiled with a question on her face. "Watch." I pulled a peppermint out of my pocket and tapped Top's neck. He turned his head to me, nickered and took his treat. Carrie started to laugh. "You taught him to speak?" I replied, "No, the speaking was his contribution, I just started giving him treats, and he settled. So, I think I'm going with it." She said, "If he does better with the treats, no problem."

We started on our diamond and he was so on. Then we went to 20m circle and spiraling in and out. No problem, he was on it. So, then we shifted to the 'snowman'. The snowman is a figure eight, with a 20 meter circle, and a 10 meter circle. (I love the snowman, always have. Hey, I'm easily amused). We were trotting the snowman at first. Then I was to canter the 20m and transition to the trot at the change of bend going into the 10 meter. We did this a couple times. The third time at the change...he changed. Freaken perfect flying lead change. Effortless. I say, "I'm just going to ride this with him like it was a plan. I'm not going to shut him down" Carrie says, "Yes, that's good."

I finished the pattern and halted to ask, "It wasn't late behind was it? It didn't feel late." She responded, "No, it wasn't late. It was good. Now, pick him back up and ride it with the lead change." So we did, both directions. He's a tad better to the right lead. The initial change was going to the left.

When we were about done, or I thought we were about done she says, "I want you to try them on the diagonal. Start with a 20m circle to the left, at B head straight on the diagonal to S. Three counts, and change. Okay, I'd love to tell you it was beauteous, but I can't lie. (Well I could, but what would be the point). I was anticipating, and really wanted to tag it. I gave my cue so strong, we had jump. Not a leap, but alotta jump in the change. I was apologetic. Carrie said, "No, that was good. We like jump, remember." I asked, "That wasn't too much?" Nope it wasn't, it just needs to not be hurried.

We did a couple more. Top was tired. I was really tired. I'd feel him anticipating the change, and hurry to cue him before he just offered it up. Damn...I need to wait. We discussed that a little. I told her I wouldn't be practicing changes until I saw her again. I'd do simple, or change of direction changes...but not on the straight ones. Too easy to mess them up, get late behind without good eyes on the ground. At least for me.

As I'm getting ready to leave Carrie says, "Welcome back. Where are your white wraps? You're part of the crew you know." We both knew this was the first time I'd ridden anywhere near what I used to. It was nice to have it validated. As I'm about to get off, she says, "Make him nicker again." I pulled a treat from my pocket, tapped his neck. He nickered, took his treat. Carrie laughed, "I love that. What a nice horse."

Top definitely has a home if something should happen to me. Nice to know. (No, I'm not anticipating anything, or being maudlin. It's just nice to know he'd be safe).

Peppermints Could Be Horsey Valium

2009-09-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hey, I've got a question for any that have given lessons to adults and children. Have you noticed with a kid you can tell them to do something, that may be a small series of movements to accomplish one goal...and they can just do it all as one. But with adults it has to broken down into itty bitty pieces?

I've ridden pretty much since before I can remember. So a great deal of what I do I don't even think about. It seems innate. I've really had to stop and think about what I do with my body to explain how to accomplish something to people.

I had one student ask me how I could put one leg on and not the other...and not slide off the side of the horse? I was baffled. It was like, you just do it. I actually had to get on the horse and do it...and break down all the pieces of putting on your right or left leg, and what you do with your seat to maintain your position. I had no idea it could be so complicated.

Okay so my questions are (Oh I'll have more another time. lol). How do we get adult beginners to learn like kids? How do we make it less difficult? How do we make it seem less like some arcane secret knowledge to them and more innate?

In my book there are no secrets. If I know it, and you want to know it...I'll give it to you. I just have to figure out how to explain it in more varied ways. Simplify and take the apprehension and fear out of it. They are going to make mistakes. It's okay...everybody makes mistakes. Quit worrying so much about 'doing it wrong'. If you're beginning, you're probably doing it wrong, or not well. No big deal. Keep doing it. It will get right. (Okay, you need a ground person, but it will get right). You can't learn to ride from a book, or a DVD or tape. You can't learn riding in 45min to 1hr lessons once a week. (Okay, you can. But it is going to take a hella long time). It will take two years to build muscle memory alone. (If you were going to learn to play the piano and you took one hour lesson a week, didn't have a piano to practice on at home...how long is it going to take you to learn to play the piano?)

OH...and who came up with the term half-halt? How confusing is that? Re-balance your horse makes more sense to me. Stronger or steadier contact, legs on (sometimes? Hey there are 50,000 reasons to apply a half halt, and 50,000 different ways to apply it...yeah explain that to the woman that has read every dressage book ever written, and hasn't ridden a single forward stride in her life) feel the give, or the softening and go on. Oh...and it really is in the release, not in the take. (I'll rant about the lack of independent seats another time.)

Okay, can you tell I rode and gave lessons today and feeling like I'm pounding my head into a wall?

OH and get this...I think I need to pack a whip on Top. WTF? A tad to relaxed...I was kicking him to keep him forward (forward hell, going) in the trot. HOLYCRAP...peppermints are very powerful things.

I told Norma about it this evening. She laughed at me. She doesn't think it's the peppermints...she thinks he just turned the corner. (I think it is the peppermints, and they helped him turn the corner).

Busy Busy Busy

2009-09-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I've been delinquent. Going to try and do a little catch up here.

Top is doing much better. The peppermint horse treats are a miracle. I will be riding him again tomorrow afternoon. Now I'm starting to back off on the treats. He is a tad pushy about the treats now, so he is now learning patience.

There was a Shagya inspection here on Monday. I helped Elaine get her horses bathed and ready, along with two of my students. My favorite of course scored the highest, worried that he price is now going up. Glad I have good taste, kind of bummed she is no longer under the radar. I guess she is high scoring filly in the nation. (Great. Just great). She scored 8.2. With a 9 for her canter. They went and evaluated her dam KB Salim Fahim (Sally). She scored 8. I guess she is now approved for Shagya, like her full brother Omega Fahim. And of course Sally is my favorite mare, has been for a long time. I believe she is 20 now. Elaine isn't planning to breed her anymore. So, Sequoia and Sitka are the last.

I was contacted by a very nice woman regarding Top. She is looking for a horse. I'm not sure Top is the right horse for her situation. She would like a horse that can be 3rd Level this Spring. Top is probably a Training, or 1st level horse at the moment. I'm not sure he can move that far, that fast. He would also have to be shipped to Texas. From past posts, many of you know how well Top hauls. He's 13 years old now. Not the most solid horse I know. I don't think pushing up through the levels quickly would work out real well. Conditioning alone is going to take some time.

She came out with her husband and son. All very nice. The son is living here in Humboldt and she was out to visit. I told her if she hadn't found a horse, in six months Top would be a far different horse, and she should give me a call. She owns a boarding stables outside of Dallas, and gives lessons. Looking at her website the place is beautiful. She used to live in Europe, and rode and trained there. So, it looked like a great home for him, in theory. Not sure if Top would rise to the occasion. It would be awful to send him halfway across the company and it not work out. Unhappy buyer, unhappy horse. Certainly not a win/win situation.

Hey, it isn't like I couldn't use the money. Damn conscience. lol

The mare in the picture is Sally.

Treats! Who Knew?

2009-09-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

I rode Top yesterday. Got him out of his pen, he seemed pretty quiet. Once we were to my tack area he was starting to build. I'd purchased a bag of peppermint horse treats earlier in the day.

I tied him up and started to brush him. He was fidgety. I went over and opened the bag of treats and stuffed some in my front pocket. When he started to fidget again I said his name and pet him. When he looked at me with any kind of focus I gave him a treat. Oh my goodness. We can stand quiet to get tacked up.

I led him down to the arena. He hesitated going in. I stopped, pet him and told him to quit being such a chicken and turned and walked into the arena...he followed. As soon as we got into the arena he noticed the BMX racers on the track flying through the air across the field. Now he is on hyper alert. Very tall, very rigid and staring hard at the BMX-ers. Great, Top has left the building.

I pull his head toward me. Brief eye contact and his head springs back up and over toward the BMX track. I pull a treat out of my pocket. No response. He is locked on to the track. I say his name, and pull his head toward me again...he is resisting looking toward me. I wave the treat under his nose. He follows the treat toward me and stretching down. I made him wait a moment quiet and then gave him the treat. OMG....he is cured. I have focus on me. (okay, I know, I have focus on the treats in my possession).

I hook the lunge line to his bit and start lunging him. Now, Top very often goes on 'auto-pilot' when lunging. He checks out, and just goes through the motions of lunging. When you say, "Whoa" you often get no response. You have to go bigger, and step forward, pull on the lunge and say it more firmly with a tug, then he trundles to a halt and looks at you vaguely.

He's trotting along on the lunge. I keep redirecting his nose to the inside of the circle. He is not present. I ask him to halt. No response. So, I make him halt. I drop the line and the whip, walk toward him telling him he's a good boy, and give him a treat. I walk back to my whip and the end of the line and ask him to go again. Have him trotting along and ask him to whoa. He keeps trucking along. I ask again, give a little wiggle to the line and he halts. I walk back out to him, telling him what a good boy he is and pet him, and give him a treat. We start again. He's trotting along, keeping his nose more in the arena than gazing out. I say, "Whoa." Top my have a future as the worlds largest reiner. He buried his butt and halted. I walked out, and gave him treat.

We made a couple more circles both directions and I led him over to the fence to get on. I get on, and my stirrups are way too short. (HMMM...interesting). So I have a student stand in front of him while I adjust them. (Oh yeah, he'll leave...in a heartbeat). I get adjusted. Stand up to see if I'm where I want to be, grab a treat out of my pocket. I pull his head to the left and hand him a treat. I ask him to move and he walks off quiet, no tension in his back. Seriously, none. He's never been this soft, even at Carrie's. So we walk around, trot around doing random patterns, he's actually hearing just my seat and legs, my hands don't even move and we are doing figure eights, leg yields. He is on. He got a little tense when another horse showed up. I halted, stood in my stirrups grabbed a treat out of my pocket. He lifts his head and nickers at me. Good lord. He is on this new program quick.

To my watching student I say, "Man, he caught on to this really quickly." She says, "We're talking about Top here. He didn't learn it quick, this has been done before." Uhm, yeah. Probably. I'll bet she's right. It would explain his inability to stand at the halt when I first started riding. He was looking for his treat. Who knows for sure. I'll just have to mix it up, so it isn't automatic. Can you see him in a dressage test...'halt at X'...and his head pops up and he nickers for his treat? How many points would that cost? lol

So, while I have issues with this method it is working. I will do it for awhile, or sporadically. I don't want it to become 'Pavlov's Dog'. This is a leg up for him...not the fix for his issue. It is a step in the right direction for sure.

Thank you Kestrel.

And yes I know, I'm collapsing my right side in the picture. (CRAP, I hate when I ride poorly).

Okay So I'm not Completely Nuts

2009-09-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

One of my ex-students came out to try Top. She was thinking of taking him for the winter. She's a good rider. Rides probably 5 days a week on many different horses. She works for a dressage/training facility. So, she's not a chicken, or looking for issues. I told her most of what I'd experienced with Top.

I have her go get him, and tack him up. Figured she should handle him from beginning to end. I wanted to see if she was comfortable with him, and he was comfortable with her. Everything went well. She laughed at 'how small' he is. lol Top is an honest 16.1 to 16.1 and a half. Little in her world now. I told her he was about as big as I was willing to go anymore. It's not the size while riding so much as the on and off. lol I climb on the fence to get on Top. I can mount from the ground, but I read something about that being hard on them. So, I try to mount none of them from the ground anymore. I'm getting used to it...it is harder for me to get on from the fence or mounting block. 40 years of getting on from the ground builds some muscle memory and habits.

She lunged him, and he was really quiet. He did have shots the day before. She did note that his quietness wasn't 'real'. She was watching him close. She was trying to figure out what it was...I told her, "He's holding through his back, don't believe his quietness now." She laughed again, "Oh, I'm not. We're going to go around a few more times and see that go away before I get on."

She gets on. Hates my new saddle. It pushes you toward a chair seat...I thought so too, but so many people kept saying, "No, it looks good. You look much better in this saddle." I don't like it. It doesn't give a hugely secure feeling if things get 'western'. It also may be that it is new to me. I'll keep riding it and see.

So, she's riding Top around. He looks good. He looks calm. I figure, 'okay, it's me. I'm creating monsters where none exist.' About the moment this is running through my head she says, "I get what you mean about the timebomb feeling." Kind of a double edged sword there. Glad that I'm not nuts, but bummed that he is such a mess. Now, something I never mentioned to her, or anybody else is he does this funky thing with his neck. It is kind of behind the vertical, but not. It is an empty feeling with no contact or control. It is like he isn't there. She pipes up, "I can't deal with the weird neck thing. I feel like I've got nothing...that if he does something there is nothing I can do." Uhhhmmm YUP.

So, she rode for awhile. I then got on. He was actually having a pretty good day. I didn't have any moments of 'oh man, what's he going to do'. He went along really well for Top. We weren't riding in drawreins.

The deal is, I have 30 to 60 days to get him lined out. She doesn't feel she is equipped to deal with his issues at this time. (So, the old fat woman is up) So he needs to be going forward between my elbows and knees, staying in his 'box' and respecting boundaries without checking out...and not feeling like a timebomb. lol If I can do this, he'll have a great winter with her south of here. Getting ridden through the winter, taken out on trails, and she may ride him in her lessons. He'll be in a dressage barn, where things are quiet and sane. I am concerned about trying to keep him in town this winter. With the woman that antagonizes him, I'm not sure he can go in his stall. He panics in there now. Which is a real bummer. He loved his stall...his little secure happy place. (Hoping for Karma on this one in regards to this 'trainer'). So, I have to have him going decently before the rains come.

I'll be riding him today.

Now I'm Confused....sort of

2009-08-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

Well took Top to another Carrie lesson. He was great. Really a good boy. Carrie did have me ride him with drawreins. Not a first option for me...but they did really help. He seemed to relax more quickly with them. Actually chewed softly on the bit, and stretched over his top line. I know some of you purists are going to be horrified. Oh well, not much I can do about that. The horse is happier, and steadier. This is not a permanent fixture...these are a temporary aid to help both of us. He can't lever my butt out of the saddle and it sets better boundaries for him. I'm riding on the direct rein, and only engaging the draw when needed.

I'd like to know what the difference is in his mind. The drastic change from the barns in town, to Carrie's place. He actually comes out of the trailer, and you can see him relax...let down. He has been like this since the very first time he arrived there. He was a lunatic at Elaine's. I'm stumped.

One thing is really irritating me though. There were a couple ladies from the barns in town there. My friend was sitting there and listening to them talk to Carrie. Carrie was wondering if Top's issues could be anxiety or fear from me. As she has never seen any really poor behavior from him. So, of course sycophants that they are, (even a supposed friend that was there) said things like. "Oh yes, we've never seen him put a foot out of place. He's just perfect in town. Never does anything wrong." I am so very tempted to hand them (one in particular) his lead...and say, "Since he's so good, and I'm manufacturing, or perhaps fabricating his issues please show me."

