Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Clinic Report: Linda Heiny
11:02 AM | 
Posted by
Amy
At the urging of FFI president Sara Busbice, I signed up to ride in the Linda Heiny clinic that was scheduled for Friday, Nov 21, 2008. I didn't know much about Linda except that she had given some clinics to other FFI foster horse riders and was well liked and respected by them. The clinic was held at Hilltop Farm Equestrian Center, a lovely facility on the SW side of Indianapolis. I was riding 3 horses and showed up at Hilltop around 9:30AM to have time to get all the horses settled in. I wasn't sure if there would be auditors or how strict the scheduling would be.
My first ride was scheduled for 11:00AM. This gave me plenty of time to turn out each of the three horses individually in the arena. I wasn't worried about Jewel as she is a pro about this stuff. But JC and Stormy had never been to a dressage clinic and I wanted to make sure that both had a chance to check out the scenery before I asked them to work. All three horses were just fine. The arean was big and well lit and none of the horses had any issue with it.
Linda arrived around 10:45 as I was tacking up JC. He was being a perfect gentleman and standing quietly in the cross ties. We had the chance to chit chat and learn about each other. It turns out that she is quite an accomplished rider and trainer. And she rode under Walter Zettl, a dressage hero of mine, for a number a years. That was really thrilling to hear! I was very happy to learn that we were on similar (if not the same) pages in regards to riding horses and training dressage horses. It was also a bit of a relief to find another local trainer that trains in a similar fashion to Amanda Pisano, my regular trainer. It was also interesting to hear about her dedication to Thoroughbreds and her life-long love of the breed.
As we were standing there talking, she asked about the horse in the cross ties (JC). I told her that this was the horse that had come off the track just 4 days previous. She couldn't believe how quiet and well behaved he was. She said she knew that a fresh track horse was coming to the clinic and so she was prepared to have a ground work lesson. However, upon seeing him and his wonderful attitude in person, she had no problem with me riding him. And thus our lesson began.
We started on the ground and she asked me to show her what I had been working on with him. I showed her how I had been working to both desensitize him to the whip and teach him to yield to its pressure. She showed me a couple handy tools to help with this process. After that, I mounted up and she worked with his under saddle. We worked at the walk and the trot in both directions and focused on teaching him that "there is a better way" as Linda kept saying. The better way involved yielding the jaw to the hand and haunches to the leg in order to create submission and lifting of the back. This was right on track with what I had learned from Amanda. The key that Linda pointed out for this exercise was that the horse MUST step under himself when yeilding the haunches, or he hasn't really yielded them. If the horse stops moving the inside leg either pushed out to the side or behind, the haunches are not yielded and the horse is resisting the rider.
Overall, he lacked balance and had a few drunken sailor moments where he wasn't quite sure what direction to go, but for the most part, JC was incredibly willing to learn. And more importantly, once he figured something out and we praised him for it, he didn't forget it. Linda was thrilled at how willing and intelligent he was. She just kept saying "we have to make sure this horse find a really nice home." I concur!! There is a post on here entitled "A Week In The Life of Thoroughbred" which has a video of JC's first week in his post-racing life. In it are some video clips from the clinic.
When we finished working with JC, it was time for Jewel to get ready. We took a little bit longer break and allowed her to get out into the arena and stretch her legs. I bought Jewel off the track in 2003 and have done all of her retraining. She has been through a lot in the last year and a half. We were working consistently at 2nd level dressage and schooling 3rd in the spring of 2007 when she suffered a torsion colic which required surgery. She was just beginning to work in collection again this past spring when an altercation with another horse left a deep puncture wound just above her right hock. These two incidences have affected her physically leaving Jewel underweight with a weak topline and a bit of a sagging belly. She's 1.5 years past colic surgery and finally back to a healthy weight. We are starting the road back to collection and this is where Linda found us.
Linda started by putting us through our paces to see where Jewel was at as far as skill level. What Linda noticed is something that we've been dealing with since coming back to work from the surgery and injury. That is, Jewel doesn't want to lower her croup. She frees her shoulder by lifting them, but is disconnected behind the saddle and doesn't drop her croup. True collection occurs when the horse drops their croup to raise their front end. Jewel had figured out a way around this and I was letting her get away with it. So the majority of our time was spent at a walk and trot working on really engaging Jewel's hind end. We rode squares in a collected walk. We also worked on slowing down the trot and lightening her contact with the inside rein through lateral flexion. Finally, we worked on extending and collecting her strides completly off my seat. I am excited about the tools that Linda gave me and I'm committed to building my mare's hind end strength over the winter. My goal is to have a good medium trot by spring 2009. Linda commented on what a willing partner Jewel was and that while the issues that we worked on weren't HUGE, they were a big deal if we ever wanted to successfully do tempi changes and correct extended and collected gaits.
