Hibernating

I tried to post last night, but it appears that the internet pooped out again.  We recently made the switch to broadband, as it finally became available in our area, but there have been some hiccups along the way while they get the service fine-tuned.

I don't have a whole lot to report.  The weather (over 10" of snow in November-December, when we usually have only a scant few), work, and the holidays have not cooperated with my desire to ride.  I was able to ride a little here and there in early December, but ice storms followed by snow later in the month put an abrupt end to that.  I can't really make any real progress with Lar riding only once or twice every few weeks.  At least he doesn't seem to be regressing much under saddle.  It has been so bitter and unpleasant (and I'm such a wuss when it comes to the cold) that I haven't even done much in the way of groundwork or grooming lately either.  They get their daily check and feeding, of course, and I like to hang out watch them eat, and press my face against their warm necks when I'm not freezing my butt off, but other than that the ponies have been spending the days snuggled up in their warm blankies and chowing hay, lots and lots of hay.  Meanwhile, I've been cozied up inside by the fire, hibernating the winter away and doing the not so fun indoor things that I have a way of putting off during happy fun warm season.  Pining for Spring.

The farrier came out today.  Legs got her shoes pulled for winter (finally).  I usually try to do that before the snow flies, but this year it was an early visitor that decided to make itself at home.  The old girl might get an occasional light hack, but not much more while she's barefoot over winter.  Lar's been feeling rather full of himself as "King of the Pasture" lately - enough so that I'll sometimes change the order I feed them to curb his pushiness at feeding time (a heartless exercise in torture and denial from me in his mind) and today he tried to grab a taste of Lee's neck while I was opening the gate and I was practically between them (a BIG no-no!).  You would't guess that he's almost 8, since he and Lee (the 20 yo) are carrying on like colts.  I guess the weather's got them feeling like petulant children at recess, too. 

There was still snow, but the underlayer of ice was gone and the ground frozen enough to be firm beneath the snow, so I grabbed the lunge line, peeled off his blanket, curried off the mud bits, and slapped on the splint boots.  I'm sure glad I opted for lunging instead of riding (if it had been Legs, I would have had no hesitation getting on her no matter how long ago she was last ridden.  With Lar, discretion proved to be the better part of valor!).  He gave an impressive display in airs above ground, and showed off his trotting and bucking prowess without any provocation on my part.  He eventually calmed down enough to mostly pay attention to me, but I know we've gotten rusty on lunging cues and maintaining his attention span.  I sure wish the weather would cooperate, as I'd really like to get back to a steady riding routine again.  Lacking all-weather footing or indoor accommodations, I'm very much at the mercy of the weather and ground conditions.  We're poised for a warm-up at the end of the week, which should kill off the snow, but it's bringing rain, which will just mean more mud.  Nothing much further to report right now. 

As a sidenote, give your ponies an extra hug next time you see them.  My friend M unexpectedly lost her faithful old mare to colic last week.  She was a good mare and will be sorely missed. 

First Field Trip

This weekend was unseasonably warm and beautiful, with highs in the 70s, sunshine, and a slight breeze.  Friday I tore through the to do list, crossing off 11 items, and still squeezing in a short ride as the sun was setting.  Saturday we raced the car, and Sunday, I met up with my friend M and her reliable old mare at Masterson.  For my non-Lexington horse friends, Masterson Station Park is by far the most awesome public park with horse facilities.  It has some standard public park stuff: soccer fields, a dog park, picnic areas, an in-line hockey area, and space for the annual Bluegrass Fair carnival.  It is also a comprehensive horse playground with 3 outdoor arenas (2 are "saddlebred style" with a sand track and one has full all weather footing and jumps), a 3 level field hunter course with natural obstacles, acres of cross country jumps ranging from beginner novice through prelim, 2 sand dressage arenas with warm up areas, and a couple barns and indoor arena used by the park district.  And everything but the indoor is free and open to the public any time that they're not holding a special event or competition.  It is one of those neat places that I always intend to utilize, yet never seem to get around to as often as I should. 