I guess this one person in particular said something about it to a student of mine. Saying she thought he was such a nice horse, and how she didn't think he did anything wrong. My student (bless her heart) said, "Yeah, if you don't mind rearing. I was there when he went up." A big, "Oh, really I didn't know he really did that." This is the same person that when I said I got Top, was horrified. He was a terrible horse. Had issues, wasn't sound yadda yadda. Guess it matters which way the wind is blowing, huh? I do want to ask her, 'Well, you freaken moron, why would I say a horse did something that bad, and that dangerous when he didn't? I'd like to be able to find him a good home down the road, and rearing is pretty much the kiss of death.'

So, I'm beyond irritated. Wow, I never realized I was so fearful. (Please). I respect his ability to move quick without warning, and that he could probably dump me...that doesn't mean I'm immobilized by fear, or going to make shit up about a horse.

Haven't quite decided what or if I'm going to do anything. Still stewing on it.

Whew Top?

2009-08-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

I took Top over to Elaine's to ride him in a quiet place for a few days. Well, that didn't work. He was a basket case. He was having trouble just existing. Pacing, screaming...he spooked at a weed with a blue flower. We were watching him graze in the pen...he has his head down eating...sees the flower and jumps backwards splay legged. Sometimes this horse flat makes me crazy.

When he does something like this I often look at him, and say pretty loudly, "What?!" He looks at me, and I put my arms out a little from my sides palms up...he looks and settles. Who freaken knows what goes on his little brain.

We arrived at Elaine's in the late afternoon yesterday. We left Elaine's late afternoon today. Top didn't eat any hay, nor drink any water. He drank a little this afternoon when I led him over to the trough, and held him...and kept him company while he drank. So, he drank his fill, which was quite a bit.

Yesterday Elaine watched him for a bit yesterday. Watched me work him on the line. She says, "You're riding this horse?" Oh never a good sign with Elaine. She is basically saying he is not together enough, or trained enough, or sane enough to be riding. Well shit....strike two. (Strike one was the neurotic behavior in the pen). The last time she said this to me was when I took Strider to her 14 years ago. And he was naughghghtttyyyy. He used to rear, and slam me into crap while on his hind legs.

But hey Strider came around. She didn't get on him until she had at least 30 days of lunging and driving on him. He came around huge. He left Elaine's after one winter at 2nd level and very steady. He was young though. A quarter horse and not afraid of anything. Fear wasn't Strider's issue. Strider was more 'You wanna fight...we can go to war.' He was great if you asked him. You could get after him and he'd dig a little deeper. He had an extreme sense of fairness.

I took Top over to the cross ties, and tacked him up. Lunged for a bit and got on. Yup, major timebomb feeling. (I really am hating that feeling). We got a little work, not much. He was really struggling. Couldn't get into the outside rein to save his life (or mine). I was working him long and low. Trying to get him to stretch and relax. He spooked. He spooked so hard and fast sideways my back is still hurting. Elaine said, "Well that was hard and nasty. For no reason."

Strike three...Elaine wont get on him (no I didn't ask. She volunteered up that bit of info). Really bad sign. So, we'll see how it goes. I have a Carrie lesson next weekend. I know he's a project. I know he isn't a short-term project. The problem is I have three other projects standing in my field. I need to figure this out. Maisa stands, Iris stands, Cami stands. Not a fair trade is it? We'll see if Carrie has any ideas.

Feeding Time with Top

2009-08-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Whew, long weekend. Only got half of what I planned done. Top got neglected. He stood in his pen, and watched the goings on at the stables. There was a gymkhana there, I swear he thinks it is horsey tv. It is all for his entertainment.

He has finally stopped freaking out over the 'humming woman' at the barn. He couldn't see her, but he could hear her humming and singing. He couldn't figure out what the hell it was, and would start running and leaping in his pen if she hummed for more than 5 minutes. He has now seen her, as she's humming. Huge light bulb moment for Top. Now he just listens, and waits to see if he can see her. She is very interesting to him. One of my students pointed this out to me.

My plan is to ride him after work today. Hopefully he keeps his little feetsies on the ground. He's been pretty darn good. Only little moments.

Last night he was being a jerk to the filly in the pen next to him. He got his hay, his beetpulp, and ricebran with his supplements. She is quietly eating her hay. He slings his head in her direction..big snaky frown at her. She ignores him (I love this filly). So then he takes a dive at the panel that separates them, she looks at him sleepy eyed chewing her hay. Now he's pissed. She's ignoring him. She should be fearful, and very impressed. Oh...but his bucket of food is waiting. So he stuffs his head in the bucket and bucks and kicks out behind while he eats. Occasionally will pull his head out of the bucket, frown at her, and kick again.

He takes a dive at her again, and the filly bless her soul...steps toward him, just out of reach. I swear she was going, "Neener, neener, neener...you're big and stupid." Evil little Skipper W bred filly. I think she may be a keeper for my friend that bred her.

I tell Top to knock it off. He makes one more pass. I lean over and pick up a couple rocks. He quits. I swear the goober saw me pick up the rocks and quit. I have never thrown rocks at him, but I was going to. He stood there quietly eating. I watched for about five minutes. All was quiet. So, I dropped my rocks, and started to turn to walk away. Bastard, moved like greased lightening to spin and frown at that filly again. Maybe Top isn't as stupid as I think? My student is cracking up. She says, "I can't believe he waited for you to drop the rocks." Crap, now even a dumb-blood is out thinking me. I tell you, I'm slipping.

Sunday Carrie Lesson

2009-07-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Top and I arrived at Carries with time to spare. Top needs his chill time after hauling. He is invariably wet and sweaty. No white foam on Sunday. Hey, it's progress. I gave Top a couple Berrygood Treats while I groomed him. He loves those. I tacked him up, and took him to the roundpen and let him walk around on the line. Did a little trot and some canter. He was pretty quiet.

As the lesson before mine is coming to a close I lead Top over to Carrie. I ask her about the saddles. She looks around for Kathy, and or Haylie. Nope they are gone. They know where everything is. lol She says, "Hang on for just a second. I'll find them." We head over to one of the tack areas. She heads into a tackroom. Can't find the saddle. Looks at the tack lockers...locked. She doesn't have a key. Then another of the girls that works there magically appears and says, "I have the keys." Yeah! Nope, the saddles aren't there. Carrie heads back into the tackroom. Success! "I've found it, it was under a cover. Oh, it's got mold...oh well your butt will clean most of that off." We both laugh. We pull the saddle Top has on, and set the new saddle on. It fits, and it's a 17.5" with a narrow twist. How perfect is that?

I ask what kind of saddle it is. She says, "Uhm Passier?" I ask what model. Nobody seems to know. I talk to Nettie...it is a custom saddle that was modified for her. Narrow twist, longer flap for a longer thigh, and a nice wide seat. So, it is either a Passier modified by Schleese, or a Schleese modified by Passier. It has Passier buttons, and a Schleese plate under the flap.

I get on Top with the help of the girl with the keys. (Her name will come to me later). I step on her hand. OMG. I felt terrible. She laughs and says, "See if I ever help you again." Oh, this saddle fits me good. It fits close to the horse, my legs just drape off his sides. The only thing is, it has larger rolls than I am used to. Carrie must have taken pity on me, when I asked how much she said, "$500?" Wooohooo....that I can do. She let me give her $250 on Sunday, and I'll give her the balance in August when she comes back.

We start our warm-up. Top feels really good. He seemed like he picked up where he left off the day before. We are doing walk halt on the diamond. Go to trot on the diamond. If he starts to get out of whack or leans on me...10 meter circle at each point of the diamond to regroup. If that doesn't get is..halt, wait for the release, and immediately forward.

So, we're going along pretty good. Top starts to build....I start a circle. He gets stronger, I take a stronger contact on the inside to push him through. Carrie half yells..."No...no outside rein, outside leg." Too late...got a little leapy hop out of Top. My bad. I left him no place to go in his mind. So the rule with Top is...if he starts to go up, or run through...maintain your bend...apply the outside aids. I am so used to horses that buck...I went immediately to the inside aids to shut him down. Wrong answer. If he's thinking up or out and gone...outside aids. Hey, make me a roadmap...I can follow it. lol

We ended our lesson with a nice soft forward horse...that was traveling on the outside aids. Very cool. It's the magic saddle. lol

Pre-Lesson Sunday

2009-07-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, since he kept his feet on the ground the day before I was feeling much better about things. He loaded well on Sunday. I wasn't sure how he'd do getting in after working and hauling the day before. Not a problem. Seems like the more he hauls, the better he does. I really have to work that into my schedule.

It was shaping up to be a chaotic day. I had to bring Daf to town. I had two lessons in town, before I needed to head up the hill to Carrie's. And then after Carries go pick up two more horses to bring to town.

One student was riding a clients horse. Vandy. Terribly cute, very round Vandy. Vandy was a maniac on the lunge. Holycow. He leaped in the air, he jumped he bucked and scooted along at what would be lightspeed for Vandy. I hollered at him as the student was lunging him. He slowed down and gave me the stink eye as he trotted by. Yeah, the 'fun-killer' had arrived. lol So, he had to get his yah-yahs out both directions apparently. Once he was done the kid got on. I'm thinking...well she'll be riding today. Nope. Vandy was over it. Done. Can't move at more than a shuffle, trot was a jog. He was grunting and complaining as only Vandy can and dying on the vine. I say, "Push him up. You look like you're headed to a funeral. Lets see a little oomph in his gait." Nope, no go.

I end up getting on to see what is going on. I ask him to go. He dogs it. I give him a squeeze...he grunts at me, but no more forward than before. I kick him...he does a little shuffling jog. GAAK! I have no whip with me, other than the lunge. I ride him over to the rail...and get the lunge whip. He's like...'eh no big guess were done, and we're going home.' (I've carried whips, and lines and reins on him before...he's pretty used to the routine. Yeah, I'm lazy. He can carry me and the equipment home).

I tap him with the lunge whip. Well, I felt him gather himself a little...so I give a squeeze and nothing. So, I swat him with the whip. Oh my goodness...he could suddenly engage and go the the bit. It's a miracle ladies and gentlemen...he's cured. Hallelujah, can I have an Amen. He didn't even grunt for awhile. lol I realize that Vandy is wider than Top. Vandy is a hand shorter than Top. I'd done something to my right calf the day before...now riding Vandy it cramped up. That's Vandy in the picture. See, Vandy Pants is terribly cute.

I hurry off Vandy, and go grab Top. Top loads well and off to Carries we go.

First Lesson This Weekend

2009-07-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Top and I had two lessons with Carrie this weekend. It seemed like a good idea in light of his new (old?) propensity to rear. (Man, I hate rearing). Funny thing is a rear is a way easier move to ride than a buck, at least for me. The problem is, it's just so damn dangerous. I think of it as the ultimate evasion. Well maybe not the ultimate, I did know a horse that would just flop over on the ground and lie there. (Talk to the hand bitch, what are you going to do now?). I just stepped off and swatted him, gave him a tug up and got back back on. The horse was totally shocked. It had worked well in the past I guess. He tried it one more time. I swatted him harder, and hollered at him this time, got back on. End of that game. I guess he'd flopped over on the previous owner. Previous owner didn't step off on the way down and had a leg pinned under the horse and couldn't get free. They went and got my shoer, who got the horse up and off the guy. That was Om. He turned out to be a truly great horse. He just didn't do stupid well.

I arrived at my lesson about 45 minutes early. Let Top chill for a bit. Then tacked him up and lunged him. He was really calm, very good boy on the lunge. I led him over to the mounting block to get on. One of my students had roached what was left of his mane off. What was left resembled the hair attached to those rubber Halloween masks. Very sad. Think thin and straggely. He'd rubbed most of it out sticking his head through the bars of his pen. It was a truly lovely Freddy Kruger kind of look. Figured it would be best to start from scratch. He actually looks really good. One small problem...the girls roached it all. I didn't even have a tag of mane at the withers to get on.

So, I'm on the mounting block (not nearly tall enough in my opinion) with the reins in my left on his slick withers, and my right hand on the back of the cantle. I went to step up, and my left hand slipped (huge surprise, right) and I bumped his mouth. He waited until my butt was in the saddle, and then filed his protest. A sharp kick with his left hind to one of the letters holding up the dressage rail. I didn't get after him, figured he could make his statement regarding my klutzy ham handed-ness.

So I start walking loopy soft circles waiting for Carrie to be ready for us after the lesson before me. When the other rider exits, we walk toward her. I say, "We need to have a talk." Carrie cocks her head, "Okay, what's going on?" I replied, "Well, I think I know why I'm the third person to be given this horse for free." She laughs, "I like the way you said that. What's he doing?" I made a motion with my hand of going up. All laughter is gone from Carrie. Instant serious. "He's rearing?!" I nod. "That isn't allowed. He can't even think about going up. We can't have that."

Some years ago a horse reared with Carrie, and went over on her. Hurt her bad. Broke (crushed?) her pelvis. It was a long hard road back. She did it, and in someways came out better. The woman has amazing focus and discipline. (Two things I lack. lol)

I have to admit I was twitchy. Any change in his movement, any hesitation, or pulling I was reactive. At one point he went to halt, and kind of hollowed and I tensed. Carrie smiles, and says..."He has to pee." Oh, huh-huh...no I'm not on pins and needles here. lol That made me realize how tense I was. Carrie say, "I really sympathize. I know this is tough. You have to ride through it. You can't let this go. I know it's scary." I don't scare easy, but I was not comfortable. It could have easily escalated to full blown fear. Then we'd of both been sunk. Carrie is very good at sending me confidence. I don't know what it is, but I feel like it will always be okay.

Poor Top, even when he wasn't being a jerk, I was waiting for him to be one. One thing I've learned, and it isn't always easy to follow through on....ride the horse you are on at that moment. Not the naughty horse you had yesterday, or the horse you hope to have next year. Ride the horse in the moment. If you expect them to do something 9 times out of 10 that's what they'll do...good or bad.

So we go to work. Back on the diamond. Walk halt, walk halt, over and over, until he was just soft soft soft. Hung neck, back up, quiet chewing happy guy. We'd add a little trot here and there, as soon as he'd build, back to walk halt, walk halt, walk halt.

So, I told her the advice I'd been getting in town. I didn't give any names, as that is just not nice. When I told her, she said "Don't listen. Tune them out. You were doing fine with this horse. We had walk trot canter. Walk to canter, halt to canter. No problems. Stay on your program. That advice will get you hurt. You need to go find a quiet place to work, ignore everything except your lesson. Stay focused." (Yeah, focus is an issue for me.) Top and I are a pair to draw to. Neither of us can keep our heads in the arena.

I then asked her about how heavy he is or can be. That I've been being told, 'You just aren't used to this kind of contact. That's how these horses are.' I hate heaviness. I prefer a light horse. So I was thinking 'Well crap if this is how it has to be, after all these years I don't want one of these.' My Swedish mare was light and responsive. I was told that's because she was 'hot', and not the usual WB. (Hmmmm????) Well, hell give me hot then. Top is hot. So none of this is working in my pea brain. I say, "I think he's just hanging on me." Again, "No, they have to have that kind of contact to be able to do upper level work." Okay, I've never been 'upper level'. I've made it through 3rd, training 4th. I was sitting on a TB and a quarter horse. Maybe I am clueless.

