(disclaimer: My regular camera is NOT working properly so the photos here are off my cellphone and taken by Jay-O and not the best quality....)
When I was 16... I rode colts for Dad. When I was 16... I rode colts because I wanted to ride those dang colts! When I was 16 I was a lot dumber and a lot braver.
Nowwwwwwww.... I'm not claiming I'm any smarter now, but 30 years later... but I find myself with a really nice bunch of colts. And guess what? I'm riding them! I will admit that I've armed myself with a bit more knowledge and take things a bit slower than I did when I was 16. And it's working.
I have a really nice herd we call the A-Team. They consist of some very nice show mares, some excellent old speed/rope geldings, and they are all just really good all around go-to horses as well.
Then I have the B-Team. Over the last couple of years, I've picked up some really nice young horses. There are three 3yo geldings. Two are mine, one is my Dad's. Then I have three 2yo babies... of which two are Arab geldings and one is an adorable Palomino filly by a horse a friend owns. The 2yo Pal and the 3yo Sorrel are full siblings from a friend's stud who I admire implicitly. These are two of the last offspring he had before my friend decided to geld him. I'm am honored to own these colts.
Tonight I got home from work and went to the house just to decompress after a long week at work. I was sitting at the computer vegging out when some friends pulled in. My own 12yo daughter was at my folks's house spending time with Grandma. But her best bud came over with her Dad and came in to the house to see what I was doing.
The "guys" were supposed to go to the saddle club to work on the new arena, and this young lady sure wasn't looking forward to hanging out over there. So I asked her "Do you want to play with colts with me?" "Sure!" she said. So we went outside, gathered up tack we wanted and headed to the round pen.
I let the horse choose me. My Poco Bueno gelding, Rojo chose me first. And I'm glad, because it's his turn anyway.
When I was 16... I rode colts for Dad. When I was 16... I rode colts because I wanted to ride those dang colts! When I was 16 I was a lot dumber and a lot braver.
Nowwwwwwww.... I'm not claiming I'm any smarter now, but 30 years later... but I find myself with a really nice bunch of colts. And guess what? I'm riding them! I will admit that I've armed myself with a bit more knowledge and take things a bit slower than I did when I was 16. And it's working.
I have a really nice herd we call the A-Team. They consist of some very nice show mares, some excellent old speed/rope geldings, and they are all just really good all around go-to horses as well.
Then I have the B-Team. Over the last couple of years, I've picked up some really nice young horses. There are three 3yo geldings. Two are mine, one is my Dad's. Then I have three 2yo babies... of which two are Arab geldings and one is an adorable Palomino filly by a horse a friend owns. The 2yo Pal and the 3yo Sorrel are full siblings from a friend's stud who I admire implicitly. These are two of the last offspring he had before my friend decided to geld him. I'm am honored to own these colts.
Tonight I got home from work and went to the house just to decompress after a long week at work. I was sitting at the computer vegging out when some friends pulled in. My own 12yo daughter was at my folks's house spending time with Grandma. But her best bud came over with her Dad and came in to the house to see what I was doing.
The "guys" were supposed to go to the saddle club to work on the new arena, and this young lady sure wasn't looking forward to hanging out over there. So I asked her "Do you want to play with colts with me?" "Sure!" she said. So we went outside, gathered up tack we wanted and headed to the round pen.
I let the horse choose me. My Poco Bueno gelding, Rojo chose me first. And I'm glad, because it's his turn anyway.
He has been saddled and he has done ground work. One thing he HATES is when I bounce around him. So we had a little session on bouncing when he couldn't run away from me. It took less than a minute before he stood still, sighed, and looked at me. Yay!
He saddled up fine and we longed a bit with the saddle and an O-Ring. No problems there.
Sooooooooooo.... I was in the round pen... just Rojo and me. We saddled up.. I bounced around. I got on. That stocky little red horse was wonderful. We walked and we trotted. No buck... a tiny bit of confusion on what I was asking from the bit, so we'll work on softness there. But he tried his little heart out to do what I asked.
