[msj]

He even has his own pink cross ties? You know only a real man can wear pink.

[amastrike]

LOL, the cross ties aren't really pink, they're orangey/red... some of the cross ties are that color, some are green, but the ones by his stall are the orange/red/pink. I hadn't even noticed, but how fitting!

[BoysNightOut]

Who's a pretty princess?? I'm cruel .

Haha, I love it!

I actually got some video of me riding Bailey today. My wonderful farrier was kind enough to take some. He's had a couple weeks off due to a cut which left him sore, so we're just getting back into work. I really wish I had video of the first time he cantered (which was in this indoor). It was horrendous, lol. Leaping, bucking, legs flailing, haha. Today he was loping around so quietly, so proud of how far he's come!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI5TOK9OTIU&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPkxeB6PsRk&feature=plcp

[amastrike]

Bailey looks so pleasant! What a good boy!


Today is our one year anniversary D . It's probably just about one year to the hour that I met him, looked him over, saw him jog, and said "I'll take him."

[amastrike]

Bailey looks so pleasant! What a good boy!


Today is our one year anniversary . It's probably just about one year to the hour that I met him, looked him over, saw him jog, and said "I'll take him."

[Heliodoro]

Well, I think the Honeymoon period is over for Bro and I...

It started this week when I was out riding my other OTTB, Goober. We were just finishing our ride out in the big hay field when I saw Bro out by himself. Not too unusual, he plays when he wants and goes off on his own sometimes. I look again, there's no fence between myself and Bro! He's out happily munching on the alfalfa in the small hayfield next to his 10acre pasture... Quickly call my friend who is mucking stalls, she goes out to fetch him. Then he noticed Goober and I and proceeded to take off towards the road... another frantic call to friend "fyi, he took off towards the road." I can't get to the field from where I'm at, but head off at a trot to go around and see if I can help out at all. Friend catches him after he goes down the road a bit and then sees his buddies behind the gate. No marks on him, no fencing down, so I untack Goobs and ride Bro in the indoor.

Next day, he doesn't even last 30min in turnout before he's found on the wrong side of the gate, hanging with his pasture mates... He's in semi-solitary confinement in the jump field with 3 wood rail fencing as my BO believes he's crawling through the 3 strand electrobraid (he's not the first). A new boarder came this week, a 2y/o appendix colt, who for the first week is going to stay in the wooden fencing. So Bro has a Mini-Me as this little guy is maybe 15h and dark bay as well!

Then we had our first actual lesson last night with my trainer and we shared with another FLF, One Classy Lady, that my friend bought this summer. All seemed to be going well, had some little gymnastics set up and some mini-jump courses that he happily jumped over. I started riding him in adouble jointed baucher last week, as he was really starting to hang on my hands. Trainer wasn't loving it, so we switched back to the french link eggbutt and changed out the standing martingale for a running. He was not a happy camper with the running, not fearful, but just a bit of a princess in front of the fences when I would ask for him to wait and not charge ahead. It was like dealing with a toddler, "me do, me do, ME DO!!!" after we went over once.

Then the mother of all tantrums broke out. We were to make a nice, big left turn after the gymnastic to a small oxer (that he jumped previously). I brought him back to a forward trot after the gymnastic and he proceeded to bulge out right around the turn, just completely ignoring my leg and stick. I did not want to circle, but he got to the jump in such a funky angle that when I tried to manuever him straighter in front of the fence (he could easily step over it), that's when he threw it into reverse. Complete baby moment/tantrum, finally got him moving forward and over the fence, finished the course without issue. Rinse and repeat, almost verbatim. Same bulge, backing into fences, just being a general twerp. Got him galloping around the ring finally, then back to a controlled canter over the offending jump a couple more times. It wasn't all bad, I was grinning like a Cheshire cat as couple of times and got my trainer's little giggle(a good sound!) when he would really get scopey over the new fences!

So we're going to work on transistions some more and getting a little tougher on bending. I've got to get his teeth done and possibly have the chiropractor out as he loves to lean on the left rein and I have to rule out the physical before I start really getting after him. He did pull his "reverse" act on me last week in the outdoor jump field, apparently asking him to do walk-halt halt-walk transistions are hard for his little pea brain. But I did get him through our water complex and he happily and calmly walks through it now! We did end that day popping over his favorite little log which boosted his confidence tenfold, as he was prancing all around the cool out hack we were on like "Look at me! I am sooo awesome!"

[Friskyflea]

Heliodoro,

Please see here


tehehe...

FF

[jollytrak]

Heliodoro,

Please see here


tehehe...

FF

ROTFLMAO!

[Heliodoro]

Heliodoro,

Please see here


tehehe...

FF

Change it to 4* and I'll hang it on his stall!

[Friskyflea]

Change it to 4* and I'll hang it on his stall!