The third horse I rode was Stormy. Stormy's life since the track has been a little different that the above two horses. Of the three, he is the least built for sport horse disciplines. His neck is short and very upright, but its set on low, so its hard for him to work over his back. For about the first 9 months off the track, he dealt with an old hip injury. The vet guesses that its some sort of bursitis, but unless we do a thorough set of tests with x-rays and other diagnostic tools, we'll never know. And really, it doesn't matter what happened. What does matter is that time and turnout have made it better. Unfortunately, he is a also a pretty severe cribber, which hasn't helped his neck any. His cribbing is controlled by wearing a collar and he must wear it all the time because he prefers to crib rather than eat. Therefore, he is also a bit on the thin side.
Stormy is currently a walk/trot horse. He is just getting to the point where he can canter more than a full circle on the lunge line. We may begin cantering under saddle later this winter as his butt and back muscle up. We'll have to see how he developes. And so this is where Linda found Stormy and I as well.
Our lesson was primarily done at the walk and trot. We worked at helping Stormy to relax over the topline. Because of this conformation and his lack of carrying muscle, it is really hard work for him right now to lift his front end off the ground while his head is down. Plus, because of his cribbing addiction, the muscles on the underside of his neck are very large and tight. These are the muscles that he uses on a regular basis, so they are the strongest. Linda gave me a number of tips and tools to use with Stormy to help him get his head down.
The biggest tool she gave me was the understanding that with a horse like Stormy, who is very independent and willful, is that I needed to make sure that I was creating a puzzle for him to figure out in which the correct answer was the thing that I wanted him to do. In other words, Stormy is very smart, but a little stubborn. So in order for him to get to do what I want him to do, I have to create a situation where Stormy thinks its HIS idea to do the thing that I want him to do. It requires a lot more thinking on my part than working with horses like JC and Jewel who are more willing. However, once I started approaching Stormy's training from this new viewpoint, it has actually become easier to train him. It has become a game instead of work -- for both of us!
After finishing with Stormy, I was exhausted, but very proud of my three mounts. While each is very different from the other, they are all three benefited from the knowledge I gained by working with Linda. The keys for me to remember with each horse are:
- Slow down (I have a tendency to push the speed of each gait beyond what is a comfortable working gait for the horse).
- If they're stuck in the bridle, more lateral flexion from inside leg to outside rein.
- Always ask a question for the horse to answer.
And so on that note, I'll end this entry. I look forward to riding with Linda again in the future.
My first ride was scheduled for 11:00AM. This gave me plenty of time to turn out each of the three horses individually in the arena. I wasn't worried about Jewel as she is a pro about this stuff. But JC and Stormy had never been to a dressage clinic and I wanted to make sure that both had a chance to check out the scenery before I asked them to work. All three horses were just fine. The arean was big and well lit and none of the horses had any issue with it.
Linda arrived around 10:45 as I was tacking up JC. He was being a perfect gentleman and standing quietly in the cross ties. We had the chance to chit chat and learn about each other. It turns out that she is quite an accomplished rider and trainer. And she rode under Walter Zettl, a dressage hero of mine, for a number a years. That was really thrilling to hear! I was very happy to learn that we were on similar (if not the same) pages in regards to riding horses and training dressage horses. It was also a bit of a relief to find another local trainer that trains in a similar fashion to Amanda Pisano, my regular trainer. It was also interesting to hear about her dedication to Thoroughbreds and her life-long love of the breed.
As we were standing there talking, she asked about the horse in the cross ties (JC). I told her that this was the horse that had come off the track just 4 days previous. She couldn't believe how quiet and well behaved he was. She said she knew that a fresh track horse was coming to the clinic and so she was prepared to have a ground work lesson. However, upon seeing him and his wonderful attitude in person, she had no problem with me riding him. And thus our lesson began.We started on the ground and she asked me to show her what I had been working on with him. I showed her how I had been working to both desensitize him to the whip and teach him to yield to its pressure. She showed me a couple handy tools to help with this process. After that, I mounted up and she worked with his under saddle. We worked at the walk and the trot in both directions and focused on teaching him that "there is a better way" as Linda kept saying. The better way involved yielding the jaw to the hand and haunches to the leg in order to create submission and lifting of the back. This was right on track with what I had learned from Amanda. The key that Linda pointed out for this exercise was that the horse MUST step under himself when yeilding the haunches, or he hasn't really yielded them. If the horse stops moving the inside leg either pushed out to the side or behind, the haunches are not yielded and the horse is resisting the rider.
