My dad was in his favorite auto parts store and he was talking to one of the guys that owns it. He knew that this guy, named Jack has a few horses at his house and asked him how they were doing...Jack said "hah. I never have time to ride them! I need someone to ride them!" my father told him he has the person he's looking for.~ ME!
So, yesterday I called him and met him at the auto parts shop to follow him out to his house. He lives on 5 acres, and has two horses. A 7 year old paint gelding, about 15.5 hands (which I think is perfect size) that looks just exactly like Oakley the Wonder Pony - one of my favorite blogs, and an older quarter horse that's one of those sweeties "anyone" could ride. Jack's daughter, who is in sixth grade, has shown Cowboy (the paint) in 4H, and he has run away with her so many times that she's a little timid to ride him since soccer, clairnet, school and whatever else has to fit into a busy sixth grader's schedule.
Jack's wife told me that the trainer said it was the daughter's fault that the horse is running on her, and the mother sorta didn't believe it. She said he's good when he's ridden consistantly. I asked the daughter to lunge him so I can see him move... she is defidently letting Cowboy run over her. She was chasing him all around while lunging him with the line all over the place, and then Cowboy bucked a few times with his back legs in her direction (she said he just started doing this the other day) which REALLY freaks her out. I bet she's a good rider, but when you're scared and young, OH BOY. She also told me she ONLY lunges him on his "good" side because he won't GO the other way. (ugh.) so after he bucked, she called it quits (ugh, again).
Then I asked if I could give it a try. He was great for me. He moved out, and started to trot around the circle on his "good" side. Wow, he is stiff, stiff as a board compared to the supple dressage horses I am used to being around. He could hardly bend and I asked for a canter. - NO WAY. He didn't respond to my voice commands and after asking, then suggesting, I had to really get after him with the lunge whip. Still no canter. I really didn't want to stop without getting that canter but I figured that I'd work with him on that later. This lunge line they have is like a long lead (instead of a flat kinda line) and it has a chain, they were lunging him with the chain over his nose. I have never lunged a horse with the chain over the nose- do people do this? is this alright? Then I switched sides. OMG the way this horse moves on his "off" side is like lunging a 2X4. I figured. we'll have to work on this.
I am totally OPEN to suggestions and how I should tackle getting this horse supple. I am more experienced with horses that already know and I never really had the chance to do something like this, on my own. Can anyone please tell me what the proper way of going about this is? I don't want to make him worse! should I lunge him for a week or so before I get on him?
Now I have to find a saddle and some chaps, (it seems as though my chaps, AND 1/2 chaps have SHRUNK since I was riding. haha) They gave me an old saddle that someone gave them, it's a dressage saddle and it's OLD,
but it's bigger than the daughters stubben and It'll do for now (I think) it seems in good condition. I'm gonna go to a used tack sale on sunday hopefully I'll find a good deal on a all purpose. I'll post pics next time I go out there. Please, submit advice! Thanks everyone!
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Duh, I posted suppling comments above on a different post. But let me say, YAY! I am so happy you have a horsey project! Photos as fast as you can. That is my favorite size also, btw.
ReplyDeleteMy advice, such as it is, would be to work slowly, slowly, slowly. He has to build up muscle and you are going to be asking him to do things he has never done. I would probably lunge AND ride. It should not hurt him as long as you keep it all light. Don't ask for a lot, just help him create a balanced nice rhythm and build his strenght. Treat him like a gren little baby. Make sure he understands halt. ;) You will be building a language and you will have TONS of fun. Oh, one last thing about the canter. Build his strength within the trot. Teach him to take longer strides and shorter strides when you ask and that will build his rear and enable him to canetr later on. I am very very happy for you.