On Sunday, though, I loaded Larry onto the trailer, grabbed my tack, and met M at the park for my first field trip with Lar.  We weren't the only ones enjoying the bright day with our horses; there were a number of folks riding in the hunter ring and around the grounds.  M and I took a nice leisurely ride for over an hour, wandering around the grounds, into and around some of the arenas, and we did the slowest, lowest-level walk only cross country course ever!  Lar wasn't sure about the jumps and spent quite a bit of time frozen in place and staring at stuff (I'd much rather have a horse who "spooks" by staring and refusing to move than one who bolts and asks questions later!!!).  We had to investigate every jump.  Once the other horse walked by them, he was content to sniff (and chew) them.  He was a little jumpy with all the new things, but very well behaved all together.  If I asked him to drop his head, he would for a moment, before getting distracted by the other sights and sounds (joggers, a truck full of porta-potties, dogs, a cat fight that broke out between an orange tabby and a black cat, a mylar balloon tumbleweed, other horses and riders, etc).  It took us a few tries, but we made it through the creek crossing thanks to our fearless leader.  We also walked up and down the beginner novice part of the bank jump complex, walked over some small logs, and trotted around the dressage arenas and one of the outdoor rings.  All in all, I was very pleased with him and think he's well on his way to being a solid, level-headed horse.  Thanks again, Rob, for my good-minded, sound, and gorgeous new horse!  (With his long mane and forelock blowing around, he looks very exotic to me compared to the traditional short hunter manes I'm accustomed to.)  We'll go back someday when we're farther along so we can canter and jump!

Winterizing

Late fall is my least favorite time of year.  Though the holidays are always a welcome distraction, I hate the darkness and cold of months of winter stretching out before me.  I have previously said that I need some winter hobbies to quell the winter doldrums, and yet my primary hobbies are showing horses and racing cars - both dependent on good weather.  Winter does give me a chance to regroup and prepare for the next busy fun season, though. 

This winter I have a number of aspirations both racing related and riding related.  On the racing front, I want to do some work on the car.  I would love to tackle my engine rebuild project, but fear that I won't have enough time to do so.  I also want to work on the CAI bracket and configuration, and also need to see about getting the new exhaust installed.  I need to look at the bushings and motor mounts, too, and J wants to get a set of super light 7.5 wheels.  Practice will have to consist of time logged on the simulator with Forza and pining for the season to start.

On the riding front, Legs doesn't need much through the winter.  I will ride her a couple times, but she'll get her shoes pulled on the next farrier visit, so we won't do anything intense after that.  Lar's a different matter.  I want to continue to build repoire with him and he has given me a reason to brave the cold for winter riding again.  I haven't been this enthused or die hard about riding in a while.  When the weather really turns, we'll have to work on indoor stuff like clipping around the ears and showmanship stuff.  On the horse front, I'd also like to go through and thoroughly clean all of my tack and work on some new western outfits. 

I've done some winterizing around the place.  The horses got their annual dental check, which is always important for winter hay feeding.  Lar has a full set of turnout blankets now.  He has been modeling his navy Turtleneck sheet last week while it was rainy and cold.  He also has a brand new green midweight Hug which will serve him well throughout most of our chilly but not bitter KY winters.  He also has a Schneider's liner to layer with either of the above to adjust to any temp.  And yes, Legs has matching ones, so they are twins!  The barn is stocked full of 1st and 2nd cutting alfalfa-orchard grass hay, with another 100 bales reserved for later pick up this winter.  There is a large woodpile behind the barn now for cozy evenings in front of the fireplace.  40 tons of class I are piled up next to the field and the bobcat is reserved so we can improve drainage and prevent mud around the hay racks and the top of the hill.  I also had a thin layer of class I spread around the perimeter of my "arena."  The objective isn't to have a true arena with 4 layers of base and proper sand footing, but to firm up and improve the traction on the most used part of the riding track while still allowing grass to grow through so I still have the look of a nice green yard.  I rode Lar on it tonight and it was fantastic (As was he.  He's starting to get a lot more responsive and consistent.  I really like that he's getting much softer on the bit and much more prompt about his transitions).  I think he even moved freer on it, too.  The next step is to add another light to the front so I can ride on the winter evenings.  I bought one to install, but I'm not thrilled about it's design and may end up exchanging it for a different one.  All in all, I think we're in pretty good shape for winter now.

