What is your horse the best at?
What is your horse the worst at?
Here are mine:
The VLC:
Best: Best darn natural, slow, round lope I have ever ridden. And, really, nothing upsets him.
Worst: Staying on the rail. He's just lazy and will cut in if I'm not paying attention, in the manner of a 26 year old school horse on a hot summer day. Solution: I just need to pay attention - it's a lot easier to catch them two inches off the wall than when you are daydreaming up there and all of a sudden you are in the middle of the ring wondering how you got there!
Honey:
Best: She has totally mastered halt and stand still. I mean, she will halt on seat and I can drop the reins and she will stand there motionless until next week. She does not fidget at all. It is really impressive. She stands still like a cowhorse!
Worst: Still working on bending right. She still wants to drop her shoulder and put her nose to the outside. I would like to get her off site to a better arena for some rides soon so that we can work on proper circles. That would help a lot!
So what is your horse's best and worst?
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68 comments:
Ok...Sneak is best at...
Being built like a brick shit house? :p
Take a look.
Ok, ok. I suppose he's got a nice jog when he wants to do it, and he's naturally short-strided which is nice for WP,
But he sucks at consistency.
I like this game :D
Scarlett-
best: Completely and totally broke. I can do absolutely anything with this horse. I can ride her bridleless if I want to.
worst: Prances on the way home on trail rides. I have tried for TEN YEARS to fix this and haven't succeeded yet.
Gideon-
best: You only have to teach him something once and he will remember it forever.
worst: It is extremely difficult to get him to pick up his right lead. You can have him bent correctly and collected and he still won't do it.
Sneak IS built like a brick shithouse! I like him, very pretty boy.
Sneak is gorgeous!
Unfortunately my horses are at present best at eating grass.. sigh .I haven'thad much saddle time these days ,However Johnie is a great little fella and will come of pasture quiet and willing and as always the bravest horse Ihave ever met.
Before I get into the question of the day I have to say those photo links to polo you posted in the last thread look like AWESOME loads of fun. Oh, NO! another new activity I want to try out on my poor sainted old schoolies!! I was already thinking my daughter and I could play against each other for fun.
Dude is best at walk/trot. He steers, moves off leg is the easiest thing in the world to ride. Worst = canter = hop around, cut in, act like a giant jackass. He also backs up like nothing you've ever seen. He can even back up in a circle if you so desire.
Matt has the smoothest trot and canter you've ever ridden and loves to jump and gallop. When my daughter gets ready for something more hot, Matt will be my dressage horse.
Let's see here...
Alpine:
Best: Has more natural talent and athleticism than any horse I've ever met. My Paso Fino can and will do Grand Prix level dressage movements with ease.
Worst: He uses that god given talent and athleticism to find new and creative ways to spook at stupid stuff.
Merlin:
Best: He's easy going, accepts new things with hardly a blink, and has picked up everything I've taught him super fast
Worst: Um...have to think on that. He's had a total of 10 rides, and it's hard to find something bad. He doesn't bend yet, but hey, I haven't worked on that. We only walk and whoa right now. He's really good at that though! He can occasionally get nippy.
Oh, and Matt is worst at - he blows out his stomach when being girthed. I've had other horses do this, but not like Matt. He does it so forcefully that he pushes the girth looser while you're trying to tighten it. Awhile later you can sneak up on him and tighten it. He hates fly spray and brushing, too, but tolerates it.
Angel
Best: WHOA! I mean drop it in the dirt WHOA!
Worst: Maintaining speed and collection. She wants to lift her head and move out. Also swished her tail.
Kaci
Best: Response to body position cues. I can lean forward slightly, gather the reins, and lift my seat to post and he's right there trotting. INSANELY FUN to ride!
WORST: Whoa. I have to work for it.
Doodle
Best: Nice solid horse, all the way around. I have to look real hard to find something wrong with him...
Worst: Roots out his nose after a collected lope.
Jazzy
Best: Ground manners. Must be all the Parelli training she had before I bought her.
Worst: Trailering. She'll load fine, but want to throw it in reverse before I get the divider latched. Don't stand behind her when it IS time to unload, she'll back over the top of you...even in my three-horse slant.
This is fun.....
George, 6 y/o appy
best at...being a kids horse he is a great babysitter
worst at...anything that actually requires movement faster than a grazing walk! And baths, he hates getting wet
Pache, 8 y/o arabian
best at...being my rock. Great smooth strides picks up on all training super quick. Calmest horse I have ever worked with
worst at...keeping shoes on. thats my only complaint
J.R. is best at coming back to me when I ask him. Worst at thinking he knows what I want!
But that is why he is an excellent pattern horse.
