WALK THE LINE
(Mizrahi x DRF French Riviera)
2006 Bay Morgan Stallion
PAGE 2 OF THE TRAINING JOURNAL
Wednesday Sept. 24th, 2008
Well it looks like I bought a new horse. I receieved an email this morning about a two year old western prospect in CA that I might be interested in and after many emails and only TWO pictures I purchased him. He will be hoping on the trailer headed to Oklahoma City for the Morgan Grand National and from there will take Headlight's spot going to PA.
I hope I made the right choice!
Wednesday, Oct. 1 2008
I am DYING to see my new horse.....there is fear, excitement.....more fear, and then worry! I get on my plane at 6:15 tonight and will arrive in Oklahoma at 8:15.
Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock............
Shew what a night! As soon as my plane landed I got a taxi to my hotel, droped my bags in my room, and got another taxi to the fairgrounds. The taxi dropped me right in the middle between Cash's stall and Headlight's stall......I fought myself for a moment and then let myself look at Cash before checking in on Headlight (my trainer friends had been keeping an eye on him and they would have called me if anything was wrong).
As I walked down the row of 30+ horses I took a deeeeeeep breath before looking into his stall. My frist thought was how small he was and I wasn't in love with his head. I stood there about a minute and then headed towards Headlight's stall. Once I was finished wrapping Headlight's legs I went back and looked at Cash again....the more time I spent with him the more I started to like him. His throat latch is VERY thick but I think a neck sweat would help it.
I called a cab and headed back to the room for some much needed sleep.
Oct. 2nd 2008
Today I had my first working with Cash....and what a day it was....
Around 9:00 in the morning I found time after caring for Headlight to finally get to go work with Cash a little. I brought over my lead rope and walked him back to my stalls to show him to my friends. He was a little strong while being walked but nothing that I was too worried about.
My plan was to take him way in the back of the fairgrounds where all the roundpens are and work him a little so I could see his movement and personality outside of the stall. As we made our way down the road filled with vendors, trucks, scooters, horses, people, golf carts and other very scary stuff Cash LOST IT. He decided that he wasn't going to walk and started darting forward in an effort to get away from me. I was doing everything in my power to get him back under control but he just acted like I wasn't there.
It was one of those I'm "THAT GIRL" who brings a horse to a show that they can't control and shouldn't be there....I wanted to hold up a sign that read "I just bought him...its my first time walking him"
By god's grace we finally made it to the roundpens where I worked his butt good and hard on the lunge line....mostly because I wanted him dog tired when walking back to the stalls LOL After about 30 mins he walked to his stalls like a well mannered boy.....two year olds are SO much fun :-O
Oct. 4th, 2008
Checking in from sunny Oklahoma!
Today I purchased a throatlack sweat for Cash and worked him in for about 15 mins. I"m impressed with his respect of the word :"whoa" and he seems like a smart guy. He looks as if he will have a lope to die for when he is trained....that just might be the sand in my eyes from all this wind though!
Oct. 7th, 2008
I had to buy a different neck sweat today since the one I bought Cash was rubbing him. I noticed it because I took him to my grooming stall and spent a good 30 mins loving on him and getting him nice and clean. I even grabbed my clippers and did a touch up job on him. Being that I'm not a big fan of little forelocks, I'm going to let his grow out a good bit so its nice and thick when he's wearing a bridle dripping with silver.
Oct 9th, 2008
My days in Oklahoma are numbered and my friends fly in tomorrow night to hang out and watch the show. Today I brought along two lunge lines and longlined Cash to see how he would react with having something by his legs......no reaction at all. The more I'm working with him the more I'm starting to like him...his head is growing on me too!
Oct. 11th, 2008
Its a sad last day in Oklahoma....no more playing in the round pen and hanging with friends....Cash is heading to PA tomorrow...he will be an "east coast" horse from now on!
