Need a new name - Page 3

[bassbonediva]

I just got a text from my friend that Aires was moved already. She said he's settled into the new stall (Cheyenne's old stall) quite nicely. I still want him in a bigger stall and away from the road, though. Also, according to our turnout guy, the stall I like is a literal SWAMP when it rains and Aires would have constant hoof problems. Grrr!

Bumblebee, it's a bit much to read, since this thread has kind of morphed into a journal about Aires, but I already settled on a name for him. He is named Buenos Aires because the blaze on his face is in the shape of South America, but we call him Aires (pronounced Aries, like the Greek god of war).

 

[LyndaB]

It doesn't seem fair that they switched stalls before you even decided what you wanted to do about it.

 

[bassbonediva]

Eh, switching him to a new stall isn't that big of a deal, if I decide I don't like his stall. He doesn't have any bedding (can't afford it and he doesn't really need it) and all I have to do is get him a clean water trough for the new stall. Cam already said that if I don't want him where he's at now, he can move to any stall I want him in. He just discouraged me from the big stall on the end because of how wet it gets.

 

[bassbonediva]

Kinda peeved at Aires right now, to be quite frank. I arrived at the barn today in the middle of a rain shower (was on my way to my old house to get some more packing/moving done) and where is my horse? Standing in the middle of the rain! He has a shelter (it's a stand alone open-sided affair), but he refused to stand under it, even when it was freaking HAILING! GAH! And then I was wearing my hoody, which has kind of a wild print on it (it's by Volcom, what can I say? lol) and he acted like I was going to eat him. Sheesh!

Anyway, I'm not exactly regretting my name choice for Aires, but I did find another name that I absolutely love. Tarja. It's the name of the main male character in this book I'm reading right now. I don't know why, but I love that name.

 

[LyndaB]

Was he sticking his tongue out to catch rain drops? :anim_40:

 

[bassbonediva]

No, he was standing there looking ticked off at me, actually.

We went on a two mile trail walk today. Just along the roads behind the stable, but my friend rode her mare along with us. Aires was SO good and only freaked out once, but that was 'cuz my friend's mare freaked out at something and startled him. He did get a bit wary once as a man was walking out of his driveway towards us (on Aires' right side) and Aires stopped to look at him like "What the heck?!" The guy came up and let Aires smell him and Aires was like "Oh, okay." He has totally made his own game out of investigating things he's never seen before now. We were walking along and I wasn't really paying attention, but all of a sudden he stopped. I thought he had seen something that worried him, but nope...he just wanted to go investigate the trash cans (which he's NEVER seen before) on the side of the road! I did have to draw the line when he wanted to go investigate the mailbox that had cactI planted the platform the mailbox rested on.

Anyway, Aires gets his feet done on Tuesday! The farrier was a bit wary, but I promised that not only is Aires 150% better, but I'll be there and Cam has ACE if we need it.

I was talking to the trainer at the barn today (she introduced me and Aires to her mom) and her mom asked me what I was going to do with Aires. I told her that we were going to trail ride for now, and maybe do some W/T or W/T/C classes at local schooling shows, but eventually we want to get into jumping and possibly cross country eventing. Jen (the trainer) got this HUGE grin on her face and was like "YEAH!!" Hehe.

 

[Shine]

LOL--young horses are so funny. Your boy is a 1000 times calmer then Kest was, but I still remember when I first moved him to a stable and he saw a large flower pot with geraniums blooming in it --OMG!!! What the heck are those??!?

He had to eventually go over and check it out, but his first reaction verged on 'shock and horror'. After we went and smelled them... and tried to eat them, he decided they were harmless after all. But what a reaction!

 

[bassbonediva]

Talked to Cam today (as much as I can get him to talk...he will yak away to my friend, Christina, about nothing in particular, but I'm lucky if I get more than a two word answer out of him!). He asked me again when the farrier is coming to do Aires' feet (Tuesday at 11am...we'll let you know how that went lol). I told him and he said "Good. We'll get those feet done and then we'll get riding him. You've been working with his feet, right?" Well, Aires was standing tied to the hitching rail, so I walked over and cleaned his feet to show Cam how good he is now. Little bugger tried to kick me when I did his right hind (he's always touchy about it for whatever reason...he got a solid smack for trying to kick me) and tried to lean on me when I did his right fore (let his lazy butt fall when he did...which made Cam chuckle because of the VERY indignant look Aires gave me!), but he will actually pick up his feet with me just barely touching his fetlock. I can tap his feet fairly hard with the hoof pick and he could care less, too. So, hopefully we won't have to drug him when the farrier gets there. I already have some of it planned out. I know he's going to be a bit wary of Ramey's (the farrier) tool cart thing and the hoof stand, so we're going to play our "What's this? Show me what this is?" game with them...and maybe with Ramey, too, if need be.

Found out that Aires was difficult when they moved him to his new stall. Cam, Dave and Mark all tried catching him in his old stall and it finally took the owner of the horse who was moving into his stall to catch him (the owner is a woman). Then he was a little turd when they tried to lead him. I really don't know what his problem is with men! He's fine with Jim, who owns Mo, the ex-halter horse arab gelding that was picking on Aires in the turnout, but most other men he takes an instant distrust to. It's rather annoying, to be honest.

 

[Akari_32]

He really needs to learn that men are ok lol

Who feeds him? I wonder if a guy were to feed him (or atleast offer him super yummy treats) for a few weeks, he would start to understand they aren't all that bad...

 

[bassbonediva]

Cam, the barn owner, does the feeding. But, he just tosses the hay into the stall and moves on. He doesn't have time to do anything else (has about 40 horses to feed). Aires DOES NOT get treats. He is notoriously lippy and nibbly and I just got him broken of biting. Also, last time I gave him a treat (natural oat and apple treat), I got yelled at by Cam. Horses don't get treats, period. He's an old-school cowboy, ,so his view is understandable.

