Woo hoo canter!

We cantered today! Walked a couple of laps around the arena, trotted a couple and did some circles, and then I gave the canter cue. And kissed. And kicked (repeat 20 thousand times) and after a very fast trot about half way around the arena he finally gave up and picked up the canter. It was soooooooo nice!!! I think his stride is huge. I could not believe, though, how simple his canter seems. We cantered around, mostly on a loose rein (other than to steer) and he didn't speed up or freak out or take off in any way. I had to keep bumping him with my legs to keep him going. His canter already seems more balanced than my big 16-year-old gelding. Maybe it's because he's the opposite of riding a freight train. We'll see what happens when I take up some contact- but that's a ways away. I'd really like just to get him going enough to get him out on the trails for the summer. Going to start working on turning on the forehand (moving away from leg pressure) next time.

I'm concerned because at the walk he "clicks" every time he takes a step with his hind legs. It sounds like it's his LS joint in the pelvic area. It doesn't do it at the trot or canter, which doesn't make any sense to me. I'm going to call the vet on Monday.

He also put his tongue over the bit and left it there- quietly. No chewing, no tossing it around- just quietly put his tongue over the top and was happy as pie. Hrmph.

I was actually pretty mad by the time I rode. The other 4 horses don't just boss him around, they chase him across the pasture. He has 6-inch patches of hair missing in 3 places and lots of smaller patches. When they came near where he was tied up with their ears back (on the other side of the fence) I yelled and threw rocks at them. I wish my aim was better. The horse that was the previous underdog is the worst and meanest to him. I want to put a shock collar on him and zap him when the chase begins... grrrrrrr. I guess I should be glad he's light on his feet and can outrun any of them once he gets going. He follows me around the pasture when I'm out there, I think he's realized who will keep him safe.

The other day I went out to bring him in for lunch and he was napping. I walked up to him and he looked at me curiously. I scratched him all over and he just layed there. I put his halter on and he just layed there. After a while I stood up and he just layed there. I pulled on the lead rope... no response. I pulled harder, his head just moved a little. I finally had to get behind him and make noise and wave my arms around. He got half way up, then waited to see if I really meant it. I guess he's naturally trusting of people...! (Or really, really, really lazy).

Over a bit

The baby likes to play with his bit. I thought this was a pretty normal thing and didn't think much of it until I noticed his entire tongue was sticking out to the side and wiggling around. The baby likes to get his tongue on top of the bit. So I unbridled him, re-bridled him, and stuck my finger in his mouth holding the bit up so he couldn't get his tongue over the top. This obviously was not a long-term solution. So I tightened the bridle a lot, so he was really grinning, and he was really trying but couldn't get it over. (I also noticed the 5" bit is too big and I'm going to have to get a smaller one. I'd like to get a French Link, do they come in full cheek?) Until I got on. Looked down, and there's his giant tongue wiggling out to the side. I don't know how he fits the whole thing in his tiny head. I just rode anyway- we did a few laps each way at the walk, and one lap each way at the trot! He jogged along like a western pleasure horse with his head down on a loose rein. At the advice of Katie, who found him for me at the track, I'll put a figure 8 or drop noseband on next time and see if that helps. He was a gooooooood booooooooooooy today.

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.

Hair Did

Apparently Little no name does not like blankets. There are still huge chunks of blanket spewn all around the pasture. White fuzzy stuffing looks like piles of snow. I guess this morning it was in pieces hanging off of his neck. I'm still not sure how it happened.

He got his hair did today. Actually he got his first full-body groom. He came into the paddock in front of the barn and ate grass hay non stop for about 3 hours. While he was chowing down I curried and brushed his whole body (check- no problems), sprayed show sheen in his tail (uncheck- need to work on that), and evened up his mane. I did some spring cleaning and he ate.

He went to explore the adjoining muddy paddock because I accidentally left the gate open.
When I left he was back in front of the barn eating.

When the boys got home from school they were dying to ride as it's our second day of sun. We went out into the arena to get ready (it's the only place that's not knee deep mud). Today, maybe it was because his belly was so full of hay, noname stood very quietly. He got a bareback pad put on his back and a bridle put on his head. He is not going to be thrilled about cinches later on, but other than that didn't seem to care at all. He came into the middle of the arena with me and walked in slow circles again. I ended up having to stand on a big bucket so I could see everyone over his back. The boys were playing tag at the end, and he got quite surprised when a horse would come trotting towards him. Apparently they don't to that at the track. He was very interested in what was going on.

