July 23-26

Cajun is still settling in, and doing great. Thursday we rode in the indoor arena, and there were 3 other horses working in there at the time. He was very interested in them, but I got a little work out of him.

Friday there were way too many people in the indoor arena, the outdoor is very dusty, but I didn't care, we rode out side. He gets very lookie - loo at the jousting equipment, but I was able to get him to trot by it normally at least once! We also cantered for the first time. Not pretty, but we did it! I started really asking him to go on the bit. When we were resting between trot sets, I rode on light contact.

Saturday I was supposed to have a sewing lesson at 11:30 ( it got canceled, 10 minutes before it was supposed to start. Long story, but never go to Stitches on Capitol Hill. They suck.) Anyway because of the sewing lesson I went to the barn extra early. (Left home at 7:00, groomed at 7:30, rode from 8 - 9, untacked till 9:30, drove to be home by 10, got ready by 11, on cap hill by 11:30....See how close I had to schedule it to get to the canceled class? )

Anyway. Cajun did not like this "work before breakfast" thing at all, so had little bratty fits while I was tacking him up. But his fits are really no big deal, and who could blame him. What was great was to have the freshly groomed and watered indoor arena to ourselves.

I started with a warm up walk, then gradually would take up contact till we were going on the bit. Still learning forward, but really catching on. when the walk was active and flexing at the poll I would ask for a trot. We did walk / trot transitions to get him in front of the leg. Very good. resting walk. Then active trot, turn down the quarter line, and leg yield to the wall, practicing straightness. I asked for a couple of steps of shoulder-in, and got it, going both directions. Working on circles and not diving into the corner where the gate is. Circles still very rough. Still not getting the concept of staying on the wall, he wants to dive into the middle of the arena. I think he thinks that means he is done. Working at staying round especially in transitions. not always successful.

I hosed him down and let him have breakfast. He was grateful. Turned him out in the field with the tree. His favorite.

Today I rode early again, but without the pressure of having to be somewhere else. I let him finish breakfast first, which I think he appreciated. I tried just tying him by his chin today instead of cross ties. didn't make much difference. We went for a trail ride on the Lake Youngs Trail. We walked down the road, and instead of taking the trail we went on before, I took him along Petrovitsky , past The Parks on 188 and down the big hill. Going out I rode on light contact, he was moving forward nicely, very interested in his surroundings. got a little strong in the trot once and gave a little bolt, came back easily. Spooked once at a sign on a chain link fence. This was early in the ride. He was bold and had a good swinging stride. I kept him in a walk mostly, didn't have to dog him much to keep the pace. Is going pretty good barefoot - the trail is grass/gravel/dirt, with some of the gravel pointy. He hitches up occasionally, but no more than a shod horse. about an hour in to the ride, I let two little girls pet him, he was being very calm and steady, and their parents said it was ok, so they were my children guinea pigs. He did very good of course, and they were thrilled. We did some trotting in two-point, he had a great forward, swinging trot. I had to ask him back to a walk, he was ready to go. On the way back home, he of course was very forward, and i took advantage of that to get him to go on the bit, and start to learn to carry himself, and not lean on me. He leans badly, and I have to bump him to get him to stop leaning. Broke this up with long walks on light contact, and some on the buckle. Did some leg yielding, did great. As we came home he got a little strong, but I turned him around and made him work a bit going away from home, and I think he got the message, because he walked the rest of the way like a gentleman mostly.

I hosed him off gave him carrots and turned him out. He sometimes tries to use me as a scratching post when I take his bridle off, but did not do that today, I think he is remembering I will give him a good scratch, if he is good.

All in all, I could not ask for better. He is progressing beautifully, and taking what ever I throw at him. Very inquisitive, bold and trusting. Making fans where ever we go. Good Boy!

Back to work

So today was our first day of real work.

We rode in the indoor arena for the first time. I led Cajun around to let him look at everything, especially the mirrors.

We began the day with a good active walk, and learning straightness. This will be a big lesson, he is pretty wiggley, but he'll get the hang of it. I began asking him to walk on the bit, and still keep an active walk. He did ok, just fine. He is so willing and interested in pleasing. But he did spend most of the lesson with his nose out and back hollow, but showed many instances of relaxing at the poll and bringing his back up. This will happen in time.