Beau is best at doing anything i ask of him, anything i want if i ask (correctly) he'll do it [=
hes the worst at making friends.. he HATES horses, hates them.. He could easily live alone and not have a problem.. He doesn't want other horses ANYWHERE near him, but when riding he'll take any excuse (usually a weak outside leg) to go bucking arcoss the arena at another horse.. but of course, he loves WATCHING other horses.. just stands there and watches them work, its pretty funny [=
**kaptkaos113 said...
worst at...keeping shoes on. thats my only complaint**
I had this problem with my appy mare. For three months last summer, the farrier was at my place 3 or 4 days a week.
Solution: HorseGuard "Biotin X2", one scoop AM and PM, daily for 3 weeks, then one scoop pm daily, and 1/2 cup of dry milk daily. Top dress over grain.
I could SEE the thicker hoof growth. The last of the thin stuff comes off with the next re-set.
One side effect: mane and tail will get thicker and grow faster. My little broom tailed appy's tail, which before never quite reached her hocks. (Well, maybe it if was wet) Her tail has grown 4 inches in the last year. Doesn't sound like much but it's a HUGE deal to me.
Armani is best at eating. He's very good at gaining weight just by thinking about food. He's pretty good at sleeping too. It helps keep the weight on. He's also good at escaping from stalls, pastures, and tricking other horses into running through the electric fence for him. It's probably what he plots while "sleeping".
Oh wait, seriously?
Hogan-
Best: Most awesome foxhunter I've ever ridden. This guy will go ALL DAY and never refuse, spook, kick at a horse or hound, nothing! He LOVES it! (all while looking good normally as the only palomino out there).
Worst: Uhmmm, doing anything OTHER then foxhunting. He HATES ring work, wants to GO somewhere...not just in circles and over boring jumps that we see all the time. Dislikes baby talk and being fussed with. :)
Blue -
best: (before retirement) Did his best to do what I wanted to do, whether it was work or play
(after)Take tiny kids for rides
worst: (before retirement) Too much energy to contain without constant hard riding (after) Manners? What are they?
Chunk -
best: Very smart and uses those smarts to assess potential scary situations calmly
worst: Very smart and uses those smarts to open gates and doors,untie himself, and get to FOOD!
Tucker -
best: LOVES kids! Will do anything they ask.
Worst: Won't tie.
Kahlua
Best: We're still pretty new together, but so far she's proven to be really good at picking soft cues, be it vocal or light touch or a hand motion. It took a few minutes to teach her to step backwards by saying "back" or just touching her chest. If I'm in the pasture and walk next to her and say "walk on" she lifts her head out of the grass and follows me wherever I go. If I say "woah" she stops whatever she's doing and just stands without moving. We had to work on that one, but it's so damn useful!
Worst: Spooking. New scary horse eating things (like saddle blankets..) send her into a frenzy. It takes a long time to work her through it, but she trusts me enough it seems. Yesterday I worked on introducing her to the saddle and blanket and she didn't want to go near it, but after she had a moment to freak out, I told her to "walk on" she took tiny quivering steps up to it and eventually touched it. Once she had a moment to touch it, she snorted and that was the end of it.
Honey (we too have a Honey. A palomino Quarter Horse mare)
Best: Oh-so-light on the reins. She neck reins like no other. She's so solid under the saddle and so responsive. I love to hop on for a ride with her after I've worked with the gangly four year old Montana.
Worst: Being a pissy mare. She has days when she just doesn't want to listen and that a turn right becomes a 360 spin and she tries to hang out by the barn, snorts, kicks and puts up a big ruckus until you get her away from it and remind her that we're going to work. She's good at being a big ol' bitch when she wants.
Montana-
Best: Trusting people. She's so scared of so many things from her previous life, but she trusts people to lead her through things, even if she's terrified. She'll follow you without crowding and if you lead her with her halter on, she'll suck it up and move through it. She enjoys people moreso than her horse friends.
Worst: Her walk is appalling. It's so rough and un-put-together. Yech.
Worst:
Promise - Best at being a gorgeous grump ;) Really turns pretty barrels.
Worst - He is grumpy grumpy grumpy, nothing mean just a big ol' grump and if he is tired and doesn't want to move it is like he has rooted himself to the ground. You can get him to work but he is....yep you all guessed it GRUMPY!
Nash - Best, he is sooooo versitle. He is of Reining background so his WHOA is like right this second and all you have to do is sit back, works really well off leg and seat cues.
Worst - Spoooky, arena baby. He is trained not broke as I have learned from reading this and other blogs. He has major anxiety. Although with the Keep Cool Karen V suggested we are making GREAT progress!
Beckoning Drums, TB aka "Little Bit"-
Best-the grand old gal of the farm 25 and still the Queen.I did everything with this mare and she was the first foal I bred and kept for myself.She can really do no wrong after all she has been and done for me.