There's one guy he is okay with and that's Jim. As I said, JI'm owns Mo. When he met Aries, he didn't approach from the front, but sidled up to him from the side (right about even with his shoulder) and didn't make eye contact. Aires was wary at first, but then JI'm started talking to him in a low, soothing voice and started scratching his withers and neck. Aires went from being on high alert to completely relaxed and eating grass in about 2-3 minutes after JI'm started messing with him. The problem is, all the other guys at the barn are more direct. They're used to horses that are dead broke and dead-heads, so they don't have to be slow and cautious. They just don't get the need to be less "aggressive" with Aires. JI'm gets it because Mo was the same way Aires is now when JI'm got him. Hopefully, I can get Ramey (the farrier) to use something of the same approach JI'm did. *sigh*

 

[Shine]

Yep, some horses you can just walk up to directly at high speed... and others you have to approach slowly as if they are half-wild things. Shady you can charge directly at (and she'll probably speed up the process by coming straight at you), and Kestrel requires the indirect approach. Sometimes with him I even go to a different horse first... then he turns back and decides that he's not going to pretend the human is scary after all. Hope you can get the farrier to see the light, and slow down his pace a bit.

That would have been a 'fun' discussion with Cam regarding the treats. The owner at my stable never gave treats to her own horses either... but she knew better then telling the boarders that they couldn't. For one thing it wouldn't work anyway. It would've just started an argument, and resulted in most owners ignoring the 'ban' anyway.

 

[bassbonediva]

He doesn't care if other people give their horses treats, but he still kind of tries to act like Aires is one of his dude string horses.

As for Ramey taking the slower approach, I think he'll listen. I dealt with him with my other friend's horses and he was really good about listening to the owner of the horse about how the horse reacts to things and such.

 

[bassbonediva]

Well, we did it! Aires got his feet trimmed today...and we didn't have to tranquilize him! He was a bit of a butt and wouldn't let the farrier anywhere NEAR him until I got there (I was running a few minutes late...he apparently actually reared up in his stall until he almost hit the roof of his shelter when the farrier tried to come in his stall), but he finally kind of okay once I got there. At first he wouldn't let the farrier near him (he'd smell him, but wouldn't let Ramey touch him), but finally Ramey came in close behind me while I was standing at Aires' shoulder and scratching him, and Aires accepted that. Once Ramey got a hold of his feet, he was pretty much an angel and only pulled his right hind out of Ramey's grip once. Even Ramey kept saying how much better he was about his feet and standing there nicely.

I turned Aires out after Ramey was done and he moved SO much better and I could tell he felt better. He wasn't plodding behind me (I had to drag his butt quite often!) and once he was in the turnout, he was running and bucking and playing with the other boys (even Christina said she'd never seen him move like he did today). At one point, Christina goes "Oh my gosh! Look!" I look over and Aires is hauling it across the turnout with Brock (the 23yo arab gelding) hot on his heels. He was moving SO fast! Anyway, he rolled probably a good seven or eight times...in the mud. And he definitely looked like he relished every single time! lol

So, I have an assignment from Cam regarding Aires' training! He wants me to tack him up (bridle and saddle) every time we are at the hitching rails. Cam wants Aires to learn that the hitching rails mean it's time to work. I asked him about Aires and his right side (he is still super sensitive about it), because I can do anything on his right side, even spook him, but if someone else even approaches him on his right side, he completely freaks. Cam basically said that it's a baby thing and he'll grow out of it (after telling me specifically to work on doing stuff on his right side...heck, I even taught him to lead from the left, so I'd be on his right side!).

So, I'll try to get a pic of Aires under the English saddle. I ordered a nice red square AP pad last night and it should be here around the 18th or 19th.

 

[LyndaB]

so glad that the farrier didn't get killed!!!! Good boy Aires!

 

[GemstonePony]

YAY!!! Congratulations on a "farrier-broke" horse! definitely looking forward to the English pics and best of luck with getting him used to other people around his right side!

 

[Chicken farmer]

My uncle or cousin or some relative had a horse, and they took it to a trainer so everyone could ride it. Whn the trainer started to work with him she found out he was blind in his right eye! We think he was born like that.

 

[bassbonediva]

My uncle or cousin or some relative had a horse, and they took it to a trainer so everyone could ride it. Whn the trainer started to work with him she found out he was blind in his right eye! We think he was born like that.

I already had the vet check out Aires' right eye (when he was out to geld him a couple of weeks ago) and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. The reason he's so jumpy on that side is because he's never really had anything done with him, he's just sat in a stall all day.

Anyway, I tacked Aires up today and lunged him. Used the English saddle and OMG!! He is absolutely freakin' adorable under an English saddle!! Can't wait to get my saddle pad so I don't have to use my friend's Navajo rug anymore (it looks beyond dumb). I didn't get any pics because I forgot my camera (wasn't really planning on tacking him up because I was stretched for time...it just kind of...happened) and my camera phone doesn't take very good pics, especially when you or the subject is moving (which both were the case while we were lunging ). He was actually very good once I got the saddle on. When he saw me carrying it out, he was like "What the heck is THAT?!" and had a minor "freak out" (all of doing a soft dragon snort and standing there with his head up and ears pricked ). I made him smell it and then he was like "Oh, okay." I put the rug on first and tugged it and flapped it a bit and he didn't even flinch. Then I put the fleece pad on, followed by the saddle. After I got the saddle on and positioned, I grabbed the girth and began attaching it. Had it swinging between his legs and even dropped it once or twice (it was attached on the left at that point) and he didn't even move. When we got in the bull pen, I pulled the stirrup irons down so that they'd swing and flap and flop, so he can get used to it. Didn't even phase him!! I even got him to canter continuously AND he responded when I gave him the verbal command "trot." Soooo proud of my boy right now!!

When I got to the barn, there was a new boarder there with her daughter who has cancer (I think...she has to have a feeding tube run through her nose at all times and she's 11 and only weighs like 40lbs). Anyway, we were all chatting and I went to bring Aires in from the turnout and she was like "He's yours? He's soooo pretty!" Then her mom asked me how old Aires is and totally didn't believe me when I told her two (the mare she just bought 7 and is about an inch shorter than Aires and nowhere near as heavily-built). Anyway, they kept up a constant stream of questions as I was tacking Aires up. So much so that I got his bit twisted (we use just a simple snaffle and one of the pieces got twisted a bit). We totally couldn't figure out what was wrong with the headstall for the longest time! lol The throatlatch didn't fit (usually does) and one side of the bridle was twisted. Finally, I figured out that it was the bit that was twisted. Dropped the bit out of Aires' mouth and he looked at me like "FINALLY!" But the whole time we were trying to figure out what was wrong, he just stood there. Anyway, one of the other boarders (a guy) walked up when I was finishing tightening the girth on Aires and said "Aren't you going to put a saddle on him?" Brat! According to him, an English saddle isn't a "real" saddle.