Overall, he lacked balance and had a few drunken sailor moments where he wasn't quite sure what direction to go, but for the most part, JC was incredibly willing to learn. And more importantly, once he figured something out and we praised him for it, he didn't forget it. Linda was thrilled at how willing and intelligent he was. She just kept saying "we have to make sure this horse find a really nice home." I concur!! There is a post on here entitled "A Week In The Life of Thoroughbred" which has a video of JC's first week in his post-racing life. In it are some video clips from the clinic.
When we finished working with JC, it was time for Jewel to get ready. We took a little bit longer break and allowed her to get out into the arena and stretch her legs. I bought Jewel off the track in 2003 and have done all of her retraining. She has been through a lot in the last year and a half. We were working consistently at 2nd level dressage and schooling 3rd in the spring of 2007 when she suffered a torsion colic which required surgery. She was just beginning to work in collection again this past spring when an altercation with another horse left a deep puncture wound just above her right hock. These two incidences have affected her physically leaving Jewel underweight with a weak topline and a bit of a sagging belly. She's 1.5 years past colic surgery and finally back to a healthy weight. We are starting the road back to collection and this is where Linda found us.
Linda started by putting us through our paces to see where Jewel was at as far as skill level. What Linda noticed is something that we've been dealing with since coming back to work from the surgery and injury. That is, Jewel doesn't want to lower her croup. She frees her shoulder by lifting them, but is disconnected behind the saddle and doesn't drop her croup. True collection occurs when the horse drops their croup to raise their front end. Jewel had figured out a way around this and I was letting her get away with it. So the majority of our time was spent at a walk and trot working on really engaging Jewel's hind end. We rode squares in a collected walk. We also worked on slowing down the trot and lightening her contact with the inside rein through lateral flexion. Finally, we worked on extending and collecting her strides completly off my seat. I am excited about the tools that Linda gave me and I'm committed to building my mare's hind end strength over the winter. My goal is to have a good medium trot by spring 2009. Linda commented on what a willing partner Jewel was and that while the issues that we worked on weren't HUGE, they were a big deal if we ever wanted to successfully do tempi changes and correct extended and collected gaits.
The third horse I rode was Stormy. Stormy's life since the track has been a little different that the above two horses. Of the three, he is the least built for sport horse disciplines. His neck is short and very upright, but its set on low, so its hard for him to work over his back. For about the first 9 months off the track, he dealt with an old hip injury. The vet guesses that its some sort of bursitis, but unless we do a thorough set of tests with x-rays and other diagnostic tools, we'll never know. And really, it doesn't matter what happened. What does matter is that time and turnout have made it better. Unfortunately, he is a also a pretty severe cribber, which hasn't helped his neck any. His cribbing is controlled by wearing a collar and he must wear it all the time because he prefers to crib rather than eat. Therefore, he is also a bit on the thin side.
Stormy is currently a walk/trot horse. He is just getting to the point where he can canter more than a full circle on the lunge line. We may begin cantering under saddle later this winter as his butt and back muscle up. We'll have to see how he developes. And so this is where Linda found Stormy and I as well.
Our lesson was primarily done at the walk and trot. We worked at helping Stormy to relax over the topline. Because of this conformation and his lack of carrying muscle, it is really hard work for him right now to lift his front end off the ground while his head is down. Plus, because of his cribbing addiction, the muscles on the underside of his neck are very large and tight. These are the muscles that he uses on a regular basis, so they are the strongest. Linda gave me a number of tips and tools to use with Stormy to help him get his head down.
The biggest tool she gave me was the understanding that with a horse like Stormy, who is very independent and willful, is that I needed to make sure that I was creating a puzzle for him to figure out in which the correct answer was the thing that I wanted him to do. In other words, Stormy is very smart, but a little stubborn. So in order for him to get to do what I want him to do, I have to create a situation where Stormy thinks its HIS idea to do the thing that I want him to do. It requires a lot more thinking on my part than working with horses like JC and Jewel who are more willing. However, once I started approaching Stormy's training from this new viewpoint, it has actually become easier to train him. It has become a game instead of work -- for both of us!