Worst-unless she wants to come in she is the absolute worst horse I have ever had to try and catch.She is still quick and crafty and I think she just loves to screw with me sometimes.
Solo Drummer, TB aka "Junior"-her son,current farm stallion
Best- can jump a course on his own!Loves to show and takes really good care of this old handicapped rider and has given me back my JOY by riding him.
Worst-screws with people other than me...even the husband when it's turnout time but put a saddle on him and he is ALL business.
Palace Drummer,TB aka "Mins" son of Junior,grandson of Little Bit
Best-probably the most conformationally solid and correct horse I've ever bred and really athletic and lofty in his movement.He is just starting to show so hopefully he will keep up the family tradition.
Worst- he's way to fit and strong for me and does not get tired!!He doesn't buck or do anything stupid but I myself can't ride him long enough without hurting.He also has not yet found his frame consistently but we're getting there.
Serenade:Polish Arab/QH cross bought at auction for $1000.00 14 yrs.ago for the husband.
Best-Everything!Makes the husband look like he's been riding his whole life.Sane,safe,bombproof,goes anywhere and was very well trained by someone....never found out why she was taken to that sale but I'm glad someone unloaded her!
Worst-At 22 she is starting to have soundness issues.Needs bute and careful management.Husband says he won't ride anyone else.
Mohawk Point aka "Slow Moe",son of Serenade,1/2 brother to TB stallion.
Best:Bred him to be the husbands replacement horse and he is now my reliable trail horse since the husband won't ride him.Nothing phases this horse and he spooks in place probably because freaking out would be too much energy for him LOL!!He also occasionally kicks his 1/2 brothers stallion ass and reminds him that he can.He is no wimp in the herd which is good.
Worst-he is a PIG in the ring to the point of I don't even bother anymore.He found his niche out cross country or on the trails and that' it.
Dante:
Best- Has a fantastic trot. A little forward or posting and he takes it English, sit back and a little ask with the reins and it's a perfect smooth jog.
Also tries his heart out.
Worst- Worrywort. Herd-bound and jealous (will walk away from me when "catching" if I pet another horse first :P ). Worries at failure when being taught. Not spooky though. Just emotional.
*karen v said*
I had this problem with my appy mare. For three months last summer, the farrier was at my place 3 or 4 days a week.
Solution: HorseGuard "Biotin X2", one scoop AM and PM, daily for 3 weeks, then one scoop pm daily, and 1/2 cup of dry milk daily. Top dress over grain."
I havent heard of that supp, I will have to go try and find it. I thought that I had tried everything! I have never heard of the dry milk before...thats wild. I will definately give it a try, I have heard uses of it for other things....thanks!
for the record....my appy has the best feet EVER! I love him.
Luvmytbs - I can JUST SEE your old mare looking at you and going "Hmmm I think I will make Mom work to catch me today!"
I loooooove old TB mares, they are just my absolute favorites. If I won the lottery, I'd have a spectacular farm with 50 or 100 of them retired out and I would spend my day scratching their withers and feeding cookies.
kaptkaos113 - here's a link to read about it. My horses LOVE it...I don't have to top dress it, just a scoop in their pan. It's sort of the consistency of corn meal.
http://www.horseguard.com/shop/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=display&ref=Biotin+Concentrate+2X+Details
I've heard about appys and their feet. Apparently no one told my girl...
Tor-
Best: How darn sensible she is. She does only what is asked of her and no more.
Worst: She is the stereotypical ADD child. If she is not constantly worked, she is all over the place.
Tiny-
Best: He is naturally slow in all his gaits and he trys so dang hard to understand and do.
Worst: He hates his face being touched. And if you do, your ass better be glued to the saddle or you will become a lawn dart. Hey, you might even win a lawn dart contest. Nifty!
Trys=tries.
*sigh* I fail at typing today.
Fugs,
Little Bit is blind in her right eye due to glaucoma...she is still very tough and feisty.Husband says her job now a days is "keeping an eye" on everyone....and she does!
I LOVE the oldies too,I have had to get alot more rational though.I can not take in everybody elses throw aways even though it breaks my heart not to.
Star- huge B/w Tobi paint.
Best- can jog like a dream, would be a rockstar showmanship horse, relatively easy going in new places, creepy uber smart,remembers everything she has been taught.
Worst- Bad feet,pig in her stall, can be be a bitchy handful when she thinks she is done, canter is god awful, she overly anticipates my every move.
Blu- Arabian mare.
Best- sweet , kind great work ethic, ground manners are impeccable, canter is amazing.Attached to me like no other, always comes when I call.
Drop dead gorgeous and loves a good spa day.Will lunge herself.
worst- OMFG A.D.D to the max, everyday is a new day under saddle, and can spook, bolt, spin on less than a dime. Screams like a stud anytime we take her anywhere. so embarassing.