OH! And Cam gave Christina his wife's 5yo arab gelding...for free! I have no idea why. Christina needs another horse like she needs a hole in the head. Especially not a horse like CJ. CJ is an ex-endurance horse who is BEYOND cinchy (if you cinch him up too quickly, he'll fall over on the ground in a "dead faint"), hasn't been touched in two months (or more) and is the definition of a HOT ARAB! We tried lunging him in the arena one day and he was constantly spooking at EVERYTHING. The trailers parked next to the arena, the observer's stand, the trot poles. And Christina wants to lunge him in the arena, go put the saddle on him, then lunge him in the bull pen. I tried talking her out of it, but she won't listen to me. Then she gets all excited and says "Now we can go trail riding together!!" Don't get me wrong, I'm totally not afraid of CJ...but I've seen her work with a hot horse (her old appy gelding, Colt) and it was NOT a pretty picture. He became so unmanageable that he actually reared up and struck at me as I walked out of his stall after cleaning it one day. I know she's progressed a lot since then, but I honestly don't think she can handle CJ correctly.

 

[Shine]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Horse people are ALL nuts! .... wasn't she thinking of buying Piper a week ago? or was that someone else

Kind of reminds me of the lady me and another friend were trying to talk out of buying a 5yr old ex-TB racehorse. She was convinced that he was 'super quiet' (yeah--half starved) and had supposedly been re-trained for jumping. But she was nervous about riding him to even try him out, so was trying to get one of us to come and test him for her. You'd think being scared to get on him before purchase would have been enough to convince her not to buy him, but noooo. The fact that me (someone who's been riding Arabs for 15+ years, and my friend, who used to train horses) both 'declined' to ride him for her, should be another warning when she's little more then a beginner.... *sigh* Anyway she bought him, fed him up (no longer 'quiet' I might add), and quickly found she couldn't ride him. Or was to scared to. She eventually gave him away because she couldn't sell him, and wanted to make sure he wouldn't be sold for meat.

I love it when western riders (ie 'cowboys') mention 'real' saddles. It usually inspires me to come out with comments about them being scared to get on a horse without safety seats... or incapable of staying on without something holding them in. ;D

 

[bassbonediva]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Horse people are ALL nuts! .... wasn't she thinking of buying Piper a week ago? or was that someone else

I love it when western riders (ie 'cowboys') mention 'real' saddles. It usually inspires me to come out with comments about them being scared to get on a horse without safety seats... or incapable of staying on without something holding them in. ;D

Yes, she's the same one. Apparently CJ is EXTREMELY well-bred and actually VERY well-trained. He has Bask four times on his sire's side. A doctor locally bought him as an endurance horse (rumored to have paid $65,000 for him! ), but when he came in seventh in his first 50-mile endurance race as a FIVE-YEAR-OLD, the doctor decided he wasn't worth it and GAVE him to Cam. Apparently his only issue is his cinchy-ness, but he apparently had an accident when he was younger (he's now nine...I was under the impression that he was five) and still even has a major scar on his side from it. Once you get him under saddle, he's a dream. The trainer at our barn knew CJ when the doctor owned him and said he is an absolutely AMAZING horse. Christina wants to do "endurance" with him (basically just LONG rides that are logged, no competing really). She could do it with Cassie, but her hours wouldn't get logged because Cassie isn't registered. I personally think that's a dumb reason to get a horse, but whatever.

And OMG! I totally know what you mean about the "safety seat" thing!!! When I told my friend with the QH/arab gelding that I was going to ride Aires English, she nearly hit the roof! Her concern? "What are you going to grab onto if he bucks?!" Really?! And then when I said that when I get an Aussie saddle, I want one without a horn, she said that same exact thing! Seriously?! The horn was only put on western saddles to wrap a rope around when cowboys were roping. It wasn't put there as a safety net for unbalanced riders! Geez! lol

In other news, Christina saddled Aires up today and lunged him since I couldn't get out to the barn because of the performance I had tonight. She put a black synthetic western saddle on him (trying to get him used to a wide variety of saddles). She said he was a little scared of the saddle pad, but I think it was because she let him think about it instead of just putting it on (that's what I did with the rug yesterday...I just slipped in on him without letting him think about what I was doing). She did send me a pic of him, though. Apparently he's decided that he's a Western pleasure horse now!

 

[LyndaB]

I have an aussie stock saddle and it does not have a horn. That said, I always prefer to ride western saddles because, having had both western and english, I like to sit "in" the seat, not "on" the seat. When I sit "in" the seat, I feel I have had better communication with the horse.

 

[Shine]

If you want better communication with the horse; ride bareback ;D

7th as a 5yr old is incredible... I haven't ridden endurance for a number of years now, but I seem to recall that you can't even enter them till they are 5! (4 if they are in competitive trail)

 

[bassbonediva]

Apparently that wasn't good enough for his owners, because they GAVE him to Cam.

Anyway, tacked up Aires in the western saddle today (it's a synthetic, it fits him really well and it's the right size seat for me, so we're going to use it on trails for at least the first few rides until I get used to him). Took him for about a 5 mile trail walk again (same way we went the day after his gelding). He did great. Even trotted a bit after my friend's mare took off cantering through the "scary" part (the ravine). After we got back, we untacked him and turned him out, then brought him back in and put the English saddle on him for pics. Anyway, picture time! lol

Pics of the English saddle. Yes, that is a Navajo rug under the fleece. We're waiting for our red AP pad to come in and had to put *something* under the fleece (we're borrowing the saddle and fleece from the trainer at the barn...she had it just lying around and it fits him perfectly). And yes, I know it isn't even, but it was just for pics.

