We got Touch A Prince to Bit of Honey Training safe and sound. He is settling in well, and so far he is very reasonable and laid back, with wonderful ground manners. When I first turned him out in his paddock, all my gelding herd rushed their side of the fence to greet him. He was MUCH more interested in eating his hay than meeting the rest of the herd, and my horses looked a little disappointed that there wasn't more cavorting and snorting with the new arrival. Personally I like a boring introduction, but the gelding herd was hoping for more excitement.
I took him to the round pen for his initial evaluation with me (or my initial job interview with him, depending on how you look at it). He walked nicely on a loose lead rope all the way to the round pen, and when I took his halter off he meandered around sniffing the toys I have there. He had a nice roll in the sand, and then took a look out the gate to survey the arena lower down the hill. I picked up the lunge whip to see how he would react, and he ignored me. I asked him to walk and he did, but wasn't interested in trotting or running around. Because he is eleven years old, I can call this a perk to having an adult horse arrive for training.
I put him on the lunge line so I could see how he moves, and he seemed very laid back. He would walk and jog for me, and went carefully over the ground poles. He seemed puzzled by the tires, and surprised when he would tap one with his hoof as he walked over, which resulted in him just hopping to the side a little. He wasn't interested in cantering on the lunge line, I only got a handful of strides going each direction. Stopping was no problem at all, he was happy to halt and receive praise and be scratched. He even tilted his head to get my fingers down into his ears, and really enjoyed the affection. He appears sound, and his trot definitely improved when I asked him to lengthen his stride. His few canter strides were on the correct leads. Mostly he just looks like he needs conditioning and fitness to improve his core muscling and haunches, then he'll be quite a looker. This relaxed temperament is a perk as well, I suspect he will be very straightforward to bring along in whatever discipline he decides he likes.
SATCH! You crazy boy, I miss you! They will never believe that my first job interview with you consisted of ordering the moms at the barn to get their kids to safety while I dealt with this giant snorting red dragon who was mad at me simply because it was time to go inside and he wanted to eat his grass instead. And there at Hill and Dale Farm in Warren, Maine, you and I had the showdown of a lifetime while moms and kids cowered in mini-vans. (mom, am I still going to have my riding lesson?) Thank you, Pat Parelli, for inventing the 22' foot line made out of sturdy yachting braid with a brass snap on it and a carrot stick, it saved my life that day. And I won. At least you have always been a gentleman about games- and I know, it's all a game to you. You don't mean it personally! You just wanted to see if I knew what I was doing. I get it. I got it, too, in ten degree below zero weather, when we were homeless, and I had to get you on that trailer and get you and the fillies to Colorado. I stood there all day on the ice with you playing Sideways Game and Driving Game until you deigned to join us. 2500 hundred miles later, you finally decided that maybe you could get on a trailer. Unless, of course, you were bored that day, and it might be more fun to see if you could outwit me again. I know. You are behaving yourself. You had to learn how to walk around without giving me a Thoroughbred Sleigh Ride. Just keep it up, dude. Behave yourself, and save the attitude for the big jumps. You're a super star and we know what you got!
ReplyDelete