Bud (3 yr old, ground work only)
Best: The boy is a backin' fool. When asked, he will tuck his chin, round up, and back up just as far as you ask him to go.
Worst: He is huge and has fairly recently learned to use his height and weight advantage against the other mules, the fences, the gates, etc. I have to be constantly on my toes to keep him out of my personal space.
Jack (the old man)
Best: Almost everything. He is a joy to work around and ride (when he's sound enough to ride).
Worst: Someone, at some earlier stage of his life, very firmly impressed upon him that his job was to move on down the trail - and I mean MOVE on down the trail. He doesn't like to stand still and he doesn't rate worth a darn on the trail. He likes to put his head down, stretch out, and truck on down the road.
Harley
Best: She's a love bug. If you want to snuggle, scratch, and love on a mule, she's your girl. She will even help you scratch her barrel and hip by using her muzzle to point out all the itchy places. She is also very agreeable, once you've established dominance (see "Worst", next paragraph).
Worst: She's way smarter than I am and she will exploit your every weakness and insecurity. This is the one characteristic that keeps her from being the perfect beginner mule. You absolutely must stand up to her and tell her you're not going to let her push you around. But, once you do that, she folds like a cheap umbrella in a windstorm, so it isn't a fatal flaw.
On my darling McKinna,
Best: Honestly tries to do what I ask, no matter what it is. Whether it's leading while I'm on crutches (discovered she can do that today!), chasing cows, or jumping, she gives it a go if I ask.
Worst: Canter anxiety. We're working on it, but she still gets pretty high about the canter, whether that's rushing her transitions, rushing the gait itself, or rushing around after we transition downwards again. Solution? Ride more. She always gets better when I ride consistently because I think a lot of her anxiety lies in physical comfort. The easier it is for her to canter, the more relaxed she is about it.
Meatly (semi-retired): Upside: Best jog I've ever ridden, surprising amount of speed under the hood. Downside: Walks as slowly as possible, has heaves, and it's nearly impossible to get a needle into her. (We still do shots once a year but it ain't pretty.)
Nicknick (Goof): Upside: Amazing work ethic. Has always offered more when I've asked for it, tremendous amount of "try" to find the right answer. Smart as a whip, learns new things easily. Downside: "Spooks" at vehicles, rough as sin at the trot. Tends toward "hot", has temper, will fret if allowed, hates excessive drill/review.
Callie (Project Horse): Upside: Kind and serene disposition, easy trot. Downside: Balks sometimes, clips if asked to extend at the trot.
Lutely: Upside: Largely unflappable, slow to anger. Huge walk. Downside: Smart enough to only behave for people who enforce behavior with Constant Vigilance. Has minimal attention span.
Indigo:
best: having amazing common sense. She never bolts or panics about things that scare every other horse.I can always trust her not to freak out in new situations. Sure she may be a piston sometimes but shes got the most brains in the place when something is scary.
Also the best at being wormed. She tries to grab it even before you stick it in her mouth and she never makes the "omg you stuck something in my mouth" face.
Worst: Horse shows and big trail rides. She always gets worked up. She needs to learn how to relax when theres a bunch of other strange horses around instead of worrying if shes going to be boss over them all or not.
Naigen:
Best: At being an amazing, calm teacher. She never, ever spooks and is so incredibly quiet yet she has the oomf not to be lazy when someone who knows how to ride asks her to trot or canter.
Worst: Trying to give her wormer. She thinks you are trying to poison her or something. Shes pretty darn hard to worm and I am pretty darn good at sneaking up on horses or inventing ways to give it to them before they know it. You can't even mix it in her grain because she won't eat it if it's in there.
Suzy:
Best: At being a showoff. She sees a crowd and she has to puff up and strut her stuff, every time.
Worst: She panics when she goes through doors and the saddle/harness is on and charges through even though I have done it with her a billion times. She stepped on my foot pretty bad once.
Keebler:
Best: once he learns something he does it faithfully, every damn time. Hes always out to please no matter what.
Worst: new situations. He tends to address 90% of new things (saddle, harness, bit, etc) as horse killing monsters.
Ginny
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Best at: WHOA
Worst at: Everything but whoa
Special mention: pulling hose into stall and flooding barn
Imp
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Best at: Everything but whoa
Worst at: WHOA
Special mention: getting out of her stall and trashing the barn
Fugly;
Re: dizziness. Not to veer off topic- interesting subject today hope to get back to it later- but on reading your last post from yesterday I was struck by how similar your symptoms are to some equilibrium problems I was having a year ago and had to respond right away in hopes that our experiences are similar; if so, the fix is easy.
