I am going to break all of the rules and pass this on to everyone on my blogroll. Being rather busy lately-I haven't been able to get to everyone every day, but you all are there for a reason. I love reading your blogs!!! For those of you that have already received this award-know that you are appreciated and for those of you that haven't had it passed to you yet...Consider it done!! Every single one of you are fantastic reads and deserve this award.
So this is another one of my "project's"...
This is Smoke. He is an 8y/o gelding, that we bred and raised...
He isn't broke to ride! YET!!
As a yearling, my brother turned down $3500 for this horse. He is the only horse that we have ever raised that we ever considered stallion quality. I know, some of you may look at his rather long back and question why we would ever consider letting him keep his testies. His sire was a Lady Bugs Moon/Otoe/Poco Tivio bred stud. Smoke's dam was out of a AAA+ sire and a AA dam. There is a lot of "run" in those bloodlines and ideally we wanted to add some length to our rather blocky King/Leo bred mares.
Smoke's greatest downfall as a stallion prospect was the fact that he was rank. He was probably one of the meanest horses we have ever owned. My brother was scared of him and didn't handle him much. As a 2y/o Smoke pawed through a panel, got his hoof stuck, tore the fence down trying to get loose and very nearly removed his right front foot. While at the vet's for 2 weeks, he also got "brain surgery". Six months of doctoring that foot didn't make him too fond of people messing with him either.
By that winter, my brother's life was rapidly falling apart and healed or not-Smoke was turned out to pasture. There he sat for the next 4 years. Amazingly, while he has a terrible scar on that foot, the hoof wall is not damaged and he is completely sound.When I came back to SD, 2 years ago-he was one of the ones I started messing with. He was so obese that we christened him "Fat Albert". First order of business was to get him to like people-even just a little bit. Megan is great for that. She just goes out and follows stuff around until they get tired and let her pet them. It took most of that summer to just get him where I could halter him and try to trim those feet. But he came around. He may have been a rank stud, but as a gelding he is very gentle.
Last fall, I went to the ranch to pick up a couple other horses and there stood poor Smoke with his nose twice it's normal size. Worried that it might be a rattlesnake bite, I hauled him to mom's to doctor. Luckily, I think that bite must have come from a bee up his nose, because he got over that in a couple of days. Rather than haul him back to the ranch, I decided to start his round pen work. I figured he was just too darn nice to let him sit. Besides, he is a 1/2 brother to Moon, so I am thinking "BARREL HORSE".
He started out really nice. He is a kind horse...loves attention and has never bucked one single time under saddle. So why didn't I go ahead and step on him last fall? I don't know! Maybe because I am getting older, maybe because I am out of practice at riding colts the first few times, maybe because he is older and I know just how much power he has. So here I am again, this summer, he is another year older and I am faced with having to step on this guy very soon. I learned a little trick, that I employed on Frosty and it worked great. I am going to saddle a broke horse and spend some time on him in the pen with Smoke. The getting on and off another horse really helps horses get used to having someone above them and having another horse that doesn't get excited seems to calm the greenies. Part of me really, really wishes there was someone around here that would work with me and would be willing to put the first few rides on him. But there isn't, soooo I am stuck with doing it. I really, really hope I do not become a lawn dart. It sucks getting older...wiser...losing your bounce.This morning, Smoke worked just as nice as last night. I stepped into the stirrup and he blew sideways. Holy crap, this horse has a lot of power. I am not worried about him bucking with me so much as I am of him just flat out leaving me in mid-air. He can turn on a dime and give you change. But I just kept messing with him and pretty soon he was standing fine. I'm sure that working him with another horse is going to work fine. Once he gets used to seeing someone mount and being above him, I think he will calm down and move off without a big wreck.
He has a lot of lessons to be learned yet. He was not having anything to do with having a bath this morning...
But they all come around to that pretty quick. Nothing feels so good as cool water, washing the sweat off. My mom used to poo-poo a lot of the stuff that Megan and I do, but our horses seldom spook at anything, they tie, they clip, they load and they lead properly. There is just something about all of that time spent on the ground that translates into "its no big deal" when you start riding them. At least that is what I am praying for. :o
4 comments:
Hey Girlfriend! Boy howdy did oyu nail it- we don't bounce, we go SPLAT.
Very Best Friend and I used to do that with all the horses we started- take a good broke broke broke horse, and ride in the pen with the greenie. We also ponied our greenies all over, and the way it USUALLY went was.... Very Best Friend would be on the broke horse, and *ahem* I would get nominated to get on the young stock. She would pony us around, and we would quit after about 1 full lap of the pen. This would go on for days, with me being a passive passenger.... Worked out pretty well. We turned out some really well started horses, and never could seem to keep one around for long.
On the phone last week, she said she has colts to start. Too bad we are so far away, as she really could use me now! I said unless she is willing to ship from MO to me, I was not available! ;)
Miss that girl.... Miss the fun we had riding too..
ANYWAYS.... Smoke is a nice looking boy there. Keep going like you are, and I bet that he comes along nice and smooth for you! And remember- when in doubt, get the hell out! (KIDDING!! JUST KIDDING!!)
Congrats on the award!
Man, he looks like my mare in the face! Very nice looking gelding you have there! I like his size, but I do like and think like you do speed! I have a young man that will put the first few rides on a green horse for me, what a blessing that is! I do not like a bucking, crazy thing! I agree I do not bounce anymore, it hurts and I hit hard! Sounds like a great plan with the broke horse and the green horse in the round pen. I am looking for a round pen, our old one finally bit the dust! It was ancient I tell ya! I have a horse I need to put 30 days on. He is a broke gelding, just been turned out for 2 + years. He needs a refresher course, owner says he doesn't neck rein at all! We shall see!
I agree with you about all the ground work! Man I know that is what helps ours. People do notice that when you haul places. I am always teaching! I think alot of people want a quick fix, that isn't going to happen. I feel it is a continous relationship daily with the horse(s). To have a dead broke horse. As for kiddos, they are great at desentizing horses! Just this morning when we were feeding, Angel got done first and I looked up and Savnnah had undone her and was doing some training on her! LOL! I continued cleaning troughs and looked back up and she has ground tied her and is going underneath her belly! I almost said something, but Angel was standing there and was asleep! She was not concerned at all about this little girl! All the time she was in her PJ's and barefoot!
Have a great day girl! Keep it up!
He sure is pretty! Makes a nice gelding :) I wish I was there girl, I'd be right in there with ya, we could tag team them and get em knocked out. I'm doing the same thing here, working w/the ponyhorse trying to get the bucks out of her. But yeah, as you get older, it gets harder. I don't feel as "on top" of things as I used to, and I dang sure don't want to hit the ground!
Smoke looks nice, he has that pretty stallion head. I'm curious to see how he breaks out. Who knows, maybe he'll be your future barrel horse!? Just be careful. Like you said, we mature horsewoman don't bounce as well as we did in our 20's! ;)
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