A Little Progress

Well, with DST no longer in effect, I have to race the sunset to try to ride after work, and I usually lose.  My last two rides (over the weekend, and last night) were both good.  I think Larry (or Lar Bear, his new nickname because he's so fuzzy) and I are starting to mesh.  He's starting to respond better to leg and seat cues, and his steering is getting better.  I don't know that we're ready for "prime time" yet, but we're improving.  He still wants to trot strung out with his head up (a natural response to the countless miles he's jogged in harness in an overcheck).  I know that's what he's accustomed to, though it still drives me nuts because he moves so much nicer and is so much softer when he gives at the poll.  Most of the time he will walk with his head and neck relaxed, so I don't fiddle with him for that - it's a great starting point for a green horse.  We have been gradually improving at giving to the bit at the trot, though it's still not reliably in response to my cues.  He feels so much nicer when he does.  Nonetheless, I'm pleased with his progress as he is starting to put some pieces together.  He is also getting a little less lazy, though he still tests me.  In time, I think perseverance will pay off and he'll get more responsive as the cues become more natural to him.  Because he has a riding history (albeit sporadic), I'm not sure what is new stuff that I've taught him and what is him remembering old stuff and/or deciding that testing me wasn't paying off.

I made 2 changes that seemed to help him recently: a sweet iron loose ring snaffle which has just a little more bite than the full cheek but encourages him to mouth the bit, and lunging with a surcingle and loosely adjusted side reins.  He seemed to figure out pretty quickly that flexing at the poll would remove the pressure from the side reins.  I don't like to use "appliances" as a crutch, but they can be useful in getting a new concept across that would be much more difficult to instill otherwise.  I can get him to trallop on the lunge line (a trotty-kind of gallop but of course it is far too early in our riding work to work on under saddle.  I'm confident that there's a nice canter in there somewhere - I can feel the first stride of it when he does the "Standardbred Shuffle" and hops to pick up the trot, and I'm sure he'll learn that it's easier to canter than trot super fast once his self carriage improves)  I am guilty of not trusting him with the road traffic by our riding area, (a fairly busy road is on the other side of the fence and a small grass easement) even though he's been an absolute gem about it.  We finished our rides in the dark, and he hasn't been rattled by the cars or headlights, though I am still careful to let him see them as they approach.  Just part of my cautious nature...  I'm hoping to "beat the sunset" a few more times this week and get some more riding time in and I still need to exchange the outdoor light we bought for another one so we can have "arena lights" for easier winter time riding.

Wet and gloomy weather kept me from riding for a few days, but tonight was riding night with R!  Her old guy was a total superstar, even after an extended time off.  I elected to get on Lar without lunging him first, maybe not the best of ideas since it was especially blustery tonight.  He was a little skittery around the corner by the trees, though it was hard to tell if he was being spooky, or acting out because he wanted to hang out with our riding buddy instead of working independently.  He totally remembered how to move his hindquarters to leg pressure at the halt (turn on the forehand), which was great.  We're not there in motion yet, but I'm glad he remembered so well.  He's also improving at downward transitions with less pulling on the reins.  He's still moving hollow and strung out, not on the bit at all, but now he's not pulling against me as much at the trot.  I thought using treats to help him learn to bend his head and neck around to each side to rein pressure while under saddle might help him get the idea and it worked - far too well.  After that, he would try to stop, no matter what we were doing, and turn his head constantly, looking for the reward.  Perhaps as a racing strategy, his driver should have had an extra long whip with a carrot dangling from it.  I really think it would have worked!  He did show his lazy and stubborn side tonight, though, as he would sometimes decide that he didn't want to walk (or trot) forward and would just park himself.  He even hopped up when I pony kicked him, though I ultimately prevailed and we finally moved forwards.  I have a newsflash for him; we redheads are a stubborn lot, too!    