I thought I was a goner for sure- like the time I had a nagging pain in my head, sure it was a brain tumor, until my ex told me 'You jerk, haven't you ever had a headache before?!' " Uh... no I guess not, this is terrible, no wonder you get irritable at times' 'Well drink some water you're probably just dehydrated from all that booze you drank with your friends yesterday...have you eaten anything today?' (Hey, there's considerable sacrifice involved in being hospitable sometimes.) Anyway back to the vertigo, this time I knew I was doomed, called my doctor in Salt Lake to set up an appointment for the next time I was down that way, if I lived that long, or to fly down if he thought it urgent. Not to worry. Here was his fix:
Lie down on your bed with your head hanging off the edge, so that it is upside down, for about five, ten minutes. Then slowly rotate your head from side to side for a minute or so. Then sit up. You may be dizzy at first from sitting up fast but this may solve the problem once and for all.
His explanation: as you get older you get little stones in your ear canal that can get lodged in a spot that impedes the flow of fluid in the inner ear. This procedure dislodges them. If it doesn't work the first time try it again. It's not a daily exercise kind of thing but a one shot cure. If it works you'll be back to normal almost immediately.
For me it was a complete cure. I went from being so dizzy at times that I would almost fall over to walking 2X4 walls again (carpenter) and doing stupid things on horseback (no photos), in a day. I did it once and the problem is gone.
Hope it works for you let us know. Seat and form look well within the range of fine, to me.
S
>>I LOVE the oldies too,I have had to get alot more rational though.I can not take in everybody elses throw aways even though it breaks my heart not to.<<
Um, speaking of - I have the same problem and there's an old black TB mare at Enumclaw right now waiting for the next truck to Mexico. $250 takes her. She is ALLEGEDLY child safe to ride. I can hook you up if you want her, e-mail me.
Sagebrusheq - THANK YOU! I will definitely try that and will be thrilled if it works. This has been bugging me for the past ten years or more. If the fix is that easy, I will totally owe you one.
PS: I gave my neighbors daughter and her friend an introductory riding lesson today. It's really endearing to see kids excited about horses and I'm planning on bringing them along for a ways until they either lose interest (not likely) or a good teacher can be found. In the mean time I wanted to direct them to some visuals of good riding by kids their own age. Does any one recall the nom de plume of the young lady on you tube that rode so well? It was a few months ago that she was referenced here but I can't find that post or recall her name. Googling 'horsegirl' turns up some ah... well, not what I had in mind for these two kids.
Thanks in advance for any help, S
On polo:
Last Friday I saw a U of M vs MSU polo match. It was pure awesomeness.
Sagebrush: I think you mean Half Pass Girl...try that.
best: Sleeping!
worst: Sleeping!
Charlie (20 yr old, old style Morgan), can sleep while trotting on a lunge line if you let him. It can be a pain. Oh, and lets not forget how great he is at eating! I just bought him and I'm putting him through fat camp! lol!
Rebel AKA BBG
Best-At staying calm on the trails and swimming, and just being trustworthy. He rarely throws a hissy fit anymore.
Worst-He HATE arena work, I mean I have the most trouble getting him to behave in an arena. We also need to work on stopping but he is getting better.
For my filly:
Best
Standing like a rock while mounting, "Whoa," taking new things like cantering and trail rides in stride, understanding that "mom" pays her meal ticket and it's in her best interest not to kill me, and generally being super sensible under saddle for a green 3 year old.
Worst
When she does lose her mind, she loses it in a big way. Luckily she's yet to do so under saddle. But she has had mental meltdowns on the longe line and they're not pretty.
My Thumper is best at being BROKE. OMG, this horse is broke, broke, broke...and obedient, even my 8 year old daughter can turn and stop him, transition from a walk to a canter with only her leg aids.
What is he worst at? Showing enthusiam, happiness or even interest in ANYTHING. Supper? ho hum, you better bring it to him, because if he has to walk across the pasture, he may just not bother. Snacks? well, thanks, but no enthusiam. Well, I did see him perk his ears up and watch the goings on of a chicken the other day, and he does seem to show a fondness for baby carrots, but in a very genteel, "I'm too cool for school" way. Sometimes it's depressing, the horse seem depressed.
Paintedsneak....sneak is beautiful!!!
Buddy:
best- making me love him. oh, and jumping
worst- pretty much everything else. upward transitions and minding his manners especially
SLM:
best- tolerance. i can do literally anything to this mare and she will just stand there. yesterday i was bopping/tickling her face with corn husks for 15 minutes just because i could
worst- jumping round. we've gotten much better about not rushing/bolting, but she still feels like she's falling straight down after the arc of every jump
Thanks, Luv. That's the one.
..................................................
B Mine, 18YO typey Morgan m. boss mare:
Best: super sensitive, a dream to ride. responds to the wind between you boots.