Sooooooooooo.... I was in the round pen... just Rojo and me. We saddled up.. I bounced around. I got on. That stocky little red horse was wonderful. We walked and we trotted. No buck... a tiny bit of confusion on what I was asking from the bit, so we'll work on softness there. But he tried his little heart out to do what I asked.
Hubby and Father were down in the yard yakking until they finally realized what I was doing so they came up to watch. Rojo and I demonstrated all we'd accomplished this night. I am SO proud of that Rojo horse. He's smart. Ride #1 was a success.
Dad was happy for us, so I asked if he wanted me to work with his Blue horse a bit. I had already been fiddling with this 3yo from the ground but hadn't been on him yet. So I led Rojo over to where the other colts were chowing down on hay and caught up Mr. Blue.
Dad was happy for us, so I asked if he wanted me to work with his Blue horse a bit. I had already been fiddling with this 3yo from the ground but hadn't been on him yet. So I led Rojo over to where the other colts were chowing down on hay and caught up Mr. Blue.
We showed Dad how nicely he transitioned in his walking, trotting and whoaing on the longe line. We did get some lope, but I didn't push it.
I have been so impressed with this young gelding that I went ahead and tied him to retrieve my saddle. He saddled with no incident. He took the O-Ring fine, although we had to punch some holes in the headstall to fit better, but he took it all in stride.
We flexed, we turned, we walked, we trotted. At one point when we started to trot, he got confused and nearly ran over Dad. I yelled "Watch out!" and we skittered by at a very fast trot. Blue headed straight into a panel and put the brakes on. Thank goodness for the barrel-saddle that fits my butt and legs really nice. That thing helps me balance and hang on. I did tip forward and sideways a bit, but that little colt stopped for me and I regained my center. Then we moved forward again in a nice walk and then some more trotting.
Not a buck, not much of a fuss. And when I dismounted, mounted, dismounted, mounted again... he stood right there with ears flicking listening to me. Ride #1 was a success.
Soooooooooooo for a night where I was starting out just vegging and being lazy, it turned into an INCREDIBLE night of really sweet progression with two of the 3yos that got their first rides tonight.
It just doesn't get much better than this. :-)
We flexed, we turned, we walked, we trotted. At one point when we started to trot, he got confused and nearly ran over Dad. I yelled "Watch out!" and we skittered by at a very fast trot. Blue headed straight into a panel and put the brakes on. Thank goodness for the barrel-saddle that fits my butt and legs really nice. That thing helps me balance and hang on. I did tip forward and sideways a bit, but that little colt stopped for me and I regained my center. Then we moved forward again in a nice walk and then some more trotting.
Not a buck, not much of a fuss. And when I dismounted, mounted, dismounted, mounted again... he stood right there with ears flicking listening to me. Ride #1 was a success.
Soooooooooooo for a night where I was starting out just vegging and being lazy, it turned into an INCREDIBLE night of really sweet progression with two of the 3yos that got their first rides tonight.
It just doesn't get much better than this. :-)
5 comments:
COOOLLLL!!! Love the report, love the photos! Looks like everything went just perfect! Nice job, friend :-)
I am so jealous of all of your riding! Sounds like good work. I don't know if I have the guts to ride young ones. I had a 3 year old QH mare once, but she was broke. I mean, as broke as she could be for 3. She never once bucked or reared with me. I had to sell her when I left for college, unfortunately. She was a nice little mare.
THANKS! I had a blast last night.
The photos aren't the best but I just HAD to take some sort of pictures of the event. I remembered I had my phone in my pocket as I was walking around on Rojo. I got a couple of the back of his head. Then when it dawned on Jay and Dad what I was doing, they hobbled as fast as they could up to the round pen and I handed the phone over so Jay could document!
It's been a long LONG time since I had very first ride on a young one. And I got two last night WOO HOOO!!!! HA! It was awesome. :-)
(sings) I feeeel gooood (da da da da da da DA)!!! (and dances)
Good Job, Pam!!! Way to go! (And the pictures weren't THAT bad! I would have been disappointd if there weren't any!)
Wow, sounds like you made some great progress with your babies! I have a three year old I just sent off to training. I cannot wait until she comes home!
I'll be following along.
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