This page is where you will find pictures and updates of my current training horse.
Cinco:
Day 1 and 2
2/16/09
Cinco came in yesterday, and me being…..well, me….I wanted to see what kind of horse I would be dealing with for the next 3 months. Now, he has been ponied, saddle, bridled, but that's it. So, when I set out to work with him yesterday, I had no intentions of ever sitting on him. I go whatever speed the youngster needs. This boy though, was just amazing.
After free lunging him for a bit, I tack him up. Nothing. Then I hook the long lines up. he trots off. I let him trot, and he eventually walks with his head nice and relaxed. After a while he is stopping, and doing figure eights. Then I snap both stirrups down. Still nothing. I lay across his back. Nothing. I stand in one stirrup, on both sides. Nothing. I swing my leg over. He sighs. I cluck, and he walks off. We eventually did circles, stops, and even a few steps of trotting. He was an angel.
We did the same thing today, and he was wonderful.
**** Please note: These results are NOT typical. This horse came with a wonderful foundation on the ground, and an unusually quiet temperament. If you want a trainer who can "break" your horse in a day - I am not the one for you. I will ALWAYS cater to each individual horse's needs, and adjust accordingly.
So relaxed:
Day 3
We didn't even GO in the roundpen today! Instead we did the same thing as the first two days (consistency is the key) first letting him walk and trot on the lunge, then I long lined him at a walk and trot around the arena. We did serpentines, circles, transitions…..and he was wonderful through it all. He did get a bit strong when we first trotted off, but came right back to me. Then I got on, and had him follow right behind my trusty lesson horse, Maverick. He even did a few steps of trotting!
Day 4 and 5
It was REALLY windy both days, so I spent these days just grooming him really good, and bonding with him. he has such a wonderful personality. He had a small cut on one of his legs, so I clipped around it, so I could better treat it. As usual, he could have cared less about the clippers.
Day 6
What a good boy! After warming up the same as always - lung at walk and trot, followed by long lining - I got on and walked him around. Today was his first day riding in the arena with other horses - besides Maverick - and he was GREAT! After lots of school figures, we ended up trotting ALL the way around the arena, BOTH directions.
**
I am happy - and very sad - to say that Cinco left a week ago. It was a very long road, but he left as the quiet, no spook trail horse I always knew he could be.
So, what happened?? The first 30 days were a breeze. About that time, he started getting very spooky, very flighty, and very back sore. It was about that time that he also started bolting. after speaking with his owner, we had teh Chiropractor out, who said that his pelvis was severly out of alignment. While this improved his back soreness, he was still bolting, and still NQR (Not Quite Right) While I didn't see any lameness at any gait, I knew it was there, and after speaking with the vet, and owner, we put him on Bute for a week. During that week, Cinco was a gem, so we decided that the only way to help him was for the vet to do a complete work up. While the vet was also not able to see any lameness, he flexed dead lame in his left hind. Sadly Xrays showed that he had severe Arthritis in his left hock, due to a traumatic injury he got as a youngster - before his current owner bought him. We had both hocks injected, and he was put on monthly Audaquan shots. While this improved him greatly, he still got me off one good last time. I spoke with the vet, who said that he may not ever be ridable, but that it normally took 30 days for injections to fully set in. To help, we put Cinco on Robaxin, and a tapered down Bute regimen for 9 days, along with 1/2 CC of Ace for the first few rides.
I am happy to say that after ALL of that, Cinco is back to his old self! While Cinco may never be a show hunter, he is an awesome trail horse, and is able to walk/trot and canter quietly and safely through the trails. Best of all he is now sound and happy, and is only being given his monthly shot of Aduaquan.
The moral of the story is that if you want your horse beaten into submission, I am not the trainer for you. However, if you would like someone who will actually listen to your horse, and help you figure out WHY he is, how he is, then please do give me a call!