A Couple Rides In

We've now had 4 brief rides together.  At this point, it's mostly "getting to know you stuff" and trying to gauge his sensitivity.  So far, he's extremely calm and unconcerned about most things (though he is curious and distractable and likes to watch what's going on elsewhere), and a bit on the lazy side.  So far we've been lunging some before riding, which he does quite well.  He is calm enough that I think it is no longer a necessity.  His trot is pretty smooth, and his pace is fairly consistent for a greenie.  He does ride like you'd expect a driving horse to, which is off of the hands alone rather than the seat and legs.  I miss my equine power steering and ABS!  So our main goals are to introduce seat & leg pressure cues, and eventually learn to submit to the bit and work in a frame.  The full cheek plain snaffle is our friend, as it helps with the steering by giving him a little "push" from the other side.  We also tried a sidepull with similar results.  We haven't had any huge "aha" moments yet, but as of our latest ride, he is starting to figure out how to yield his hindquarters to leg pressure and execute a crude turn on the forehand in both directions.  There's plenty of work ahead of us, but it's very helpful that he's extremely easy-going. 

Not even Evil Kanevil practices showmanship like this!

Last night was our first perfunctory ride.  Waning daylight only afforded me about 10 minutes of riding time once I had groomed, tacked, and lunged him.  I neglected to bring the lunge whip out, so there was no cantering on the lunge line, and a diminishing amount of trotting as he dispensed with his high jinks.  He was good for mounting and dismounting and walked off on cue.  Overall he was very good, though tended to be distracted looking around at his surroundings.  We tried just a bit of trot and it went fine.  We had our first spook at a bird fleeing from the neighbor's pine tree.  He jumped with all four feet, but didn't actually go anywhere.  If a horse has to spook, that's a better way to do it from a rider's perspective.  It looks like we have some work ahead of us on focusing, working in a frame, and steering off leg cues. 

One of my tasks for today was to burn the scrap pile that's been mounding up.  Never one to pass up a learning opportunity, I figured that fire would be another excellent desensitizing tool for Larry.  Naturally, he balked at first and nearly stepped on me trying to scoot away, but by the end of our session, we were walking calmly around the fire and practicing showmanship maneuvers with the smoke wafting around us.  The more we work together through varied experiences and learn to trust one another, the better we'll function as a team.  And now if we're ever asked to do a showmanship pattern in the middle of a wild fire, we'll be ready.  lol

Baby Steps

Larry's stocking up was completely gone and he was sound with no Bute or medication.  I had enough daylight to let him out with the herd  after work.  The ground was too soft for lunging or riding from the rain, so we spent just a little time on some despooking and ground work, working with the landscape flag and a bag full of aluminum cans, as well as touring the yard and gardens.  He was pretty good for it, and figured out standing still was easier than dancing around, though he never got 100% relaxed.  In part, he did seem full of himself with the cooler temps and potential lack of self-exercise during turnout.  Group turnout will help, and we'll keep working on different little exercises.  One of these days, I'll finally get to ride him!  (New saddle should be on its way!)  I gave the herd the run of both fields when I let Larry out.  With his fast trot, he was pulling away from Lee's canter.  He never did break gait into a canter himself.  Just trotted all around the field like a little machine with the others trailing after.  His stride has flattened out with shorter toes, though it's interesting to see the difference in his fast trot (he really hunkers down and gets wide behind and under himself) and his cruising speed (just a normal trot).  I'm looking forward to actually riding him, hopefully Friday.  Lee seems accepting of him; Legs is a typical stand-offish mare, but I'm sure she'll warm up to him over time.

