Winter Trail Ride

Thu Dec 30, 2004

SOMEhow I got suckered into a trail ride yesterday afternoon!! 2+ feet of snow on the ground, 30 degrees, cloudy...but they were working on the indoor arena surface, so it was either go on the trail ride with 3 other people, or no riding! *sigh*.

NO clear trails or paths, we tried following the snowmobile trails but the snow wasn't packed down enough to support a horse (yet), so we struck out into the hayfield next door, plowing through the 2' or so of snow! Unfortunately for 14hh Quzqo, that meant the snow kind of came up over his knees, where the others (all QHs) it came maybe 3/4 of the way up their cannon bones! I felt so bad for the little guy, he was really struggling along. By the time we got to the corner where I fell off on Halloween, he decided we'd gone far enough, and put up a pretty enthusiastic hissy fit about the whole situation..head-tossing, rearing, spinning...surprised me! Luckily the snow was deep (hindered his movement) and I had the "mean" snaffle on him (Tez's old Dee-ring with a noseband), and with a few good sharp kicks to the ribs I got him turned the right direction and caught up to the others.

After a minute or so he decided he'd had enough, and started to turn around...again, more rearing, head-tossing, and getting his head yanked around (thank you Chris Cox!) & a jab to the ribs (I left my whip at the barn), and after the others...he decided "okay, she wants to follow them, we'll FOLLOW THEM!" and tried to take off at a canter (in the 2' deep snow)...I slowed him back down, then cued him for a trot!

Once we got up to the road, we went down a private drive and dinked around on some private trails back there (we have permission), snow was much shallower since it was in some pretty thick woods...back out and back to the barn. By that time Quzqo was huffing and puffing and the last 1/2 mile had me REALLY worried about him...his head was hanging low, his nostrils flaring, he was stumbling...I tried to halt him to rest, but he didn't want to, wanted to keep up...I then noticed he wasn't hanging his head from exhaustion, he was LOOKING at the hoofprints in the snow, and trying to step IN the prints of the previous horses (who were also all stepping in the exact same spots)...considering their strides were longer than his, that was pretty trying for the little guy, but he did it, and I could feel him relax when we got back to the barn and flat ground! Poor little feller...

Back at the barn he got wrapped up in his cooler (he was starting to steam), but what really worried me is it took him about 20 minutes before he got his breath back!! Of course hiking in deep snow is VERY strenuous on its own, plus add the fact he's an out of shape butterball...tsk. I told him we'd never do that again, and after 20 minutes he was breathing normally, warm and dry, and snooping for treats in my pockets, LOL!

Today I think we WILL work indoors. I bet he's sore though!

Yet Another Video

Mon Dec 27, 2004

This video is Himself enjoying a good time in the round pen this afternoon...and yes, I'm afraid he IS as fat as he appears (some of it IS fur, but I doubt all of it is). The boy does love to trot, but I got the couple bursts of galloping action by kicking some dirt in his direction, LOL! And yes, I did get quite dizzy shooting this as he went round and round and round and round...

Haven't ridden him since Friday, and now the horses are at the stage of winter where the snow is too deep for them to do any more than wander the beaten paths through the snow from hay pile to hay pile...so he was pretty full of beans!

The Wild Man!

Sun Nov 28, 2004

Yesterday it's 40 degrees and cold wind and rain, they put Quzqo outside, so he gets soaked to his bones and is a shivering mess when I bring him in. Today it's snowy and around 32 degrees, they kept him inside. I find a filthy stall and a very crabby horse with no water in his bucket and an attitude! Can't blame him!

Anyway, I took him out to an empty pasture (they let it rest over winter) and turned him loose, hoping to get some good pix for my Christmas cards (white horse, snow, you know the deal)...he TORE off at a full gallop, tail ramrod straight, head skyward, snorting and blowing, ran right for the fence and galloped up and down its length in the most AMAZING display of Arabian beauty and grace...I was flabbergasted (and alas, too far away to take any decent pix)...he wanted tp get into the next pasture where his pals were, and galloped up the hill, down the hill, ALMOST taking one of the cross-country jumps they set up there (he caught himself at the last second and swerved, lol)...I swear, he was floating, he wasn't touching the ground, it was beautiful to watch!!