Carrie is momentarily speechless. (accent on momentarily) "NO! We ride great big horses, and they are light, light, light. You know how he feels when you halt, and he gives? That's how light he is. That's how light he can be all the time." Allrighty now, that I can live with. I needed a light at the end of this tunnel.

As we're wrapping things up, I let Carrie know I have another lesson the following day. She says good. We need to get this handled now. I agree and say, "I have to get a saddle that fits me, and him. This is the closest fit I have for him, and I still have to pad it. And it's a 16.5"...I don't have a 16.5" butt." Carrie says she thinks she has a couple of saddles that might work that she would sell me reasonably. I'm thinking...oh man what's reasonable to Carrie may not be remotely reasonable for me. If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.

So, that was the end of day one.

Remember Jasper?

2009-07-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you all remember Jasper. He was my rescue toward then end of last summer. Jasper hadn't had it very good. He's six now I think. When he arrived at my place he was 5.

Jasper was one of those hard luck kind of horses. He is a sensitive guy. Well, the 'trainer' (use the term very loosely) couldn't get on him when she started him. She decided it would be a good thing to tie up his leg, and then get on. You know, make him stand still, and teach him a little humility. Yeah, cuz you know it always works really well to scare the shit out of a young horse when you're starting them. Now in my little simpelton's mind, I'm thinking if the horse is panicked and can't stand still for you to get on, he's probably not ready to be ridden. But hey, what do I know?

So, the woman got on, with the leg tied up. Can you imagine how scary for a young horse. It's tough enough for a youngster to figure out how to balance with us on them, let alone try and do it three legged. Well, I guess she loosed the rope, and made about one lap around the arena. Guess what he did? He bucked her off. I know, you all are so shocked.

Well, this poster child for humanitarian of the year award is now pissed off at him. She heads to the house and gets her husband. Tells him to dally this colt up, and drag him around the arena for an hour. I have no idea if the was off another horse, or a vehicle. I do know Jasper has some nasty scars. Like major road rash scars. Nasty old rope burn scars on the left hind (hmmm wonder which leg she tied up?) and other assorted lumpy scars.

This incident had a lasting effect on Jasper. If you stood next to him and lifted your left leg, he'd jump, blow sideways and sometimes almost fall down. He was sincerely scared. I found that if I stood on a mounting block...no problem. I could put weight in the stirrup, swing a leg over and sit on him. We wandered around twice, no pressure. Getting off the first time was a little instense, but the second time was no problem.

Well, an ex-student really wanted him. I was fine with that. She asked me what I wanted for him. I told her I'd just started Iris the Virus and if she would ride her, put some time on her, get to canter...Jasper was hers. She was incredulous. "That's it, are you serious? Really?" I said, "Yeah, Jasper needs a person, and I need Iris ridden. I'm short on time, I know how you ride, it will be a good combo." They couldn't pick Jasper up, until they got rid of this WB they had. They couldn't give him away. Great. I said no problem, just start paying for his food, and when you sell the WB you can come pick up Jasper.

This goes on for about 2 months. The girl calls me and says, "You want that warmblood?" I said, "No." She says, "We can't get Jasper, until the WB leaves. We don't have room for him." Well, two days before Jasper had one of his less frequent panic attacks. A young student, 9 or 10 years old went through Jasper's pen with the wheelbarrow full of hay. No big, this happens every day, twice a day. On her return trip with the empty wheelbarrow it scares Jasper so bad, he falls down.

I was never worried about Jasper doing anything mean. He really doesn't have a mean bone in his body. I was however, very concerned that he could panic, and hurt somebody. Well, a small somebody.

One afternoon we were riding in his pen. The young student's father was holding Jasper. Jasper is pretty timid at this time. Really wants to be social and friendly but very worried about making that jump. He is standing a little behind the man. He put his head on the man's shoulder, and slowly, very slowly does a turn on the forehand with his head on the guys shoulder till he is facing him. Very quiet, very careful... "Hello I'm here, would you love on me." I almost cried. Swallowed hard, (it's just not cool to weep in front of students and parents, you know) and told the man to pet him. Poor horse. He wanted to be okay he wanted to be a part.

Well, after the falling down because of the wheelbarrow, and my concern over beginners in and out...I said, "Sure, I'll take the WB." Well, you all know the WB as Top. The kid never did get Iris to the canter... (typical..dont' you think?) lol

Well, after this long winded recap...here's the point of the story. The ex-student didn't keep Jasper. She sold him...made a nice profit on him as a matter of fact. She wasn't very forthcoming with the truth about him though. Well, the woman that got him loves him. She's just going really slow, and he adores her. He looks like a different horse. His face is soft when you see him, he's relaxed. I am so pleased this is working out. And the coup de gras....she took Jasper, now called Cody to Cuneo Creek last weekend, for a campout and trail riding. He loved it, she loved it. Jasper/Cody led on the trail rides, quite the brave horse. What a good boy. What a great home, and owner.

Two Days in a Row

2009-07-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well, rode Top two days in a row. (ooohh, I know. lol ) He had today off. He didn't seem especially pleased to see me today. Makes sense for a horse that hasn't been worked with any consistency for a couple years.

Day before yesterday he started out very big, I thought he might fall when lunging. He just couldn't contain himself. He was really scattered. He got it together enough for me to get on. Well, 'Hello Mr. Timebomb'. So we walked around, bend left, bend right, make a circle. Halt, give, relax and go on. He was just starting to get it together, when a friend came by to watch. She had all kinds of advice. Lots of it wasn't really applicable to this horse, but she means well. Much of what she had to say was in direct conflict with what Carrie has me doing. So, I'd give a try to the stuff that wasn't in direct conflict, and kind of ignore the rest. This woman could really get me hurt. I really don't think she 'sees' the horse I'm sitting on. I could be wrong, but I really don't think Carrie is.

One of the basic tenants of riding Top per Carrie, is if he gets out of shape, or builds...just halt. Hold, I don't mean pull, but hold until he gives and then release. Once he releases pet him and go. If he pops up or pulls, immediately halt, and wait till he gives and try forward again. Pretty simple. It really helps him. As soon as I halted, and Top is leaning against me she says, "Let go." I said, "No." She said, "Release." I said, "No, not until he gives and relaxes. Carrie said so." Yeah I know, pretty chicken shit invoking the name of Carrie, but it worked. She had other advice, like 'ride him deeper'. I told her this was as deep as he gets. And I don't want spurs, and I don't want a whip. We'll get. It may not be immediate, but we'll get it. He's had plenty of 'do it right now' to last him a lifetime. That is part of his problem, or problems. He rushes, he builds, and he panics to the point of bolting, bucking...oh and rearing. That was a shocker. So, I figure slow down, and wait to see how it goes. I'm not on a schedule here. I don't have some big deadline to meet.

I want a horse that doesn't feel like he's on pins and needles through 60% of the ride. That's down for about 90%. So for me that's progress. The fact that he can stretch down, go on a loose rein and not pop up, invert and bolt is a big deal for me. I really didn't like that. He can also halt, and stand without wiggling, fidgeting and trying to walk off. Big progress. Okay, it's not like we can stand quiet for 5 minutes...but we can get more than a minute now.

Yesterday was tough. Really tough. A woman I know had her mare and new foal free running in the big arena. OMG...Top lost his mind. Was totally enthralled. Puffy, bouncy, jigging on the line. He made a couple circles around me. Drug me over to rail to see...huge eyed, fascinated. You'd of thought he was one of those foal stealing mares. "It's a baby, it's a baby...do you see. It's a baby!" Okay, we knew he was different, we just didn't quite know how different.

We finally get to the dressage arena. He's still beyond wound. I had trouble getting him to stand still enough to clip on the lunge line. Holy crap, what a bouncy worm he can be. Well, across the field, the bmx bikes are going. One end of the arena is baby fascination, at the other end scary flying bikes, with the metallic click of the starting gate and me with the goober in between. Man he really checks out hard. Spun is the term, I think.

I got him going pretty decent on the lunge after the momma and baby departed. So, I was feeling okay about getting on. I get on. He's a little tight and pushy. But it is workable. An ex-student is riding her gelding. He's a real goober too. He was having a bad day too. So, of course they are feeding off of each other. One does something stupid, so the other has to follow suit.

I have him going pretty decent. We're going down the long side. Student rides past Top at a slow lope. I mean slow, quiet, no big thing. She took the inside track and was just putting along. Top kind of lifts and goes to push through my hands to go with the other gelding. I half halt, and he is pissed. Sucks back, no nothing in the rein and his back hollows. It feels like the dashboard has just fallen out of your car. It is not a happy feeling. I think, okay don't change your position, just put your leg on and push him back up. Well, apparently that is Top's cue to rear. We are at the corner of the arena, just starting out turn. I guess I let out a yelp, I think I cussed and booted him and pulled his head around on the descent. My student looks over just has he's landing, and asks, "Did he go up?" I say, "Yeah, he did, bastard." Scared me. Not at my best when I'm shook.

Right back to work. She goes by again. He goes to repeat his antic. Uhm, no. I'm not maintaining my position. You suck back, I get a hold of you, turn your head and kick you forward now. It seemed to work. I got some soft work out of him. My student says, "I'd of called it there. He did that good. He needs to be done." I'm about to disagree with her, and realize she's right. It's the same thing I've said to her umpteen times. We got one more good, soft forward circle, and halted. I got off. Done for the day.

Looking back, what I felt was a rear, probably couldn't have been. We were moving, and bending into the turn. It had to be a very vertical jumping motion. Don't know, but know I don't like it.

Top's Back on the Schedule

2009-07-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Strider's Beginnings

2009-06-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

Years ago I had a quarter gelding, Strider. I owned his mother Winnie. She was a Cal Bar mare. Nice mare. She'd had her hock broken when she was coming four. A pony and a gelding sandwiched her between them, and kicked the snot out of her I guess. Busted her hock. I got her when she was 8. She'd had two foals. The folks that had her, had been riding her. I got her so she wouldn't be ridden, could hang in the field, and make me a foal. This was back in '88. There is no way I could have afforded this mare if she wasn't so damaged. I also really liked the mare. I'd tried to purchase the filly she had at two days old. One of those, 'omg...that's the horse' moments. Doesn't happen to me often. It's immediate, I can't explain what it is...it's just a feeling.

So, the owner of the mare said I could buy the filly when she was weaned. I showed back up when she was five months old. The owner said, "Oh, our daughter wants to keep her. So we sold her to our daughter for $1000." I almost had a full blown temper tantrum on the spot. I didn't...I bought the mare, and the older gelding. Screw em, I'll make my own. Yeah, the conceit of youth.

I bought the gelding for my boyfriend the chef. His name was Ohm. Gotta love it. He was very calm...do anything you asked. Ohm fit him. Kind of like the meditation mantra ...'ohhhhhmmmmm'.

So, I bred Winnie to Poco Joe Satan. Terrible name. Great horse. 15+h black AQHA stallion, by Hot Lightning out of a Poco Bueno bred mare. I knew the stallion well. I used to work and ride him, and handle him for breeding. We got on well. You didn't pick at him, but you didn't give any ground either. You just had to be clear, and fair and he was great. He had a sense of humor. As I've noted before, not always a good thing in a horse. I swear that horse could tippy toe...stealth horse. I was bent over cleaning out his water trough one day. Never heard him. He put his nose on the back of my neck and blew. Scared the living crap out of me. I jumped about 5' in the air, screeched and swung my arm at him as I turned. He hopped backwards, just out of range, ears straight up like he was grinning at me and saying, 'What? I didn't do anything.'

I remember one afternoon I was riding him out on the trails. He decided he wanted to go one way, when I wanted to go another. We were at an impasse. He was a stout old boy. I couldn't even bend his neck. I was like the little kid on my giant Shetland pony that wouldn't move. I'd yard on the reins, kick his side, kick his shoulder, lean and pull. Yeah, my big 120lbs was really going to knock him off balance. (Bastard) So now I'm cussing him. Giving him the Alpo lecture (you know...'Do you know what Alpo is? Do you want to be Alpo....) basically starting to nut up.

He's a giant black rock underneath me. Well, he takes a step in the direction he wants to go. Steps on a branch that snaps and drills him right in the gut...or further back, not really sure. He thought I'd gut shot him. He rocked back on his hocks, and turned the direction I wanted to go in the first place, at a pretty good clip. I slowed him up...pet his neck and said, "Good boy." You bet...take your gifts when they present themselves. Serendipity. That sulling up...we call 'Poco Bueno-ing Out'. Stubborn...but once you win, you win forever.

Well, the lady that owned Satan sold him to Winnie's owner. The new owner thought it was cool to have him all wound up a blowy. (Yeah, novice). Satan was more than happy to oblige. It's a good thing whoever trained him originally had really ingrained his manners on him. Satan never hurt these people. I remember one day the owner came running in the drive with Satan. He'd take him on walks. He wasn't much into riding. Well, Satan saw my colt Shad, and wanted to go visit over the fence. So he's basically dragging this guy over there. The guy tries to set his heels, and is kind of skiing-skipping along. Well, he gets to the apple tree. He thinks if he plants his left foot against the tree, and braces with his right foot on the ground, he's going to stop this 1200+ pounds of testosterone that is in motion.

It levered the guy through the air. It was like he leaped through the air off his left foot that he'd placed about three foot up that apple tree. (Think para-sailing) He landed in a face plant and let go of the rope. Satan jogged on over to talk to the yearling, oblivious the havoc he'd created behind him. The guy jumps up and says, "Well I'll be damned." At this point I started cracking up. Told him, "I've never seen anyone catch that much air. It was like a Tom & Jerry cartoon. " The guy was a good sport, and is laughing too. Then he tells me he used to be a wing walker. The guy is an adrenaline junky. He now builds canons and blows things up. He's great fun, and has great stories.

His wife on the other hand is always getting hurt. It's like inevitable. You ever meet people like that? She decided she wanted to groom Satan one day. So, I get sent out to supervise, and handle the horse while she grooms. She's grooming away, brushing his tail and falls down. Falls right under the stallion. I tell her, "Just roll away, get clear, then stand up." She wallows herself around until she's sitting 'indian style' directly behind the stallion. Before I could say or do anything she reaches out and grabs his hock with one hand, and his tail with the other and heaves herself out of the dirt. I quit breathing. Satan whips his head around and looks at her, whips it back to look at me. Little wrinkles above his eyes...like, "What the hell? Did you see that?"

After she left I went inside with the previous owner. She made me a White Russian.

Maisa's Allergies

2009-06-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

That's Daf on the left, and Maisa on the right. The student in between is taking a brush away from Maisa. He of course is ever hopeful she will give it back.

This is the first time I've ever had to deal with a horse with allergies like this. This is worse than my old Lab that had flea allergies, and was allergic to dry grass. Last year my vet gave Maisa a cortisone shot. It lasted a grand total of three days. Since then I've been trying to manage his allergy to gnats with fly spray, fly sheets, spot on fly repellent, MTG, Gentocin, mink oil, a cream from Dynamite vitamins, vinegar, garlic, rabon blocks, skin so soft, swat, gnat away. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. (Good lord, I look at that list and think...whew I'm a crazy woman).