 

[bassbonediva]

Aggravating news! Tried the AP saddle on Aires today without the fleece to double check the fit with the trainer...and it doesn't fit AT ALL!! It is WAY too narrow. So narrow, in fact, that it doesn't even come close to touching his shoulder where it should, but rather perches on top of his withers. Gah!! And I'm pretty sure it has a wide tree (her other saddle has a medium tree and fits her arab and Christina's mare perfectly and this saddle has a MUCH wider tree than the other one does), so it looks like we'll either need an extra wide or even draft tree. Bah!

 

[Shine]

LOL--well, you should have expected him to need extra wide really. And he's not even done growing yet, so he's going to be even bigger before he's though

Which one is the 'AP' by the way? Is that the english one from the pics above, or something else?

 

[bassbonediva]

Yeah, the AP (all-purpose, but you probably knew that ) is the one in the pics. It *looks* like it fits him because of the fleece under it. We tried it on him without the fleece and with just a regular pad with no extra padding and the part that is supposed to sit on his shoulders is literally perching on his withers.

 

[LyndaB]

I think he's hinting that he wants to be a western kinda guy.....

 

[bassbonediva]

Oh, , Lynda! We're going to do both. lol In fact, as you can see from that other pic I posted a few days ago, he's already got the Western pleasure thing going on. It's seriously like he knows which saddle you've put on him and acts accordingly!

Anyway, I think I found a saddle! I emailed a lady with an ad on Craigslist listing a whole bunch of English tack and told her what I needed. Turns out she has TWO saddles that were bought for a Percheron cross and some large warmbloods, so she's pretty sure they'll fit Aires, and they're the right seat size for me! She said that they're "priced to move," but I'm asking her for specific prices since she's almost an hour away. Now I have to sell a couple of my extra fish tanks to pay for this little venture. I hate being broke!

 

[Shine]

Ah, but the right saddle is worth it Funny how horse people always seem to have an expanding collection of tack. Such as; I have one horse and XX # of saddles. Kind of like the exponentially growing number of fish tanks mts seems to inspire around here... Thus-- fishrooms, and tackrooms!

Hope one of them is what you are looking for... or are you buying both?

 

[bassbonediva]

She wants $325 for the nicer one (which isn't bad, but more than I can afford) and $100 for the no-name one. I think I might get the $100 one, if I can sell my 46gal bowfront setup and my 28gal bowfront setup. Here's a pic of the $100 saddle:

I doesn't come with leathers or irons, but I think I can borrow those from the trainer until I can get some of my own. We have a thing called EquiFest coming up in September and they always have a used tack sale during the event, so maybe I can get some there.

Anyway, Aires has officially hit a growth spurt! Not only has he leveled out (he is a solid 15.3hh now, maybe almost 16hh), but that massive head of his has GROWN! I noticed today when I put his halter on that it is almost too tight on his nose (and it fit perfectly when I bought it...and it's on the biggest hole!). Eep!

Also, I think I may have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle. There's this lady that boards at the stable who just arrived last week and she is a bit...odd. We think she may have some mental problems (I don't say that lightly). She has a daughter who is 11-years-old, has a blood disorder, weighs *maybe* 40-50lbs and has to have a feeding tube. The lady claims she's owned horses before, but she couldn't figure out how to put the halter on the mare she just bought from a rescue. The mare she bought is a 7-year-old rescue who they suspect was severely beaten with a rope (the trainer at the rescue was riding her and dropped the reins on her neck and the mare absolutely FREAKED!...the mare is apparently very green-broke). Anyway, the lady has been trying to convince Cam to sell her this arab gelding that Cam just rescued (was about 150-200lbs underweight), but Cam refused. She says she wants a horse for her daughter to ride and says she found a "retired" barrel horse for $1500 that she wants. My friend who owns Cassie offered the lady a limited lease on Cassie instead with the stipulations that Cassie only be ridden when my friend is there and only be ridden on a lead line. Not at all unreasonable. The lady said no, because she wants a horse that her friends can ride too. The trainer thinks this lady is a walking lawsuit waiting to happen. So, my friend texted me earlier today and asked me when I work on Wednesday. I told her that I'm off, thinking she was going to say "Let's go on a trail ride" now that they figured out that all CJ (the arab gelding she got from Cam...she renamed him Hoover) needed was shoes to "cure" his gimpiness (he is apparently one of those horses that thinks they absolutely cannot walk if they don't have shoes on). Instead she says "_______ wants me to go look at this horse with her and I really don't want to go by myself. Will you come with me?" I said sure, then thought about it and added "You do realize that she probably will want to buy the horse based on looks alone, so one of us is going to have to ride the horse to see if it's going to work for her." She says "Yeah, but I told her that if I can ride the horse, then anyone can." I told her that what she said isn't true because she's actually a pretty decent rider and this lady doesn't know what the heck she's doing. So, I said "I'll ride the horse to test drive it, but I'll tell you this now...regardless of how dead-broke that horse is, I'm going to tell her that it isn't a good match or that it's too much horse for her to handle." My friend completely agreed. My reasoning for telling her that it isn't a good match is because then if she goes against my recommendation and she buys the horse, it's not my problem and no fault of mine. So, now I'm committed to going with this lady to look at this horse and test driving it for her. Good thing I bought a riding helmet a couple of months ago!

 

[LyndaB]

It sounds like she's trying to take some control over the things she can. I'm sure she feels very defeated with her daughter's disease.

Do your best to dissuade her, however, I feel her pain. Having multiple health issues myself, I do try to control the parts of my life that are still my own.

She's really just reaching out in desperation. Look at it from that perspective and you can focus her attention on something else.

 

[bassbonediva]

Yeah, I get what you're saying, Lynda. We're not totally against her having a horse for her daughter, we just think she needs to get something a little more appropriate.

Instead of something like this: Yes, it says "good for a beginner," but I really don't think they had a frail 11-year-old in mind when they said that...if that makes sense.

Cam avoids her completely. He told her that she needed a doctor's release before her daughter could ride any horse on the property other than her own and she completely flipped. I totally get it from Cam's point of view. That poor little girl looks like if she sneezed too hard she'd break something, much less if she came off the back of a horse. The mom kept pestering Cam to let her daughter ride Dusty (the arab gelding who is still very much underweight) and Cam said no, because he was too skinny and because she needed a doctor's release. The lady started literally whining about how she didn't understand why she needed a doctor's release and all she was going to do was lead the horse around with her daughter on its back and how Dusty didn't look to skinny, so she didn't understand why Cam said that he was. Ummmmm...Dusty is still 100-150lbs underweight and the vet who was out on Friday to look at another horse specifically said NO ONE can ride Dusty or Dodger (a 20-something thoroughbred that Cam rescued for his son to ride who is probably 200-250lbs underweight) until they are back up to weight, it doesn't matter how small the rider is. She still didn't accept that!

