Denison or Bust

First let me explain why there are no pictures of the grey horse I went to see.

When I got out of the truck, I couldn't believe the horse that was being led to me was the horse I had talked to the woman/girl about on the phone.

This looked like a rescue horse. Ribs showing. Long toes. Dark scratches all over his legs. One third of his mane gone.

I was so taken aback I couldn't bring myself to take a single picture.

This was the woman who told me she was absolutely firm on the price. He made the Roan look like Black Beauty's irish cousin.

And it got worse.

She pulls out a wire tie down. "I know some people think these are cruel, but he can pull his head up quick and hit you."

I bet he can.

When she showed me his work in the arena it looked like a giraffe was running the barrels. I've never seen a horse with his head so high. He stumbled, of course, given those terribly long hooves, the worst barefoot job I've seen on a horse supposedly recently trimmed.

Then I did my usual quiet bit, where I let people dig their own holes and she dug deep. He was high headed, charging on trails, just wanted to run in an arena, no back up, tough to stand still.

I got on him for about 30 seconds and decided this horse had no brakes, and with his head up in the air, not going to get brakes any time soon. I let him go back to his truck, got off and said "I'm used to something with more training."

Did I mention his hoof was growing crooked?

I felt for him, he was just a sad sack out there, a saddle on his back that had no fleece, in a bleak place.

But I don't run a rescue for horses (if we ever do, it'll probably be for dogs), and am done with challenging training issues.

Someday, we'll have property. Someday we'll make room for a horse who needs to retire. Someday we can have a horse that is just a companion.

But not today and not soon.



So, back to that bay.

Here's what I got from this trainer (recommended by a friend in Dallas):

This is a 7 year old registered QH gelding with very good breeding. Lots of trail experience. Purchased by a father for him and his daughter to enjoy. Father lost his job and took another one that's very time consuming so no time to spend with the horse. 15 hands. Very friendly disposition....stable owner says he just wants to be with you. Adds that he is very pretty and small show quality (she shows). $2,500 firm seems to be a good price. Quiet, gentle, kind. I like his pedigree and conformation....he's too fat but you can see he has a good top line and strong hindquarters, looks like pretty good legs, nice eye; neck is set on low and his shoulder/pastern angles appear a bit more straight than the other bay gelding so you'd have to ride him to see which one was smoother gaited.

When we talked she said he has "colonel freckles" which I've heard before, but had to google to find out anything. He was a champion cutting horse who died from eating blister beetles... Lily has Doc Bar, another aqha hall of famer.


As a mutt myself, I'm a little concerned that my horses would have more notoriety in their breeding than me.

Anyway, after a rather disappointing start to my horse shopping, I'm putting down a hold on the bay and getting a vet check. I'll be up in Denison on Friday to see him. I'm putting a lot of confidence in the trainer, and in what is by far the most attractive prospect I've seen by email. I decide that I'm done shopping until I see this one in 3-d. (The dun had a bad hoof in the picture when I looked more closely, don't know if you could see it...)

Done, right?


Ha.

Then I'm in the grocery store, content with my horse decision, when my phone rings.

It's Ringo.

No, not that Ringo.

This Ringo.
Ringo is an arab.
And a bay, sort of (what do you call them when they have some white?)

I know, I know. I already sold my favorite arab saddle too.

But isn't he cute??

Only 14.2 hands, which is nice. I could see Sierra on him.But she has a horse... Here's the ad info:

Great trail and 4H horse. Ringo is my 10 yo daughter's "fun" horse. He's very cute, smart, energetic, confident and gentle. He does not hesitate at water or other challenges. Mallory has been riding Ringo since she was 8yo and has had a blast on him! She is now moving into APHA Western Pleasure and needs to find a good home for Ringo.Ringo was separated from his papers in a divorce prior to our purchasing him, so his foaling year (1995) is unknown and estimated below.


Only 1850 for Ringo. And can that kid ride or what?

Ringo has been a lesson horse, kid horse and family trail. He is, as they all are, practically perfect in every way.


I'm still leaning toward the qh, mostly because I'm leery of another arab, the qh looks great and is being referred by a reputable trainer.


Thoughts?


Next post: Lost confidence...

Dumped by my blind dates

Sigh.

Both horses I was going to see are out - one's price doubled, the other got sold.

I'm looking at this one tomorrow morning, maybe the other on Sunday.

This one is at the top of my price range, but is 16 years old already. That's 4 years older than I was hoping for.

Experienced playday gelding, moving and want a new project. Sound, no vices, a joy to ride. 14.3hh, white/grey flea bit, very stocky build. Anyone can ride, great for girls getting into barrel racing!! Getting coggins renewed this or next week. Call or e-mail for more info, open to all trades.




This one is the right age, but he sounds a little dominant once I pushed the issue - protective of the mares which could be a problem with Lily. Plus his build seems ... odd. Or these are just really bad pictures. Very cheap, at the bottom of my budget.

















I have a 6 yr old strawberry roan gelding for sale. appro. 15 hh+. His previous owner was a couple of kids so he is pretty bombproof. He loves to do trails and he probably can be used for playdays.


Here's two late additions: One a trainer in DFW has in mind (the bay), the dun is north of Austin.







Love the bay. Want the bay. LOL



So we shall see. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

My upcoming blind dates.

(Update: Pokey sold and can't reach the folks with Butter. So I'm back to zero. sigh)

(Update #2: Now Butter's price doubled! (a mistake the guy says) So I'm back to zero AGAIN).


Here are two I'm looking at this weekend.

I hate blind dates.

I just got the Horse and Rider with great suggestions on what to look for in your next horse.

• They have the usual tips:
• Match your energy level
• Get a vet check
• Find someone who can help you see past love at first sight
• Lope the horse.

