Warum bin ich die Trainerin!
I had four lessons today, three this morning followed by looking at a horse with the S family and painting before the final lesson.
Looking at a horse is always an interesting experience. My bodyworker had mentioned this guy the beginning of March and asked if I knew of anyone who might be looking. I finally mentioned it to both Keara and Roxanne the latter portion of the month. I was under the impression he was being "given away to good home," but maybe Kristin misunderstood the owner's intent or "giving away" just means "really cheap" as the young woman was fishing for some sort of price, but wouldn't name a number. This might have been because Roxanne was up front with the intent that he would be a train and resell project for Keara.
The layout was a bit confusing finding the place because it was tucked behind a couple other properties and Hal and Keara weren't anywhere to be found despite the truck and trailer being there. We finally found them and the girl selling the horse.
His name is Bucket and he's a coming nine year-old Thoroughbred (tatoo and all). He was in a field with two other horses that had been irrigated a few days prior so the ground was still a little mushy. She had acquires him herself as a project, but ran out of time with this semester of college and hates seeing him sit around and do nothing. He's been working in all three gaits and supposedly started over jumps.
He was easy to catch. He seemed well enough put together, but on the thin side and around 15.3 hands. His feet were overdue and not quite balanced and he was shod all the way around. He picked up his foot well enough for her and then she went to lunge him. She prefaced it saying he had sad for three months and "hated lungeing," which usually means the person hasn't taught the horse to lunge properly and sure enough when she went to send him off he stared at her with his big doe eyes and looed slightly bewildered that he could be asked to do more than have head rubs and scratches. He trotted for a few strides, but not enough to really see. Keara picked him up and tried. She had retreived a whip from their truck, but he was expert in lungeing avoidance and easily sucked her into all of the least effective positions she could be in. I offered some suggestions, primarily keeping her feet still and turning the energy up, but she kept wandering as he wandered and I offered to have a go.
I pointed, raised the whip, he stared. I clucked, swished the whip, he looked slightly alarmed and raised his head. I asked again and he started backing. I twirled the whip and kept the same tension on the line and orientation to him until he finally jumped in the direction and trotted off. He had a very nice, floaty trot, especially for a three month pasture pet. I got him to trot and canter well in both directions before calling it good and cheekily commented to Hal and Roxanne "That's why I'm the trainer!" He had some weakness behind and cross-fired a couple times, but that could be chalked up to lack of fitness at this point. He was a little leery of me for a minute before forgiving me of being horrendously abusive in insisting he work and knowing how to block his efforts to avoid it.
We talked a bit. Gave a cursory assessment and she said she had another person coming to look at him tomorrow (perhaps why he was not a "giveaway" at this point). She would let the S family know by the end of the week.
They also talked about a possible lease for the first month before committing to buying, which would be a win-win for the owner, especially if Keara puts any type of work into him before sending him back (which I don't see happening unless he is a total lemon).
We talked little after we were out of earshot of the owner and then I headed back. I did additional thinking on the drive home and sent Roxanne some thoughts to chew on as she, Hal, and Keara think about whether or not to move forward with Bucket. I do have some little red flags with not seeing him under saddle (I have a picture, but that doesn't really count) as I wanted to see how he had been ridden. The lungeing attempt told me how well he had (not) been lunged at least. If Keara wants to bring him along as if he had never been backed and treat him as such it wouldn't be a bad idea. I also noted they need to consider the skills they want to instill in him, goal sale price, care costs until sold and, for here at least, the fact that summer is not peak riding season and most people in the valley aren't necessarily thinking of mounting up come May and June. From a fitness standpoint they are probably looking at a six week minimum to bring him back into whatever shape he was plus the effort of packing the groceries back on. All things to think about.
In other news I am almost done with the wagon. I need to start pouring in the hours if I am going to get this thing done by the end of the month. I didn't have my art class today and won't have it next week, which will help, but I also need to throw time at it tomorrow and whatever I can spare, really. Good news, Wendy will be sending a check shortly so payment is good!