We did three trot sets both ways, five minutes a piece with three to five minute active walk breaks between. Sometimes the "active" part of the walk was lacking, it was starting to get hot, even at 10 am. We practiced leg yields, learning that yes, I do mean it every time, even if you just did it a second ago. We also practiced bending and straightening with the hourglass pattern - imagine trotting an hourglass shape in an arena, with the horse's body following the curves, then straightening at the top, bending to trace the side, bend in the middle, then straighten along the diagonal, bend to trace the bottom, etc. We did that three full circuits.

He's coming along fine. I wanted to wait to have a formal lesson with Melody, but I think we are both ready for her to have a look. She'll have lots of great advice. I will call her tonight.

I hosed him down and turned him out. he likes it.

Hittin' the trail

I couldn't have asked for Cajun to be better on the trail ride today. I decided to see how he would be by himself on the trail. We tacked up, and he gets pretty animated when I tack him up. I have been packing his fly strike sores with an antiseptic before applying fly wipe - he still does not like it, but I think if I am careful not to get any fly stuff in any open sores, eventually he will be ok about the fly spray. I walked him around once inside the indoor arena, the first time he'd been in there. He was pretty interested in the mirrors.

I got on and we set out. The jousters were practicing in the outdoor arena, so we stood there and watched them for a while.

Cajun was pretty good on the road, he would walk sideways and shy at some stuff, but no big deal. Except the goats. They were scary. He had to stop and give them a good snort.

The trail is very wide and clear, and in long, straight stretches that take 90 degree turns occasionally. He has a great, brisk walk - head up, ears forward, interested in everything, but always going forward, At the beginning of the ride, I was just letting him have a good look around and keep a nice, forward walk. Seriously, so far I have had no problem with him being lazy at all. He was eager, even wanting to trot. I didn't let him at first though. I wanted a good long, low stretchy walk - he is learning to stretch his neck down when I ask. He will have an excellent top line in no time.

He was very eager to catch up to who ever was in front of us on the trail--people walking, running, pushing strollers, walking the dog, bikers - then as soon as we passed them, he wanted to catch up to the next people. There were no other horses riding on the trail, but there are plenty of horses in pastures along there, and he was very interested in them, but never pulled toward them or got silly or strong around them. I kept him in a walk till we turned around.

When I did let him trot, he was ready to go, he wanted to move out. I would let him go fast, then I would ask him to shorten and lengthen as I wanted - he did pretty good. I also started leg-yielding him back and forth across the trail, he did really great. Only a tap now and then behind the leg to reinforce my aids. Still I mostly had him walk. He has a great, ground-covering stride. I don't know if it is just because everything is new and exciting, but this horse likes to go, he's just such a pleasure to ride.

We got back to the road and he was just fine on the way back to the barn, too. -even when some asshole kid HONKED HIS HORN as he drove by. I wanted to kill the little shit, but Cajun did not even care, because he was way too busy looking at the GOATS OMG WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS? But even in full blown high-alert, he is still so manageable and easy. Geeze, what a sweetheart.

We got back to the barn and the Jousters were done, and cooling their horses out. We chatted about him and they asked if he had any brothers or sisters around. They really like him a lot - totally jealous I can tell. He would look handsome in their medieval horse-drag, but Jousting is not on the agenda.

He is a lovely, forward horse. He is smart and sane and willing. I am so lucky! I love him!

What a guy.

Cajun arrived on Thursday evening around 7:30. It had taken about three hours longer than anticipated, because it was so hot in Eastern Washington, 100+, so Kurt, the hauler, stopped every two hours to water him. So I didn't mind him being so late. Cajun was tired, but ate and drank and pooped, and really that is all you can ask of a guy after such a long journey.

Yesterday Scott and I went to the barn and led him around, turned him loose in his paddock, and generally just hung out for a bit. Cajun was fantastic, so polite, but still interested in the goings-on in his new home.

Then today, I went to the barn at about 9:30, for our first ride. I took my time taking up, and he did not get the cross ties at first, but he figured them out pretty quickly and was fine.

I took him out to the outdoor arena, and it was already pretty hot. I led him around and let him get a good look at everything. He was very interested. I got up and walked him around the arena. He does not understand walking in a straight line, but I don't forsee any problem with my leg meaning "forward". I would ask for a brisk walk, he would walk on, and eventually start to drag a bit. I would re-apply the leg, and if I did not get an immediate "good walk" gave him a reinforcing tap with the dressage whip. It did not take three of these reminders, before he was giving me a really good forward response off my leg, and sustaining a relaxed swinging walk. What a good boy!!

