Sunday, June 13, 2010

Pogo Stick


Sam has his moments of calm and he has his moments of zany and during the moments of zany it feels like I am riding a pogo stick. He gets all wound up and starts prancing around like the ground is hot lava. Recently, during one such ride, I had a revelation* of sorts. As we were doing something that roughly approximated the lyrics from that House of Pain song I realized, "being tense is not going to keep me on this horse." In fact, it would probably contribute to the launching effect that would surely take place if he really decided to act like a nut. As soon as I relaxed (really relaxed, not the faking it kind that I had been doing) he settled right down. My tenseness did not make him zany (quite the other way around), but it definitely kept him from returning to the realm of sanity.


*Note: My revelations are almost never novel ideas. They are different ways of thinking about things I already know but sometimes forget.

The Real Work Begins...

As soon as Sam was home and healthy (a lengthy process), it was time for him to start his new life as a companion and riding horse. He initially made a very smooth transition...until he realized that his life of standing around and doing nothing was truly over. As mentioned in an earlier post I know he has a brain and I know that he is not afraid of things, so it is easy to determine when he is acting up and acting out. He is a little bit bossy and he is pretty confident that his way of doing everything is perfectly fine and there is no good reason to change. I am actually happy he has that attitude. I enjoy an independent horse who can think for himself because I don't want him to be my robot slave. In the end we will have a stronger bond based on mutual respect and understanding. Of course, in the meantime, he has to get it through his brain that it's time to work hard and learn some important new skills.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

First Rides

I will spare the boring details of our early rides. Suffice it to say that Sam was very good from the start and I could tell that he had a brain (which came in handy later when he decided to act like he was incapable of rational thought). Right after I agreed to take him, he came down with a case of strangles and had to be quarantined on the farm for 8-10 weeks. I went to visit him every weekend during that time, so our work was very intermittent and low key.

Our first ride-

Friday, June 11, 2010

Initial Posts

I should have started this blog when I got Sam, three months ago. In order to make up for lost time, I am going to submit a series of posts that will get me up to date. I promise to be as brief as possible.

Welcome


Welcome to my blog. This is going to be a record about re-training my new horse and the insights I derive throughout the process.

The Star:
Sam is 8-year-old Thoroughbred off the racetrack that I recently rescued. When I found him, he was several hundred pounds underweight and completely covered in rain rot. He also had a very disdainful attitude toward people. He has been off the track for two years and my goal is to transform him into an all around riding horse and companion.



Supporting Cast:
This blog may also occasionally feature articles about my other horse, Birdie, though the focus will be on Sam. Birdie is a 3-year-old Quarter Horse that I am planning to start from scratch. She will be a sales project and I hope to bring her along and find her a good home.

I may occasionally mention my riding friends because they are an integral part of my experiences with horses. I will do my best to seize every possible opportunity to embarrass them.

I will do my best to avoid being boring...but I think Sam provide ample opportunity to share interesting stories.

Enjoy.