Opening Day!

So after so much reading of other blogs, I have decided to sign up for one too. I was just going to start a new livejournal, but now you see, I can comment on Fugly Horse of the Day and such. Yay! So this will be all about how the training of my horses is coming along. Today will be introductions and quick updates. Don't bitch, but I'll probably only update once weekly because I'm busy ok?

Oh yeah, and there will be lots of pictures. Like lots. You've been warned, get over it.

This is Sara, aka Come and Play, or if you want to get formal her registered name is Joyce's Coin (but I hate it). She is now 9 years old, I've had her for 6 years now (seems like forever!). She's a Thoroughbred who I got from Hastings Park.
I was training her to be a Hunter, because she has nice form over fences.

Then I went away to school, and later she was diagnosed with Navicular in one foot. The frustrating part is that I have linked it back to my first farrier who let her one foot go flat with no heel.

But anyways, she's now a pasture pet, happy as a clam and still my baby. I am in the market for a tall dark and handsome Thoroughbred stallion to meet with her in the spring. Any suggestions?

Next meet Joey. I found her in a field in Alberta in 2004. She's 16 now, and still as opinionated as ever. I don't ride her much these days, as I'm too busy with the boys and Belle. Not to mention the fact that she taught me how she wanted to be ridden, and can pack anyone around. I took her to a show a couple of years ago and did the 2'9" jumpers. It was fun.

She jumps so well sometimes it's scary. You may notice the somewhat shocked look on my face. I'm nearly punching myself in the chin.

This is Zhar, my 5 year old Thoroughbred gelding. He also goes by Shy Hello, which suits him until the On Target side comes out. He has what we call "On Target" days and "Off Target" days. "On Target" days usually involve a 15 minute beating in the roundpen, and "Off Target" days mean we can actually be lunged like a normal horse.

After his racing career was ended by an accident that caused 3 chips in his knee, he was given to a Pony Girl to become a Pony Horse. He was entirely too much horse for her, so he was on a steady diet of hay (raked up from under other haynets) and 8 pills of Ace tranquilizer a day. He had his head tied down below horizontal, and some big honking bit in his mouth. He also did 4 trips a day (so 8 rounds galloping). She hurt her back again and sold him to me.
When I got him he was understandably sour, and about 400lbs underweight. He would run off on me from the pain in his back, and cowkick when I brushed him. I got him mostly off the tranquilizer, I still needed some on racedays (up until this point he hadn't been used for races) and a little in the mornings to take the edge off. The problem came after I got him fed up a bit and his back adjusted. He was so fit after his previous work schedule but too sore and hungry to do anything. Then I got him feeling better and he sure did! However he did seem to know that I had saved his life, and put up with me most days.

Now after having the summer off due to me having a back injury, he is slowly being taught how to be a real horse. Right now we're doing between 5 and 10 minutes on the lunge line with a Chambon on, and about 15 minutes of walk trot work undersaddle. He quite enjoyed his summer off, and doesn't really see the need to go back to work, but he is much happier than he was at the racetrack. He actually enjoys being brushed now, and only makes grumpy faces sometimes.

If he'd put his thick head down he might look like he had some potential!

Next is my fabulous Standardbred gelding Richie, or Richs Pride. Around the barn we call him Sir Richard, due to his well, distinguished look? He was in training to be my second pony horse, until my back got hurt. He spent his summer being a total ladies man, and is still adored by all the mares.

He too is learning how to be a real horse, which would be easy except he prefers to pace. We are doing 5 to 10 minutes of work on the lunge line with the Chambon, and about 15 undersaddle. He's learning to do trot poles *clunk* but he switches back to a pace so easily I need someone on the ground to tell me when he's trotting. I've also started a rather unconventional method, which involves a boot and a bell boot on a front leg, and a boot and a bell boot on the diagonal back leg. Suprisingly is has shown the most improvement so far, and the bright blue bell boots help me and my spotters tell which legs are which.

I also ride him with a very loose draw rein. I'm usually not a huge user of equipment, especially with a horse that's learning, but he had so much equipment on at the track ... I've found that the higher he can get his head, the easier it is to pace, so I encourage him to keep it down with a draw rein that only makes contact with his mouth if his head gets too far above my hand.

Richie is 5 now, and still growing. He's likely going to end up over 17hh. Out here we have a fairly tight knit Standardbred community, and I have met the guy who owns Richie's older brother. At 7, Wheat is still growing!

He has such a nice walk ... now if only he could figure out a trot!

And last but not least, Fruity aka Fruited Plains. She is a 6 year old Standardbred mare, dumped on me by my ex boyfriend. She raced until April of this year, when the vets think she fractured her coffin bone. She was on stall rest until June, and then worked her way up to 24/7 turnout by the end of July. She is now sound, and I have started riding her as well. She didn't take to being thrown out in a field very well, so I started working with her mostly to cheer her up. She seems to enjoy our little 15 minutes of walk and trot though, so I guess we'll keep doing it.