Then I wanted to work on walk/trot transitions. Walk 5 steps, trot 5 steps, etc. He caught on to the game very quickly, our downward transistions were choppy, but going from walk to trot was immediate and brisk almost every time. Like I said, I don't see forward being a problem at all! We would work in 10 minute sets, and then I would let him relax and look around for 5 minutes. When I would ask him to get back to work, he would get with the program pretty quickly.

Really I could not have asked for any better response - our first ride in a new arena. When we were done, I took him to the washrack and let him snuffle and look at everything, and I hosed off his legs, and let him drink from the hose, something he really enjoys. Then we went for a little walk.

Tomorrow at 9:30 we have a date with Jill and Turbo to take a walk on the Lake Youngs trail. I am looking forward to it.

I had planned on taking my time finding a new horse. I had planned on riding a bunch of different kinds of horses to get a clear picture about where I wanted to go on this whole silly horse journey.

But then I remembered Cajun.

I had been dreading driving all over hell and gone, riding strange horse after strange horse, arriving to find some sad, thin, dirt ball in the pasture with barely a passing resemblance to the glossy picture from a show seven years ago in my in box. Or to have the horse rear up when trying to lead him to the arena, and the owner say, oh he's never done that! Or drive for an hour to find they failed to mention navicular, or that he's lame right now, but rides real good, they swear.

All of which and more happened last time.

Also, I am kind of spooked from my experience with Imax who rides beautifully when home alone in the arena, but really becomes Mr. Hyde at unexpected intervals. How would I ever know if they really were quiet on the trail or good with other horses in different situations?

We had just come back from a road trip to Montana, we had a great time. Lisa had contacted me about a month earlier and let me know she was thinking of selling Cajun, because he was not being used at all. I helped her write an ad, and didn't think too much more about it, until we came back from vacation, and suddenly I simply HAD to go back to Montana and ride that horse. I have ridden Cajun a couple of times in the past, but with no thought to actually having him be my horse. You ride differently in a test drive, than just hanging out on a horse going up a trail.

I drove like mad back to Montana - 7 hours, 15 min. A record, I think. I rode Cajun for a couple of days, and he is wiggly and slow, but very trainable, remembering things from one day to the next and trying very hard for me. He had not been ridden since last fall, and was not whacked out at all, unlike other horses who will remain nameless who liked to buck if you didn't ride him five days a week. Anyway, I have deceded to take Cajun on a year lease, and we will see how it goes.

I have no idea if he will take to jumping, but we will see. I plan on conditioning him nicely before asking for any thing challenging, so I know he has the strength to do it. I have three wonderful trainers to help me along, and am already dreaming of Adult Rider's Camp at the end of August in Tulip Springs! I would go just to take him, no jumping. But I loved camp last time on a horse who was freaking out, so think how fun it would be on a good calm boy.

I am such a freak, I could not wait to see how he will look with a haircut, so I did a quick and dirty photoshop with his mane pulled and tail banged. Cute, cute, cute.

Cajun will be delivered Thursday, July 16th at around 3 or 4. I can hardly wait!!!

Imax's new chapter.

I recently came to a very hard decision - I gave Imax away.

I love him and he is a very talented jumper - awesome, really - but he can't take the pressure of showing right now. I don't think it is fair for me to keep pushing him, I feel like I want to progress much faster than he can go. Some day he is going to make one heck of an eventer, but he needs someone who will slow down and let him progress at his own pace.

He and I improved by leaps and bounds, and he tried so hard for me, but the freaking out at odd intervals became too much. He had always been very interested in other horses in the arena, but he started rearing and bolting when another horse was in there with him. He also started being very hard to load. I think it was because he knew we were going to take him to a new place and ask him to deal with new situations, and he just did not want to do that. I could deal with all his old problems, and they were getting better. But when he started just getting new problems, I realized he just did not want to do the same things I wanted to do. At least not yet.

I can't help but feel like I loosened the lid of the pickle jar, and if I would have just stuck it out a bit more something in his head would have gone "ping" and he suddenly would "get it" but I am getting old, and just can't get hurt. Or have someone else get hurt, even worse. His fits are big and scary.

I am gave him to a woman in Enumclaw with 10 acres. She'll give him a couple of months off to learn how to be a good member of a herd, and to just be a horse. She has a life time of horse experience, and has already done the show thing and is over it.

I have a contract with right of first refusal, and a "no auction, under any circumstances" clause in there. He went to his new home on Monday June 22.