I get that she's frustrated and feeling defeated, but I think we'd all be a little more willing to help her if she was more willing to listen. She will listen to some things. Like yesterday, her mare was acting very wary of the poop dumpster, so I suggested she make the mare smell it, then praise the heck out of her when she did smell it. She actually did it and totally understood why to do it.

 

[LyndaB]

Wow, this lady sounds like a real handful. If I were Cam, I'm not so sure I'd want her even leasing from me (if that's what she does). Sheesh.... I feel sorry for the kid, too. I'm sure she'd like to feel as normal as possible but how can that happen with a "stage mother" like that? Poor kid.

 

[Shine]

I'm in agreement with Cam on this one. She sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. And might occur with the horse she bought, given the description. Hopefully her daughter won't be the one hurt in the process. Not the kind of situation that I'd like to be roped into. Trying out horses for other people is what trainers (who are paid to be there) are for. Sounds like you are going into it mentally prepared for the issues that could arise which is good... but if it was me, I probably would try to avoid involvement altogether.

Glad the saddles look like they could work. Though for a saddle as well used as that one, without leathers or irons, there's no way she should be asking 100. At least not going by the prices around here. I picked up a used stubben dressage saddle here (with girth, saddle pad, leathers, and irons included) for 350. But by the same token, you'd be able to get 200 easily here for the 46 bowfront set up.... Different locations, different prices I guess...

 

[bassbonediva]

I know I could sell my 46 for WAY more than I'm asking, but I just want it gone. I love the tank, but I don't have room to set it up and it's just taking up space. I had one guy text me about the 46, but after I sent him a pic of the tank (nothing wrong with it, it just needs a cleaning), I didn't hear back from him. Some people came to look at the 28gal while I was at work today and said they'd "have to think about it." Ummmmmmm...you want to start a saltwater tank and I'm offering one heck of a deal on the perfect Saltwater starter tank with everything you need except the livestock...what the heck is there to "think" about?!

ANYWAY, the lady isn't going to go look at that barrel horse (the horse apparently had an injury that ended its barrel career and the only reason she was interested in it was because it was "pretty"...it's a black/white paint like her current horse). It isn't "certified" or whatever for her daughter. Instead, we're going to look at an older mare who is a therapy horse and we think will be perfect for her daughter. She was going on and on about wanting a "papered" horse yesterday and finally Cam blew his top. He lectured her on how "papers don't make a horse" and how just because a horse has papers doesn't make it worth anything. He even used Aires as an example. He's not papered at all, but he's probably one of the most sane, solid, level-headed, and well-mannered horses on Cam's property...in fact, he went so far as to say that he's ever met! Then he asked the lady "So, does the fact that Aires doesn't have papers make him worth less than the son of Seattle Slew I have sitting in one of my stalls that I can't do a darned thing with because I absolutely cannot break the horse (and he's not the only one who has tried...several people have tried to break this horse and NO ONE has had ANY success)?" Cam had to explain who Seattle Slew was, but after he did, she got it. So tomorrow, I get to give her the "NEVER buy for color first" lecture because apparently the ONLY thing she wanted to know about the mare we're going to see tomorrow is what color it was. I had it hammered into my head by my friend, Carli, that you NEVER buy a horse based on color. Color is a bonus. You buy for temperament first, then conformation, and if you happen to find everything you need in a color you like, you got lucky. This ought to be fun.

And in other news...AIRES GOT RIDDEN TODAY!!! Okay, so technically it wasn't really a "ride," but he had someone up on his back for the first time today! We (Christina, Jenn and I) decided to take a trail ride/walk up the mountain today. Cam had me put a different (OMG HEAVY!) saddle on Aires to get him used to the weight and such. I actually managed to get this literally 50lbs Circle Y saddle up onto Aires, but, boy, am I regretting it now! Cam and Mark offered to help me, but I was being stubborn. Anyway, we got a ways up the road (almost to the mountain itself) and we started talking about the fact that Cam hasn't ridden Aires yet and he promised me he'd have AT LEAST one ride on him by this Friday. The reason we got on the subject was because we were headed up the road to the mountain and a trail ride was coming back and Pete, the wrangler, and Dave, one of the boarders, were giving me a hard time because I was leading Aires while Jenn and Christina were riding. So, Jenn starts in on how if she was training Aires she'd have him ridden by now and is going off, so I finally say "Well, then get on him." She was like "What? Right now?" I was all "Sure. You have my permission to if you want." So, she thought about it for a minute, then got down off the gelding she was riding and handed me her reins and took Aires from me. It only took her three tries to get on his back and he never bolted or bucked once! The only reason it took her three tries was because the first two times he wasn't sure what she was doing and what he was supposed to do while she was doing whatever it was she was doing, so he walked forward a few steps (she didn't want to freak him out, though, so she stepped down when he started to move). The third time, she was able to get up laying across the saddle without him moving, so she laid there for a few seconds, patting him and praising him. Then she slowly pulled herself up and swung her leg over. He stood rock steady the entire time!! I am so proud of my boy!! He still doesn't really get the directions and cues, but he really didn't do bad for his first time. Jenn even dismounted and then mounted again and he just stood there! So, my friend was able to get a few pics with her camera phone (I had mine, but Nate, the gelding that Jenn was riding, was being a turd and all high-strung-saddlebred and wouldn't stand still)!!

 

[bassbonediva]

I know I could sell my 46 for WAY more than I'm asking, but I just want it gone. I love the tank, but I don't have room to set it up and it's just taking up space. I had one guy text me about the 46, but after I sent him a pic of the tank (nothing wrong with it, it just needs a cleaning), I didn't hear back from him. Some people came to look at the 28gal while I was at work today and said they'd "have to think about it." Ummmmmmm...you want to start a saltwater tank and I'm offering one heck of a deal on the perfect Saltwater starter tank with everything you need except the livestock...what the heck is there to "think" about?!