Improvement

In our last "episode," Larry stocked up in all four legs while I was out of town.  I am starting to suspect that he's just not self-exercising enough in the paddock by himself.  Sure, he walks for food and water, but I don't think he's doing much traveling about otherwise.  The last few times I've gone in with him, he's been full of beans and wanting to play.  The poultice and Bute helped, as his front legs looked much better and the hinds were half as swollen as they'd been.  He stood quietly for a perfunctory sheath cleaning after I hosed the poultice off, too.  He looked plenty sound trotting away from me in the paddock, so I decided to let him and Lee get acquainted in the field.  (I took Legs out to groom and ride her).  Lee opted to stand across the fence from where Legs was tied for grooming while Larry carefully investigated every corner of the field.  He was quite thorough.  He examined every inch of fence, every corner, stood and looked at the shed for several minutes, and sniffed out the salt block and hay racks.  He and Lee got acquainted with minor squealing and sniffing, then promptly started playing "kissy-face" with each other.  Since it was already dark when I was finished with Legs' ride, I decided to put Larry back in the paddock by himself, rather than have Legs harrassing him in an unfamiliar field in the dark.  I did fit him with a furazone sweat overnight, which had done a good job bringing the rest of the fluid out of his hind limbs by this morning.  Tonight, if all seems well, I will let him out with the herd in the daylight.  Hopefully friends and movement will keep the swelling at bay and I can think about riding him.  I sure hope so, because I just made payment towards a new saddle for him!  My old Collegiate looked like it would fit him fine, but it is nearly 16 years old and showing some wear, so I finally upgraded to a slightly used Circuit Elite.  Larry WILL have a job and a pretty new (to me) saddle for it!

Another Day, Another Something

While J and I were off in AR at the last national (car) race of the season, my farmsitter called and told me Lar was stocked up in all four legs.  Not terrible, not painful to the touch, and no lameness, but definitely swollen.  I had her give him some Bute Saturday and leave him in the paddock so he could walk around and let the blood circulate, then I'd be home the next day to check on him.  Sure enough, when we got back, his legs were pretty stocked up.  They're not painful to the touch and he shows no lameness (in fact, he was quite eager to squeal, carry on, and show off his dressage trot when I was attempting to catch him to apply poultice this morning).  Looks like Bute, wraps, hosing, and light walking are in order for a bit.

Starting to Get Into the Routine

I don't have a whole lot to report yet.  Last night, Larry had his first date with my wonderful farrier.  (Who was kind enough to make a special trip out just for him. :)  He was a very obliging patient and had his front shoes pulled and quite a bit of toe taken off.  He has nice solid feet with good hoof wall so I'm happy that he can go barefoot.  Now that his feet are done, I can think about getting him under saddle and seeing how that goes.  Tonight, my friend M will come out to meet him for the first time and she's bringing her gullet gauge and I have my tape measure ready, so we'll do some saddle fitting and take some blanket measurements, and just generally play around with him.  Yes, sometimes we treat our horses like giant Barbie dolls, because they're fun to brush and dress up and take pictures of.  (And yes, I rebraided his mane last night.  It's ok, bc my farrier teased me about it.)  Larry's going to get the wrong idea and think that my place is a vacation home with nothing to do but eat and pose for pictures!  But M and I both have the philisophy of exposing our horses to as many odd experiences as we can and generally "torturing" them with odd trail obstacles and the like in the hopes of making them calmer and more trusting overall.  I have a basic trail course set up right now and worked Legs through it the other night.  From what I've seen of Larry so far, I doubt he will be fazed by it.  Starting next week, I hope to start riding him and get him into as much of a work routine as my schedule allows.  (Evening daylight is most certainly not on my side.  The fall colors are beautiful and the weather's still mild, but I really hate the dwindling daylight this time of year.)  I am thinking about setting up some "arena lights" to make it easier to work in the front.  More to report later.