Worst: super sensitive, can be a nightmare. I once considered shooting her and then myself, to see if God could ride well enough to please her. (No side- arm that day)
-----------------------------------------
Gizmo, 15 YO gaited gelding:
Best: fun to ride, very pacey, can be put in any possible combination of footfalls.
Worst: Dumb as a rock. Doesn't know what to do with his feet, slues around like a loose shopping cart if left to his own devices. I tried jumping him for a short while and one day he collapsed under me like a fainting goat from the brain pressure- Never again. Eats tack.
----------------------------------------
Sunny, 4 YO feral TBish type:
Best: friendly as a puppy, unshakable. A great prospect where energy and an unflappable disposition are premiums: dressage, jumping games. Unbroke, we'll see.
Worst: Sheesh what a nuisance, get away from me! Don't you have some horse friends somewhere?
---------------------------------
Molly: 20YO Morgan m:
Best: Plays well with others, everyone. Catlike athleticism. clever, playful, sensible, hardy, sound, easy keeper. Saved my arse more times than I can count.
Worst: ......(Love is blind)
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Here's to all your good critters, Cheers!
Sandy
I don't own a horse, so I'll use my favorite lesson horse.
Ready is best at being really really tall (I don't have his measurement, but I am 5'7 and he is taller than me at his withers.) and he has a really pretty, ground-covering walk and canter. He is also really affectionate and sweet.
He is worst at trotting. It is fast and short and bouncy. Not to mention, hes rather narrow, so bouncing is not very comfortable.
Yellow mare- Best: working a cow
Worst: Getting her feet dirty. (Psycho Prima donna)
Thank you to all who had nice comments on Sneak. I'll pass them along. :)
Hickman
Best:
Movement - he has naturally big expressive movement that just makes me ache to ride him in a dressage test, his trot makes me drool each time I see it.
Attitude - he will try anything you ask and keep trying to figure out what the heck you are asking him.
Worst:
Work ethic - he thinks he is a lazy old school horse and it takes tons of leg to keep him energized and using himself well.
Any lateral work that involves getting off his front end, he's built uphill so it shouldn't be hard for him but he's so lazy he'll throw a tantrum rather than engage himself if he can help it.
ok my girl jay is best at looking pretty and putting on the "what?" expression
shes worst at pretty much everything else.... lol
What Shay's best at:
"Woah" - his favorite command. The cessation of work is his favorite part of the ride. He'll stand on a completely slack rein and take a nap while I'm chatting or teaching a lesson.
He's got one of the best canters I've ever ridden. Uphill, ground-covering, and naturally round, with a nice rhythm. We've only had 4 or 5 days of canter work and he's picked up the correct lead every time.
Shay's worst at:
Vertical flexion of the poll/giving through his jaw. His lateral "give" is extraordinary, but he's so soft in the mouth that he pokes his nose out to evade the bit when I take up contact. This is just a greenie thing, and I'm searching for a french link to fit him to see if he likes that better.
Jack-
Best: impeccable ground manners. Impeccable.
Worst: mounting. If he's going to freak/spaz and have his whole little rodeo routine, mounting (or within the first 5 strides of the ride) is when that is most likely to happen.
O'Hara-
best at keeping track of Chanel.
Getting worse at eating and groundwork (hey, he's 30 years old! I'm not going to really get after him for his less-than-stellar ground manners. I figure at 30, he can be however he wants to be as long as he's not dangerous.)
Drama-
Best at anything under saddle and on the longe. she has a gorgeous little trot.
Worst at ground manners and cross-ties. She's definitely one where she's so nice under saddle that someone will be willing to tolerate what a rank bitch she is on the ground.
Footloose-
I don't know her well enough to have the best/worst figured out. Oh, wait- I have a worst: she has the worst stall manners! Poops in her water buckets and everything!
Nike:
Best: Being forgiving. She will forgive her boy for ANYTHING very quickly and give him the clean slate he needs.
Worst: Staying awake. I kid you not, this little arab will fall asleep if she isn't moving. In a matter of seconds her hind leg comes up, her lip starts to droop and flop and her eyes are closed.
Tango:
Best: EVERYTHING except standing for mounting.
Worst: The mounting...since I've owned him (gesh, 14 years now?) the only time he stands completely still is if he is tired.
Lex:
Best: His jog is to DIE FOR. If you aren't much more then a very beginner rider, you don't even know he's jogging. I've had several newbies asked "When is he going to trot?" to which I tell them..."Ummm, he has been for the last 4 circles." It's like butter!
Worst: WILL NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! canter. No way, no how. Not gonna happen. Period. End of story. If it's faster then a jackhammer trot, it won't be coming from this horse. Kind of funny coming from a racehorse that won over $250K on the track, huh? Oh, he paws something terrible, too.