My new digital has a video thing too, so I took a 36 second video of him basically posing along the fenceline, head up, ears up, tail up, looking gorgeous and walking with such elegance...beautiful!! Also got a couple of pix, but we'll see what else I can come up with (more snow! Need more snow!)

Despite that photo yesterday, I swear, the boy can NOT take a bad picture!! (he has more tail, but I put it up for the winter, but he still looks elegant in the attached pic!)

As I was hiking across the pasture to get the halter to try to catch him (heh heh), one of the kids (an 11 yr old boy) came running from the barn all upset...he saw Quzqo running wild and out of control loose, and for some reason he THOUGHT he saw me tacking him up in the barn, and thus thought Quzqo had dumped me (again) (and somehow shed both his saddle and bridle, ha!)...kinda amusing, but guess I've got that reputation now.

I did manage to catch Quzqo (this pasture is like 20 acres easy), but he did NOT want to come with me, kept hauling back on the rope, trying to veer away, just being bad...he wanted to go snort and flag his tail along the fenceline some more. Eventually I did get him inside again, goofy guy.

No, didn't ride him, my back hurts, because I DID ride him yesterday and did a lot of posting...he was good yesterday. Wouldn't have wanted to deal with him today!

Behold! The Grace and Beauty of the Arabian Horse!

Sat Nov 27, 2004

"...And Allah took a handful of south
wind and from it formed a horse,
saying "I create thee, O Arabian."

BWAHHAAA!!!

Quzqo enjoying some sloppy bran mash as he warms up from being rained on all
day

Book Critique And Thoughts On Boarders

Tue Nov 23, 2004

Just for yucks I was reading one of those old "Favorite Horse Stories" books from 1962 or 1957 or whenever (hardcover, for 10 yr olds)...I think it was "The Buckskin Colt". They had their pasture done in barbed wire, and the colt paniced over being separated from the hero of the story, and when the kid came home from school he found the colt tangled up in barbed wire, cut and bleeding and gashed and crippled, and of course the whole "Brave child sitting up nights with the injured equine hero" scenario ensued...but the attitude of the boy's parents was that "That'll teach that horse to not run through a fence!" U-huh. I guess attitudes HAVE changed.

The colt's dam died giving birth to him, and although she was supposed to be a dear old pony mare that the boy loved, he sure seemd to have no problem when he found her dead with the newborn foal laying next to her...they just took the foal home and as far as the reader knows, that poor old mare is still out there, being picked at by crows and coyotes, *sigh*.

-------------------

The joys of a boarding stable...people drag their horses in from the pasture, tack 'em up (brushing? grooming??), jump on and start bombing around the arena (inside or out)...galloping the hell out of the horses, yanking on their faces, when they're done, they put 'em back outside all sweaty...and they wonder why they have trouble catching their horses the next time.

There's a new family there with a pretty red dun QH, ridden by a tiny girl (I think she's around 10, but very tiny), the dad LOOKS like a cowboy type (jeans, handlebar mustache, lol), but so far they've only ridden that horse with a halter & two lead ropes snapped to the rings...and the halter is very loose on the horse, so when the girl pulls back on the "reins", the noseband is up by the poor horse's eyes. Sheesh. And no, she doesn't ride well, doesn't steer well (how CAN she with that get-up), the horse almost walked out of the arena with her the other day (they removed the fencing from one end, so it's open into the stall areas)(that's where the cattle/ropin' chute goes). Makes ya wonder.

And Sunday another new lady was lunging a BIG QH in the indoor arena, and that horse did NOT know how to lunge, did NOT want to BE lunged, wanted NOTHING to do with that woman, he kept rearing and backing away or just turning and barging off in any direction, basically dragging the woman with him...it was funny until he headed towards where I had Quzqo tied up (I was brushing him in the aisleway) and proceeded to rear and barge sideways right by the rail...poor Coos didn't know what he was to do, I was worried that idiot horse would crash right through the rails... I mean, come on, there's a perfectly good round pen OUTside...get a lunge whip (she had none) and go out there. *sigh*.