First Impressions

I named this blog Another Legacy, as my wonderful STB mare is nicknamed Legs in honor of her sire, Nuclear Legacy.  Although they didn't get their first choice of registered name for her (she is registered as Veruca Salt), I often show her in open shows as Just Legacy or First Legacy.  It is ironic that I ended up with Valiant Legacy (aka Larry) as my second STB.  The other irony is that despite the name similarity, Larry (a trotter) has no close common ancestors with Legs (pacing bred but prefers to trot).  So First Legacy was my, ahem, first legacy, and Valiant Legacy will be another legacy of equine companionship and competition for me.  I feel very fortunate that I was chosen to give him a home.

With Larry settling into his new home, I was eager to assess my new equine friend.  As one would expect from a previous national halter champion, he's a very nicely built horse, who looks quite capable of successful athletic performance.  His racing career has left him with one or two miniscule blemishes, but nothing of any consequence or concern.  He's light on muscle from not having much riding or work over the past year, but a good training program will soon fix that.  His head is gorgeous and refined with large soft eyes and a slightly dished face; a staunch rebuttal to those who call all Standardbreds "jug heads."  He could easily pass for a Morgan or half-Arabian.  He is a true black with a star and one white foot, making him ready for the casting call for "Black Beauty."  lol  His mane and forelock are ridiculously thick; he could lose 75% of it and still have very full tresses.  His has a long shaggy bridle path as he was trimmed "Arabian style" a few months back.  I trimmed where the bridle rests, but left the rest to grow out until I decide how I will style his mane.

I have never met a friendlier horse.  He's eager to introduce himself and get attention.  I can tell that he's exploited his good looks and charm to his advantage, though, as he's nippy side from expecting treats.  So far I haven't seen any inclination of spookiness from him, as he's been unconcerned about road traffic, poles and obstacles on the ground, and even a sweatshirt and landscape flag being flung around by his face (First he licked it, then he tried to eat it!  Yes, eat it!).  He's far from a dead-head though, as he comes alive on the lunge line and is sharply responsive to showmanship cues (we need to work on understanding each other, though, or we'll end up backing clear across the arena when I'm only trying to cue for 5 steps!).  He trotted cantered readily on the lunge line (albeit after some celebratory bucking).  As a trotter, he has a more rounded stride than Legs, though he may lose some of the knee action once his feet are trimmed, as they are currently quite long.  He's a nice height (15.1 1/2) and in good flesh, despite not being on grain.  He's not perfect, as he doesn't like dewormer and won't tolerate having his ears clipped (yet!), but overall he has an excellent foundation and has good manners.  He sometimes pulls back a little when tied (cross-ties great, though), but doesn't panic - just maintains tension.  It's still something that we'll work on, though.

WARNING: shameless plug for Off Track Standardbreds.  Yes, I am biased.  My bias is based on my personal experience.  OTSTBs make excellent pleasure and show horses.  As a whole, the breed is hardy and easy to care for, with good feet and good dispositions.  On the track, they are handled daily, they are used to being driven amongst other horses pulling jog carts and tractors working the footing, and they are trained to trot or pace behind a Cadillac with giant swinging arms (mobile starting gate for those unfamiliar with harness racing).  If you can think of a better way to acclimate horses to odd vehicle traffic, I'd like to hear it!  They come off the track used to wearing a harness and other equipment, being driven, trailered, cross-tied, groomed and bathed, and having their feet worked on.  They can and do train and race barefoot quite successfully and soundly.  My experience has been that they tend to be calmer and lower maintenance than other racing breeds.  There is no single breed type, and individual STBs are often mistaken for Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Warmbloods, Walking Horses, Morgans, and Arabians, and in heights ranging from 14.1 hh to 17+ hh, so you can find what you're looking for within one breed.  Contrary to some of the negative stereotypes about them, there are a great many beautiful examples with pretty heads, nice conformation, and nice movement.  There are also many caring owners and trainers who will give you an unsuccessful harness racehorse for next to nothing or even for free if you are trustworthy and agree to provide it a good home.  And yes, they can canter!   I urge you to consider one for your next riding or driving horse.

