Baby Steps for Baby Horses

Before Stevie, I'd never worked with a young horse. My first mare, although she acted completely green, had been around the block a few times. Deuce was 11 when I started riding him.

This last summer, I rode nearly every day. We took maybe one or two days off a week. Deuce was in fabulous shape and always ready to go. He probably would have cheerfully worked every day if I had asked it of him, not that I would. But I didn't have to worry about wearing him out, if he could handle.

Then I bought a 3 year old. Stevie is a sweetheart with a huge stride who gets tired very quickly. Even when I have the time to ride every day, I can't. Don't get me wrong, I love my new boy. It's just an adjustment.

I'd planned on teaching Deuce flying lead changes this year, if I got to keep him. Now I've switched to thinking "maybe in a few years."

It's good for me, really. Stevie's making me slow down, and really take the time to plan what we're going to do. And I get the best homework from my trainer - trail rides three times a week, and we have to trot/canter/gallop the entire time.

Maybe I could push him more. Certainly there are lots of people who do - you can buy finished reining horses or hunters who are only three or four years old. But I won't, because I firmly believe taking it slow is what's best for him. I'm not going to ask him to do something he isn't physically and mentally ready for.

For now, I'm just going to keep calm and enjoy the trails. 

A Horse! A Horse!

I can't stop saying it to myself - "I own a horse. I own a horse."

That's right, I haven't even been in college for three weeks and I've purchased a new equine.  At least no one can say I procrastinate (when it comes to horses.)

Of course, with this horse comes the panic of "nothing I own will fit him!" Because Deuce, my previous ride, was a 15hh stock-type horse. Stevie, the new boy, is a 16hh thoroughbred (never raced). Who's probably going to grow more and get wider, because he's only 3 years old.

Yeah, Stevie clearly still has a lot of changing left to do. He is one of the most mild-mannered young horses I have ever met, though. And very calm under saddle. Of course, I wouldn't have bought him if he weren't. ;) That's Cricket in the background. Cricket pretty much just wanders were she wants. When I tried Stevie the first time we went just down the road to the riding field and she followed us, then just hung around my friend who'd come to watch. 

Well, I have to go back to panicking over what I need to buy for him. What boots? A snaffle bridle? What size bit does he need?? (Luckily he's staying at the barn of the person I bought him from and my new trainer's been riding him, so these questions should be easy to answer.)

Endings

I've been gone awhile, haven't I? Lots of Netflix. I mean, big changes and all that. Moving and starting college has been taking up a lot of my time, but that's not the real reason I haven't been writing. I mentioned in the first post that I'd be leaving Deuce back home, and the reality of that hit me harder than I thought it would. Add the fact that he was so perfect on our last ride, and I was pretty messed up. He was so patient with the little girl who saw us from our porch, and fed him an apple and petted him. He agreed to trot down the road with no complaints, in both directions. His trot felt amazing - absolutely smooth and round and so easy to sit bareback. And just two days before I'd finally jumped more than about 18" with him. 2'2", actually. And it felt effortless. 

So you get the point. And now I'm going through withdrawal. I rode a friend's horse a few days after moving - about a week ago. First time in a dressage saddle and it went surprisingly well, although the length of the stirrups freaked me out at first. And her horse really progressed since the last time I saw him, about two years ago now.

There's surprisingly little equine industry here. With a large college, which includes a veterinary college, and the largest city in the state only 40 minutes away I expected more. There used to be one really nice barn, but I just learned they went bankrupt this winter. There are a two barns now that I know of and a few small boarding operations. The college does have and IHSA equestrian team, though! I'll definitely be joining that, and my horsey friend will be on it with me.

The other good news is that one of the few trainers up here is an eventer, and I've heard some good things about her. She also has special rates for students! I have a lesson with her Monday. I'll actually be having the lesson on a sale horse, so I may have my new horse sooner than I thought. Here's hoping he's as nice as he sounds!

 

 

Deuce at our last show.

He was super adorable, and usually a pretty chill guy.

Horse Show Dad?

Neither of my parents are what you'd call "horsey." Sure, they've picked up quite a bit from my rambling and ranting, but I never would have called them horse show parents.

Before last week, that is.

To be fair, my father has some background with horses. When he was growing up his family raised Spanish Mustangs. They never really showed, though, and my father wasn't very involved with the horses.

There I go rambling again. Back to the point- last week my dad and I were driving to a 4-H show. He's starts asking me if I have everything.

"Do you have your helmet?" Check. "Jacket." Yep. "Hair net?" Yep.

Wait, what?  My father knows what I need to show, down to the hair net? He knows that I wear a hair net? I have no idea how or when this happened. I only go to a handful of shows a year, and most of them neither of my parents go to.

My current theory is that horse-show mania is contagious. I have clearly infected my father.

New Beginnings, New Blogs

To start, I should make introductions. I'm Mallory, but you can call me Mal. I've been riding consistently for 9 or 10 years now.

I have a varied riding history. I started with Western lessons on an Arabian gelding named Clancy so fat that people who didn't know he was male thought he was pregnant.

Shortly after that I began leasing an old Spanish Mustang mare from my cousins. Despite her age - 22 - she didn't really know anything. Turn? Nope. Stop? No, but luckily she didn't know 'go' either. Backing was a completely new concept. Nevertheless, Majuba turned into a great horse who'd do anything you asked. Except get along with other horses. She also believed that no matter what pace we were going, if there was a horse next to her it was a race. Her medium trot could keep pace with a much larger Quarter Horse loping.

Sometime after I started riding Majuba I bought a truly awful English saddle from a friend. Slowly I became enamored with English riding and I eventually gave up Western completely. Put me in a western saddle on a pleasure trained horse now and I have no idea what to do.

After a few years riding Majuba my cousins took in another friends horse and I started riding him. Deuce is an unregistered solid black paint. I've been the only one riding him for nearly four years, and we've come pretty far. I believe he was in training to be a reining horse, but he's a pretty good English Equitation horse now. I've done pretty well with him at a few schooling shows and 4-H shows.

Now the new beginnings part. I'm going to be a college girl in a few weeks. I wanted to buy Deuce and take him with me to start eventing, but alas, my aunt wants to keep him. So once I make the move to college I'll start horse shopping!

I'll be keeping this blog updated with that adventure and with the odd, ludicrous, and amusing horse stories of my life.