Also, Shine, you have to remember that we're dealing with a wide tree saddle, not a "normal," easy-to-find saddle. If it was a medium or even a medium wide tree, I'd think $100 is too much. But just about every other wide tree saddle I've found online has been $500+, even used and in not great shape.

ANYWAY, the lady isn't going to go look at that barrel horse (the horse apparently had an injury that ended its barrel career and the only reason she was interested in it was because it was "pretty"...it's a black/white paint like her current horse). It isn't "certified" or whatever for her daughter. Instead, we're going to look at an older mare who is a therapy horse and we think will be perfect for her daughter. She was going on and on about wanting a "papered" horse yesterday and finally Cam blew his top. He lectured her on how "papers don't make a horse" and how just because a horse has papers doesn't make it worth anything. He even used Aires as an example. He's not papered at all, but he's probably one of the most sane, solid, level-headed, and well-mannered horses on Cam's property...in fact, he went so far as to say that he's ever met! Then he asked the lady "So, does the fact that Aires doesn't have papers make him worth less than the son of Seattle Slew I have sitting in one of my stalls that I can't do a darned thing with because I absolutely cannot break the horse (and he's not the only one who has tried...several people have tried to break this horse and NO ONE has had ANY success)?" Cam had to explain who Seattle Slew was, but after he did, she got it. So tomorrow, I get to give her the "NEVER buy for color first" lecture because apparently the ONLY thing she wanted to know about the mare we're going to see tomorrow is what color it was. I had it hammered into my head by my friend, Carli, that you NEVER buy a horse based on color. Color is a bonus. You buy for temperament first, then conformation, and if you happen to find everything you need in a color you like, you got lucky. This ought to be fun.

And in other news...AIRES GOT RIDDEN TODAY!!! Okay, so technically it wasn't really a "ride," but he had someone up on his back for the first time today! We (Christina, Jenn and I) decided to take a trail ride/walk up the mountain today. Cam had me put a different (OMG HEAVY!) saddle on Aires to get him used to the weight and such. I actually managed to get this literally 50lbs Circle Y saddle up onto Aires, but, boy, am I regretting it now! Cam and Mark offered to help me, but I was being stubborn. Anyway, we got a ways up the road (almost to the mountain itself) and we started talking about the fact that Cam hasn't ridden Aires yet and he promised me he'd have AT LEAST one ride on him by this Friday. The reason we got on the subject was because we were headed up the road to the mountain and a trail ride was coming back and Pete, the wrangler, and Dave, one of the boarders, were giving me a hard time because I was leading Aires while Jenn and Christina were riding. So, Jenn starts in on how if she was training Aires she'd have him ridden by now and is going off, so I finally say "Well, then get on him." She was like "What? Right now?" I was all "Sure. You have my permission to if you want." So, she thought about it for a minute, then got down off the gelding she was riding and handed me her reins and took Aires from me. It only took her three tries to get on his back and he never bolted or bucked once! The only reason it took her three tries was because the first two times he wasn't sure what she was doing and what he was supposed to do while she was doing whatever it was she was doing, so he walked forward a few steps (she didn't want to freak him out, though, so she stepped down when he started to move). The third time, she was able to get up laying across the saddle without him moving, so she laid there for a few seconds, patting him and praising him. Then she slowly pulled herself up and swung her leg over. He stood rock steady the entire time!! I am so proud of my boy!! He still doesn't really get the directions and cues, but he really didn't do bad for his first time. Jenn even dismounted and then mounted again and he just stood there! So, my friend was able to get a few pics with her camera phone (I had mine, but Nate, the gelding that Jenn was riding, was being a turd and all high-strung-saddlebred and wouldn't stand still)!!

The pics are being weird, so I'm going to try to post them in another post...

 

[bassbonediva]

Edit: Okay, I don't know what the deal is...the pics are showing rotated correctly on my Photobucket account, but they're sideways here! Gah!!

Oh, and forgot to mention that I officially need a new halter for Aires. He went through that growth spurt last week (not sure if he's done, to be honest) and now his stinking halter that I just bought him three weeks ago doesn't fit! It's too small through the nose (it's fully adjustable through the noseband and poll, but is on the loosest hole on the noseband!)! GAH!!! His head is almost bigger than that of Winston, the 9yo belgian draft/QH cross one of the boarders owns.

 

[LyndaB]

What a good boy! He looks amazing under saddle.....

The pics show correct in both posts for me.

 

[dudedontstealmyname]

wow what a stunner! iv always loved the name Phantom but I don't knw if itl suite him. Dancer is sweet too. my mother likes Storm.

 

[bassbonediva]

They show correct now. lol

And no idea what's up with the double post. I edited the first one (the longer one) to remove the pics and then to add the bit about the cost of the saddle, but that's it. Gah!

Anyway, bad news. The lady won't hold it for me. She wants me to mail her the whole amount of money (she lives about an hour away) and then she'll hold it. Ummmmmm...what's to stop her from taking my money and then selling the saddle to someone else anyway? Sorry, I'm not that trusting. I'd be willing to send her a down payment of like 10%, but not the whole $100. GAH!!!

I know, right?! He looks absolutely amazing and he was soooooo good!! That was the first time the trainer has actually been up on a "virgin back," as she called it (aka-the back of a horse that had NEVER had anyone on it's back). She said that she has been up on supposedly green-broke horses that don't stand as well as he did even the first few times she tried to mount him.

 

[bassbonediva]

wow what a stunner! iv always loved the name Phantom but I don't knw if itl suite him. Dancer is sweet too. my mother likes Storm.

Dude, he already has a new name. Only reason the title says that still is because that's what it originally was and I can't change it now. I know ten pages is a lot to read, but try to keep up.

His name is Buenos Aires because of the blaze on his forehead in the shape of South America. We call him Aires (pronounced Aries, like the Greek god of war).

Thanks for the compliment. He is definitely a beautiful, one-of-a-kind horse. With as awesome as he's turning out (looks and personality wise) Cam, the stable owner who sold him to me, is almost regretting selling him. He is one of the most sane horses I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with.