My horse is the best at: Galloping. He loves it and really gets into it, but not crazy like, he just likes to run. He also loves to jump at break neck speeds, more mentioned about that below.
The worst: Dressage work. He is an appy with a quarter horsey build who is downhill (hence the galloping) with fairly straight hind legs. Not real postey but straighter than I prefer. I also as mentioned above do not like the jumping at break neck speeds. Although I trust his heart, his athletic prowess is not always the best and I'm a little concerned of him going ass over tea kettle over a fence at a hard gallop, although he'd love to have me let him.
Gintano-
Best: Piaffe. He's a natural at it. He's been able to piaffe since he was 4. He can also "make the sound" (whinny) on command. I think it's actually his best skill!
Worst: Tempi changes. He just can't count. I'm pretty sure he can only count to one... So instead of getting a rhythm where he can anticipate the pattern of changes like one, two, three, four, change, two, three, four. It seems, in his brain, it's one, one,,, one?,, one, change (where did that come from?), one,,,, one, one, change (again?, really???). He's like the Wayne Gretzky of dressage. He's very talented and athletic but, let's put it this way, you wouldn't want to let him do your taxes...
I can haz Sneak??
Shadow..
Best at being the 'Good Horse,' the one who will lead the greenies through the water, pass the scary sign, walk over the bridge. I can not ride her for months, and hop on and she is still the same.
Worst at ring work, now that we don't show anymore, she hates it! and slow trail rides with too many horses. If they walk too slow, and stop too much, she will work herself into a lather wanting to move out.
Funny thing, this:
BPH is WORST at standing still for me to mount. Fidget, fidget, fidget, side-step, etc. We work on it, get it to something manageable, work on something else for awhile, and then we have to start all over. I don't know why this is so hard for her.
However, she is BEST at standing absolutely dead stock still--like a freaking statue--any time I come off or the saddle slips or any other thing that has made many a horse bolt, buck and rear. We had a little oopsie a couple of weeks ago with an inadequately cinched saddle (yes, you may all laugh now, lol) and she didn't even bat an eyelash while I plopped off her, uncinched the saddle (upside down, hanging fully under her belly), dragged it out from under her, and put it back on.
Her other talents include watching things, and eating carrots.
Which Horse?
6 are AHQA's. Of those-
1 is a retired cutter turned hay recycler, great on cows, but has no 'slow' gears even when leading.
1 currently working on cows gets frustrated and becomes 'hot'. Working on stopping and standing still and 'shutting it all down' when asked to.
1 currently laid up, she popped a splint during one of her best workouts ever. Cannot turn her out with anyone- she will corner and kick the crap out of other horses.
1 currently being used as a lesson horse- nothing rattles or bothers her, only gives what is asked for.
2 not yet started under saddle.
~~~~
1 OTTB- good at recycling hay into poop. Maybe getting bred- someday, maybe...
1 Tb mare, jumps like no tomorrow, sweet as can be and a real trooper. Can get a little squirrely from time to time and toss out a buck to be sure you are paying attention.
1 Arab stallion- produces foals with nice movement, straight legs (no matter how bad the mares are) and sweet. Also good at hay recycling.
1 Arab mare- another hay recycler at the moment. Getting time off because the $$$ for Scottsdale is going in other directions.
1 Welara pony stallion- awesome movement, sweet, but currently another hay recycler.
1 pony mare- awsome kids mount. taught my daughter to ride, jump, etc. Fully retired to hay recycler status. Total bitch about having her ears handled and especially clipped.
1 mini gelding- another fully retired, hay recycler. Will take on all horses, no matter their size.
We seem to have a bunch of them recycling hay around here...
If you need your hay recycled, send it over. They do a fantastic job of turning it into poop!
Victor
Best at - Anything Western
Worst at - English. he hates it
Matrix
Best at- Picking up canter from a total standstill, and he's a totally crazy jumper. he can jump HUGE, even for a 17.1 warmblood!
Worst at - NOT bolting after the jump.
Dillon
Best at- Super talented jumper. Doesn't look great while doing it, but MAN that horse can and will jump anything.
Worst at- Quarter horse attitude. He's 1/2 AGHA, half Hanovarian. He got his mommy's hight and jumping ability, and his daddy's dark dun colouring, awesome athletisism and attitude.
Deisel
Best at- being spoiled >> and he can jump really high for a little horse, if he doesn't think the jump/fence/flowers/stick on the ground is going to eat him
Worst at- Thinking everything is going to eat him.
**AQHA
darn not being able to edit
Uzi:
Best at eating bananas and being totally predictable.
Worst at being pushy with his head. He's a pony who was raised by kids and he acts like it. I've tried everything but he still bumps my pockets the very second I look away.