A couple things I'm going to do:

• Lead the horse to prime cribbing targets (I had a woman try to sneak past a cribber on me)
• Try to spook
• Cinch
• Promise to sleep on it and
  
• see at least 3 horses.

Other ideas?

On the saturday list

Here's Pokey:

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/grd/1258685839.html
Stout Gelding, 15.3 h tall, well mannered, loads, ties, great for the farrier. No vices. Not a kids horse, but well trained.

• Location: Comfort

Here's Butter

9 year old Palamino, 15.2h very muscled

Butter is a good horse with a great handle. He stands for farrier, tacking, mounting and grooming. He trailers like a pro. He is very stocky and well muscled making him suitable for all sizes of riders. He neck reins great and backs with ease. He is the type of horse you can leave in the pasture for months and then catch him and take off riding without worry. He is current on shots and worming. He also has a fresh set of shoes. I am selling him due to finacial reasons or he wouldn't be for sale. I have ridden him down trails at the river and also through town. He is a very well behaved horse and laid back, so he would make a good horse for children. He does have a good handle but he wont go any faster then you make him. You don't have to take him to the round pen to work him down before you ride him, just tack up and go. He does NOT bite, kick, rear, or buck. He has no bad habits and would make anyone a great horse.

Horse shopping and Lightbulbs

All this horse shopping reminded me of this old series of jokes:

HOW MANY HORSES DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHTBULB?


THOROUGHBRED: Who ME?? Do WHAT? I'm scared of light bulbs! I'm outta
here!

ARABIAN: Someone else do it. It might get my silky mane dirty and
besides, who's gonna read me the instructions?

QUARTER HORSE: Put all the bulbs in a pen and tell me which one you
want. (this is precisely why I'm in the market for a quarter horse - winter)

STANDARDBRED: Oh for Pete's Sake, give me the @$%# bulb and let's be
done with it. (hmmm. or a standardbred)

SHETLAND: Give it to me. I'll kill it and we won't have to worry about
it anymore. (right. no shetlands.)

FRIESIAN: I would, but I can't see where I'm going from behind all
this mane.

BELGIAN: Put the Shetland on my back, maybe he can reach it then.

WARMBLOOD: Is the 2nd Level Instruction Packet in English? Doesn't
anyone realize that I was sold for $75K as a yearling, but only
because my hocks are bad, otherwise I would be worth $100K? I am NOT
changing lightbulbs. Make the TB get back here and do it.

MORGAN: Me! Me! Me! Pleeease let me! I wanna do it! I'm gonna do it! I
know how, really I do! Just watch! My parole officer said it's okay,
really! And when we're done we can go over to the neighbor's and chase
their cats! (I WAS considering a Morgan, but now I'm not so sure)

APPALOOSA: Ya'll are a bunch of losers. We don't need to change the
lightbulb, I ain't scared of the dark. And someone make that #$%@
Morgan stop jumping up and down before I double barrel him.

PAINT: What color lightbulb would you like?

FJORD: That thing I ate was a lightbulb?

Shopping - Where have all the geldings gone?

Apparently all the geldings are in DFW. I've found an endless supply of trail mares, but geldings are missing. But lookie here:

http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1402945
Wanna talk about color here it is... a 50/50 beautiful Sorrel Overo gelding. He has been exposed to just about it all. He has been taken to shows, used a a trail horse, and a lesson horse. He is very layed back but will get up and go when asked upon. He loads, stands for the farrier, clips, lunge lines, baths, and loves woman riders. Gets along great with other horses. (10 yrs old)

Another nice guy here:
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1402837
Dakota is a quiet all-around gelding that has done extensive trail riding, play-days, and arena riding with both kids and adults. Excellent ground manners - clips, loads, ties, stands for farrier, etc. Easy to ride and handle, a very easy keeper. Only selling because we are moving and I can't take all of them. (16 years old. maybe too old...)

Are you nervous? So is your horse.

Here's a study proving you can spook your own horse...

An increase in a human's heart rate affects the heart rate of the horse they are leading or riding, researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences recently reported.

Linda Keeling, PhD, and colleagues tested horses and riders to see if humans inadvertently communicate fear and anxiety to horses. Using heart rate as a fear indicator, the researchers asked 20 people with varying levels of horse experience to walk and ride 10 horses from Point A to Point B four times.

The researchers told participants an umbrella would open as they rode or led
the horse on the fourth pass. The umbrella never opened, but heart rates in
both horses and humans increased during the fourth trip between the points,
when the human expected the umbrella to open.

"The increase in the horses' heart rates probably means that they are more
alert and prepared to react to any potential danger," Keeling said. "In the
wild, horses are adapted to respond to other animals in their group. A
startle reaction is more likely when the horse is very alert."

If you are a nervous person leading or riding a horse, your nervousness
might increase the likelihood of the "spook" that you are anxious to avoid.

The study, "Investigating horse-human interactions: the effect of a nervous
human," was published in the July 2009 issue of *The Veterinary Journal*.


For this reason it's good Canyon is gone. I was getting ready for umbrellas all the time.

Shopping

Here's my new favorite (with a cool video):

http://www.valleyviewranch.net/prm_jessica.htm

PRM Jessica - 15HH, 2001', chestnut AMHR mare

Jessica is gorgeous, registered Morgan mare. She is in good shape, an easy keeper, good feet, awesome long mane and tail. Rides around nice and quiet, great, hard stop from any gait. She has a cute trot, and nice easy short lope, knows her leads. Quiet out on the trail, will go out alone or with a group. Good ground manners, easy to catch, load, ties in the barn and to the trailer, quiet to tack up, super easy to bridle. Priced for a quick sale!

I've liked Morgans and I think she might be a good match. But she's in Dallas. They say their horses go fast, and it may be true. Terms are not great though. Anyone familiar with this barn?