 

[Shine]

He's going to be a monster by the time he's done growing isn't he? Hope the rest of him is growing too, or soon he won't be able to hold up that giant head of his!

Congrats to you both on the first 'ride'. He's looking good Sometimes these spontaneous training moments are the best thing that could happen. And its great that you guys carry cameras with you at all times to record events ;D

Good luck with the 'colour lecture' ... that's one of those things that every horse person with sense knows to watch out for... and all too many of us fall prey to anyway. Unfortunately hunting for colour seems to get a lot of 'green' horse buyers in trouble. I guess that's the one good thing I can say for the current fad (up here at least) for black freisian crosses. At least those horses are usually steady enough that they make a decent first horse for beginners (other then size intimidation factor).... even if they are exceedingly overpriced

As for the saddles... well, different places different prices. And to be honest I think I've only seen one draft-tree english saddle in my area for sale recently. I see the western ones more often. That woman's insane to ask for the money to just be sent to her. I'm not that trusting either. If you want it I'd suggest getting up there and collecting it. LOL--10%... I'm sure offering to send her 10$ to hold it would really inspire her

 

[bassbonediva]

Okay...bad happenings today!!!

The lady with the mare asked me and Christina to help her tack up and ride her mare. She told us that the rescue told her that she was broke and had been ridden a lot, but hadn't been ridden in a while. So, we figured she was okay. Little did we know...

Christina helped tack her up and she was an absolute angel!!! Didn't even flinch when Christina started to put the bridle on wrong and the dropped it off her face (we were told she rides in a hackamore....yeah, no). So, we take her to the bull pen and I start trying to lunge her. Horse doesn't know how to lunge...at all. I smacked her bum with the lead rope to get her to move and she seriously charged at me. I have NEVER been nervous in a pen with a horse and that mare made me extremely nervous. Anyway, I called Christina into the pen and we weighted the stirrups together to see how Gypsy would react. She didn't even flinch. So, we decided to just hop on her and see what she could do. Boy, did I ever find out!

Christina counter-balanced the stirrup for me and I got into the saddle without much fuss (even bounced a couple of times on the ground to get momentum 'cuz Gypsy is as tall as Aires). I got my leg over the saddle and was trying to find my right stirrup. I leaned forward ever so slightly to find the stirrup and Gypsy bucked a little (nothing huge, just a little hop). I came halfway out of the saddle, but it wasn't anything I couldn't ride out. Boy was I wrong! Apparently the fact that I didn't come all the way off her set this mare OFF and she full-out bucked as hard as she could. I wasn't completely rebalanced from that first buck and that second buck sent me flying over her neck. I flipped in the air and landed on first my bum, then my back and then cracked my head on the ground. I blacked out for a couple of seconds, then when I came to, my first thought was "Where's the horse?" My second thought was "OMG! My ankle hurts like heck!" My third thought was "Where are my glasses?" (miraculously, they were still on my face).

Turns out that after I came off her, the mare bucked once more and then reared, then came down on her side and rolled over the saddle (didn't break the tree, thank heaven! It's one of Cam's trail saddles). Once she was up, she actually MALICIOUSLY came after me while I was down with the intent of trampling me. Only Christina jumping between me and the horse saved me.

My left foot tangled in the stirrup as I came off, though, and I ended up hairline fracturing my tibia right where it meets my ankle. Walked on it for over FOUR HOURS after it happened (including going to the tack store to exchange a halter we bought this morning that was too big for Aires...it was a full draft size) before I finally got to the ER and didn't cry AT ALL until I was getting it x-rayed. Cam kept telling me that it couldn't be broken because I was walking on it...little does he know I have an EXTREMELY high pain threshold!!

In much better news, though...AIRES OFFICIALLY GOT RIDDEN TODAY!!! We pestered Cam all day, so he finally relented and tacked him up this evening. He was really good about it and tacked him himself (he usually has me do it). Got him in the round pen and he was being SO flighty (for him ) that Cam ended up working until he was dripping with sweat. And Aires STILL had more go after that!! OMG! Jenn thinks we'll be great in cross country! Anyway, Jenn climbed up on Aires (Cam kept going on about how he didn't think Aires was going to stand for it because of how flighty he was being and all this) and he was absolutely perfect! Cam leadlined him at first so that he got the connection between the cues Jenn was giving him and what they meant (leg pressure, yielding, heeling forward, halting, etc). Took him off the lead line about 5 minutes after she got on him and he was unsure at first, then started complying really well. Cam had Jenn get off for a couple of minutes and he praised the heck out of Aires (Aires holds a very special place in Cam's heart, for some reason...Cam absolutely loves him and Aires is his favorite out of all his PMU foals and rescues). Then, he had Jenn climb back up. Aires was a perfect gentleman for her to mount (walked maybe two steps forward, but that was it). Then she rode him COMPLETELY without Cam's assistance! She even had him yielding to leg pressure to stay to the outside of the pen!! Cam and Jenn kept going on and on about how amazing he was doing and how quickly he picked up exactly what they wanted him to do. Then Cam had Jenn ride OUT of the bull pen and over to the hitching rails to dismount and untack him. He did okay (once he realized where they were going and it was feeding time, he tried to stop and turn back to his stall, but Cam got behind him and he moved forward to the hitching rails) on the way to the rails. But then when Jenn dismounted, he stood like a ROCK!!!! Cam was so incredibly impressed by him!! Jenn was too! She said she wished her ten-year-old was as smart and rock steady as Aires!!! I am soooooooo proud of my baby!!!

I have pics, but they're in my camera still and that's in my friend's backpack. I even have a 2.5 minute video of Jenn's second ride. I'll try to post them tomorrow (won't be doing much of anything else anyway!).

 

[GemstonePony]

I'm so happy for you! Aires sounds like an absolute gem! can I ride him? lol.
On a different note, perhaps you should be the one asking questions of the staff before getting on the horse next time? and hmmm... maybe that wouldn't be such a great horse for the lady/daughter. If she doesn't agree, you might want to see if you can get the daughter into protective custody. Hope the leg/wounds heal well!

 

[LyndaB]

Who knew that he would end up being such a perfect horse!

Take care of that fracture. :console:

 

[Shine]

AWESOME diva! Way to go Aires!

lol--was Cam planning on leaving the ride to the last day, when he said he'd be ridden by Friday?