Looking at a horse is always an interesting experience. My bodyworker had mentioned this guy the beginning of March and asked if I knew of anyone who might be looking. I finally mentioned it to both Keara and Roxanne the latter portion of the month. I was under the impression he was being "given away to good home," but maybe Kristin misunderstood the owner's intent or "giving away" just means "really cheap" as the young woman was fishing for some sort of price, but wouldn't name a number. This might have been because Roxanne was up front with the intent that he would be a train and resell project for Keara.
The layout was a bit confusing finding the place because it was tucked behind a couple other properties and Hal and Keara weren't anywhere to be found despite the truck and trailer being there. We finally found them and the girl selling the horse.
His name is Bucket and he's a coming nine year-old Thoroughbred (tatoo and all). He was in a field with two other horses that had been irrigated a few days prior so the ground was still a little mushy. She had acquires him herself as a project, but ran out of time with this semester of college and hates seeing him sit around and do nothing. He's been working in all three gaits and supposedly started over jumps.
He was easy to catch. He seemed well enough put together, but on the thin side and around 15.3 hands. His feet were overdue and not quite balanced and he was shod all the way around. He picked up his foot well enough for her and then she went to lunge him. She prefaced it saying he had sad for three months and "hated lungeing," which usually means the person hasn't taught the horse to lunge properly and sure enough when she went to send him off he stared at her with his big doe eyes and looed slightly bewildered that he could be asked to do more than have head rubs and scratches. He trotted for a few strides, but not enough to really see. Keara picked him up and tried. She had retreived a whip from their truck, but he was expert in lungeing avoidance and easily sucked her into all of the least effective positions she could be in. I offered some suggestions, primarily keeping her feet still and turning the energy up, but she kept wandering as he wandered and I offered to have a go.
I pointed, raised the whip, he stared. I clucked, swished the whip, he looked slightly alarmed and raised his head. I asked again and he started backing. I twirled the whip and kept the same tension on the line and orientation to him until he finally jumped in the direction and trotted off. He had a very nice, floaty trot, especially for a three month pasture pet. I got him to trot and canter well in both directions before calling it good and cheekily commented to Hal and Roxanne "That's why I'm the trainer!" He had some weakness behind and cross-fired a couple times, but that could be chalked up to lack of fitness at this point. He was a little leery of me for a minute before forgiving me of being horrendously abusive in insisting he work and knowing how to block his efforts to avoid it.
We talked a bit. Gave a cursory assessment and she said she had another person coming to look at him tomorrow (perhaps why he was not a "giveaway" at this point). She would let the S family know by the end of the week.
They also talked about a possible lease for the first month before committing to buying, which would be a win-win for the owner, especially if Keara puts any type of work into him before sending him back (which I don't see happening unless he is a total lemon).
We talked little after we were out of earshot of the owner and then I headed back. I did additional thinking on the drive home and sent Roxanne some thoughts to chew on as she, Hal, and Keara think about whether or not to move forward with Bucket. I do have some little red flags with not seeing him under saddle (I have a picture, but that doesn't really count) as I wanted to see how he had been ridden. The lungeing attempt told me how well he had (not) been lunged at least. If Keara wants to bring him along as if he had never been backed and treat him as such it wouldn't be a bad idea. I also noted they need to consider the skills they want to instill in him, goal sale price, care costs until sold and, for here at least, the fact that summer is not peak riding season and most people in the valley aren't necessarily thinking of mounting up come May and June. From a fitness standpoint they are probably looking at a six week minimum to bring him back into whatever shape he was plus the effort of packing the groceries back on. All things to think about.
In other news I am almost done with the wagon. I need to start pouring in the hours if I am going to get this thing done by the end of the month. I didn't have my art class today and won't have it next week, which will help, but I also need to throw time at it tomorrow and whatever I can spare, really. Good news, Wendy will be sending a check shortly so payment is good!