I kind of tipped over when he bloodied both of his shoulders in a twelve to twenty-four hour period. It was still winter. We had two or three days of nice weather, the gnats came out, and just tore him up. I'll see him out there, swishing and stomping, and the horses standing next to him are unaffected by the gnats. They seem to just mob poor little Maisa.

So he lives 24/7 in a flysheet with a neck cover and bellyband. The Amigo Bug Buster has worked the best, but it's pretty much destroyed. I purchased two Saxon soft mesh ones, with bellybands, and necks. That was just a couple weeks ago. He's already destroyed one...with Daf's help. I put the second new one on him last night. Daf is locked in the pen with Cat...we'll see how the sheet fairs. We may be accusing Daf unjustly. Although, day one (hour one) of the first new flysheet she bit him in the butt and put a hole in it.

Even with being covered, fly sprayed, flysheet fly sprayed, and monitored daily. He has rubbed out his tail on the right side, parts of his face, and his tummy. The tummy really kind of baffles me. It's covered for one, and there is nothing he can straddle to rub it out.

One of the really tough things is I can't really ride him. He is so distracted by the itchiness he is almost immobilized. He tries to scratch his neck on the reins. Anywhere tack touches he tries to rub up against. He's like a manic, twitchy itchy mess when under saddle. He'll come to a halt, and just sling his head down to bite his chest, legs or side. Yes, I have fly spray on him. It's like if he gets bit anywhere on his body, his whole body itches. It's not just at the site of the bite. It has to be just miserable for him. There is no way I'm going to try and force him to concentrate on going under saddle when he can't even be present due to the itchiness.

Making an appointment today for Maisa and Daf at the vets. Maisa for allergy testing, and shots, Daf for re-check on her eyes, and whatever this odd unbalanced...feels like she's going to fall down when you ride her deal.

Thinking of Breeding

2009-06-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

That's Iris the Virus in the picture with a student. This is one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations. It appears that Cat will be off for awhile. Playing with the idea of breeding her. If any of you have followed any of my posts regarding breeding on FHOTD you'll know I'm not a gung ho kind of breeder. It's pretty stressy for me. I've bred two mares in just under 20 years. The first was my old qtr gelding Strider. He was probably one of the best horses I've ridden, let alone owned. The second was Iris...aka Iris the Virus. Iris is just started, and is a pretty good girl...but she does have opinions. She's very athletic, very pretty and her ambition is to grow up to be head mare like her momma.

Iris is Cat's daughter. Kind makes me pause on breeding Cat again. lol Iris is probably not going to be a 'for everybody' kind of horse. If I choose to sell, Iris it will be more difficult to place her in a suitable home than a less ambitious soul. Iris is in no way mean. She's just a lot. I don't think it would be too hard to have a mess on your hands, if you went about things the wrong way. There is however no guarantee that the next foal will have the alpha qualities Iris does. It could be a nice easy going middle of the road kind of horse.

Iris is the filly JR was supposed to pick up to start on his way to Fug's. He didn't stop by. Smart man. lol So, the old fat woman had to start her. Oh well, it went fine. It's just the getting time to ride her and continue her training. So adding another foal into the mix at this time is probably not a brilliant move.

Just not sure what to do. I'll probably procrastinate long enough that it will be too late in the season anyway. It's pretty late as it is.

I was thinking of calling Cheryl Humphrey of North Quarter Ranch. I've always liked her, and her horses. Loved Topolena. What a great horse. She has two very nice cow bred stallions standing now. Might be worth a call.

Carrie Lesson with Top and Blueheron in Tow

2009-06-07T21:04:00.001-07:00

Rider's shouldn't talk, and use hand gestures when holding the reins. I think I was explaining something about Top. Told Carrie he had been a jumper...Blueheron said, as soon as I said, "He was a jumper..." He looked over at Carrie, stood up tall, and looked at her, like he was saying, "Yes! I was JUMPER." That's when she snapped this shot. lol

Ignore the fat old woman on the nice horse. As you can see by the position of her hands, and the cords standing out in her arms...Top was a little strong. In, out, up down, soft, strong...leaving. That would describe the ride.

Can't really blame the horse. He hasn't been ridden with any sort of regularity. The last time being in a thunderstorm.

He really had a tough time in the trailer this time. When I pulled him out, and pulled his sheet, not just his neck and butt cheeks were white foam...all of him was white foam. He was soaking and foamy along his side, his tummy, his face. I haven't figured out yet what makes the difference. He's always a little nervous and damp when he comes out, but nothing like this.

We had about 45 minutes or so before we were up. I toweled him off, hosed down his legs, shoulders and neck. Then took him to the round pen to lunge. Just walking, with a couple spurts of trot here and there. Figured I didn't have much horse left for the lesson.

Well, I had horse left. He felt pretty wound when I got on. That time bomb feeling we all just love our horses to have. The rails on a dressage court don't really offer a great sense of security when sitting on a ticking horse. He kept it together. (Thank gawd, would hate to take a dirt sample in front of everybody). We both started out a little tight, he got over it before I did. lol At one point when working on canter transition, trying to maintain (get?) softness and bend to the right Carrie says, "Don't worry, I wont let him buck you off." Made me laugh, so I relaxed and said, "What, are you going to run out here and catch me?" She said, "Of course." Made me laugh more, and I got the bend, and grabbed the lead...amazing how it works when you don't think so hard on it.

The owner of the stable that Top had been at was at Carrie's when I arrived. I was glad to see her. I've been meaning to get by and get the scoop on Top from her perspective. She was very happy to see him. She obviously really likes him. She had to take pictures for her husband who I guess just loves him. She said he'd be very happy to see Top, and how good he looks. She said Top wasn't as heavy at her place as he is now. She was impressed with how 'beefy' (her word) he was now. I asked her how he looked at her place. Well, no ribs showing, but nothing extra. She said they struggled keeping weight on him, and he was a little more down when he showed up than when he left. So, she was able to get some weight on him.

The first thing she asked me was, "Has he dumped you yet?" I said, "No, knock wood. Why?" I guess the previous owner came off of him often. Great. My stable owner friend said she couldn't figure it out. They'd be riding along, everything would look fine, and suddenly his rider would be on the ground. I guess one day the girl was showing him to a perspective buyer, and he dumped her. No sale.

Another friend of mine was up there. She also has an Omega Fahim daughter. She was visiting with Blueheron. The first thing she says, "Oh, he's an Anglo-Arab, isn't he?" Poor Top. Everybody thinks he's an Arab. lol

Rode Top Today

2009-06-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

Poor Top. The day just didn't start well. He was kind of 'big' as soon as he got tied to be tacked up. Another trainer (yeah, use the term really lightly) was there with a passel of kids. None supervised, all cleaning and watering...and acting like unsupervised kids.

So, I'm brushing Top. This kid comes up at mach 5, and starts to pull the hose on the wheel right behind him. He looks around behind him, body all tight. I ask her if she needs to do that right now. (My hose, and my wheel by the way). Kid looks at me blankly. I say..."You're standing directly behind my horse...you didn't say anything to him, and started pulling the hose with no warning. If it had been another horse, you may have been kicked." One of the adults with that crew told the kid to just fill the bucket later, when I was done. (Gawd forbid I mess up their routine).

This is the same 'trainer' that moved Top from his stall, and is unkind to him when she thinks no one is around. Yeah, I'm waiting...something will present itself. At this point I just feel invaded, and am close to nutting up on people. Things go missing. Stuff is moved. They are just rude, rude people. Did you know that wash racks are tie and tacking racks?

I'm apparently not the only one fed up with this woman. She left a halter and lead out...someone threw it up on the roof on the barn. Man, someone even pettier than me is ticked at her. She leaves her infant in the truck while she gives lessons. More times than not the truck is running. I just want her to go away. She's not safe. Her lessons aren't safe, the kids are at risk...it's just a mess. Okay, I may be overly cautious...but dang. She has a mare in, that belongs to an acquaintance of mine. The mare rots in a stall. Rarely gets out. Stall if often filthy. The mare is now cranky, and lunges at people and horses as they walk by. Oh, the mare is in to be marketed and sold. The woman is getting paid for this. Un-freaken-believable. She is worth less now, than when she came in.

Okay, back to Top. Got kind of sidetracked on my rant. Well, the clouds were coming in. Figured I had some time. We head to the arena. Top is having a hard time keeping it together to even get the lunge line on. Allrighty. One of my students is in there lunging. I tell her..."Move down, now." She takes one look at Top, and scoots down. Top explodes forward just as I clip the line on. Just couldn't contain it anymore. Then had no clue where to go (typical Top). Turns and looks at me like, "Did you see that ghost bite my butt?" Uhmmm, no Top, I didn't see any ghost. So, he is of course semi explosive on the line. Starts to settle...then some girls decide this would be the perfect time to practice walking their horses over the wooden bridge used for trail classes. Top thought this was very very wrong, and would bounce...halt and stare at the girls. Make a circle...bounce, halt stare. Enough already. We had to go see the bridge. 'Oh, it's some jump standards, and a bridge...heh-heh...it looked different from over there. '

Well, he starts to work pretty decent. (God is not on my side today) It starts to rain, lightning and thunder. (Really glad he had the Wintec on). So we then have to get used to this. He does. We are both soaked. My intent was to ride, and by gawd I'm going to ride. So I lead him over to the fence...climb up and on. I'm sitting on a giant coiled ball. Oh, this just does not feel good.

We start to walk, making large soft circles. Working toward even connection and forward. Lightning...little hop, followed by thunder...a scoot, with a bigger hop...and back to work. I really did feel like I was on a giant Arab. A little inversion here, a drop and scoot there. And one good bounce. Finally got some decent forward, even horse in both reins and called it a day.

Oh, and just an FYI...did you know that jeans, and a wet Wintec makes for a really grippy seat. Your butt does not move.

Catching Up

2009-06-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well, Cat is still lame three Legend shots in. Pretty frustrating. The next step is Adequan. I've been shopping the price on it. So it will run me about $300 for seven shots. She does have a much better attititude than when she came home. Happier, friendlier and demanding attention.

On a good note, I'm to ride for Carrie this coming Saturday. Top is pretty fat and sassy. Hasn't been used much lately, and is eating really well. He's still a good boy and does his job well, just a tad more exuberant about doing it. Had one woman ask if he was an Arab the other day. He was bouncing in his pen. Of course the student that was with me just cracked up. Really wanted to say, "Yes he is. A big f-ing Arab."

I'm beginning to think that things in my life, and the animals in it are just odd. The half Arab...everbody asks if he's a Trakehner. He is so easy going you have to kick start him and when you watch him he looks like he's moving in slow motion? Bobby the Ninja Kitty, Iris the Virus the evil filly with a sense of humor. Cami...the Camiseta Badger daughter out of a Doc Prescription mare that everybody thinks is half TB or bred for wp and ep. How the heck did my little cutting bred mare end up 15.2h and light boned, with a natural slow and low jog? Then there is the ex-cutting mare you can put anyone on and she babysits them, so she's my main lesson horse. But I get on, and she's like, what are we going to do? Wanna rollback? A spin...? Your choice let go do something...see any cows?

So, at my house things are just never what they seem. I guess I just need to roll with it. lol

(The pic is for Golightly...she wondered what Top was up to).

Cat's Still Lame

2009-05-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

Took Cat to the vet today. She has been off since I got her home. It would look a little better, then she'd be off again. She's not lame at the walk anymore, but the trot is painful to watch. Lame on both front.

So, off to the vet. This isn't fixing itself with time, and rest. My vet appointment was at 11:30. I was hauling in a student's horse, and was going to take Cami for her re-check on lepto so they could pull blood and see where she's at. Cat trumped Cami.

I went into the office to check in and let them know we were there. I told the vet assistant the change in plans. She said she didn't know if Dr. C had time for a full lameness exam. I said that was fine. I wanted him to check a bump on her back that hadn't been there previously, and that she was lame at the walk. Vet Asst..."Oh, he'll check her out."

So, my vet has me trot her away from him, turn at the trot and come back. As I started the turn I could see the bob out of the corner of my eye, and heard the unevenness of gait. It sounded bad. Much worse on pavement than in the pasture. (Great I'm thinking...it's bone or joint).

He has me bring her back, and picks up her leg and starts palpating tendons, ligaments etc.. Then he looks at the sole of her foot, pokes around on it. He walks off...saying nothing (typical Dr. C) and comes back with some hoof testers. She's tender to the pressure. I'm thinking "Hallelujah it's an abscess." (Kind of sad when you're ecstatic over a possibility of an abscess). He must have been thinking it was more. He probed around with a hoof knife, looking for soft spots etc. Nothing really.

Off he goes again, as he's walking away he looks back and says, "Well, bring her inside." (the 'ya moron' was silent lol). So he pulls a syringe of p....caine something. To block her hoof. We wait for the block to take effect, and then trot her out again. Little to no improvement. (Well SHIT!) Not an abscess. We go to the next level, block a little higher. Takes in most of the fetlock. She looked pretty good after this block. However she was still off on her right, and once the left was blocked she showed up lame traveling straight on the right, not just on a turn.

We head back in for Xrays. He does four on the left front.

Compression to the joint, some synovial fluid loss, some cartilidge damage. He figures the same thing is happening in the right front also. He did say it wasn't advanced, and that she should recover with time and meds. I told him her barrelracing days were done. He said he figured we could get her back to where she had been, but it wasn't a bad idea to pull her for good. She'll be a fine riding horse. No need to run for a living anymore. Hell, my girl is 17...good enough. I enjoy just hanging out and riding her. Why take the risk, she's a freaken pet that happened to have talent. I haven't decided whether to tell my friend that was running her, and dropped her off lame, what is going on. I'd probably have trouble being polite at this moment.

So, Cat got an IV injection of Legend. She'll go back for another in a week. Each shot is $100 plus the office call. We are considering combining it with Adequan (series of 4 to 8 at $50 a shot every four days) it's intramuscular. She'll be on a gram of bute a day for twelve days. She's confined to the 100 x 130' pen, which is where I put her to begin with. Some nutraceuticals...I think I'm going with the GLC 5000. My vet bill today was $382.

Shadrack III

2009-05-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

When Shad was about 18mths old he thought he was pretty hot stuff. He was pretty hard on people he didn't consider part of his crew, or that he thought he could scare. He was actually pretty good at it. As a long yearling one of the local trainers went up to his pen. I had a halter on Shad as I was in there cleaning, and we were going for a walk after I finished his pen. Now Shad was a biter. He got in loads of trouble for it, but when he was young if he didn't like you, or thought he could get away with it, he'd take a swipe at you. Usually just grabbing clothes, or to make you jump. Rarely ever connected with anyone, and never more than a pinch.

Well this guy walks up to the stall door, and Shad of course goes to see. I say, "Watch him, he might try and bite." This guy grabs the cheek piece of Shad's halter, and whacks him across the cheek a couple times saying, "Oh, no we'll get along fine, he's a good guy." Well, Shad apparently thought the macho comradely smacking sucked. He drew back and tagged the guy in the shoulder so hard he tore the guy's shirt. And of course took off out the back of the stall at speed. Great, so I have to get after my colt, because this guy's a moron. Hey, they aren't allowed to bite, even if the person they bite is a moron. Shad comes flying toward me, I holler at him, grab the halter and smack him once and tie him up. The guy thinks we should really get after him. I'm flabbergasted..it's now been over a minute...like Shad is going to have a clue why he's getting smacked on.