After finishing with Stormy, I was exhausted, but very proud of my three mounts. While each is very different from the other, they are all three benefited from the knowledge I gained by working with Linda. The keys for me to remember with each horse are:
- Slow down (I have a tendency to push the speed of each gait beyond what is a comfortable working gait for the horse).
- If they're stuck in the bridle, more lateral flexion from inside leg to outside rein.
- Always ask a question for the horse to answer.
And so on that note, I'll end this entry. I look forward to riding with Linda again in the future.
Shedroe Warrior (aka Roman)
Roman is a 2004 chestnut Thoroughbred gelding standing just shy of 15.2 hands. He came off the track on Monday, November 17, 2008. He is one of "Tony's ExRacers" and is supported financially by a grant given to Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. from the Tony Stewart Foundation. Roman has been evaluated by the vet and farrier. He has also had his shoes pulled. He is getting some well deserved time off and pasture turnout to learn how to be a horse again. He is sore on three feet due to severe thrush and contracted heels. He'll be evaluated again in a couple months once his hoof issues have resolved.
Personality wise, he is just looking for someone to trust. He LOVES getting massages and really relaxes into them. I'm looking forward to helping this guy come out of his shell. I think he's going to make someone a really nice horse!
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A Week in the Life of a Thoroughbred
The following video click was created to show just how versatile, sound and sane Thoroughbreds can be. This is literally 5 consecutive days in the life of one of my new foster horses. This guy is looking for a home! Enjoy.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Clinic at Hilltop Farm
I'm taking 3 horses to Hilltop farm in the morning for a dressage clinic. I'm really looking forward to riding them. I'm taking two FFI horses: JC and Stormy. I spoke with the vet about taking JC and she thinks its a great idea. Stormy just needs to get out and get some more long and low work. I'm also taking Jewel. I figure I might as well get some insight into her needs, even though she's quite a bit more advanced than the other two. It should be fun and I'll report back my findings!
JC The Star!
Just a quick post to share a couple photos and say that JC was a superstar today. I rode him and it was a total non-event. Yes, of course he has regular race horse steering and balance issues. But, he's extremely willing and VERY quick to catch on to what I want him to do. A super sweetheart!
JC: A Quick Learner
I'm am thoroughly impressed with JC. Not only is he well built, but he has a great mind. I decided to actually do some work with him yesterday. I started out with a lunge line. He picked up on lunging very quickly. I think someone may have done some natural horsemanship type lunging with him because he understood to go the direction I pointed and to halt when I pulled on the line and said "Ho." In general, he was w/t/c on the lunge, both directions, in about 10 minutes. And the best part, he never once tugged on the lunge line or used it for balance. He just stayed out at the end of the line and went around me. His trot was rushed and his canter was very quick and unbalanced, but he was willing to do whatever I asked in both directions.
So because he figured that out so quickly, I added sliding sidereins to the equation. I figured he could actually do some work if he already understood lunging. These were just no big deal. At first he bumped his mouth trying to pick up his head, but very quickly figured out that it was most comfortable to go around with his head stretching down and out. Pretty soon, his trot slowed down to a real nice rhythm and his stride lengthened. I could see his topline muscles working on the top of his neck and along his back. He looked GREAT! I was thrilled with how quickly he picked this up, especially for being 2 days off the track.
After lunging for about 25 minutes, I decided to move on to something else. One of the best things I ever taught my mare to do was to come to me at the mounting block and stand for mounting. I can get on the mounting block (or truck tailgate, or log, etc.) with her pointed in any direction and she will sort of parallel park herself into place so that I can get on her. Its pretty cool, not to mention very helpful. So I decided to work on this with JC. It starts by finding out how they react to a riding whip (I used a dressage whip). He was a little nervous about it, but I rubbed him all over his body with the whip and praised him every time he chewed or took a deep breath. Pretty soon it wasn't a big deal to tap him with the whip.
At that point, I started having him move away from the whip at whatever point I touched him. This is really key to teaching them to move towards you on the mounting block because you might need to tap the outside hip and have it move towards you. He quickly figured out this game as well and I had him yielding to the whip in any direction in the arena. He is such a smart fella!!!
