Re-Intro Post
I'm glad to see this community up and running again. since this seems to be the thing to do I'll throw in my re-introduction post.
My name is Megan, I'm 19 years old and a Sophomore at the University of Colorado. I've been riding for about 14 years now. I ride mostly western, but that's because I don't own an english saddle. At the moment I don't own my own horse. I said goodbye to my project mare when I came to college (I'll post about her under the cut) and thought that I would have to watch the equestrian world from afar. Luckily for me that turned out not to be the case. My parents moved about this time last year, so over the summer I went to their new home in PA and got a job as a trail guide. Where I guide uses mules instead of horses, and at first I was slightly resistant to the fact. However, now I love my "long eared children" at least as much as any horse I've ever worked with, if not more.
When I was about 13 years old the stable I was working at determined that they would give me their problem horses. around the same time I answered an add "16.2 hand cremello mare for use." Intrigued I called the add and ended up with a free lease on the most amazing barrel horse I've ever worked with. When her owner was ready to sell her I wasnt financially stable enough to get her, so I had to say goodbye to my Beau. The owner of the mare, however, owned another mare who happened to be boarded and "trained" at the place I was taking lessons. Trained was in quotes because no horse should be started the way she was. I was about to quit lessons there for similar reasons when she was offered to me as a replacement for Beau. I was told all the horror sorries about her, but wanted to try her anyway. she was a plucky little 14.3 three year old palimino paint who had learned that kicking, rearing, biting, and smashing people into walls were all great ways to get people off your back. I changed her name from what she had been called all her life (rigsby) to Kyia.
(that's her in her awkward growing stage)
she's a cute little sucker though. I determined that I was going to give her a try and moved her out of that barn. over the next three months we had most of her problems fixed. she became my pocket pony and eventually grew to a more respectable 15.1. She still had her moments of testing me, but overall she was my baby doll. I went to a parellii clinic and decided to give it a go. I'm not going to say all his things work, but they are good bond-building ideas. With that and my own training on working with difficult horses in the next two years I taught her to ride tack-less and by the time we moved together to Colorado we were a pretty good team if I can say so myself.
It was in colorado that she was boarded with gaited horses that she taught herself to do a running walk and a 4 beat along with the normal gates. When I went to college we attempted to find her a 4H home because I was going away and didnt have a place to bring her and she needed more attention than just summers. she was only 6 and in the prime of her life and it was one of the hardest decisions of my life. when it turned out that her feet would not stand up to gaming we found her a home as a therapy horse in a program for the disabled. She loves it.
...and now on to my boy.
I mentioned above that I worked for a trail riding establishment. When I got there I went out on a few rides on the mules that they save for people that claim they can ride. (Not that they always can) on the third day of work they were telling me about "my ride". His name is Zorro, and he had been out in the pasture untouched for almost a year. when I asked why one of the guys who had been there for years replied with "he's dangerous". It was explained to me that this particular mule had a kicking problem. He would kick "for no reason" at which I kindof scoffed...no animal kicks for no reason right? Turns out he tried to take out the vet last time he had come and since then he had been taken out of the field with caution, and not paid any attention when people were out there getting the rest of the mules for the day. I was determined that he was just misunderstood and that there had to be a reason for his kicking. we'll, let's say he kicked for a bad reason. He kicked because no one had known enough about how to correct him. hitting him(one of the former employee's solution) only made it worse, and he had gotten to the point of lashing out anytime some one got near his back end. or...if a dreaded saddle got near him. well, with my trusty carrot stick we fixed that one right up in about 20 minutes with absolutely no raised voices or striking. at least it was fixed for me, and most of the other female guides. he still didn't care for men too much.
He's my darling boy. My best man. He's a 6 year old Percheron X Mamoth Jack cross who stands at a nice 15.3 hands, he takes more after his momma than papa and has a lovely horse like face. I love my mules but some of them are less than refined in the head. we snuggle on break from the two hour trails when we don't have to do instruction. I sit near "his tree" and he rests his head on my shoulder and wuffs air into my ear. I couldnt wish for a more willing, intelligent, diligent, sweet partner on the trail. That boy works hard for me (10-14 hour days in the heat) and he very rarely has bratty moments, and he's always the first to greet me bright and early before the day begins.
In addition to my Zorro boy I've also got about 50 other mules and three horses that I work with at my job. I've bonded with them on different levels but I love them all for their great personalities.