Well, this guy ended up training Shad's dam, after she was sold. She was started but needed to be finished. She broke his leg. I told him..."Man, this line of horses, just isn't working for you." HAH!

One afternoon Shad was showing off in his pen. His pen was probably 25 x 60' with a stall at the front that he could go in and out of at will. It was a wood pen, with hot wire around the inside boards to deter chewing. His water trough was a big bathtub set next to the fence. So, he's strutting around, slinging his head, swishing around, tail up so high it's lying over his flank. It was close to dinner time...big big show.

Shad is wringing his neck and slinging his head so hard it's lifting his front end off the ground. Well, Shad is close to the trough, he slings his head so hard, he does a 180 on his hind legs and falls into the water trough. I'm shocked, and then I look at him, his little fat tummy bulging toward the sun and his legs sticking skyward and start to laugh. Then as fast as I start to laugh, I stop....'Holyshit, how am I going to get him out of the tub?' Well, no sooner do I think this, he touches the hotwire. He came out of that tub like he was spring-loaded....just levered himself up and out.

I of course am trying to check him over, make sure there is no damage. He's mad mad mad. Turns his back to me. Doesn't want to see me at all. His tail is wet, and it keeps smacking into and wrapping around his hock. This was just insult to injury to Shad. He'd kick his tail, stomp his foot, and it would wrap back around the hock. So very mad long yearling, wet, embarrassed with his back to me, kicking his tail...totally bent out of shape, "Oh the indignity of it all."

Weekend......Failure all Around

2009-04-26T21:13:00.001-07:00

I didn't get to have my lessons with Top this weekend. I pulled him out of the trailer, and he was lame on all four. My farrier had trimmed him too close. He was fine in his cushy pen, and in the rubber arena...not so good on rocky ground. Called it. Didn't want to cause any damage with inflammation (yeah all I need is a case of road founder). Hosed his feet off up there. One of the ladies grabbed some bute, let him hang out for 20 or so minutes and took him home. CRAP.

He's a party animal at home. Cushy ground in a student's pen, next to what he thinks is the absolutely most beautiful mare he's ever seen. Play and jump and rocket around. Great Top. Just great. You're supposed to be taking it easy on your feet.

After I took Top home I was to meet his previous owner at my pasture. She met one of my students at a local landmark to follow her up to the pasture. It can be tough to find the first time.

I like the girl. It is kind of humorous that she keeps telling how difficult Top is. How he needs to be this or that. How I really wont want to ride him if he hasn't been ridden for awhile, and hasn't been out, or lunged a bunch. That even if he looks calm on the lunge, he may not really be. That's he's really hot etc. I guess it's all in what your used to, and what you know. What seems normal to one person/rider isn't going to feel the same to another.

Okay, I may be a pudgy old woman but Top really hasn't shown me any real difficulties, or exceptional heat. He worries, he's insecure, but hot? Ummmm, not so much. It probably didn't help that I pulled Maisa out to ride. He was not going to go. I felt like I was riding a giant Shetland pony. Kick kick kick....move please move. I'm not talking about impulsion, or being forward...I'm talking please freaken take a step. lol Mr Ambitious. I'm going to buy him Red Cell, I swear. A fly would land on him...slam on the breaks...bite at the fly, sling your head, refuse to move. We have to work on going forward, nicely and consistently. He hasn't done this since he was first started under saddle. Probably shouldn't have let him sit so long.

So, I'm sure this girl thinks "Poor old woman, can't ride, can't make her horse go. Top is going to kill her." Oh well. Maybe it will go better for this old woman the next time she comes out. lol

I had her ride Cami. She actually did pretty good. She rides light. Tends to head a little toward a chair seat, but not horrible. She isn't bad with her hands, and she goes right to work. Cami was in shock. lol She's only used to going like that when I'm on her. She figures..."Sweet, new student...coast day." She was puffing. The girl actually got her going pretty good. At one point, Cami pulled herself together, engaged, on the bit, forward....and the girl says..."Oh she does know this." Uh, yeah....she just wants you to work for it...you gotta be in position, and you have to be clear, not nagging in your request. lol

Cat the Brat

2009-04-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

I rode Cat today. She seems to be sound, well at least at the walk. Interesting that the person that had been riding her said she wouldn't walk, she jigged everywhere. Couldn't ride her on a loose rein, that she'd take off. This was not my experience today. Today was the first day I'd ridden her since she's been home. (It was the first day she didn't appear dog lame since she's been home). I didn't even really lunge her. Had her walk around me 4 times each direction, and got on.

She had a hard time standing still for me to mount. Once she stood I got on. She then wanted to walk off immediately. Uh, no that's not allowed. You stand and wait quietly while I get my old fat self arranged, thank you very much. No problem she waited.

When we started to walk, she did want to hurry. Took a light contact and stopped my seat. She stopped. Although, she now throws her head up at every halt, even with the reins pitched. Nice, I just love that. When you ask her to move forward, she wants to hurry and throw her head up. So, I maintained the contact, and departed from the halt to walk in left bend. That helped her keep it together. She departed quietly without throwing her head or hurrying.

I rode around for a little while, with contact and on a loose swinging rein. When she could make three circles and halt without throwing her head I got off. Loosened the cinch and led her to the trailer to untack. Brushed her down, and let her graze for about 45minutes to an hour.

I also wonder what happened to her mane and tail? Her mane used to be past the point of her shoulder, it's now even with her neck, just an inch below her throat. Her tail, that was a big full bell to the ground is tapered and even with her hocks. What the hell?

I guess we'll see how she goes tomorrow under saddle. Still worried about being caught and haltered. Was pretty good about her bridle.

Top's Thoughts on Stockcars

2009-04-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well, Top isn't a big fan of stockcars. At least not while he's working. He'd go along pretty good, then one of the cars during their warmups would back fire... not good. This warranted dropping his butt and launching forward with his head up. When he'd connect with the line, he'd buck. We'd regroup, be working along pretty good...another backfire. Same reaction. I think maybe if the backfires were consistent in timing it wouldn't be so bad. It's just that they are so random. He gets no preparation, and they are always a surprise.

Top Is Just A Little Different

2009-04-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

Top is turning 13 this year, that's what his papers say. Top is maybe 2-4 years old, in his little bitty brain. (Okay that was unfair, cheap shot). Top is very very steady in some aspects. Very well rounded. In other ways he's very young.

This evening I was lunging him. Another horse was being lunged. The owner of the other horse stopped, and let her horse roll. Top was trotting along, saw this horse flop down and roll. He put the skids on, and looked as hard as he could at this horse rolling. He wasn't scared or worried. More fascinated, and confused. You know, horses don't do that in the arena ever, at least not in Top's world apparently. He looked at me, looked back at the rolling horse, as if he was saying, 'Look can you believe this, he's rolling.' I told him, "You're good, walk on." And off he went, not a problem. These kinds of things come up every now and again for Top. Like he's seeing something for the first time and a bit baffled by them. Not worried, not falling apart. Just taking it in, trying to figure it out.

A week or so ago, I did see the Top that got dropped off at my place at Christmas. I felt really bad for him. I had him tied outside his stall. I was grooming him, getting him tacked up to go to work. One of the girls that had had him came by. She was standing there talking. The longer she was there, the more antsy and upright Top became. He started to fidget. He was on hyper alert, head up, eyes huge. He would flinch when you touched him, or moved. I thought, what the hell is going on with you.

One of my students that helps out with Top was there. She says, "Wow, I haven't seen Top like this since you first got him. He's a mess." Of course rocket surgeon that I am I didn't make the connection for another five minutes. I put my hand on his haunch to move him over. Apparently he wasn't moving quickly enough for the previous owner. She steps forward and smacks him. He hops to the side with both hinds together, and blows a little through his nose. I think, 'great pour salt on the wound you moron'. Do I say that, oh hell no wuss that I am. I say, "He's fine, just give him a second. I'd rather have him think about what he's doing than rush and do the wrong thing."

Needless to say, no good work out of Top that evening. Big, blowing and rushing. Held through the back to the point the canter was pronky. Poor guy, really doesn't regroup well after he's spun. He is getting better.

This evening he relaxed enough that the canter lost the lateral quality while still on the lunge. I usually only get that quality of canter under saddle where I can 'help' him.

So, not this weekend but next I have another Carrie lesson. Actually I'm going to do two. One Saturday and one Sunday. We'll see if he can work at that level two days in a row. He really does much better up at Carrie's. Not once has he been the spin cadet he is at the barn in town. Even the first day we arrived there, and I tied him to the side of the trailer. He relaxed, kind of let down and let the air out slow and long. Interesting. The stables in town are really tough for him.

He's pretty good in town if there isn't a bunch of weirdness going on. It's not that activity bothers him. I've taken him to the roping arena. No problem. Ropes swinging, steers flying past him with horses right on their heels....no big. Barrel racers flying around the pattern, and sliding to stops near him, not a problem. So, what is the variable that cooks his brain in town?

Shikos Shadrack II

2009-04-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

When Shad was young I used to take him for walks. I didn't have a horse to pony him off of, so we would go for walks. Most of the walks were pretty uneventful...some were borderline scary. The first time a walk went bad, we were walking down a short stretch of curvy paved road, to get to the woods. There was a drop off, down into the trees. Shad was a yearling. An older beat up green truck was coming up the hill toward us. The truck slowed down, I thought they were being polite. As the truck got abreast of us...the driver honked the horn and gunned the engine. Scared the crap out of both of us. Shad jumped sideways and off the embankment we went. Steep with small trees. We got stopped, and had to half crawl/scramble up the embankment.

Well, I'm pissed. Scared and pissed. I take Shad home, put him up. I head into the house, and I'm rifling through the kitchen. The owner comes in and asks what's going on. I tell her the story. Then I tell her I'm looking for sugar, I'm going to go find this truck and put sugar in his gas tank. She kind of cocks her head, and says, "Why don't you use Karo syrup, it should have the same effect and there will be no tell tale signs of sugar granules." (Breeder is old enough to be by mom). I head out Karo Syrup in hand on the green truck search. I find what I'm pretty sure is the truck. I start to have second thoughts...like what if this really isn't the truck?

I head back to the house. She's waiting for me. "Did you find the truck?" I nod. "Did you put the Karo in the gas tank." I reply, "No, I was worried I could have the wrong truck." She starts to laugh at me. And tells me, she figured by the time I found the truck I would have come to my senses, whether it was the right truck or not. She put the Karo back in the cupboard.

Another time we were almost back to the house. Shad decided to have a fit and fall in it. He started leaping around on the paved road two blocks from the house. Has a big enough fit, he falls down. Scares, me. So, I'm cussing at him...checking him over to make sure he's okay. This guy is standing in his front yard watching this. He is smoking a pipe, has a close cut beard and glasses, and is looking down his nose at us. He says to me, "You know he's just being an animal." All superior, like I shouldn't be upset. So, I walk up to him, leading Shad and hand him the lead line and say, "Then you deal with him." The guy is now holding the very end of the rope, looking shocked and sort of panicked. Shad I swear can smell fresh meat. Puffs himself up, all archy looks this guy dead in the eye...and blows/snorts in his face. The guy looked like he was going to wet himself. I grabbed the lead line back and say, "Yeah, that's what I thought." Shad and I headed back off down the road. Shad is very pleased with himself...I tell him, "You are such a good boy." Ah, a partner in crime. How good does it get?

Shikos Shadrack

2009-04-05T00:20:00.000-07:00

I started to really understand the hot/sensitive issue in my mid to late 20's. I had a very hot, young Arab gelding. We struggled. I was unfair, and I'm sure incoherent to him for a long time. And he was tenacious, snotty and had a sense of humor. If you blew it, he punished you for days. Vindictive little shit.

I swear he had spacial intelligence. He'd flat creep you out sometimes with what he understood, and did. He disliked most people. He'd pick who he liked, and who he didn't. There was no mistaking what his feelings were. Mostly he was just disdainful of stupid people, and stupid behavior...pretty much like that his whole life. He was more civil about it with age though. (He learned that it was really not okay to chase people you don't like, or bite them, strike them or kick them).

I got him at 9mths old, I was I think the third or fourth owner. (Not a great recommendation). Shad was exquisite. Truly a beautiful horse. I was sure I was going to have a 15.2 or 15.3h Arab. His mother was a solid 15.2h, maybe bigger. Moira (Shad's dam) was very pretty. At 18mths Shad was 14.2h. At 10yrs Shad was 14.2 maybe 14.3h. lol

I met Shad when he was probably 3 days old. He already thought he owned the world. At an hour old he kicked the breeder with both hinds, and then turned and looked at her. He was a chestnut with two high white hinds, and a narrow blaze that dribbled off one side of his muzzle like melted ice cream. When he was really young, I swear he looked like a fruit bat. Giant eyes, tiny muzzle and very upright smallish ears that were tipped.

We got along pretty well from the beginning. I'd moved into the breeder's house, and part of my room and board was helping out. She had two stallions. One AQHA and one Arab. Both very nice boys. Shantar was Shad's sire. 14.2h sturdy stallion. Great mind, easygoing...pretty much happy with everything and everyone. Always the gentleman. The only time you'd seen him at all wound was when it was time to breed a mare. Then he was still Mr. Manners, just puffed up and a little talky. Oh, and he didn't like dogs. Dogs were open season as far as he was concerned. I was riding him bareback out LP land. We rode through a rural neighborhood. Now Shantar was a pretty cush ride...usually a hair too round. I see a St Bernard. Shantar strolls by like no big. I'm thinking, wow not even a snark face at the dog...we get about 3 feet past the dog, and Shantar drops, and wheels around snaking his head, and stomping his front feet. Old bastard nearly jiggled me off he was so round. His back kind of shifted and rolled with the motion. Scared the St Bernard, who was really just lying in his own driveway minding his own business. So, that would be the only thing I would fault Shantar on. Didn't like dogs.

Moira was Shikos Moira. Tall, elegant chestnut mare. She was later a pretty impressive endurance horse. She was one of the quiet, pleasant easy to work with mares. At the time I thought she was boring. See what you know at 22 or 23.

How two such lovely parents could spawn snotty Shad is beyond me. When he was little we called him 'His Nibs'. But boy he was flashy and pretty. Smart too. Learned really quickly, but was easily bored by routine. If he got bored, he'd find ways to entertain himself. He was a biter for awhile. If you smacked him for biting, he'd come back twice as fast again. Just to make sure you were serious I think. If he did anything naughty, he had to do it twice in rapid succession, testing you I think. That too passed over time...unless of course you were new.

So How's Your Day Going?

2009-03-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

Top seems to be truly over his cellulitis. Hopefully, I will find time to work and ride him tomorrow. Will have to see what comes up. Cat is home. Not exactly in the condition I expected. Okay, not at all in the condition I expected. She has a gash over her left eye that looks like it should have had a couple stitches, and has been healing for awhile. She is lame at the walk, and her feet look like hell. She is mentally a basket case.

