Blue tarps...

I am patiently bringing Sport along and he's doing well, we've been doing lots of groundwork and lunging (when the ground isn't too disgustingly wet!)... I have found he's very smart and sweet, but very much a "Mom's-MY-herd-member" kinda of horse, coming to me (literally!) when anything is unusual/ new/ scary etc. I joke that he should be called "SNORT!" instead of Sport, since he snorts alot at scary stuff, but then does the opposite soft snort (blowing) when he relaxes. :-) Total opposite of Mr. I'm-Awesome-and-Confident General (RIP). 

Sport needs his confidence built up (he's definitely one that needs to see/ smell/ touch scary stuff - and alot of stuff is scary right now! And he needs my reassurance/ approval for when he does something well) since he's only 6 years old, a TB AND was out in a pasture for 2 years not getting exposure to alot of different stuff... but I was SO proud of him last Sunday... 

I have blue plastic tarps for him start walking over, on, around, under etc. I started out slow, with the tarp folded up so that it was only a quarter of it's width (but normal length) on the ground, he sniffs it, but otherwise he didn't bat an eyelash as we walked over it... then I opened it up to halfway size, same reaction :-) We walked over it both directions, backed over it etc. Then I opened it up to full size and did the same, adding that he had to stand on the tarp for a bit before moving off... it was then that he reached down and bit the tarp! :-) And at one point his back foot caught the edge of the tarp as he was walking over it, so that it dragged along with his foot alittle, making good loud crinkly noises, and he didn't snort! I was so proud of him! 

As a matter of fact, I would take off his lead so he could walk to the other side of the roundpen if he wanted (gotta make due since I don't have a human helper) thinking he wouldn't like the sounds/ sights when I was unfolding and rearranging the tarp to make it bigger or flipping it over to change it from blue to gray... instead he's *right* there next me, at one point standing on the edge of the tarp, with me holding the rest of the tarp in front of him (like a wall), and all he was concerned about was getting a treat! ha! Since he's been spooky (or should I say "snort-y"?) about other less scary things (well, what I think would be less scary), I was impressed!  

We'll be moving on to walking in between two tarps (that are hung up to make walls) this week, gradually decreasing the space between them until he can't go past the blue "walls" (with the tarps in a "v" shape) but has to back out, then adding having to walk under the tarp (though not sure how I will accomplish that since I can tie the tarp to only one side and have no one to hold up the other side... hmmm... any suggestions on how to accomplish that?!?) 

The importance of good fencing...

I went out Friday Dec. 10 after work and as I drove down the driveway, I noticed Snapper was chowing down at the round bale, but Sport was hanging out quite far away from Snapper, facing the fence and facing away from Snapper (they are good buddies, so they generally hang out fairly near each other). As I walk up, Snapper eagerly greeted me, snuffling for treats, but Sport stayed where he was... Hmmm... VERY unusual, as Sport almost always comes up to greet me too (sometimes he'll even trot over!). I looked over and called his name, but Sport just looked over his right shoulder at me as I call, then looked at me over his left shoulder, but didn't turn around to meet me or move much else besides his head/neck... UH OH!

So, I walked over to Sport, talking calmly, asking him what's wrong, what'd he get himself into, etc. I get closer and realize that Sport had BOTH front feet on the wrong side of the bottom fence wire (the fence is a smooth wire post and rail)! Gack!! Both front feet were outside the pasture, while the rest of him is inside! He was standing there patiently, waiting... The wire was somewhat slack, not super tight... So, I carefully picked up his left front foot and put it back inside the pasture where it belonged... he stood quietly as I walked around his backside and then picked up his right front foot and put it back inside the pasture too... He looked at me, put his head down, let me rub his forehead and in between his ears for a short bit, licked his lips, then turned around and walked back towards Snapper... As he walked away, Sport gave a few "tension" snorts a few times, as if to say "that was scary!"  

I can't tell you how proud I was/am of my fairly calm, good-brained Sport! But felt abit chagrined that he got himself in that trouble in the first place! :-) He's perfectly fine, by the way, no cuts, no scrapes, no swellings... we even had a light lunging session afterwards (where there was a small buck and a few "woohoo" leaps!) and he was completely sound and normal.

Oh, and I should add that the fence DOES have a hot wire to keep Sport from grabbing the best grass on the other side of the fence (which is how that day's incident happened I'm fairly sure), but the hot wire had been broken the last week or so... but it was fixed that weekend (as well as tightening of the fence wire).

Big *sigh* of relief from this horse owner! 

Introduction

I decided to keep this blog as a diary of my training adventures of my young gelding. It's really just for me to document our progress, but if you enjoy reading it too then that's a bonus! :-) And I welcome comments, suggestions, advice. Thanks.

Alittle information about us:

Me: I have been riding since I was six years old, my dad having owned a racehorse training and breeding farm outside Houston, TX. Horses are a huge part of my life, especially Thoroughbreds (TB). I started riding on a Shetland named Susie, then a lovely reliable former cutting Quarter Horse named Johnny. I learned alot from both and they both took good care of me.

Snapper: I still have my first off-track TB (OTTB), the adorably sweet Snapper (River Rat Ronald - ridiculous name, I know! What *was* my dad thinking?! - a 1983 TB gelding by Umin out of The Madam). He and I have been partners since I was thirteen years old and he was three, but we've know each other all our lives. Snapper was a baby by our stallion and out of our mare, so I have known Snapper since he was born. I have a picture of me at age 10 scratching his nose before he was weaned from his momma! (Makes me feel old!)

Did you bring a treat?

He's now a healthy, somewhat more opinionated (ahem), 28 years old! He's my sweet boy. We experienced alot together (trail riding, hunter/jumper, dressage, Eventing, foxhunting, even a hunter pace) and he taught (and still teaches) me so much. I hope he'll be around until age 30 at least!

General: My second OTTB was General (General Commander - a Louisiana bred 2000 TB gelding by Deputy Commander out of Miss Lion King), a great horse who came into my life in 2007, right when I needed him. Handsome, confident, sweet, always on the "lookout"... He was such a *good* boy. We had so much fun and learning for the three years we were together, until unfortunately I lost him to a badly twisted gut in February 2010. I still miss him often. RIP big guy.

Gen and me schooling at Pine Hill 

Devastated and heartbroken at losing Gen, I took my time looking for another horse. And though I am open to other breeds, I was still drawn to OTTBs. About nine months later, I found Sport through a friend who sent me to Robin P. (a racehorse trainer), whom I also know from my part-time work at Sam Houston Race Park. Sport became mine the end of October.

Sport: A 2004 Texas bred TB gelding by Orbit's Revenge out of Sports Prospector. Sport had been owned by my friend Jim B., who had passed away. Robin was his longtime partner in life and work. Sport only raced five times, never in the money, but then was put out on pasture with all of Jim's other horses for two years due to a "custody battle" of sorts between Robin and Jim's son after Jim's death.  There was a deal of sorts worked out with Jim's son, Robin, the lawyers etc. that the sale of the horse had to be approved by all parties involved, so it took a nerve wracking ten days to find out if I could take Sport home. Luckily, all went well and I took Sport home for the princely sum of $300! (Robin was pricing the horses just high enough to keep them off the truck to Mexico…)

In honor of Jim, when I start to show and event Sport, he will show under the name “JB Sport's Revenge”. I hope to make you proud Jim. :-)

Sport's first full day at his new home