OK, I'll get off my soap box now.  lol

Christmas in October

Even though I had only found out that I would be getting Larry a scant two weeks prior, the wait suddenly seemed unbearable.  I waited and planned and schemed, and hoped that Rob wouldn't change his mind (though I certainly would have understood if he did), but mostly waited.  Conveniently, the Grand Circuit had come to the Red Mile and Rob was able to find a trailer headed from NJ to KY with an open spot.  Larry would spend the night at the track, and I would take him home the following day.  I felt giddy like a kid at Christmas; I couldn't wait to get him and start working with him.  My Christmas came on 10/15 when I got to take him home.  I was able to spend much of the day at the track on the backside, a new and exciting experience for me.  Rob let me help prep one of his charges for a race, a good looking 3 year old colt, a stakes winner, and as nicely mannered a colt as you could ever wish for.  A close second place finish kept us out of the winner's circle, but I have no doubt he'll get there next time.  I thoroughly enjoyed my "backstage pass" to harness racing and it was nice to meet so many people with a genuine love of the horses and the sport.  I took Larry home that afternoon.  Rob was understandably sad about letting him go; I sympathize, having gone through a similar situation with my palomino gelding.  I was both excited for myself, and sad for him, as I know how much Larry means to him.  I hope that chronicling Larry's new adventures in photographs and blog posts will help to make the transition easier, and I hope that he is able to come visit often.

The trip home was quiet and uneventful.  Larry scoped out his new surroundings, stared for a while at the cattle across the street ("what kind of funny looking horses are those?"), but was basically unconcerned.  After a break in his new stall and paddock to let him rest and stretch his legs after two days of travel, he got a bath and a brief spa day.  My ocd side felt the need to shampoo and condition his exorbitant mane and forelock, and to put it in braids to keep it out of the way.  Once clean and dry, I fitted him with a safety halter and let him enjoy some peace and quiet.     

9/30/10 A Surprise

August through October was a frenetic time period for me.  Within a span of 7 weeks, I took my mare, Legs, to Standardbred Nationals in New Jersey, helped put on our major gala fundraiser for work, traveled to Nebraska for a week of autocross competition at the ProSolo and Solo National Championships, looked for houses and came very close to making an out of state move, and prepared to host family, friends, and horses for the International Equestrian Festival (IEF) and World Equestrian Games (WEG)  in addition to exhibiting in those events with my mare.  Whew!  I am not the type of person who likes to be bored, but I had certainly exceeded even my own threshold for activity!

If you read my previous post, you know that I have been looking for a second horse for some time, and wanted to make that horse a Standardbred. I had gotten my hopes up repeatedly for candidates through horse adoption operations (SRF and New Vocations) and through private arrangements.  It seemed like every time I thought I'd found the right prospect, it was already spoken for or turned out to be unsuitable.  I had resigned myself to the interminable waiting game.

J and I were en route to the IEF with Legs when a text message came through on my phone.  The message was from one of my NJ STB friends, Rob.  He was looking for a home for his nice gelding, Larry (Valiant Legacy).  His work and travel as a racetrack groom left him without the time or money to care for Larry any more.  Of course I was familiar with the horse.  He was a gorgeous black gelding who had won High Point Standardbred Rookie of the Year honors in 2008 showing exclusively in halter and showmanship classes and was well decorated in in-hand classes, though he didn't have much riding experience.  I had seen him go in the National show in August and he looked nice, though of course I didn't view him with the same critical eye as if I might own him.  The message startled me to be sure.  My first thought was, "Is this for real?  Rob loves that horse."  My second was, "What a difficult decision this must be for him to make."

I digested these thoughts throughout my exhibition with my mare.  When I had some time that afternoon, I spoke with Rob on the phone.  Just like that, my horse search was over; I would become the proud new owner of a gorgeous black gelding in just a few short weeks!   




