Friday, August 22, 2008

Nope, not dead, just busy!

I've been busy and so the VLC's only been getting ridden about once a week, although we did have a super nice ride in the french link happy mouth bit I borrowed. He definitely prefers that bit, as many of you predicted! I am not taking him to the SAFE show because (a) they don't have any stalls and I don't think that's a good first show situation for him and (b) they decided not to allow stallions. We will find another schooling show for him to go to in the next month or so. However, as you can see from this (admittedly crappy cell phone pic), he continues to be, um, not exactly a wild and crazy guy. (The misty effect is my friend's finger...LOL!)




The new plan was to take Honey to the show, but I have noticed Honey's back bothering her and the vet
determined yesterday that he'd like to see her get an adjustment before we proceed with any further under-saddle work. Karen came and picked her up and I did climb on her with a halter and lead rope bareback and show her how quiet her OTTB was now. Honey is such a sweetheart!

The nice thing is that she will have a home with Karen no matter what her physical issues are. My vet suspects an old pelvic or hip fracture as she flexes a little sore on the ankle (what I thought was the problem) but very sore when she is flexed "high" to stress the hip/pelvic region. He also felt she had some arthritis in her neck (she does have an obvious old neck injury, with visibly asymmetrical muscle development). She trots out sound without
weight and a little off with weight, but I noticed her getting sore toward the point of the hip and we decided to have her examined. I'm glad we did, and I hope that a chiropractor can help her be comfortable and happy for some light trail riding, which is all Karen would like for her to be able to do.

Bessie goes home on Tuesday and the plan is to give her a break until the baby's weaned and then resume training in October. She is steady as a rock to ride - just needs further education about what the aids mean. Her former owner is theorizing that she may have been packed with, which actually makes a lot of sense as she has no reaction to the girth or anything that you do on her or anything that happens around her. (The last time I rode her, several cats bolted through the round pen. She couldn't have cared less. She is a superstar!) However, as one of my roomies pointed out, dead deer don't use leg aids. Nope, guess they don't. That really would explain a lot of her mysterious training level - bombproof to ride, but totally uneducated! Her filly Libby got halter broke this last week and is learning to lead. She was not thrilled at first, but learns quickly and is figuring out giving to pressure very well.

Bullwinkle also got halter broke, but he is pretty disgruntled right now. Of course, he also got shots and weaned and his first trailer ride and I think the combination of all of those things have fried his furry little mind. He is on his way to his new life and I'm very happy for him!



With horses leaving, another project has arrived. Casper is a three year old APHA filly that was rescued and given to Cowgirl Spirit Rescue Drill Team. She has matured incredibly over the summer - she was a classic example of something that might have chronologically been old enough to ride, but one look told you she just wasn't there yet. Now she has filled out and looks ready to carry a rider. Since Casper is small and Juliane feels too tall on her, I'm taking over her training. She has had 3 or 4 rides on her and has been very cooperative so far. She's great about most things and has already attended a couple of CSRDT events as a "spokeshorse" for the rescue! This one is going to be a lot of fun. I'm not sure what her niche is going to be yet, but we will find out.



I also climbed on another old broodie this week to evaluate her under saddle. Well, she's not old, she's only ten. She's had some very nice babies but was also a sweetheart to ride - despite the fact that she most likely has no post-track training, she rode off very quietly and even stood motionless for me to mount. Also, no herdbound behavior which is unusual -- usually when you take one of these broodies away from the other horses, they act like the sky is falling, but not this girl. Like Bessie, she was actually lazy which I am coming to appreciate more and more as I get older. ;-) She is looking for a new home which could be breeding, riding or a combination of both. Both sire and dam are stakes winners. E-mail me if you would like to know more.

14 comments:

HorsesAndTurbos said...

Oh! Just love your grey mare..she's just what I am looking for. Too bad you are so far away.

Just got approved as a adoptive home for New Vocations Racehorse Adoption...but nothing has caught my eye. I really wanted a grey mare (but will take what needs me). Sigh. I'll just wait and see!

Oh, I had to change my user name...someelse has started posting with mine. I'm the one with the PrimaDonnaDiva mare and the rescue Mini :)

Okay, I thought it changed..guess not. :O Got to go work overtime.

Oh, I"m first (Ha!! you have to get up pretty early in the east coast am to say that!)

Jackie

barngal said...

