marsh MELLOW

Baby got a new halter today. It was really fun picking it out. I don't know why, but getting a halter for your new horse is as much fun as buying shoes for yourself. But cheaper. He got plain black with an adjustable noseband. I was sure that the 'regular' size would be way too big on him, but to my surprise it fits just right. His head just LOOKS small I guess... or it's just me. Everything I own is oversized to fit Alexandre's ginormous head.

I decided to put a saddle on him today and see how he'd take it. I didn't tie him up or anything, I just did it while he was munching hay. He sniffed the pad and the saddle, but otherwise didn't care at all. That went so well I decided to free lunge him around in the arena to get him used to a western saddle. He looks better under saddle, not so gawky.


Right when we got there the Christian school bus pulled up to use our baseball field for their PE class. There were 25 screaming second graders- kicking and throwing balls, jumping rope, tackling each other. He watched them, bored like. I put a bridle on and free lunged him a bit... he bucked a few times due to the strings and stirrups hitting him on the sides. Didn't really want to go, had to really twirl my rope and cluck to get him trotting and cantering.



He seemed SO mellow through all that I thought I'd put some weight in a stirrup and see what he did. OTTBs are notorious for not standing still when you get on, and for getting hyped up when someone gets on. He didn't move when I put weight in the stirrup. So I got on. He stood for a few seconds and then ambled off in the slowest walk known to horse-kind. He's really green. He doesn't understand turning real well, but we did some slow serpentines. Eventually, a million hours later, we had made a complete circle of the arena and I got off and gave him a carrot.

I don't know if he's going to gain a bunch of weight and start acting up later on, but he sure is nice now. It's pretty obvious why he didn't make it as a race horse.

...and, back to eat.