Corky has a great canter and she can do it forever without getting tired. Seriously, once we cantered for twenty minutes without stopping and she was fine, barely even sweated. Lol, I don't really get it and she's some wierd shade of black.
She's not good with being by herself during the lessons, though. She tries to cut into the middle and balks when she gets there. She balks when she doesn't want to do anything! I'm talking feet planting, ears back, head up refusing to go. She also goes ballastic if you use too much leg pressure, which I guess has to do with the fact that she was a driving horse, but I'm not sure.
Dee-
Best: drop dead georgeous
http://tinyurl.com/5urqew
Worst: going faster than a walk (won't do it...at all), fear of cows
Tillie-
Best: conformation above the fetlock
Worst: trips over her own feet
Raven-
Best: babysitting
Worst: ex-PMU mare, not broke to ride
Classy-
Best: extended trot to die for
Worst: won't pick up the canter, afraid of EVERYTHING
Copey-
Best: born broke
Worst: nothing yet
Taki-
Best: plain out great sliding stop
Worst: bucks like an NFR champ
B00-
Best: Butt
Worst: He's autistic (even the vet agrees that he is 'special' needs)
http://community.webshots.com/user/anthrobia
I only actually have my kids pony (who, until he is sensible is probably more mine than theirs anyway - he will be their's in a year or two) but I'll talk about him anyway.
Ludo (3yr old pony, just broken)
Best - stopping and standing still, stands to be mounted, trotting and walking in a straight line, is paying waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy more attention than he used to. Is not scared of EVERYTHING anymore. Lunges on voice command, trot, walk, ho, canter (still working on the acutal canter but he does know the word) and even back.
Worst - tries to kick when I'm combing his tail (best be getting out of this REAL soon - we are working on it and making progress). Does not like to be tied, are workign on STANDING STILL while being groomed and tacked up. Working with the farrier to get him better behaved for him too (I think he just doesn't like men actually).
Jayde's best is that he does what ever I ask... his worst... he does whatever I ask. At my show last week we were having the best ride, and I got lost in the moment and must have put my inside leg on stronger then my outside in the canter cue, well he did as I asked and picked up the lead I asked for (not the one I really wanted) right where each one of the judges saw...
Best: He will maneuver around the three-tiered mounting block to get within an inch of my foot. I can use the reins to make him go one step forward, one step back, one step closer to the mounting block, a half a step closer, closer....ahhh, I can get on...
Worst: When he is not leading on the trail, he jigs and jigs. Hate it. He loves to be in front.
Good Game :-)
Jack-
Best: Increadible nature, the best nature I've come across for a horse. Highly trainable.
Worst: Holds his head extremely high (although in training to collect), his racing days still show with his head carraige.
Dougal-
Best: Holding weight (well being fat). He recently won 'Fattest Horse' under the novelty section of a horse show.
Worst: A scammer sold him to my mum for $3000 as a sound beginners horse, however he had a severe injury early on causing him to be unreliable under saddle. Hence I bought him off mum as a lawn mower/companion.
Dolly-
Best: Floating trot, beautiful mover and very fit for a 23year old.
Worst: Before we purchased her and put her into retirement, her prior owners just pumped the foals out of her. So she has some physical issues/scars from years of breeding.
None of these are technically my horses, but...
Ziggy
Best: He is a POWERHOUSE over jumps! He's only 14.3, but has jumped 5' fences (with an unwilling rider on board...)
Worst: Insanely hard-mouthed and will run away with anyone who doesn't take charge straight away.
Sultan
Best: Beautiful movement, perfect for dressage--he has incredibly elegant carriage.
Worst: We've managed to teach him not to rear... now we're working on fixing the brain-switched-off-bolting when killer butterflies come past.
Katie
Best: Textbook perfect Saddlebred conformation, and the most gorgeous dark gold palomiiiinooooo. Has been winning halter classes since she was a yearling.
Worst: Because she is an incredible beauty, Katie be+lieves all she should ever have to do is stand around being fed carrots. Now that she's 3 and being started under saddle, she has decided she does not want to work for a living, and is generally acting like a six year old human child being told it can't have dessert until it eats its brussel sprouts. xD
Viking
Best: The quietest, most bomb-proof, eager to please little gelding in the world!
Worst: Possibly the fugliest head in the history of horsekind, as well as something incredibly weird going on with his tail (it's attached too high, and the muscle is all kerflooey...) hence why he's a gelding. xD
Rusty:
Good - Getting old. It's OK to be old.
Bad - Eating. Hurry up, old timer! The pony is eating it all!
Pony:
Good - Being pretty.
Bad - Bossing the old timer. He's going into a time-out. Then Rusty will eat in peace.
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