Have a Happy, Horsey New Year!

Looks like he's smiling, doesn't it?

Joey and I had a quiet trail ride on this last day of 2011. He was the super pony he always is. Looking forward to our adventures in 2012. Of all the things that happened to me this year, Joey was one of the best.

Here's hoping your New Year is shiny and bright! :)

War Horse - the movie

Have you seen it?

I went with the family on the day after Christmas to see War Horse. I enjoyed it very much and yes, I did cry but I think the play was more emotionally moving for me. My children did get upset at how the horses were treated when they were in the hands of the Germans and I had to keep telling them to focus on Joey, that he was the hero and it would be alright. Even so, they really liked the movie, too. My husband was stoic as usual and brought more tissues for the rest of us. :)

Afterward, it did spark a discussion between my children my husband and myself about history and the use of animals in battle. Always a good thing to find a teachable moment!

My kids also understand now why I named my Joey after the horse in the story. Because he's a pretty remarkable horse, too.

Bridling the Uncomplicated Horse

I've heard all kinds of stories and seen it many times where horses give their owners and/or riders a hard time when it comes to bridling them and getting the bit in their mouth. I don't recall ever having a problem with it myself for any of the horses I've owned over the years. I would have to say they all handled the procedure with a polite indifference at best.

However, I've never had a horse who apparently LOVES to have the bit and bridle put on either.

I need to get video of this and post it. When you remove Joey's halter after putting the reins over his head, he starts licking and chewing and yawning. Then all I have to do is hold the bit out for him and he opens his mouth wide, scoops up the bit and drops his head for me to slip the bridle over his ears! I find it adorable to watch him do this every time. He will keep his head almost to the floor as you do up the throatlatch and noseband.

When I take the bridle off, as soon as he feels the throatlatch and noseband undone he will drop his head for me to slip the bridle off. And as I do he will lightly hold the bit in his teeth until I ask him to drop it. Then he keeps his head down for the halter to be slipped on.

Maybe he thinks he's a dog. Or maybe it's his way of saying that he just enjoys working with me. :)

The Perfect Horse

The Perfect Horse isn't necessarily stunningly beautiful;
In fact, he's probably gotten a few scars and dings from life.
He's probably been hurt but lived through it, been scared but
overcome it, and ready to teach his rider to do the same.

The Perfect Horse is not just arena-ridden. He
will let you feel what it's like to gallop into the ocean waves,
chase a neighbor's cows, or play tag on horseback.

The Perfect Horse will buck you off when you deserve it, but wait
patiently for you to get back on.

The Perfect Horse has problems; He will teach you to deal with
them.

The Perfect Horse knows that you can't learn to be a skilled
horseman if everything goes your way.

The Perfect Horse will challenge you, but only as much as you are
ready to handle. He will teach you that you still have more
to learn.

The Perfect Horse will forgive you when you make mistakes, and
expects you to do the same. He will try to ignore the tack that
doesn't fit right, the confusing signals, and will do his best
to please. He will teach you to work,
but it will be worth it.

The Perfect Horse may not be the prettiest or the fastest, but he has the most heart.

Busy Week, Not Much Horsey Time

This has been one of those weeks. So many things piling up in the week's schedule and Joey is the one on the back burner. I did get to work with him this past Tuesday evening and took a short walk/trot ride in the indoor arena. It was our first time riding in the indoor after dark. Our arena is one of those Cover-All type buildings. I was ready for anything. One thing that I was glad for was that there was a drill team lesson going on with about 8 school horses (they were all kids and were just practicing their patterns at the walk, Whew!) and a boarder was exercising Ruby for his owner so I had lots of company.

Incidentally, Joey is stabled across the aisle from Ruby, the wonderful old show horse that I half boarded up until I was injured earlier this year. And Joey has taken a liking to the old campaigner! My horse has excellent taste in friends/role models! ;)

So Joey had lots of quiet horses to experience the indoor at night with. And he was a good boy. He wanted so badly to peek out the open door at the far end each time we rode past, as it looked like a big black hole compared to the brightness of indoors. But he wasn't spooky and all I had to do was gently push him into a little shoulder in to focus him on moving forward and inside past the door and paying attention to me.

