All about my horses!

Monthly Archives: May 2015

You Lost the Herd, “No”

Some people look for a horse that won’t go. A young horse that won’t go is worth an easy million. Lucky Star is nearly a million dollar horse. Here’s a story about a horse that wouldn’t go. Http://mofoxtrot.com/viewpoint/2001/12/a-christmas-miracle-story.
That horse’s sire is Lucky Star’s grandfather! Lucky and Dasher are million dollar horses for the right person!

Lucky Star is being converted from show prospect to trail horse. This was our third 2015 trailride. This was the third time he has failed to keep up with his fellow trail horse companions. We are gaiting along at a wonderful flat foot walk watching our trail buddies pull further and further ahead.

This is against the trail horse rule. Trail horses want to keep up with their buddies. It’s a herd thing. Its a very solid horse rule. The horse that doesn’t keep up with the herd, gets eaten by the lion. All horses know this. It is a survival rule.

We are in first gear. We have several more gears to go, but Lucky Star remains in first gear and the other horses get further ahead. A turn comes up for the herd and as they make the turn, the trees hide them from our view. The herd is out of sight. I ask Lucky to go faster. Not only does he refuse to go faster, but he stops!

The other horses are out of sight. It’s a big horse rule to get somewhat anxious when your trail buddies go out of sight. Horses are supposed to get anxious, panic and think about bolting. Riders think about death.

Nope. The million dollar horse gets agitated in his stop. He paws the ground. It’s is hard to describe, but he sort of pranced around while at a dead stop, pawing the ground. I had to yell at the trail riders to come back and get us. As soon as they came into view, Lucky stopped pawing and was able to move forward and join them.(What is this about Lucky Star? Is his dominate bossy inner self is stronger than the horse rules of survival? )

Upon joining the herd, We led for a few moments, but Lucky slowed down to a gait called “the snail pace”. He was passed and the herd went back up to speed.

We managed to keep up with the herd after that, but Lucky was an angry arguing horse. He was forced to be a go horse. He wanted to eat another gelding riding with us. He threw little fits of snaking his head madness. An angry Lucky Star gaited horse goes through a list of all the possible gaits, even the most hated pace. I groaned outloud when he hit the pace gait at a good speed. Whah. Whah. Whah!

All in all, his arguing is much more fun out on the trail. At least he moved forward most of the time and quite nicely on the last half. This is a lot more fun than dealing with his arguing in the arena!

Finally at about the halfway point, we managed to smooth out into our flat foot walk and fox trot. We even cantered a bit. We had a nice smooth non argumentative ride back to the trailer.

Black and Gold

Black and Gold

Black and Gold


Samson and Cisco went to the arena for fun and games today. I don’t know when I’ve had a more fun day. Sadly, I couldn’t take any videos or many pictures, so your imagination plus these pictures will just have to do!

When we loaded into the trailer today, Samson got to be the one in first. He was really happy that Cisco loaded in the trailer with him. We arrived at the indoor arena. Samson is still in the wide-eyed-wonder at the different world he is experiencing. It really helps him to have Cisco with him.

Walking through the barn to get into the arena is scary to Samson. He hasn’t been inside too many enclosed structures!

I let him loose inside the arena and we all walked around the perimeter. Now here’s the most awesome part where you’ll have to use your imagination. I circled/lunged Cisco on the 14′ rope and Samson followed him. Cisco went at a very nice fast trot and Samson cantered a slightly bigger circle. Samson was either following or right beside Cisco on the outside of the circle. Why don’t I have a full time videographer! To top that, I had Cisco occasionally turn and go the other way with the gold shadow right with him. Oh it was glorious!

We rested and played some more games. I took the halter off Cisco and he left me. So Cisco and Samson cantered around the arena for a while until Cisco decided to return to me. The gold and the black cantering together.

Ready to pony Samson

Ready to pony Samson


Black and Gold

Black and Gold


I put the halter back on Samson and the bridle on Cisco. When I got on, Cisco and I ponied Samson around. It’s obvious that Samson has been ponied before. I started out fumbling with my left hand. Samson went over to the right side and got into the position right beside my leg. We walked around.

I took the halter off Samson and let him go. He followed Cisco and I around the arena and occasionally got in our way. I did manage to pony Samson at liberty. I felt like a super star horse whisperer for about 3 minutes.
Cisco and I had a great ride. We did all the gaits. He cantered within 2-3 steps of when I asked him.
It was a great day!

The Black and The Gold

People Loving Horse

Samson the People Loving Horse

Four horses needing their yearly vet shots and checkup. Pasture has five horses. Barn has three stalls. Samson is the low horse in the herd and he is one that needs his shots. Hmmmm. I’m decided to get Samson and let him loose in the yard. I’m cleaning the trailer out and Samson wanders around alternately eating grass and going into the barn to check out his friends locked in the three stalls.

Dr, Baker arrives. We decide Samson is first since I altered him. Dr Baker examines him and gives him the shots in the barn aisle. Samson does great. I let him loose and Dr. Baker and I head into Lucky’s stall. Samson went outside to eat grass, but soon he was back in the barn. Samson stayed in the barn the rest of the time. He ate a little hay and did crunch on Dr. Baker’s empty syringes for a brief time. He picked up a feed bucket another time.

Dr. Baker asked Samson why he didn’t go out and eat grass like most normal horses would have done. I answered for Samson. “He’s a people horse. He likes people.”

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