Is it racing day?

Took the baby (Oscar?) into the arena where 2 of the boys were getting their horses ready to ride. He ties but does not stand still. Apparently China is where he really wants to be- according to the hole he dug. When he gets really frustrated he kicks out behind. I think he saw the other horses get bareback pads put on and thought everyone was getting ready for a race.




After the 2 boys got on and were practicing walking and keeping their horses right next to the rail, I untied him and walked him around. Perfect gentleman. When I stopped he would walk in circles around me. Not panicky circles, just wandering circles. I just let him. He's figuring it all out. From the ground we practiced walking, trotting (needs work), stopping, and turning. Afterwards I tied him back up and he stood quite nicely. Picked up all 4 feet. (Phew- that's not something I wanted to have to work on).

A Busy Day

The baby (no name yet, let me know if you have good one!) had quite a day today. In the morning he met a pasture mate (Hershey) in the arena who couldn't care less about him.

Hershey and the baby. I like this picture, he looks like a dressage horse.

Alexandre, the baby, Hershey. Look how narrow his little butt is! Alexandre is 16.2 and Hershey is 16.3...

The baby's first carrots!



Then he got led around the perimeter of the pasture and was a very good boy, excited but walked almost the whole way. He got let loose by himself in there when the 5 horses in the adjoining pasture noticed him and that was the end of the peace for awhile. I let Alexandre in the pasture with him and let our huge wimpy grey gelding in as well.

Rooster and the baby meet while it's snowing.

After the commotion died down and the horses in the other pasture got bored, I let Hershey in too. The four of them just kind of hung out after running around a little bit. Every now and then one of them would take off after the baby just to make sure he knew who was boss. He's so much faster than they are. Towards the end of the day I let Moose, our old bombproof childproof gelding in and all hell broke loose. Moose was determined to chase him down. Baby is running, Moose is chasing him and heaving cause he's so old and out of shape, and the other 3 are running because hey, fun- the herd is running, wahoo! Luckily it didn't last long. We're fortunate to have a pretty big area for them so they all have room to avoid each other.


The pecking order now established, baby on bottom, the two mellow geldings (Rooster and Hershey) will start to befriend him and he'll have some buddies. He got a little bit of grain tonight and a winter blanket on. He also got lots of carrots today, whenever he came over to me on his own he got a piece of carrot. I want him to figure out that every time a person comes by it doesn't mean work. He didn't want to be caught or come near anyone at first, but by the end of the day voluntarily walked up to me a few times.

On another note, I was giving a lesson to one of the boys at the ranch today while it was snowing. He was riding bareback in the arena and was excited to trot. The boy has great balance and steady hands. Old Moose picked up a slow jog and stayed out on the rail. The boy was grinning from ear to ear and was giggling the whole time. He says he LOVES to trot and thanked me again and again for letting him ride. It's my job!

He's Here!

Arrived at Portland Meadows at 6:30 am in the dark and rain. Little TB no-name was a superstar and loaded up pretty well. I don't think he moved on the whole 7+ hour ride home, I don't think he even breathed. We drove through torrential downpour through the gorge, sunshine in the ugly desert, and (oh joy) SNOW when we arrived in Spokane.

After many warnings about turning out OTTBs for the first time, I decided to do it anyway. I didn't think he would run through our outdoor arena fence, I mean, it's pretty obvious. He's used to sand footing at the track, and I put Alexandre in there so he would have a buddy.



He struggled backing out of the trailer. It took a long time and he was really nervous. He was ancy but let me take his sheet off and let me lead him past the huge scary hay tarps and into the arena. He ran around with Alexandre which was pretty funny- he's so light and lean and athletic, and Alexandre is a 1300+lb tank who's overweight right now. He seemed thrilled to be out but never acted crazy.





Can I just say that after seeing him out and running around I LOVE him. He is gorgeous. And so athletic and fluid. He has a beautiful head and neck and just seems really balanced to me. I think with some groceries and training he's really going to be something.



Put some winter jammies on (he's got no winter hair! And it's snowing still, apparently) and left him in the arena with Alexandre overnight. It's good for them to bond as I'll probably be ponying him off Al later on.

Going to work is gonna be pretty fun...!