As the Thoroughbreds Turn

These are some of the Thoroughbreds who have been through Bit of Honey Training in recent years.  They each have a great story to tell.  Here are some of their brief biographies.

From L to R:  Thai, Cecil, Major, Highboy, Samson, Ben, Frank, Fergie

I found Thai (registered name "Gingko") through a friend of a friend, sitting in a back pasture in Parker, CO.  Prior to that he was being free-jumped over pickup trucks by some cowboys in WY for entertainment on the weekends.  I bought him and retrained him (all he had was track training) and got him jumping 4'6" courses like they were nothing.  He was such an athlete.

Cecil (Show name "C'est Cecil")I found in a pasture in Wellington, CO.  Prior to that he was a baby who had suffered some neglect in southern CO, but was lucky enough to make it to a local trainer's place in northern CO where he was gently started under saddle.  I purchased him as a lesson horse prospect because of his somewhat lazy demeanor, but as he matured he decided he wanted to be my eventing horse.  I jumped him to 3'6", rode him through 2nd level dressage, and he is the horse who got me out of the wheelchair after I had a brain injury.

Major (registered name "Hold the Flight") I found in a back paddock in Fort Collins, through a friend and client.  He had been a race horse in KY.  I evented him through Training level, then retired him to strictly dressage and trail riding.  He currently teaches dressage lessons here at Bit of Honey for the intermediate/advanced riders, and is Kim's "go to" horse for trail rides and pony-ing youngsters.

Highboy (registered as "Colorado High") was found through CANTER Colorado, a rescue group that advertises retired racehorses.  Since arriving here he has been doing liberty work with the clicker, and goes over crossrails in the arena as directed from the ground.  His under saddle training is planned for the next month or two as he develops topline muscle through his back and is able to comfortably carry a rider.

Samson (registered as "Pocket Pal") was in a back pasture in Nunn, CO.  Prior to that he had been in the local livestock auction.  There is a 6 year gap in his history and paperwork, but he had been imported from Canada when he was 4 months old.  I suspect he had been a PMU baby.  These horses are byproducts of the Premarin industry, a hormone that is extracted from pregnant mare urine (PMU).  When I purchased him as a project, Samson was an 8 year old stallion that was not halter broke.  After several months he was gelded and nearly under saddle.  He was a phenomenal jumper at liberty and showed great promise as a dressage horse when he began having seizures of unknown origin.  Now he is the herd manager for the geldings at Bit of Honey.

Ben came to me as a project from a client in the mountains west of Colorado Springs.  He was just 3 years old and I put him under saddle, riding him through training level before he went home to his owner.

Frank (registered name "Solid State") came to me as a client horse as well, for rehabilitation and physical therapy for intermittent lameness and neurological problems.  He LOVED to do work with obstacles and absolutely thrived on "brain work" like ground driving and playing with hula hoops and pool noodles, all things we introduce to horses who need to be kept busy mentally.

Fergie (registered name "True Brit") has only been at Bit of Honey for a short while, but she has made incredible progress in a very short time.  Her ground manners are now nearly impeccable, she walks, trots and canters reliably in the arena, and is solid and quiet out on the trails.  She is very particular about saddle fit and how her equipment feels.  Her first horse show is this weekend, riding an introductory level dressage test.  Her favorite treats are sliced pears.


There are a few TBs not pictured because I didn't have photos of them, but they are also special to me.

While I work with all different breeds of horses here, and we have success with all of them, the TBs are my personal favorites, hence the blog entry about the hot ones.  Future posts will include the Connemaras, Haflingers, Fjords, Quarter horses, Arabians, Friesans, Morgans, Paints, ponies, and warmbloods.  We are definitely a nondenominational facility with a "come one, come all" philosophy, but the TBs will always have a special place in my heart.