I've fallen in love

In June of 2010, I made my first trip to Delaware Park with my new trailer. I went up to pick up two horses and somehow came back with three. I had stopped to pick up Shine My Shoes and the trainer asks if I can please take his horse. I ask what is wrong with the horse and he said he had bred him and has him for 5 yr. He had bowed as a 2yr and recently aggravated the bow but was sound. He brings out this huge big boned horse with ugly looking tendon. My mind was working 100mph as I thought about how mad Allie might be at me. I figured it was just a bow and with a bit of rest he would be fine. Everybody likes a big horse and the trainer promised me he was the barn favorite and super quiet. Onto the trailer he went

My vet is out for something else and I ask her to take a look at Diamond. She said the bow is no big deal but that bulge around the back of the tendon is a restriction of the annular ligament and needed a minor procedure done to open it up. Oh geez…now I have to call Allie and tell her the horse needs a minor surgery. I told her I would give him free lay up board and anything he needed and she just laughed and promised me we had funds and that it would all be alright.

He went to hang out at the lay up farm and when I had stopped over in October I couldn’t help but to get on him. There has always been something about him that has drawn me to him. Despite not being ridden since the track he was perfect for me as I rode him in a huge open field pushing him to keep him going. He was a bit sore on his feet but very sound and looked fantastic.

I had been hoping to bring him to my farm so when stalls opened up he was first on the list. I figured he would be super easy to get resold because he truly is what everyone needs. He is 16.3 h with huge bone, a big barrel, big hind end and so very comfortable. He is a like a big teddy bear that you want to squeeze all the time because he is just that adorable. He loves attention and even likes it when I curry off all his skin funk. It is obvious he has been totally spoiled as he can beg for a treat with the best of them

The weather has been total crap since he arrived. My friend Alison rode him the first time and he was perfect. He doesn’t  spook at anything and he just doesn’t get rattled. He has a nice big trot and can go on a loose rein or into contact. Canters along and you have to push him to keep him going. If you stop riding he just stops He is super tolerant of out of shape winter riders! I felt so all over yesterday and he was just going along like he would carry a beginner without even getting worried.

My ring is snow covered and he started out pretty ouchy. He is barefoot and the ground is doing the freeze/thaw and he is sore. I decided not to put shoes on him until after I started to get him fit but maybe I should have.  He stretched out so I kept on going. When they are out of shape I just do big straight lines and go across the diagonal to change direction but keep it short and sweet.

His walk and canter are like riding a big couch but he has a very nice ground covering sweeping trot and is going to be a really good mover. It’s hard to believe he isn’t fit and hasn’t been ridden but three times since coming off the track in June and he feels this good. The whole time I was riding I just had the biggest smile because this horse tries so hard and he is just fun. I realize those of us who do the retraining constantly talk up our horses but it is because they are just this nice. This horse is the type of horse that fits the person who doesn’t want to lunge, who might ride once a week and wants a horse who will be sane, who wants to hunt/trail ride/event/hunters and just have a fun all around horse who is fancy enough to win at the shows yet will go out and trail ride sanely the next day. He is a horse that will make you eager to come to the barn and go for a ride or just to brush him and spend time relaxing. He is just that pleasant.

I had a few friends horse shopping earlier this year and I told them this was the horse they should buy. I know they didn’t think I was crazy but they asked if he had been in training and how was I just so sure he would be so quiet and good.  I really can’t answer that besides saying when you do this for a living you just know. I swear sometimes you can look into a horses eyes and just know how they will be to ride. This horse spoke to me from the first time I saw him and something about him made me say it would all turn out alright.

He will always have a bump on that tendon but the leg is cold/tight and has never bothered him. There are so many people who simply won’t even consider a horse with a prior injury but give me a bow any day of the week over any other type of injury! Perhaps he won’t be jumping 4ft fences but most people aren’t jumping 4ft fences either

I haven’t advertised him yet but I will be putting him up on dreamhorse soon. I expect he will sell very quickly as he is just that easy and nice. Here are some pics from our ride yesterday. They aren’t all that great as we took our regular camera and all our lenses in for cleaning so this is my little point and shoot camera. My video software died last night so video to come in the next few days.

I also had two fantastic trail rides on Ranger. I took him back out yesterday and he was way more relaxed. We had a nice canter and he thought that was awesome. He will be headed down to South Carolina on next weekend with a friend of mine to see if he may fit another friend of her’s. Ha, that was confusing but it should all work out.

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