I. LOVE. THIS. HORSE.

The only thing that gave him the wide-eyed snorts was when we were finished. I had dismounted and was leading him outside the arena back to the barn when he swung his head around and stared at the building glowing from the lights inside. I guess he's never seen one of those fabric over steel frame buildings when it's lit up at night, LOL! He took a good long look, then turned his head back to me, and kept walking with me back to the barn.

I can't wait until the end of this week when I have time to work with him again. :)

Worked at a Horse Show!

Yesterday I fulfilled a promise to a friend to help her out at one of the horse shows she organizes. My schedule was open and I worked as a desk person. I basically took open checks and cash, handled entries and post entries, passed out show numbers and freed up the woman who handles all the important stuff involving record keeping and such to focus on getting everything entered on her laptop as quickly and correctly as possible.

And it was a blast! It was fun to see old familiar faces from my horse show days and the glimmer of recognition when they realized it was me. I have lost track of time and forgotten how long I've been out of that world. The best was when my own trainer walked in and saw me there. He got this evil grin on his face and said, "I didn't know you were working this one." and I smiled and said, 'You didn't ask." Then we cracked up. I know he found it amusing.

It's the first time I was behind the secretary's desk at a show. I'm so used to being on the other side. I would definitely do it again!

Over a Month Gone By

Yes, that's a picture of Joey's bit. I don't take enough pictures and figured it would be nice to start off with a photo. So this was the first thing I could think of. Besides, I love that he goes very nicely in such a soft, gentle snaffle.

So it is over a month gone by and Joey is a lovely horse. Whenever someone asks me "How's it going?" or "How's he doing?" my answer is always. "Great, and the thing I love most about him is he's the same horse every time I work with him."

Hot sunny day = quiet, steady Joey
Windy overcast day before hurricane Irene = quiet, steady Joey
Riding out in the grass field near the woods = quiet, steady Joey
Riding around the property and into the indoor arena = quiet, steady Joey
Riding outside in the evening as it gets dark without the lights on = quiet, steady Joey
Fire truck leaves the fire house across the street with lots of noise and lights = quiet, steady Joey
Horse turned out in paddock next to riding ring takes off bucking and farting = quiet, steady Joey
Just say the word "Whoa" = quiet, steady Joey will immediately stop and stand still!

I feel like I'm holding my breath, like I'm subconsciously waiting for him to be a jerk. However, I am not nervous at all around him, even riding. I guess I also feel like when he finally does spook or something, if his attitude is any indication it should be something I can handle in the saddle.

Whoever started this 6 year old horse has my utmost respect. I did get to talk with the man who sold him to me about two weeks after I'd bought him and he asked me how the horse was working out. He got the same answer as above. He said good, he was glad to hear it and that I had lucked out and gotten an exceptionally good horse. Then he told me that Joey came from a farm in Virginia and the woman who owns the farm had been calling him to try and sell more of her horses as apparently she has a lot of horses.

This woman also fox hunts and he told me Joey was used as a "guest horse" on the hunts as he is so quiet. Made sense to me and also made me feel even better about buying him since he supposedly has experience doing what I want us to do!

I wish I could contact this woman who sold him through the horse dealer to let her know Joey is safe with me and in a loving, forever home. The fact that he's such a sweet, gentle animal, I know if I had to sell him, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I didn't know what sort of home he had gone to.

And another benefit of all this is I have been trying very hard to ride 3-4 times a week and my knee seems to be getting stronger. I rarely wear a brace except when riding and in the saddle I use the Professional's Choice Miracle Knee Support which is supportive but very flexible.
I can dismount almost by jumping off the way I used to and there is no pain at all. I even run up and down flights of stairs at home and at work with no pain or instability.

Oh, I am still aware of the damage, the knee does not feel "quite right" and is still a little stiffer than the other one. I also cannot collapse the joint completely to sit in a kneeling position. If I try that, it isn't painful but it is extremely tight and very hard to make it flex enough to sit with any comfort. But I can work on that I guess with stretching and if I can't sit/kneel anymore I guess that will be okay.

So maybe surgery can be put off for awhile. That's what the ortho doc I went to for my second opinion told me and I'm kind of agreeing more and more.

And there is a hunter pace coming up in November that I am toying with the idea of attending. It's nice to be able to plan again. Even if I don't go, it's nice to know I COULD go if I wanted to.