My name is Megan, I'm 19 years old and a Sophomore at the University of Colorado. I've been riding for about 14 years now. I ride mostly western, but that's because I don't own an english saddle. At the moment I don't own my own horse. I said goodbye to my project mare when I came to college (I'll post about her under the cut) and thought that I would have to watch the equestrian world from afar. Luckily for me that turned out not to be the case. My parents moved about this time last year, so over the summer I went to their new home in PA and got a job as a trail guide. Where I guide uses mules instead of horses, and at first I was slightly resistant to the fact. However, now I love my "long eared children" at least as much as any horse I've ever worked with, if not more.
When I was about 13 years old the stable I was working at determined that they would give me their problem horses. around the same time I answered an add "16.2 hand cremello mare for use." Intrigued I called the add and ended up with a free lease on the most amazing barrel horse I've ever worked with. When her owner was ready to sell her I wasnt financially stable enough to get her, so I had to say goodbye to my Beau. The owner of the mare, however, owned another mare who happened to be boarded and "trained" at the place I was taking lessons. Trained was in quotes because no horse should be started the way she was. I was about to quit lessons there for similar reasons when she was offered to me as a replacement for Beau. I was told all the horror sorries about her, but wanted to try her anyway. she was a plucky little 14.3 three year old palimino paint who had learned that kicking, rearing, biting, and smashing people into walls were all great ways to get people off your back. I changed her name from what she had been called all her life (rigsby) to Kyia.
(that's her in her awkward growing stage)
she's a cute little sucker though. I determined that I was going to give her a try and moved her out of that barn. over the next three months we had most of her problems fixed. she became my pocket pony and eventually grew to a more respectable 15.1. She still had her moments of testing me, but overall she was my baby doll. I went to a parellii clinic and decided to give it a go. I'm not going to say all his things work, but they are good bond-building ideas. With that and my own training on working with difficult horses in the next two years I taught her to ride tack-less and by the time we moved together to Colorado we were a pretty good team if I can say so myself.
It was in colorado that she was boarded with gaited horses that she taught herself to do a running walk and a 4 beat along with the normal gates. When I went to college we attempted to find her a 4H home because I was going away and didnt have a place to bring her and she needed more attention than just summers. she was only 6 and in the prime of her life and it was one of the hardest decisions of my life. when it turned out that her feet would not stand up to gaming we found her a home as a therapy horse in a program for the disabled. She loves it.
...and now on to my boy.
I mentioned above that I worked for a trail riding establishment. When I got there I went out on a few rides on the mules that they save for people that claim they can ride. (Not that they always can) on the third day of work they were telling me about "my ride". His name is Zorro, and he had been out in the pasture untouched for almost a year. when I asked why one of the guys who had been there for years replied with "he's dangerous". It was explained to me that this particular mule had a kicking problem. He would kick "for no reason" at which I kindof scoffed...no animal kicks for no reason right? Turns out he tried to take out the vet last time he had come and since then he had been taken out of the field with caution, and not paid any attention when people were out there getting the rest of the mules for the day. I was determined that he was just misunderstood and that there had to be a reason for his kicking. we'll, let's say he kicked for a bad reason. He kicked because no one had known enough about how to correct him. hitting him(one of the former employee's solution) only made it worse, and he had gotten to the point of lashing out anytime some one got near his back end. or...if a dreaded saddle got near him. well, with my trusty carrot stick we fixed that one right up in about 20 minutes with absolutely no raised voices or striking. at least it was fixed for me, and most of the other female guides. he still didn't care for men too much.
He's my darling boy. My best man. He's a 6 year old Percheron X Mamoth Jack cross who stands at a nice 15.3 hands, he takes more after his momma than papa and has a lovely horse like face. I love my mules but some of them are less than refined in the head. we snuggle on break from the two hour trails when we don't have to do instruction. I sit near "his tree" and he rests his head on my shoulder and wuffs air into my ear. I couldnt wish for a more willing, intelligent, diligent, sweet partner on the trail. That boy works hard for me (10-14 hour days in the heat) and he very rarely has bratty moments, and he's always the first to greet me bright and early before the day begins.
In addition to my Zorro boy I've also got about 50 other mules and three horses that I work with at my job. I've bonded with them on different levels but I love them all for their great personalities.