So then I got on the small mounting block and had him move around me. I then quit driving him around me and waited for him to stop. He did and then I praised the heck out him. We did this a few times and then I worked on getting him to step up to the mounting block. It wasn't too long before I could get him into position so that I could have mounted had he been tacked up. He stood patiently while I rubbed him all over and praised him.
I said it above, but I'll say it again now. I'm REALLY impressed with this young gelding. He really aims to please and is a very quick learner. With some consistent work, he will make someone an awesome riding horse!
So because he figured that out so quickly, I added sliding sidereins to the equation. I figured he could actually do some work if he already understood lunging. These were just no big deal. At first he bumped his mouth trying to pick up his head, but very quickly figured out that it was most comfortable to go around with his head stretching down and out. Pretty soon, his trot slowed down to a real nice rhythm and his stride lengthened. I could see his topline muscles working on the top of his neck and along his back. He looked GREAT! I was thrilled with how quickly he picked this up, especially for being 2 days off the track.
After lunging for about 25 minutes, I decided to move on to something else. One of the best things I ever taught my mare to do was to come to me at the mounting block and stand for mounting. I can get on the mounting block (or truck tailgate, or log, etc.) with her pointed in any direction and she will sort of parallel park herself into place so that I can get on her. Its pretty cool, not to mention very helpful. So I decided to work on this with JC. It starts by finding out how they react to a riding whip (I used a dressage whip). He was a little nervous about it, but I rubbed him all over his body with the whip and praised him every time he chewed or took a deep breath. Pretty soon it wasn't a big deal to tap him with the whip.
At that point, I started having him move away from the whip at whatever point I touched him. This is really key to teaching them to move towards you on the mounting block because you might need to tap the outside hip and have it move towards you. He quickly figured out this game as well and I had him yielding to the whip in any direction in the arena. He is such a smart fella!!!
So then I got on the small mounting block and had him move around me. I then quit driving him around me and waited for him to stop. He did and then I praised the heck out him. We did this a few times and then I worked on getting him to step up to the mounting block. It wasn't too long before I could get him into position so that I could have mounted had he been tacked up. He stood patiently while I rubbed him all over and praised him.
I said it above, but I'll say it again now. I'm REALLY impressed with this young gelding. He really aims to please and is a very quick learner. With some consistent work, he will make someone an awesome riding horse!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
JC Cleared For Work, Roman Needs Rest
So the vet was out yesterday to give the horses a basic exam and see where they are after coming off the track. She looked at JC first. He was a very good boy and stood quietly during the exam. He also trotted along side me needing little persuasion so that the vet could see him go. The vet really likes him and mentioned that he was one of the nicer horses to come through the FFI program. He was declared sound and could begin light riding. The vet did mention though that although JC is tattooed an papered as a 2004 -- which would make him 4 1/2 years old, his teeth say otherwise. His 4 1/2 year old teeth haven't yet come in, which made the vet think he is only 3 1/2 years old. We're going to keep an eye on his mouth and see what developes. He may just pop those teeth later than normal.
Roman was seen second and he was a bit more on edge. After some discussion, we think he may have been given Equipoise at the track, so it may be a while before he's back to himself. At any rate, he is sore on both the left front and the right hind. The right hind is sort of a given with track horses since it is the leg that does the most work -- in the left lead, they push off of it the most. However, the vet couldn't find any reason why the left front is sore (no heat). There is an old splint that was popped some time ago, but its not warm. Roman is approved for turnout, but no work. We're going to give him a month or so to see how he does on his left front.
Both horses will have their shoes pulled tomorrow.
JC was approved to head to a dressage clinic with me on Friday. I'm looking forward to working with him there and seeing how he does. It may be his first post-race ride.
Roman was seen second and he was a bit more on edge. After some discussion, we think he may have been given Equipoise at the track, so it may be a while before he's back to himself. At any rate, he is sore on both the left front and the right hind. The right hind is sort of a given with track horses since it is the leg that does the most work -- in the left lead, they push off of it the most. However, the vet couldn't find any reason why the left front is sore (no heat). There is an old splint that was popped some time ago, but its not warm. Roman is approved for turnout, but no work. We're going to give him a month or so to see how he does on his left front.
Both horses will have their shoes pulled tomorrow.