I don't know how many re-treads this mare has in her. Of all horses to have it go bad for...shit. I'm pissed. My friend that had her has a ton on her plate at the moment, serious tough crap on her plate. It doesn't excuse the condition of my mare, but now is probably not the time to talk to her about it.

Cat is almost as worried as she was when I first got her. It took over 10 minutes to get her to stop hurrying away from me, stop and put a halter on her. Well, actually you don't put the halter on Cat. You stand at her left shoulder, open the halter and say..."Put your head in here." I have no idea how I'm going to get a bridle on. Yup, we're back to less than zero.

I had the chiropractor out and he adjusted her today. He was shocked at how lame, and the condition she was in physically as well as mentally. She was out all over the place. More of, 'where isn't she out'.

Hopefully, my farrier can get to her tomorrow. I asked if I should try and clean the feet up as best I could. Nope, he said leave him with as much to work with as possible. He usually says, yeah, go for it. I'm pretty decent at trims, but when I described her feet he was concerned.

She's moving better after the adjustment from the chiropractor. A little swing to her back, and some reach. I've never had this mare lame except for abcesses, sore feet, or when she took down the side of an old growth barn when I first got her, or the time a friend's mare kicked the crap out of her and cracked some ribs.

I'll have to write the story of why she bashed herself out of the barn another time.

Bobby - Ninja Kitty

2009-03-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

The kitty in the picture is my barn cat Bobby. You can't really get a feel for the size or solidness of Bobby from his picture. Bobby belonged to a woman I know. She paid some healthy amount for him, she's never said what. He is supposed to be part Bobcat. Don't know, he looks kind of like one, or just a really big Manx. He's raked like a muscle car, the hind end is higher than the front.

I guess it got to the point where she was worried walking through her house, wondering from where and when Bobby would leap out and attack her. Bobby ran away from home. She looked for him, couldn't find him. He showed up at the local dressage barn. Bobby did fine for awhile there, then he decided he should be the only kitty at the barn. Oh, and his attacking of DQ's was very frowned on. I guess he chased one kitty in front of a car and it died. He put another kitty's eye out, and beat another kitty up pretty bad. The DQ's were going to take him to the pound, or just off him somehow. They'd had it with him.

Elaine called me and asked if I wanted a barn cat. My son was 11 at the time. She tells me all his bad behavior, and how mean etc... Now I'm kind of worried, I don't want some vicious cat at my place around my kid. She says she doesn't think he's as bad as reported. So we borrow a kitty carrier. I'm wondering how to get this beast into the carrier. One lady at the barn that really likes him, puts him in. She recommends I do not leave him in the carrier. That I just let him out as soon as I get to my place. I'm thinking...oh he'll be gone, I'll never see him again.

Once at my place, with great hesitation I let him out. I've put down canned food and dry (they said he hated canned food and wouldn't eat it). He strolls out of the carrier and settles into the can of food. He now gets a can morning and night, plus dry food.

Well, Bobby does have some issues. If you're petting him and he's done he'll bite you. If flops over on his back showing you his tummy, and wriggles like "oh rub my tummy" don't do it, don't believe him. He will latch onto your arm like a boa, and then try to gut your arm with his hind legs. Yes, I have thrown this kitty (that semi panicked...ugh get off of me). Sad but true.

There have been a few incidents with Bobby. My neighbor came up to talk to me one day. Bobby strolls up. She starts backing away from him. She asks, "Is this your cat?" I really want to say, "No, why?" But no, I say, "Yes he is, why?" I guess he showed up at her house and attacked her. (Jerk, really bad form to go to someone's house and beat them up. Not allowed). They get along fine now.

Second incident. I had a mobile vet out to do acupuncture on Shad. Very easy going woman, kind, very kind to animals. Well, Bobby decides to hop into her motor home that is her traveling office with surgery and everything set up in it. Very cool set up by the way. She goes up to her all Mr. Nice. She pets him a few times, and he tags her. She shushes him off, and he goes out the door. Well, he comes back, with intent. He comes trotting up the steps...scopes out where she is sitting and launches himself at her. Hind and front legs splayed...air born. Just as he hits her leg, I grab him by the scruff of the neck, and hurl him out the door about 25 feet or so. He lands, gives me the 'hate you' look and walks off.

I now realize I have just hurled my cat 25+ feet through the air, in the presence of this very nice, touchy feely kind of vet. I'm thinking, great...she's going to think I'm some horrible animal abuser. I hesitate a moment before I turn back around and say, "Bobby's kind of different. If you don't get after him right away in a big way and stop it he gets worse." She is laughing, "Oh, I have one at home just like him. Manx too, but female...I'd of done the same thing." Whew bullet dodged.

Bobby's piece de la resistance was biting the judge's brother. I share my pasture and barn with a local Superior Court Judge. She would have her brother come up and feed for her. He would tease Bobby. My son even told him, don't tease Bobby, you'll make him mean. Well, this guy thought it was funny. He would palm the top of Bobby's head, and shake it and say, "See he's a tough guy he likes it." I said, "No, he doesn't you're going to make him mad. Don't tease my cat."

At the stable in town across from me is a local sheriff. Great person. Love her to death. There is an orange and white kitty there, Fenton. Fenton and the sheriff do not get along. I swear they have a running vendetta at each other. I think Fenton started it actually. When she pulls up in her truck, and gets out....Fenton hurries over and pees on her tires. She always say, "Do something about your cat." Fenton is not my cat, he just decided he would hang out in my tack room. He sprays in everyone elses. (He hasn't in mine, knock wood). I don't feed Fenton, he is not my kitty.

I get a call from Animal Control about my Cat. I assume it's my friend the sheriff messing with me, big joke etc... Then I hear 'cat bite'. So, I call. Yup, it's Bobby. He bit the judge's brother. The judge's brother ended up in the ER. I have to take a copy of Bobby's rabies certificate in to animal control. I get there, and tell them the story. The officer says, "Yeah, the guy is pretty embarrassed, he said he was teasing the cat. But all animal bites that end up in the ER have to be reported." Great. Bobby is on probation.

I later tell my friend the sheriff what happened and what I thought she'd done. She laughed, said if she had thought of it she would have done it Her response to the judges brother situation, "F-ing pussy. Kitty put him in the ER."

Top's Second Carrie Lesson

2009-03-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well, as soon as I get him away from the stable in town, he settles. He really likes it at the trainer's place. He still is sweaty when he comes out of the trailer, but he wasn't white foam this time. So, some improvement. He does not haul well. He goes right in as we're leaving, he does not want to get in to go home. And he kicks and bangs around most of the ride. UGH. But he comes out nicely. Odd, very odd. I think I'm going to make a point of arriving at least an hour early for my lesson. He needs the adjustment period, as well as the drying time. lol

I let him stand at the trailer for awhile. He was itchy and about rubbed his halter off his head. It was hanging by an ear. Medium was too small, large is too big. Crap. I groomed him for about 15-20 minutes. Lots of hair coming off. His brand is starting to show. Tacked him up, he is starting to get too round for the 22" girth (how sad is it that a horse that is between 16.1-16.2h can even fit in a 22" dressage girth). We're moving up to the big 24" girth. Woohoo. He's also starting to outgrow the 76" blankets, need to get him some 78" ones. Cami will be happy to have her clothes back, if they aren't totally destroyed.

I lunged him. No problems. Easy canter departs, no spooks, no jumps. Even started to relax and stretch over the topline. Big progress for tension boy. We were in the outdoor yesterday so I walked him around to look at things before my ride. Lots to see. He settled quickly.

I still had Teri stand by him while I got on. It seems to help both him and me. We strolled around for bit, then Carrie said, "Okay, pick him up, lets go." No problem, no resistance. We went back on the riding a diamond. Every time he'd get strong, lose his neck we'd halt. Hold until he gave, relax, and then walk again. Then we moved to the trot. He was going really nicely. Has a tendency to want to lean on the right leg, whether it's the inside or the outside. We discussed that. When he'd get too strong, or out of position, halt, hold till he gives, relax and move on. If he gets out of position at all, fix it at the halt then move on.

I was going to try and ride him through it as before, but Carrie said not too. That he couldn't take it, he had plenty of forward when on...that he need to stop, regroup and go again. Not a problem for me. lol I'm used to the...okay forward, don't let them do that, just ride through it, it will come. Not for Top. He's too insecure.

We pretty much had a handle on both our positions and we're feeling confident. We're going along at a really nice working trot, he's feeling all uphill and squishy, I'm loving it. Carries says, "And walk, now walk to canter departure." I said, "No." Carrie, "Walk to canter, now." Oh, just fine. Got my bad self organized, inside leg on, outside leg maybe 1/2" back and ask...it was beautiful. He departs from behind, and just strides into it. We both improved when I decided stretching up might be warranted. lol

The canter is clean with good jump in it. Really nice. Then canter to walk transition. I'd love to say it was the horse, but I dropped him on his head. It felt like falling off a cliff. I slammed down on his back. I felt bad, petted him told him, "Sorry Top, my fault." Then said so everyone could hear, "I guess it might be a good idea to ride the downward transition." We got better. He's a pretty good boy, I just need to ride him. You are always told, 'ride every stride'. Well, with Top, you ride every stride, no sloppiness allowed.

We were cantering along, and something in my hip popped. I suddenly sat alittle deeper, felt alittle straighter. So, I of course announce, "Something just popped in my hip, I can sit deeper." Carrie just shook her head. Back to up and down. He never quit me, unless I quit riding. If you're on, he's on. He does get a little heavy in the connection, but that may just be him. We'll see.

The pictures added are not of the Carrie lesson. They are older pics. I need to take some more pictures.

Top's Not Brave

2009-03-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

Last night when I went to work Top he was a total froot loop. He really struggles at the stable in town. The closer we got to the arena the more erect he became. Very tall, and very rigid in his posture. He even halted a few times in worry.

I realized he could see what was going on in the arena long before I could. Wannabes, rhythm ropes, horses faces cranked to their chests and other assorted horsey horrors. I swear the other horses were telling him, "Run away, you don't want to come in here. This is what they do to you, it's horrible, it's scary, it hurts."

The last time we'd worked in the arena he got a scare as soon as we entered. I saw a woman on her mounting block close to the nearest gate, so we went to the main double gate that was open to enter. I'm leading him in. We get about 15-20 feet from the woman on the mounting block. She goes to get on. She apparently hadn't fastened her cinch snug enough. The saddle spun as she was starting to swing a leg over. She has her spur hooked in her gelding's hip, trying to salvage/lever her way on. Scares the living crap out of Top, he's watching this, very erect with a look of horsey horror on his face. When she hit the ground tangled in the saddle and drawreins...he hopped backwards about 12 inches...all four feet in unison, neck arched looking at her.

Now, I'm a tad worried. This is not a young woman. She's 70 something. She works herself free...her horse has not moved a muscle this entire time. (I love her horse, young paint gelding. A true sweety, and a gentleman). She can't right the saddle. So, I have her hold Top while I loosen the girth a bit and shove it back into position, and snug it up. The young gelding never moved. He's a real trooper. I look over to her and Top. Top is standing with all four perfectly square, he has his body bowed away from her, head up, broke at the pole and cocked watching her very carefully. I'm hoping she doesn't move....just stands until I can get ahold of him. He was very unsure of her, and looked spring-loaded.

We go about our business. I lunge him...he goes decently. He watches/looks for her and the gelding often. But goes well enough. I'm about to get on, and more people enter, kids bonsai-ing around...I figured we were done for the day. As we are exiting the arena the woman is by her stall (about 30 feet from us) starting to dismount. She does it again, spins that saddle under the gelding's barrel and hits the ground. (I think, 'Oh just f*#k me'). She gets up, comes toward us saying, "I'm going to need you to fix that saddle again, I know I can't get it." Grabs Top's line. So I go over and fix the saddle again.

I'd made this big statement about a week before about how I wasn't going to be scooping her up off the arena anymore yadda yadda yadda. (Yeah big talk little white woman). Hey, I've know her for twenty years, she's always been nice to me. We may not see eye to eye on training techniques, but she is a nice woman, and I have to give her credit...she's still doing all this stuff. And she is my elder. There are things that are just ingrained into you that never leave, and respect for your elders is apparently one.

Last night he was a loon. Any canter depart on the lunge was a semi bolt...half the time both hinds together. Canter was terrible, lateral (left hind, and left front traveling in unison) and pronky. Assorted spooks, hops and little panic attacks. I'm thinking great, I am going to die tomorrow.

Cat Tales 4

2009-02-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

Well, after my dirt sample I shortened my stirrups a notch. Seemed prudent. She has never bucked me off since that day. I shut her down immediately. I know I can't ride that ass in the air, shove backwards move while she walks on her front end. What was that Dirty Harry movie where he says, "A man's got to know his limitations." Well, so does a woman. I remember telling both Sabrina and Sheri, "I can't ride that move. She can get rid of me." They didn't get it. They hadn't met a horse with a move they couldn't ride if they were paying attention at that point. Well, just boot her forward, spank her. Or just ride it out, she'll quit. Uh, no she'll buck my happy ass off, thank you very much. If she starts to rise in the back like she's going to go...I just have to make the mean, "aaaahhhh" sound. She quits now. It wasn't always that way.

Cat can be a real jerk about picking up the left lead some days. Don't know why, she'll grab the right and immediately change, just doesn't want to depart on the left. Other days, no big thing. Bad days she'll hunker down, run backwards, spin, just basically have a fit about it. Some years ago I was riding in the indoor at RA with Sabrina, and her mom was watching from the rail. I'm circling left, working on the left lead. I'd ask, she'd start to buck. I'd shut her down, pull her face into my knee, and kick her in a tight circle till she quit. Then go back and ask for the lead again. Sabrina watched this happen about three times. She's irritated. Say's, "Give her to me, let me ask her." Allrighty, Cat you is in big trouble. I'm concerned, but Sabrina's mom is pretty confident she'll be fine.

So, Sabrina gets on and asks for the lead departure to the left. Cat starts to buck. I'd been riding with 8' split reins, Sabrina picks up those reins, and starts to spank her in an over and under motion on the haunches, and kicking. Cat stuffs her head and starts to go for it hard. They are making a lap around the perimeter of the arena. Oh yeah, that mare can buck, bronc bawl and all. They make a complete lap, Jeanne (the mom) says, "I don't know if she's going to be able to stick this much longer". Hey a minute or so of full on bucking is exhausting, it seems like an eternity. I'm thinking great, she loses this round we're all hosed. At about that moment Cat gives it up. Comes to a halt, and just blows...letting out all the tension. Sabrina says, "Okay, sweety, let's try that again." Boom, canter depart on the left, no problem. Cat can still be sort of a pill about the left, but nothing like she was. And she's never seriously bucked since that day. It is not a method I would recommend, except as a last resort, and you better be riding.

What did Sabrina say, "Holycrap my abs are sore."

Sheri has since met a horse with a buck she can't sit. She says, "About every six months like clockwork he just hammers me. I get what you meant". He's scary though, he'll come back and stomp on you while you're down. That's another story though.