My laptop is in need of repairs and that is where all my image editing software is (using my tiny travel netbook, which just has the basics...)... Maybe another CoTHer can take up the cause - it's going to be an easy fix to edit the last line and make it read CCI**** -- it's just a black & white image. Any takers?

FF

[Friskyflea]

Change it to 4* and I'll hang it on his stall!

My laptop is in need of repairs and that is where all my image editing software is (using my tiny travel netbook, which just has the basics...)... Maybe another CoTHer can take up the cause - it's going to be an easy fix to edit the last line and make it read CCI**** -- it's just a black & white image. Any takers?

FF

[GoForAGallop]

I haven't shared her on this thread before, but I have R Lady in Blue, from 2011. She was purchased by someone else directly from the track at the end of the meet, and I found her on Craigslist in January as a giveaway. She was actually on my short list when looking at FL horses last fall, but gone by the time my trailer was leaving. So when I found her on Craigslist, six hours away, it was too much of a chance second meeting to pass her up.

She got off the trailer mid-Jan in ROUGH shape. Partly just not handling coming down off the track well, and partly just miscare. She hung out all spring as we battled some ulcers and finally started to get some weight on her (didn't help that she would gain weight, and then have a growth spurt, setting us back again!), and then trail rode on a loose rein next to my trail packer all summer. She started real training October 15, and the video below is of her third ride, Nov 3. (After some long-lining sessions.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWFm_tVH0cM

She has continued to progress in leaps and bounds, and hopefully come spring-time, with a larger budget, I will really be able to get her out and competing!

[buffalo colleen]

Thanks for the wonderful happy update on "Daisy" -- aka R Lady in Blue. It is terrific fate that she found her way to you after a very rough start to her off the track life.
She looks great in the video, especially for not much riding. She has a nice frame and tempo, and looks pretty steady in the contact. I think you are going to have a blast -- and much success-- competing her!

[tradewind]

Volos had his first day of outdoor turnout today. He had a couple of weeks of stall rest/walking and then turnout in the indoor. He has been a complete gentleman for everything, and handled being outside with the same degree of class...He is amazingly smart and kind.

[SEPowell]

Tradewind, wish I'd read this before going to the track today. I saw Linda for a split second and would have waved her down to give her this news if I'd had it. She really loved him and would have been happy to hear about him.

[Lazy-Pony]

Volos had his first day of outdoor turnout today. He had a couple of weeks of stall rest/walking and then turnout in the indoor. He has been a complete gentleman for everything, and handled being outside with the same degree of class...He is amazingly smart and kind.

I haven't shared her on this thread before, but I have R Lady in Blue, from 2011. She was purchased by someone else directly from the track at the end of the meet, and I found her on Craigslist in January as a giveaway. She was actually on my short list when looking at FL horses last fall, but gone by the time my trailer was leaving. So when I found her on Craigslist, six hours away, it was too much of a chance second meeting to pass her up.

She got off the trailer mid-Jan in ROUGH shape. Partly just not handling coming down off the track well, and partly just miscare. She hung out all spring as we battled some ulcers and finally started to get some weight on her (didn't help that she would gain weight, and then have a growth spurt, setting us back again!), and then trail rode on a loose rein next to my trail packer all summer. She started real training October 15, and the video below is of her third ride, Nov 3. (After some long-lining sessions.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWFm_tVH0cM

She has continued to progress in leaps and bounds, and hopefully come spring-time, with a larger budget, I will really be able to get her out and competing!

tradewind- I literally drooled over Volos for some time. I am SO happy he's found a home. I can't wait for updates (and photos?!)

GoForAGallop- Daisy is simply gorgeous and looks absolutely fantastic under saddle. I am so incredibly happy that she found her way to you. She looks like she is already a lovely partner. Happy Trails to the both of you.

And now for a Tally update- Tally is spending the remainder of the winter on 60 acres barefoot with her best friends This mare has worked hard for a long time and I think she deserved a little time off.
The photo below shows what she's been up to lately....(and yes, that's our kitchen window)

http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/...3at95329PM.png

[tradewind]

Lazy Pony, I will certainly provide updates! He is about as kind as a horse gets.

[foundationmare]

Hi Lazy Pony!

I just saw Bryan Armstrong a few days ago and gave him a report on Tally. Just in case you'd like to hear it again, her was one of my happiest placements. You two were meant to be together, simple as that!

[Lazy-Pony]

Hi Lazy Pony!

I just saw Bryan Armstrong a few days ago and gave him a report on Tally. Just in case you'd like to hear it again, her was one of my happiest placements. You two were meant to be together, simple as that!

Awww, I am so pleased that you got to see Mr. Armstrong and let him know she is doing well. I love her so much and I always think of how lucky I was to have found her.

[amastrike]

I don't know what it is about the Finger Lakes track, but it seems like every horse that comes off it is an absolute prize, even if they have their silly moments *coughHeliodoro*.

Tally in the kitchen window is priceless!