JC was approved to head to a dressage clinic with me on Friday. I'm looking forward to working with him there and seeing how he does. It may be his first post-race ride.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Big Welcome to Roman & JC
I'm excited to offer a huge welcome to two new FFI horses: Roman and JC. Both of these horses are considered part of "Tony's ExRacers" which means that they are being funded by a $20,000 grant received by Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. from the Tony Stewart Foundation. I don't have great pictures of either right now, although I'm planning to take some today. Here is the scoop on both:
Roman (registered name Shedroe Warrior)
2004 Chestnut Gelding
Roman is a bright coppery red with a white star. He was fairly anxious yesterday about arriving to the knew barn and seems to be quite full of himself. I think his let down period will take a little longer and I'm interested to see what type of personality he really has once he lets down his guard. He has decent enough conformation. He is a more compact type with thicker body and neck. My guess is that he stands about 15.2 - 15.3h. I haven't had the chance to really do much of anything with him, so I'm looking forward to getting to know him.
JC (registered name Jimmy Kool)
2004 Bay Gelding
I don't know much about JC either, but he seems to be a very sweet guy. He is plain bay with no white markings, but he makes up for his plain coat patterns with a very regal presence. He has a beautiful, refined head and very nice conformation. He was also very willing to please, entered the barn quietly, although was a little looky at thing. He lead easily without a chain and stood quietly for blanketing.
The vet is coming today to check them both out. I'm looking forward to hearing what she has to say about them. Pictures will follow!
Roman (registered name Shedroe Warrior)
2004 Chestnut Gelding
Roman is a bright coppery red with a white star. He was fairly anxious yesterday about arriving to the knew barn and seems to be quite full of himself. I think his let down period will take a little longer and I'm interested to see what type of personality he really has once he lets down his guard. He has decent enough conformation. He is a more compact type with thicker body and neck. My guess is that he stands about 15.2 - 15.3h. I haven't had the chance to really do much of anything with him, so I'm looking forward to getting to know him.
JC (registered name Jimmy Kool)
2004 Bay Gelding
I don't know much about JC either, but he seems to be a very sweet guy. He is plain bay with no white markings, but he makes up for his plain coat patterns with a very regal presence. He has a beautiful, refined head and very nice conformation. He was also very willing to please, entered the barn quietly, although was a little looky at thing. He lead easily without a chain and stood quietly for blanketing.
The vet is coming today to check them both out. I'm looking forward to hearing what she has to say about them. Pictures will follow!
Friday, November 14, 2008
New Volunteer & Rider for Stormy
I am very pleased to announce that I met a wonderful woman who is a new volunteer with FFI. She is going to become Stormy's primary rider and will be working with him under my supervision. I met Erin, the new volunteer, on Wednesday night. Although a tad rusty, she obviously has quite a bit of experience handling horses. I was pleased to see her comfort level with Stormy and how well she handled him both on the ground and under saddle. I'm looking forward to good things from her!
As we make room for two new thoroughbreds at the barn, it will be wonderful to have some assistance in working with Stormy to make sure that he continues to progress and learns to trust yet another human. Keep checking back here as I will definitely add photos and hopefully some video of Stormy and his new human. :) I'll also be adding pictures and information on the two new horses we are scheduled to take in on the 17th!
As we make room for two new thoroughbreds at the barn, it will be wonderful to have some assistance in working with Stormy to make sure that he continues to progress and learns to trust yet another human. Keep checking back here as I will definitely add photos and hopefully some video of Stormy and his new human. :) I'll also be adding pictures and information on the two new horses we are scheduled to take in on the 17th!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Making Room For New Horses
We're making room for new foster horses at the barn. Next week, after the Paddock Sale at Hoosier Park, we're expecting two new horses fresh from the track. I'm looking forward to helping transition these horses to new lives and careers.
I Want to Be a Trail Horse
...so says Stormy. Stormy is really happy just being out on the trail. He is happiest moving at a walk. He will trot and canter if you ask correctly, but pretty much prefers to take it easy. A confident rider is necessary, not because he is tricky, but rather because he can lack confidence if his leader lacks confidence. He has been taken on public trail rides (see the post below) and did VERY well. Not only did he take great care of his rider, but he didn't even get nervous when they lagged behind a bit and he couldn't see other horses. He does have some bursitis in his hip which means that he shouldn't be ridden on hills or jumped. But other than that, he's good to go.
So if you know of anyone who is looking for a low-key trail horse, please let them know about Stormy!
So if you know of anyone who is looking for a low-key trail horse, please let them know about Stormy!
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