  

9/30/10 A little history.

I have been the lucky owner of a fabulous OTSTB (Off Track Standardbred) for 13 years.  Contrary to popular misconception, Standardbreds are capable of beauty, trainability, versatility, and purpose beyond harness racing.  Yes, they can be ridden, they can jump, and they can canter!  Some, like my wonderful mare, Veruca Salt, can even lope as nicely as any Quarter Horse!  I came to own Veruca Salt (aka Legs) out of sheer luck.  She was barely 3 years old, untalented at pacing, and lacking much of an apparent future.  I was in college, out of state, and not in a great financial position to own my first horse.  Thankfully, through accommodating parents and a whole lot of luck, our story ended up quite well.  Rather than rehash our life together, those who want to know more can find information here: http://xwebapp.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=38042&z=13

Suffice to say, my little mare has exceeded my wildest dreams for her.  Starting from very inauspicious beginnings, she is the proverbial free horse turned champion, having earned over 175 blue ribbons (closing in on 200 soon), numerous championships, show series awards, state year end awards, multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Bluegrass State Games, and many national championships.  She has won repeat National Championships and Reserve Championships in Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, Equitation, and Working Hunter.  She has been the Standardbred National Championship Horse Show High Point Senior Horse each of the three years we've attended the show, as well as the 2008 High Point Grand Champion Standardbred in the Nation.  There is practically no discipline that she won't try for me, and quite successfully at that!

Besides her show career, she has also been an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association mount in flat, fences, rail, and reining, including carrying a rider to the IHSA Intermediate Western Horsemanship Reserve National Championship in 2004, and she spent a year as a handicapped riding horse at Central Kentucky Riding for Hope.  She was the only non-stock horse used in the western divisions.  The icing on the cake was being 1 of only 8 Standardbreds from across the country chosen to exhibit at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky.  She is beautiful, intelligent, versatile, and easy to work with, and I know how lucky I am to have her.  She's 16 now, and has served me faithfully.  Early stages of foot problems are now beginning to slow down our competitive career; thus, I have been searching for a second horse to supplement (there's no replacing Legs!) her.

Around 2004, I had aspirations to compete at horse shows on a national level.  At that time, I was not aware of the existence of state Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organizations (SPHOs), or the National Standardbred Horse Show, and felt that my best option was a more "traditional" versatility breed such as the Quarter Horse.  Being well aware of the constant travel, expenses, and politics associated with showing AQHA at a high level, I focused my search on color breed organizations, such as PHBA and ABRA.

After a few unsuccessful endeavors at purchasing such a horse, I thought I had found the right one in 2006.  He was a palomino yearling colt I found at a horse trader's: unbroke, with a string of 4 owners over just 18 months of life, but nicely proportioned and good natured.  I took my time working with him and he was my pride and joy.  Unfortunately, when it came time to progress with his under saddle training, it became apparent that he had latent physical problems.  After 2 years of money, time, and effort attempting to diagnose and rehab him, I became clear that he had a long term chronic hip problem.  Though he was sound for light riding, I knew it would not be fair to expect him to compete at the levels I aspired to.  At the same time, I knew with his sweet disposition, he could be much more than a pasture pet.  I was fortunate to find him a great home as a companion and light riding horse where I could keep in touch with how he's doing and even visit him. 

In the meantime,  I had confirmed that there were, indeed, other nice Standardbreds for riding and show use.  I had found the SPHO program, first participating with the Ohio chapter, and later, finding the New Jersey chapter.  My very brief experience with PHBA sanctioned shows had been a bit underwhelming (the people were nice enough, but the shows seemed oriented for chasing points rather than having fun), while my Standardbred show experience had been quite positive; I decided that another Standardbred seemed like the right ticket.  The SPHO NJ offered a first rate National Show, great competition, great year end prizes, and other nice folks who were passionate about STBs and their capabilities.  Thus, I was hopeful that I would find my next STB superstar through my contacts there.