Sabrina? I don't think she's met the horse yet. We all seem to sooner or later though. I watched her on a scurry run with her old horse Cowboy (amazing horse). He bobbled, or tripped, it popped her out of the saddle over the first scurry jump. Her right foot is stuffed behind the cantle of her barrel saddle, bent at what looks to be a pretty uncomfortable angle, it looks wedged, she still has a pole turn, and two jumps. They didn't even slow down, and ran clean. Yeah, she's crazy, but not as crazy as Sheri. lol

Laptop What is the Truth?

2009-02-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

My boss has a phrase that I really like. When trying to figure out a claim, or just dealing with human beings on a daily basis, "There's your side, my side, and the right side." We all look at situations through our pretty subjective views or filters. It can be tough to be objective.

I get one story from one party, and a very disimilar story fromt he other. There are pieces to the story that match from both parties. Good start, right?

I had originally heard the owner that gave the horse to the girl I got him from couldn't afford him. Was afraid of him. That the first time she saw the girl and the horse, the girl was getting bucked off. That the horse was more of a 'goofy Arab' than a WB. He was spooky, and fearful. That you had to be on the aids. That he was very thin, and in overall bad condition when she got him.

So here is the first email from the girl.

>>Emily probably told you she contacted me about Laptop. It sounds like you are the one for him. I'm so happy! I have been so concerned because I have not been able to get ahold of Robin this whole time and a few months ago I got a stange email from someone saying Laptop was couped up all the time. I was so worried but I knew my gut feeling about Robin was right and that she knows horses, especially ones like him (sensitive). I am so excited that he is in the right hands. I normally don't get rid of animals but I just couldn't afford him. Are you here in Humboldt with him or out of area? If you don't mind I would love to come see you ride him sometime. I don't mind if you'd like some time to get used to him though. How is he? Robin said she could get him more secure or find someone else who could make him a less nervous boy. I guess that's you! I'll forward you the email I sent Emily that has some of his background info that I am aware of. Talk to you soon. By the way, in the video on youtube I had a very severe bit in his mouth. I had left my kimberwik at home and only had my stepdad's western bit. I didn't usually ride him in that. <<

Okay that explains the bit, and possibly the hands.

Then I asked what the true story was, if he had lameness issues etc...

>>Wow, it seems like Robin hasn't been very honest with you and it doesn't seem like he was well cared for. Thank god he's out of there now. Ok here's the deal with Laptop. Years ago now, Rudy Leone owned him and sold him to a young girl. He came back to Rudy absolutely terrified to jump from any long distant, I mean terrified! The only way to get him to jump was to beat him through a course. I worked for Rudy and started riding Lap every day because no one else wanted to. Very slowly he and I bonded and he started jumping again. We literally started with ground pole courses and worked up very slowly. I got him jumping but he was still unsellable as a reliable jumper so Rudy gave him to me. When I left there I took him to my mom's where he became the leader of their 7 horse herd on a 200 acre ranch with endless trails leaving the property in all directions. He is an incredible trail horse and he loves it! My stepdad checked his heart rate once on a long ride and even the fit arabs they were with couldn't compare to Lap's (obviously his lung capacity is bigger though). I sent him to a training stable near the bay area for a woman a little better than beginner to try him out with her trainer to buy. He proved too much for her and apparently bucked her off. I have never seen the horse buck in my life! If he was bad it was never a buck, often a spin when he spooked (ALWAYS to the left) but never a buck. They had him vetted and found arthritis, I think in his left hock?. I talked to many people who said what horse, or person for that matter, doesn't have some arthritis. He has never shown any lameness in my experience, never even one off day. We got him back from that stable and I brought him up here with me when I moved but couldn't afford board and shoeing while I'm in school and paying rent, etc. I rode him on the trails up here where we saw multiple bears and one time came face to face with a roaring dirt bike. I was terrified because we could hear it before it came around the corner but Lap was soooo good and didn't do a thing. I think he was in shock but he didn't spin which he would normally do, watch out for that but maybe Robin got him to stop that. He used to be an extremely insecure horse (dripping sweat out of the trailer or even on a very low key ride) and would spin, to the left, for any and every reason, even if nothing seemed to be scary. Robin said she knew she could get him through that though and sounds like she did. Yes, he needs to eat A LOT. I am sad to hear he was thin and needed floating. He was in great condition when I gave him to her and his feet were good too. I guess I gave him to her 6 months ago or so. I had him on Grand H.A. Synergy powder supplement. Through my research I found that one to be the best for joints. <<

Okay, so this is a pretty good summary of what I see in the horse. He is not unknown to her. She knows his issues, and truly seems concerned about him. When I spoke to her on the phone she seemed very relieved, especially when I told her she was welcome to come and see him anytime. She got rid of him because there was no way she could work, go to school and financially support this horse. It seems like she was being a responsible horse owner, she was trying to find a home for her horse before he was thin and neglected. So, why the song and dance from the other girl. Why the misinformation? Every time one of her dire predictions about this horse is proven wrong she'll switch it and say, "I told you he was fine. He can do this, and this, you know he has tempis....." WTF? When did she say this. Well, I'll know in a month or so if he has tempis. lol

Laptop 9 Things Are Not What They Seem

2009-02-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

After my lesson with Carrie I was thinking this horse was not what he was reported to be. So, I started to do some searching. Blueheron also started to search. Well, he was a Hunter. Had been ridden by kids. Okay, not exactly the froot loop, dangerous type, right? So, why I was wondering all the dire warning about this horse. He's nervous, he's unpredictable, he spooks, he bucks, he bolts etc... Things just weren't making sense for me.

Blueheron watched the YouTube video again. Decided she would register, and try and contact the person that had posted the video. The response from the previous owner was almost immediate. She had been worried about him. She had repeatedly tried to get a hold of the girl I got him from. Never got a response. Odd, don't you think? If someone had given me a horse I would answer any questions they had. Ask them to come out and see him anytime.

Blueheron forwarded me the girls response.

>>I am so happy to finally hear from someone about Laptop. I gave him to Robin awhile back and have not been able to get ahold of her since, her phone is always off. I have been worried about him as he is a sensitive guy but am so glad to hear he is doing well. Thank you so much! I was given him by Rudy Leone, a very high level hunter/jumper trainer in Sacramento. I was given Laptop because I was the only one who could get him to jump. It was thought that he had a traumatic experience with a young girl who had bought him and then sent him back to Rudy. He refused to jump and was a completely different horse when he returned to Rudy's. He trusted me but was unsellable as a jumper because of his inconsistant jumping. Laptop was also owned and shown by John French, another very high level rider, before Rudy owned him. I trail rode Laptop a lot and he was amazing at it, far outdid any Arab. The least spooky he has ever been so I hope he has a chance to be out of the arena sometimes, but probably not. I had him at a stable in the bay area for awhile with a trainer who was trying to sell him for me but apparently he bucked a woman off. He has never bucked me once in the entire time I rode and owned him. Robin mentioned that they could have been holding his head in too tightly and he couldn't breathe or something else because it is so not like him to be a jerk. Insecure maybe but not a jerk. Anything else you can tell me about how he is doing I would really appreciate it. I wish Robin would have let me contact her just to know he is alright.<<

So this does not sound like a derelict owner. Or someone that just was dumping a horse. I had Blueheron give the girl my email address. She contacted me right away.

HMMM...the plot thickens. What's real? Right.

Laptop 9...How'd You End Up Here?

2009-02-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqYl9_PFJxQ

Okay this is the video of Top, one of my students found it on YouTube. I am really curious as to how he fell so far, so fast. I watched the video again today, and really observed what was going on in it.

This is not to offend either of the riders in the video...except for whoever thought a gag bit with a shank (elevator bit?) was needed for this horse. Both riders have terrible hands. The first rider in the video comments how he is so light mouthed. Uh...honey that isn't light, that's self preservation. Compounded with the fact the you ride with puppy paws, which makes a far stronger, less forgiving hand bothers me. The second rider needs to quit levering her butt out of the saddle off the horse's mouth. I would put you both on lunge lines without reins to work on your seats. An independent seat doesn't just happen, you have to work for it. I'm still working on it, will be for life. It's a never ending process folks.

Neither rider is steady in their connection. So they are in and out, banging into his mouth. I'd rather see a little too strong, than this in and out. Either pitch him, or keep the connection. You say he's not 100% sure. How can he be? You aren't giving him a secure consistent place to go. He can't trust you, so he's looking for where he's supposed to be and you are rarely in the same place to meet him. That's what all the in and out, wiggle left, wiggle right, what the hell are you asking for is. And he looks off on his right hind. Why are you riding a horse that is off? Or is everything just so unsteady he looks off?

I took Laptop to a lesson with a trainer I haven't been to in a few years. I really enjoy this instructors teaching style, always have. I didn't realize it had been that long since I'd been to Carrie Harnden. I've already booked my next lesson.

I'll have to admit I was pretty nervous taking him, after only being on him twice. Once just sitting, the other riding. The second time riding I was in a large 250 x 300+ arena. Alone, nobody else up there. Okay, so not brilliant. He seemed a little tight, time bomb feeling at first. So I went to long and low, trying to get him to stretch down and relax. Well, something got him, his head popped up, and he started to scoot. Was like riding a giant inverted Arab. We went to a smaller pen after that. lol Oh, what bit am I riding him in? A loose ring french link. He's fine in it.

I'd messed up my ride time, so I was an hour and a half early. Which actually worked out really well. Top got out of the trailer, sweaty and white foam. Not such a great hauler I guess. After we arrived I pulled his blanket off, brushed him and we went for a walk. Just checking out the place, and what was going on. He snorted a little on the way down the hill to the indoor arena. Other than that, pretty casual boy. We watched the end of one lesson, and the beginning of the next. Between lessons, I took him over to graze. He thought this was a splendid place to roll. So he rolled all the way over twice, and wiggled and scrubbed his face in the grass. Happy, happy boy. We went back and watched more of the lesson. After 10 minutes or so, we head back up the hill to my trailer. I tie him up, and brush him again, and tack him up. I lead him down with my lunging equipment, and an extra bridle, and the (just in case) German Martingale.

Carrie tells me to bring him in and walk him around while the other lesson is finishing, so he can get used to the place. He's fine. Curious, but not worried. Taking in the sites. He likes Lazy L, a lot. I swear he had this attitude of, "Well about time. This is more like it." Big indoor arena, great footing, sane, pleasant laughing people...woohoo. lol

I'm a little nervous after the horror stories I've heard about this horse. Thinking I've gotten off easy with my inverted bolt across the arena. (He did shut right down from his bolt, but he held the time bomb feeling). I tell Carrie I'd like to start from scratch with lunging and progress from there. She's fine with that. Tells me to hook up the balancing reins like I usually do with him, and just proceed like normal. He's great. Walk, trot, canter both directions. Had nice tempo, good quality to the gaits. Only a couple yahoo canter transitions, but what the hey, I'm feeding the crap out of him.

Carrie says he' looks fine. I should get on. I'm hesitant. For 24hrs I've been working myself up to an anxiety attack on this deal. The girls I got him from had said the previous afternoon, "You're going to take him? Are you sure? You've only been on him twice. You better lunge the crap out of him before you go." Great, real confidence builder girls.

Carrie can see I'm not wanting to do this at all, let alone in front of an audience. She looks at me, cocks her head and asks, "What is going on? You ride hotter horses than this. You own hotter horses than this. Get on." I make my friend Teri walk down to the mounting block with me to hold him, and give me that added confidence. (If I didn't say it before....THANK YOU TERI). I get on. He's fine, tense but fine. We walk back to the other end of the arena. Carrie has me ride a diamond. After I finally figured out where the lines of the diamond were, we did pretty good (hey I'm the goober in a lesson one day that tried to serpentine M-X-K, for those of you not familiar with a dressage court, that's a straight line across the diagonal). The quieter and steadier you are, the better he his.

He was well liked at the lesson. The other ladies thought he was nice, and shouldn't be a problem. Somebody trained this horse. Somebody did do a nice job with him. It's just going to take some time to get his confidence back.

He's still about 150lbs underweight. I've put close to 100 on him. His feet are looking much better, two trims in now. He's had his teeth done and been wormed twice. Now, truly I think it's just groceries and time.

Cat Tales 3

2009-02-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

After the initial ride I rode Cat a few more times. Hated it. Kept thinking there had to be a way to lighten this mare up to the aids. I didn't want to go to a crop, or spurs, or a bigger bit. But she was a miserable ride. So, being the adult I am, I threw her out in the field for another six months. I'd look at her, groom her, have her feet done, etc. All the while she's relaxing more, not being such a schizo. Still has her moments, but getting better. I'd look at her and think, 'gawd I can't believe I bought this horse.'

Still to this day when you halter her, call her so she comes to you, open the halter wide and tell her, "Put you head in here." She dunks her nose into the halter, and you flip the tail over her neck, and quietly fasten it. Don't hurry, don't reach your hand up quickly. If you do, she's likely to come off the ground in the front, and fly backwards. Then she's snorty and big eyed, and you have to start the process all over again.

One day I'm working in the barn. I look up and my toddler is gone. Stealth boy. Every mom knows that sudden clutch, frozen inside feeling. I can hear him humming. So I walk out of the barn, and there he is, with psycho Cat. She has her head down, and he's giving her head a full body hug, rocking side to side, humming to her. I now feel like I'm going to be sick. I don't want to startle Cat. I also don't want this to continue. So, from the barn walking slowly I ask, "What ya doin?" He stops, turns his head to look at me, still holding Cat's head with a big smile, "I'm singing to Cat. She's my horse." Great. Great combo, she's 3 and half or 4, he's 2 and a half or 3. Oh, my personal nightmare.

He pats her between the eyes, and comes towards me, she follows him. She really likes him. I think it's probably a safe bet it wasn't a kid that cooked Cat. She loves him to this day. When they were both a little older he'd ride her. He'd have to kick and kick to make her go. If he got off balance, she'd halt. The first thing I tell adults that get on her, "Stay off her mouth, stay off her sides." She's not as forgiving with grown-ups.

This incident was enough to light a fire under me, to get busy on fixing this filly. We start really slow. Still having to untie her to put a saddle on. First order of business is to fix the walk, and lighten the rein aids. I'd take a contact in one rein. When she'd give, even a hair, I'd drop the rein...and I made it a point, almost tossing it on her neck. Pretty soon I was releasing as soon as I felt her even start to give. She got lighter and lighter. To keep her moving in the walk I'd squeeze, as soon as I got any response, I'd take my leg off. It was like popping the clutch on a car at first, but got better. It took six months of work before I got a swinging walk on a loose rein. Then we started on the trot, that had been this little shuffling jog. She still prefers a hair of contact in the trot. Which is fine by me. I don't think they did much canter work, it was pretty much fine. Except to the left. She was an absolute hag about picking up the left lead. Bucking nasty about it. I'd have to shut her down, make a circle and ask again. Odd, she's better to the left. You just gotta wonder sometimes.