Sounds like you are thinning out the herd. Too bad about the show. It looked like a lot of fun. I'm looking for something like that as the first show with BCG. We haven't been doing any riding because with the heat come the horseflies and it becomes impossible to ride!

Love the new grey mare. I'm such a sucker for greys that it's probably good I'm so far away!

Jackie, congrats on being approved for New Vocations. They are wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like everyone is doing great! I just had a question for you. I really love how you write, and greatly enjoy Fugly; But how do you justify a picture of you on your 4 year old stallion in a halter and lead-rope with no helmet while you openly criticize other people for similar actions? I personally have no problem with it, it’s your horse you know him well and you are an adult. I myself often rode my mare with bareback with no helmet. I was just under the impression that you would find riding a 4yr old stallion with no helmet let alone in a halter and lead rope unsafe.

And please realize I am only looking to understand where you're coming from. From your description of the VLC I'm sure your safe. Just curious :)

RussianRoulette said...

JustMyStyle0 - She's posted many times about her opinions on helmets for kids. She won't wear a helmet herself but that's her choice. That being said I don't think she's actually said that adults should wear helmets - they are old enough to decide for themselves. Having your young children that really don't know better hanging off the side of a horse to try and sell it for you while not wearing a helmet however is a very irresponsible thing to do.

I'm looking forward to hearing about the new horses! :)

robyn said...

Haha, the VLC looks like he's snoozing. "We are 2 WILD AN' CREZZY GUYS!" =D

That dapple mare is a beauty!

mugwump said...

Just how small is Casper? She looks quick and typey to me. I know what I'd be training her for.

fuglyhorseoftheday said...

>>But how do you justify a picture of you on your 4 year old stallion in a halter and lead-rope with no helmet while you openly criticize other people for similar actions?<<

I criticize adults for not putting helmets on children (particularly when said children are doing stuff like standing on the horse's back, the horse is loose in a field with no bridle, etc.). I believe it is an adult's choice whether or not to wear one. As we all know, most western riders do not. Nor do top dressage riders, who are still showing in top hats the last time I checked. As for riding in a halter or a bitless or whatever, as long as you are in control, great. If you're not, it's a problem. He's great in a halter and I hope to eventually get him going bridleless.

Check out this bridleless reining on an Appaloosa stallion. I LOVE that stuff, because we all know that a good rider rides mostly off their seat and legs. Bridleless is proof that you are doing that. I think it's a great goal for us both!

If I were photographing him for marketing purposes, no, this is not a picture I would use. I would be most likely to use a pro picture taken at a show, or conformation pictures taken at home using a pro photographer. He would not have his sloppy sweaty-headed owner on him, his mane would be pulled and banded, he'd be clipped etc. He's not standing at stud and no pic on this blog is intended for marketing purposes.

P.S. He's three.

fuglyhorseoftheday said...

I believe Casper is 14.3...will have to stick her to tell you for sure. She sure looks good after a summer of all-you-can-eat grass!

Kim said...

Yeah, I cant recall fugs complaining about adults choosing to do so, but I'd be complaining too if the adults make their kids do it.. it's not like the kid climbed up there themselves and standing on the horse for sale because they thought it was a good idea. BTW, wouldn't that be funny if fugs was standing on the VLC in that picture?? I'm laughing just thinking about that. Hahaha.. :)

fuglyhorseoftheday said...

Yeah, my biggest overall gripe is the use of small children as guinea pigs to market horses. As in, look how quiet my horse is, my three year old can stand on his back while he is loose in the field, you should buy him!

It's an old auction trick. I mean, I used to DO that shit, I'm very familiar with it. I used to crawl underneath the bellies of weanlings in the ring to get them sold and do the around-the-world on broke horses...I worked for dealers at sales and I know how stupid and meaningless those tricks are. I have crawled under and slid off the butts of plenty of horses that probably hurt you if you took them home. A lot of my opinions I have now are formed by things I did wrong twenty years ago.

Anonymous said...

I guess I just hadn't made that distinctin between children and adults. Sorry! Thanks for clarifying!!

BuckdOff said...

Wow, I love Casper and the gray mare, they are really good looking.

Laura Crum said...

In a way, I benefited from your being absent here--I went back and read the first posts on this blog, which helped me to understand where you're coming from a good deal better. Yes indeed, the old getting older, used to do a lot with horses and now have fear issues, not as coordinated issues...etc. I totally get this stuff, cause I am there, too. good luck with all your projects.

mugwump said...

fugs, fugs, fugs...14.3 isn't small.t's a cowhorse!