I think you could stand to pick up on a bit of his caution though, a least when it comes to that woman... I'm so sorry to hear about the 'ride' on Gypsy. Glad it wasn't worse though, because from the sound of it, it could have been. Good thing Christina was in the ring with you! One thing I've picked up on over the years is to never, ever, trust what is said at sales. You say your mare is broke? Fine, then get on her and prove it before I do. I know at the kind of sale that mare was at you can't do that, but still... Pretty much everyone is convinced this woman is a disaster waiting to happen... just sorry that the first victI'm was you

I laughed when you wrote Cam said it couldn't be broken because you were walking on it--last time I broke something (a bone in my foot) I hobbled around on it for 3 weeks before going to get it x-rayed! LOL by that point I was pretty sure I'd broken something, and they told me exactly what I expected; "try to stay off it, and come back in another 3 weeks for another x-ray".

 

[bassbonediva]

The lady bought the horse from a rescue. Rescues around here are SEVERELY overcrowded and unfortunately, the people who run the rescues will say just about anything to make a sale, especially on a horse like Gypsy. I can guarantee they saw this lady coming a while away and played to her "Oh, what a pretty horse!" exclamations.

The lady feels REALLY bad about what happened and even offered to clean my stall for me while I'm laid up. Quite frankly, I appreciate the gesture, but I want her NO WHERE NEAR my horse. Christina has already assigned herself as my official Aires helper. She's turning him out for me and bringing him back in, and she's doing my stall for me. I'm really lucky to have her. However, the lady apparently thinks I blame HER for the accident, even though I told her that "stuff happens" and that it wasn't her fault, it was the fault of the rescue who sold her that insane horse.

What REALLY got me about her was that right after all this happened to me, she was sitting there asking Cam how long he thought it would be before her daughter could ride Gypsy. Really?! After someone with horse experience and a pretty decent seat was maliciously THROWN from that horse and almost trampled, you still want to put your daughter on her?!?! Geez, lady! And then when Cam mentioned that he didn't think Gypsy could get to where her daughter could ride her, the lady kept saying "But I don't want to get rid of her. She's too pretty and we have such a great connection and she has such a kind eye." Wow, really?! A kind eye, huh? Aires has a kind eye. Bubba, the new bay QH gelding Cam bought for his dude string who is built like a tank, has a kind eye. Gypsy looks half-crazed, even when she's just standing there! URGH!!!

Anyway, Cam was extremely impressed that I was walking on a broken leg like I was. When we showed up at the barn this morning with me on crutches and my leg in a splint, Linnae (his wife) goes "So, is it broken?" (Christina and her husband picked my truck up this morning and Christina told her that I had hurt myself coming off a horse, but didn't have time to fill her in.) I said yeah and then Christina went off about how I walked on it for four hours after it happened. Cam just stood there shaking his head and saying "You're crazy!", but there was no mistaking the look of admiration he gave me. A little while later, he was ribbing me good-naturedly about it and asking me how long I was going to milk it for, but I could totally tell he was messing with me. Linnae was like a mother hen all day, reminding me to keep it elevated, getting me lunch at McDonald's when she went to the bank, having her son give me a ride down to the arena on the ATV so I could watch Christina ride Cassie and CJ. It was very sweet.

 

[Shine]

This woman is insane. She enlists you and Christina to ride the mare, watches you get thrown, sees the horse trying to charge you, hasn't yet (and is probably incapable) of riding Gypsy herself.... and she wants to know how long till her ill daughter can ride her??!? Wow. Just wow. I realize this probably sounds harsh, but she's getting close to the 'too stupid to live' boundaries. I think I'm with Gemstone when she commented on 'protective custody' for the daughter.

Great to hear that Christina is helping with your boy, and the owners are there for you... and impressed with your toughness Truly amazing what adrenalin does for the system isn't it?

Take care of yourself Paige and rest, so you can be ready for Aires when he's done training

 

[LyndaB]

I would stay far far away from that evil woman. I understand Cam's looking at his relationship with her from a business point of view, but it sounds like a lawsuit in the making to me.

 

[bassbonediva]

This woman is insane. She enlists you and Christina to ride the mare, watches you get thrown, sees the horse trying to charge you, hasn't yet (and is probably incapable) of riding Gypsy herself.... and she wants to know how long till her ill daughter can ride her??!? Wow. Just wow. I realize this probably sounds harsh, but she's getting close to the 'too stupid to live' boundaries. I think I'm with Gemstone when she commented on 'protective custody' for the daughter.

Great to hear that Christina is helping with your boy, and the owners are there for you... and impressed with your toughness Truly amazing what adrenalin does for the system isn't it?

Take care of yourself Paige and rest, so you can be ready for Aires when he's done training

I'm so glad we're not the only ones that think that, Shine! This lady is a few bricks short of a load, to be quite frank. I just couldn't believe it when she started asking Cam that. And poor Cam is sitting there trying to be as non-committal as he can without being outright rude. I was honestly surprised that I didn't get a lecture from Cam about getting on that woman's horse. All he said was "Why did she get on a horse she didn't know?" to which I responded "Because I was told it was broke." That seemed good enough for him, actually. And Jen, the trainer, talked to him while we were gone to the tack store and made sure he understood that it would have happened to the first person to step up on that horse, regardless of who it was...it just happened to be me. And we're all glad it was me, rather than Cam, because I can bounce back from an injury like this way more quickly than Cam can.

I would stay far far away from that evil woman. I understand Cam's looking at his relationship with her from a business point of view, but it sounds like a lawsuit in the making to me.

I am staying FAR FAR away from that woman, believe me! I think he sees now that she's a lawsuit waiting to happen. In fact, I think the only reason she's concerned about my leg is the fact that I "might" sue her. I wouldn't, because I voluntarily jumped up on that horse, but she doesn't grasp that.

 

[Shine]

His expressions are too funny--you've got what he's thinking nailed with the comments Jenn looked just trilled. And somehow relieved! lol Must have been wonderful to see him doing so well. I find it hillarious the way young/green horses look to their 'leader' for comfort and support. Its just too cute--heeeeyy! Don't leave me alone 0.o

Can't wait to see the video.