Monday, Oct. 13, 2008
I'm dog tired. Found out that Cash had made it to PA so Derek and I made the drive up there to pick him up. He walked to and loaded into the trailer like a dream. Once we made it home he didn't like the idea of backing so I let him turn around.....looks like we have something to start working on already! I did notice that he has lost some weight so once he gets used to my feed I will be pouring it in him.
Tuesday, Oct. 14th, 2008
I have about 6 months before Southern States so I figured that if I can manage to work Cash twice a day then he will have a "year" of training on him :-P. Since I'm not much of a morning person this is actually pretty interesting and I sure not a whole lot will get accomplished in the morning sessions but it can't hurt!
I woke up and headed down to the barn around 5:30 and lunged him for about 20 mins and worked on our voice comands and whoa.
Tonight I worked him in the balance training system and a snaffle. He didn't like the butt strap around his back legs but after 5 good bucks he gave up and went around nice and steady.
Cash is getting a handfull of feed four times a day and 4 flakes of hay a day untill he gets used to it.
Wednesday, Oct. 15th, 2008
5:30 am: Another morning of lunging but this time with the Balance Training System on...just like yesterday we have a couple of bucks and then settled in.
Ground driving was today's "theme" and I took Cash all over the farm....he never onced looked at anything and spooked even though there was a huge crane beeping and moving around since Dad & Derek were painting the barn. I think that he would be very cool to drive and I'm iching to get a cart and harness but I know I shouldnt' spend the money....bummer.
Thursday, Oct. 16th, 2008
First day with the saddle! I was expecting some bucking or fit throwing but just like everything else the saddle was not a big deal to Cash. I took some time to put him through his gaits and then smacked, twisted, hit, moved, and laid across the saddle while he stood there trying to bite me.
Friday, Oct. 17th, 2008
I rode Cash today! I worked him for about 5 mins in longlines today and then grabbed the saddle and put it on. After a couple of laps around the roundpen with no issues I climbed up in the saddle. We did a lot of walking and halting for the first 10 mins and also worked on turns. Getting him to trot is a bit of a challenge but I'm sure it will get easier with time. He seems like a cool guy.
I put Cash out in the small pasture for the first time today and I'm not sure if he has ever seen grasss???? He seemed more interested in eating the dirt...odd horse.
Monday, Oct. 20th, 2008
I'm so mad that I didn't work with Cash this weekend....I started getting sick and yesterday Ashley and I took out Cash's tail to see how long it is. I LOVE his tail....its so thick and already to the ground at 2 years old....yay!
Today, since I'm really sick, I only ground drove Cash around and called it a night.
Tuesday, Oct 22, 2008
I rode Cash again tonight. We worked a lot of going into the trot and I'm having to smack his shoulder with my reins to get him to pay attention. I actually tried to get him into a canter but he started over reaching and clanking his front shoes with the back to I stopped...don't want him to trip or pull a shoe. All in all it was a good night.
Wed. Oct. 23 3008
Ugh Cash threw a shoe while I was riding him today...I spoke too soon yesterday (bangs head on wall). We were going around nicely at the trot and I took him in the middle to change directions and he must have overreached and stumbled....I thought we were both going down but he caught himself and we just stood there like "shew". His new neck sweats and work bridle came in so that's exciting. Tomorrow the farrier is coming to pull the rest of his shoes.
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008
Around 4:00 I met my farrier at the barn and he pulled the three remaining shoes and trimed Cash up. While I took care of barn chores I put Cash in the roundpen to play...and boy did he play! He was running and jumping and kicking and rolling....just having a grand ol'e time....maybe he was happy to have his "high heels" off :-)
After barn chores were complete I brought him in and tacked him up with my new work bridle and took him in the roundpen for a ride. He is really starting to learn the idea that "cluck" means to trot or you get kicked in your gut, which means trot OR you get smacked with the reins ....which mean trot.....hopefully everything will continue to click in his brain. I started working on flexing lasy night and making him follow his nose. Cash doesn't want to bend his body (which might come from the driving) but caught on after a while.
I attemped to get a lope with no luck...maybe tonight.