Royal Update
Recently, Royal has decided he is back sore. He has gone through a chiropractor, saddle fitting, massages, and new saddle pads, but all in all is back sore. So, I had a lady at the barn and her "whole body farrier" look at him, out of desperation to name a problem. And much hooey, she named his shitty, shitty feet. His feet have always been pretty crappy but with a good farrier and a good diet, they managed. However, the dressage we are doing (since he doesn't want to jump without pointing his knees at the ground) seems to be stressing him to the max. Indeed, the very discipline I thought would correct my horse and make him the best he could be is in fact hurting him. According to Hoopla farrier, his angles are uneven, his heels are pinched, his toes are long his heels are too tall, his feet are too moist, all leading to one side being sore. Now, I'm not sure if thats the case or not (I've seen a lot of farriers, and really like the one I'm with now, who does a very good job and has corrected quite a bit already) but the fact remains that Royal's feet are not ideal, and I don't have a whole lot else to blame his soreness on.
So a call went out to his owner, Lee. After much discussion, deciding whether it was worth the fortune it would cost in hoof repair and therapy that may or may not work, for a mediocre dressage horse, we decided that it was also a possibility (and reality) that I had gone as far as I could with Royal, and that Royal had taken me for as far as he could go.
Now, I've known for a long time that Royal is not my ideal horse. He was free, and paid for for my college years and I was in no mood to turn that down. He's flashy and fancy looking, and constantly promises you that he will one day be everything you've hoped for. However, during my nearly 3 years with him at school, I've found that he maxes out of jumping at about 2'6". His jumping technique leaves almost everything to be desired, and to compensate for said poor technique, he runs. The hunters don't want him because he jumps with his knees pointed at the ground and he runs. The jumpers don't want him because he cant turn. Dressage doesn't want him because he hurts from it. To be honest, I'm tired of having a horse I can never show up to a show and not be 'schooling' or 'hoping we make it through the weekend' or wondering whether I should be doing something else with my horse. Every other rider in the world sells their horse that doesn't work out for what they want and gets a new one, but that wasn't my situation. Who am I to tell a lady who has so graciously paid for me to have a horse at school that its not my type? Not to mention I'm attached to that ass.
But Lee agreed. Perhaps it was having 3 years without his constant cuteness to leave her only with the memories of him bolting , running, not cooperating, and spooking, or maybe she really did understand. She suggested that he return to New Vocations, the rescue he came from years ago. With some convincing, I eventually agreed. Not only could he find a home that is less intense where he can teach other stupid gutsy riders to jump and ride (at lower levels), but New Vocations would have the best means to find him a home. They also would stand to benefit from it, as he is in the book Beyond the Track and they can make money off of him. Money that would go straight back into finding more silly horses homes, just like Ro.
In the mean time, Lee will be sending their abused-but-talented warmblood to me for a forever home. Gideon, a brandless "dutch warmblood" was at some point in his jumping career severely abused, and therefore is now a notorious stopper, and a dirty one at that. He is absolutely terrified of poles and standards, and absolutely shakes to the bone if he actually does get over a jump. That being said, the horse can move. Although I am a hunter at heart, I am beginning to see the huge benefits of dressage (done right), and in this instance am happy to obtain a dressage horse who may or may not ever jump again. At least, with this horse, I can compete and work towards a goal of moving up and advancing rather than trying an trying again at the same level with little to no improvement.
Its a bittersweet situation. I know, when I'm rational, that its a better situation for everyone. Royal gets a home that won't ride him to a point it hurts him. I get a horse I can actually excel on. GIdeon gets a forever home with one person, not a bunch of professionals who continously say 'this horse doesnt want to jump'. Realizing that I am ok with that was interesting, because there was a time where I wouldn't have thought twice about riding a horse and making a career out of something that I couldn't jump with. Perhaps I'm maturing after all...
But anyways. A bittersweet goodbye to my Royal Pain, and a hopeful welcome the the Flying Dutchman.
So a call went out to his owner, Lee. After much discussion, deciding whether it was worth the fortune it would cost in hoof repair and therapy that may or may not work, for a mediocre dressage horse, we decided that it was also a possibility (and reality) that I had gone as far as I could with Royal, and that Royal had taken me for as far as he could go.
Now, I've known for a long time that Royal is not my ideal horse. He was free, and paid for for my college years and I was in no mood to turn that down. He's flashy and fancy looking, and constantly promises you that he will one day be everything you've hoped for. However, during my nearly 3 years with him at school, I've found that he maxes out of jumping at about 2'6". His jumping technique leaves almost everything to be desired, and to compensate for said poor technique, he runs. The hunters don't want him because he jumps with his knees pointed at the ground and he runs. The jumpers don't want him because he cant turn. Dressage doesn't want him because he hurts from it. To be honest, I'm tired of having a horse I can never show up to a show and not be 'schooling' or 'hoping we make it through the weekend' or wondering whether I should be doing something else with my horse. Every other rider in the world sells their horse that doesn't work out for what they want and gets a new one, but that wasn't my situation. Who am I to tell a lady who has so graciously paid for me to have a horse at school that its not my type? Not to mention I'm attached to that ass.
But Lee agreed. Perhaps it was having 3 years without his constant cuteness to leave her only with the memories of him bolting , running, not cooperating, and spooking, or maybe she really did understand. She suggested that he return to New Vocations, the rescue he came from years ago. With some convincing, I eventually agreed. Not only could he find a home that is less intense where he can teach other stupid gutsy riders to jump and ride (at lower levels), but New Vocations would have the best means to find him a home. They also would stand to benefit from it, as he is in the book Beyond the Track and they can make money off of him. Money that would go straight back into finding more silly horses homes, just like Ro.
In the mean time, Lee will be sending their abused-but-talented warmblood to me for a forever home. Gideon, a brandless "dutch warmblood" was at some point in his jumping career severely abused, and therefore is now a notorious stopper, and a dirty one at that. He is absolutely terrified of poles and standards, and absolutely shakes to the bone if he actually does get over a jump. That being said, the horse can move. Although I am a hunter at heart, I am beginning to see the huge benefits of dressage (done right), and in this instance am happy to obtain a dressage horse who may or may not ever jump again. At least, with this horse, I can compete and work towards a goal of moving up and advancing rather than trying an trying again at the same level with little to no improvement.
Its a bittersweet situation. I know, when I'm rational, that its a better situation for everyone. Royal gets a home that won't ride him to a point it hurts him. I get a horse I can actually excel on. GIdeon gets a forever home with one person, not a bunch of professionals who continously say 'this horse doesnt want to jump'. Realizing that I am ok with that was interesting, because there was a time where I wouldn't have thought twice about riding a horse and making a career out of something that I couldn't jump with. Perhaps I'm maturing after all...
But anyways. A bittersweet goodbye to my Royal Pain, and a hopeful welcome the the Flying Dutchman.