So, I'd been riding her for about a year. A few of us decide to go trail riding. Sheri needs a horse. Yanki was off, and someone else was going to ride Splash. So, she gets Cat. Cat still isn't going the greatest. Sheri likes a horse that walks out, and is higher octane. Cat is still just kind of starting to get it together, and a new rider knocked her back a few steps. By the end of the ride Sheri is irritated, and frustrated. She says, "This mare is never going to be any good, what a stupid horse." Oh, throw that gauntlet. I say she'll be fine. Something along the lines of you'll be surprised when she's done. I think Sheri actually snorted. (Nice friend. lol)

I start hauling to an indoor in the evenings with my friend Karen during the week, and hitting the roping arena on the weekends. Karen's mom is a really good barrel racer. So, we start pattern-ing Cat. Just going slow, you know perfect practice and all that.

Well, I decide to take her to the first gymkhana of the season. She feels a little twitchy. I tell Sabrina she feels like she wants to buck. Sabrina poo-poos me. Okay, first event of the day is barrels. So Cat and I take it in a long trot, midway between the first and second they say something over the loudspeaker, and it crackles. Her head pops up, she then sees all the horses along the fence, and people sitting on the fence...and just breaks in two. I have my stirrups too long (like equitation length) a french link ring snaffle in her mouth, and I'm trying to pull her head up, while reaching for my stirrups. She snaps again, lands on her front end, ass in the air and shoves backwards with her head down.....and I'm outta there. I hit the ground so hard. She takes off flying around the arena. I tell the guys that are trying to help not to chase her, they'll just scare her more. Sabrina walks into the arena and yells, "Cat, come here." She looks up, sees Sabrina and flies over to her. Sabrina (another nice friend) says, "Did they scare you sweety?"

I come walking up to get my horse. Sabrina is trying not to laugh. Asks if I'm okay. I nod yes. She starts cracking up, "Man that mare can buck. I hope my mom got that on tape." Yup, love you too Sabrina. Her mom did get it on tape. Oh, Sabrina's mom was the breeder, by the way.

So that evening at dinner, I get to watch slow motion, frame by frame my buck-off. Sabrina saying things like, "Look, look there you were already done for, she already had you. Right there" Pause tape. I'd nod. "I don't know how you made it to the next jump....but then you were off." And watch it again, just in case we missed something relevant. This is all very educational you know. "Hey are you sore, you're probably going to be pretty sore tomorrow."

Cat Tales 2

2009-02-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

My friend and the crazy people make the deal to swap Cat for Leggs (TB mare). Their trainer, thinks Cat is sweet, and of course she'll be a great dressage horse. Mmmmm K. Can anyone here say 'job security'. The term 'unscrupulous bitch' also comes to mind.

Three months later I get a call from the mom. It's close to midnight (clue #1). She tells me their dog needs surgery, the vet wont do it without cash up front. They need to sell Cat right now. They knew I liked her so they thought of me first (clue #2). I tell them I don't have $3500-$5000 for this filly right now. She asks me how much I have on hand. I tell her I have like $500. She says that's fine, she'll take $500 (giant clue #3). I have to come and get her by the weekend though (it's Wed), oh and she wants cash.

I am to meet her at her house. I can pick up Cat's papers, and the file on her vaccines, and trims etc. Oh, and bring cash. So, I do as she asks. Ask her if she's going to follow us out to the barns. Nope, it will just be too upsetting for her. She wouldn't be selling her if it wasn't such an emergency. So, this is all feeling pretty weird to me now, well even weirder.

My friend (the breeder) and I head out to RA to go take a look for Cat. I can't find her. My friend spots her right away. The only way I recognize her is her half white eyelashes over one eye. This is not the same filly that was delivered just over three months before. My friend is almost in tears.

I'm at a loss. I can't believe this is the same horse. I exhale, and push my bangs off my face with my right hand. It scares Cat so bad, she flies backwards and hits the back wall of the pen. The pen is 32' deep. I'm standing 3-4 feet on the outside of the pen.

Cat's hip bones are hanging out, you can count every rib. She's stocked up on all four. Has dried crusted sweat all over her, and she's lame. Fabulous. My son is tiny, 2 at this time. I'm thinking there is no way I can do this. I tell my friend, that I'm not sure I can do this at this time. She says, just take her. Please get her out of here. If it doesn't work out, I'll make it good somehow. Okay, she can go be a pasture ornament. What the hell, right.

So I take her home. I call the vet. Yup, she's lame. Sore tendon, no rips or tears. He figures it's bruised. What was making her really appear lame, was they had done her feet 4 times in three months. She had no feet, and the soles were paper thin and horrible bruised. I have no idea what the hell they were trying to do. Cat has a slight rotation on the left front (worse after their spectacular foot care). The leg is straight, it rotates up high, it's like she holds that elbow in, she travels straight.

Fast forward 2 months. Her weight is looking pretty good, she's sound. I have my friend Sheri meet me up at my place. Figure I should have someone there for the first ride. You know, just in case. They told me they'd been riding her, and she was fine. I have Sheri hold the lead, while I tack her up (she was the set back queen when tied, I think she broke 5 halter and leads before I switched to hope halters, with no hardware). I still have one halter with the ring that's bent where you hook the lead. I groom her, and put the saddle pad on. Her back raises, and she gets big eyed. Sheri gives me the look, and says, "She's broke?" I say, "Yes, they said she's broke, that's she's fine. Give it a rest." Sheri loathes these people. I put the saddle on, reach underneath her to grab the girth. As soon as the girth just brushes her belly she catches three feet in the air off all four. I grab, and steady my saddle. Sheri looks at me all calm, with the rope still loose and says, "Yeah, she's broke." I think I said something really deep and meaningful like, "Up yours."

So I lunge her a couple circles, and she seems fine. So I get on. She hardly moves. You have to have a 40lb pull on the reins, and your legs on like a vice. Then she can walk (sort of) with a tiny stride. If you release any pressure, from leg or rein she wanders and halts. Lovely.

Cat Tales

2009-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

When I first saw Cat she was a suckling. Very pretty baby. Huge butt, and huge eyes. Very cute. She and her dam belonged to a friend. I said something about her being a nice looking baby, my friend said, "Yeah she is." Oh, this was looking like a keeper for them. I said "Well if you think about selling her, I'd be interested." My friend laughed at me and replied, "I bet you would."

Well, two and a half, three years later a woman I knew wanted to get rid of her 10 year old TB mare. This mare was gorgeous. The woman had to have her for her 10 year old daughter. This was not a child's horse. She was a wonderful horse, very well trained, good manners, and brave. She was also an Intermediate Level Eventer. Not a kids horse...k. I had advised these people, not to buy this mare. I hadn't seen her, but didn't think a horse that jumped 5', and could keep up with the big boys on a cross country was a great candidate for a spoiled 10 year old. A kid that always blamed her horse when things didn't go as planned. The kid was hard on horses, unfair and mean. (She grew out of it, and is now embarrassed if you bring up her past behavior).

I was there the day the hauler delivered the mare to the barn. When he unloaded this mare, she took my breath away. She was an absolutely beautiful, exquisite mare, in her prime, black bay, refined, uphill, super fit and just glowing with health. The woman asked if I thought she looked okay. Good lord, the woman had no clue how special this mare was. I later found out, the mare had belonged to a woman that trained and had a eventing/dressage barn, (I'd shown at this woman's place small world, huh?). The horse was her daughter's. The daughter wasn't doing what she was supposed to, or paying much attention to the mare, so the trainer/mom sold the horse.

After the mare had been there for a week, they asked if I'd ride her. There was a jump course set up. The mare felt pretty good, responsive and quiet. So, I thought what the heck and started the course. This mare made me feel, and look like a genius. I swear she counted her own strides between jumps. Never hurried, she'd land a jump and calmly look for the next. Way cool horse. The woman asked if I thought the mare was tough to handle, that their trainer didn't like her. Their trainer has beautiful equitation, looks great in the saddle. She is however, one of those strongly on the aids riders. Legs clamped on, and a very strong contact...more pulling than contact. I don't think this was a good mix for this light sensitive mare.

After awhile this family decided the TB mare was crazy. The mare was not crazy, the people were. I took my friend to see this mare, as a potential broodmare. The woman goes to get the mare out of the stall. Mare is quiet, comes out of the stall quietly, sees the green grass and gives a little tug to get to the grass. The woman screeches, throws the lead rope at me, and yells, "Take her, take her, you take her!" Both the mare and I are looking at this woman like she's nuts.

My friend likes the mare. Wants to know more about her. So we hunt down the trainer. I ask the trainer some questions about the mare. The trainer dislikes her...a lot. I asked what the mare did. The trainer responds, "She ran backwards and sideways with me." So, I'm waiting for the rest of it...expecting to hear that she reared up, slammed her into the arena fence, fell down...something. When no further explanation came I say, "And?" The woman gives me a nasty look and says, " I feared for my life, I will never ride her again." Allrighty. Okay so in my mind I'm thinking 'you fuckin pussy, how can you call yourself a trainer'? (I'm a much kinder person now, I'd just think...oh you freaken wuss).

My friend still likes the mare, even after hearing how horrible, dangerous loco'd she is. (Yes they used the term loco'd) Yup, we're on the nor cal coast, no loco weed here folks. My friend wants Elaine to look at her before she decides. The people haven't set a price, so we're kind of up in the air. Elaine's comment when she sees the mare..."Load her up."

Turns out, they want to swap the TB for a young horse that they can have trained. My friend has quite a few young horses, some started some not. So, we're pointing out the horses more suitable for dressage, and some hunt classes. I'm pushing George, big 2.5 year old, flat muscled, good mover, and super kind and easy going. They don't like George because he's a funny color. He's a bay roan...he's a silvery lilac color through part of the year. I think he's beautiful.

The mom asks me what horse I like. I say I like Cat, but she's not a dressage prospect. She's more of a working cow type horse, and she's kind of fast twitch. Oh no, I'm wrong....she'll be a great dressage horse. They must have her. Cat is 3 at this time, has 30 days on her. Doesn't the mare in the picture look like a smokin dressage horse to you all? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Tying-Up

2009-02-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

Last night on my way home I get a call from a student. She is riding a guy's horse for him. He doesn't have time, or like this horse as much as his others. This is a young quarter gelding. I think he's five. He's a good looking halter type horse. No, not my cup of tea, but a really nice looking horse just the same. She calls, because she was looking for a tube of bute paste. By the time I could call her back, she had already located some. She needed the bute to give to this horse she's been riding. The horse has been tying up. This was the third episode this week.

I'm horrified. The third time in a week? I asked he what the owner said. "Oh, he said to just give him some bute, he'll be fine. He always does this." I asked if she called the owner. "Yes, but the only contact number I have is his cell, and it's always turned off."

Now, I'm pissed. This is a reoccurring problem. He hasn't had a vet pull blood. He hasn't tried to see if it's nutritional, or genetic. The horse is in pain. The horse is often nasty cranky-mean. (Oh gee, I wonder why?) He looks off on his right hind....I don't know if he's off, or just stiff, bound up. Well, that would be off too, wouldn't it.

So, I'm going to be hunting this owner to have a discussion, if he ever gets his happy ass out to the barns. He's gotta check on his horses once in awhile, right?

Oh, and he has a young stallion at home, that he wants to breed. Same lines, same dam as the gelding that is tying up. Seems like it might be a real good idea to find out what is causing the tying up in the horse's siblings...ya think?

So, I told my student that when she got home she was to look up tying-up/rhabdomyolysis online. Not just what one of us morons with a blog has to say, genuine veterinary information. Okay, aside from the muscle damage, and the toxins etc...tying-up is painful. That poor horse hurts. Ever had one of those cramps in your calf you can't get rid of? Think of your whole body like that.

2009-02-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I forgot I had this blog. So, I'm going to start using it. I'm going to start with posts regarding Top (aka Laptop 9). My latest rescue horse. He's a 16.2h Oldenburg gelding. Bay with 4 white socks. One of my students had rescued him. She and her girlfriend had spent some time with him, and had put quite a bit of weight on him. He still needs about 100lbs. I had a 16h 5 year old buckskin paint. Jasper was a starving and abuse case. He has some real issues. He was coming along pretty good, but still pretty unpredictable. I knew that I had to re home him sooner rather than later because I have a ten year old student that goes through his paddock at least once a day. Jasper had been there for close to two months. Everyday the wheelbarrow with food goes through his paddock with hay, and comes back empty to the barn. This is every day twice a day. I was in the barn watching my student wheel out the food, feed and as she is coming back with the empty wheelbarrow, Jasper spooks. He spooks so hard he hits the ground. All because he saw a wheelbarrow. Oh, not good with kids around.

A few days later I'm talking to my on again off again student. I'm telling her about Jasper. She says, that she really likes him. We go over all his issues. I'm baffled that she likes the horse, but okay. I ask her if she wants him. She asks how much? I tell her I've just started one of mine. If she'll just ride her to walk, trot, canter we have a deal. She's shocked, asks "Is that all? That's it?" Uh yeah. Nothing fancy, just time on the filly, no hurry. Deal.

Well, they have Laptop. They hate Laptop. (poor guy) They don't have room for Jasper, until Laptop gets a new home. Okay, no big. Call me when you find Laptop a home. So a month or so down the road, one of the girls calls me. Asks, so do you want Laptop? Uh, not really, why? Well, we can't seem to get rid of him, and we don't have a spot for Jasper until he's gone. So, if you'll take Laptop, we can take Jasper. Lets see...hmmmm? Psycho paint gelding, that runs backwards kicking at other horses, through a fence. Falls down when scared? Or an underweight WB, that has issues with manners, and being a giant Arab? HMMM....Yeah, I'll take the WB.

They picked Jasper up in the morning, and dropped Top off in the afternoon.

Laptop is a huge goober. OMG. He has no herd sense. Cant walk without sliding if it is slick at all. I find myself calling him Dork Boy. How terrible is that. I say things like, "Hey sweetie, hows my dork boy." He's all big doe eyes, happy to see you.

I had him in my small pen (100' x 150') across the fence from my horses for 3 weeks. I had everybody out of the field except Cami. Since Cat is at Sabrina's, Cami is queen at the moment. So, I catch Top, lead him into the pasture. I take him over to meet Cami. They greet, smell noses are quiet and seem fine. Cami walks a little ways off and starts to graze. So, I stand there holding the lead, letting Top graze. We do this for 5 or so minutes. I then unclip the lead, and he continues to graze for another 5 to 10 minutes with me standing there. Suddenly his head pops up, he looks around, sees Cami and runs towards her at full tilt. Scares the crap out of Cami who takes off. Now he isn't running after her like he's chasing her to be mean. He's running after her like he's trying to catch up. Cami is flying...she runs up to the barn, sits, slides does a rollback and is out of there. Top right on her heels tries to duplicate the move. You know, big warmbloods really don't rollback like a cutting bred qtr horse. He fell down so hard. Hopped up, looking surprised, and right back after Cami. I call Cami, and she runs over and hides behind me. Top comes trotting up and stops right in front of me, looking at me, "so, what are we gonna do now?" I clipped the lead line back on, and said you're going back in the pen. I then grabbed my 20 year old qtr mare, and put her in with him for manners and company.

He still makes goo goo eyes at Cami whenever she's around. He thinks she's beautiful.

fuglyhorse blog

2007-06-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

WoooHooo...finally someone willing step up and tell the truth. I adore fugly horse blog.