I often say I enjoy being at a boarding stable because of the social interaction. I guess that could include some big brown horse crushing me and my horse to death.

Best Laid Plans Of Horses and Women

Sun Nov 14, 2004

Funny how you plan one thing and something else entirely comes along!!

I abused Quzqo as usual this afternoon, lunging his brains out in the soft dirt of the outdoor arena, got him sweaty and huffing and puffing...considering it was hard to get him to canter, he sure seems to have the energy NOW! I suspect a summer of good grass and grain has something to do with it.

Anyway two adult boarders were dinking around on their horses in the outdoor arena (one woman has an Arabian mare who is (color-wise) the near-spitting image of Cusco...fewer fleabites and no dapples though)(lot taller and longer, but a very pretty head)...they finished riding about the time I finished lunging Himself...I brought him indoors and began tacking him up, figuring I'd just walk him around inside, do some bending exercises or whatever... But then the ladies had to say "Want to come on a trail ride with us, Sue??"

I did make them promise it'd be walking...no cantering or trotting if at all possible..heck, I wasn't even sure I'd be able to get up on the horse, much less trail ride! But I figured with two other people along it would be all right.

And it was, we had a very nice late-afternoon ride down the road to visit a mutual friend (she used to have 4 horses boarded there all summer, finally they moved into their new farmstead, VERY nice place)(hubby is a pharmacist, makes good $ it it shows!). Quzqo behaved admirably, like his "old self"...I'm sure being lunged into the ground beforehand helped a lot! Actually he behaved better than the other two horses...the Arabian mare was constantly jiggyjoggy trottrottrot and was waaay up ahead of us, the other horse, a QH, was spooking at this and worried about that and fearful of the other thing...but other than flinching whenever we heard gunfire (deer season does begin tomorrow after all), Quzqo did VERY well...made no effort to run off or even act up!! Ah, yes, it'd be SOOO easy to slip into that complacency again...u-huh.

For the record, it hurt like HELL to ride... the ole back muscles aren't healed up yet, that's obvious. We did have to do some trotting, I posted, and every time I came down in the saddle, OUCH!! Eventually I just stood in the stirrups if we had to trot...less pain that way.

I'm glad he did well though, I'm glad I did as well as I did (I'm paying for it now, OW!! Where's the heat pad!)...think we both earned a day off tomorrow.

Quzqo Haiku

Fri Nov 5, 2004

Quzqo runs away
Flies like the wind, Then turns left;
Suzanne doesn't turn.

-Jackie Huey

Sweet Little Horsie Kisses

Mon Nov 1, 2004

My brother came by this afternoon and gave me a lift to the barn so I could get my car...between the Excedrin and an intimate relationship with my heating pad, I was able to manage pretty well. We had to go see the perp, er, horse, as my brother hasn't met him yet. Luckily Quzqo was sort of in-close in the pasture, and when he saw us coming, he walked down the aisle way of the pasture to greet us! And after some initial pats and pets, he was content to walk between us back to the gate, no halter or rope. My brother was astonished at how tiny Quzqo is...I think part of my problem yesterday WAS the shorter distance from horse back to ground, I didn't have enough time for my butt to make it to the ground first as is my usual falling-from-a-horse strategy, LOL.

Other than being encrusted in mud and filth, Quzqo was all Mr. Cutie-Pie, all nuzzles and big brown eyes and coy little looks and little lippy-action, awww, how sweet (grrrrr). I brushed his body anyway (I can in NO way bend down to brush his belly or legs, forget picking hooves too!!), and he was so good he got a kiss between the nostrils. Soft fuzzy nose!

At least all the walking & stuff made my back feel better, it's only when I'm sitting around for any length of time it gets hurty, ha!

He was still a snot when I put him in his stall, forgetting any manners because the grain was in his bucket...O, he has got SUCH an appointment in the round pen, it won't be funny...

FOR SALE: 6 Yr Old Arabian Gelding - CHEAP!!!

Mon Nov 1, 2004

Lessons learned:
-ALWAYS lunge your horse before riding.
-NEVER trust a horse...EVER

Long-story short, took Quz on a trail ride, got him trotting along the fenceline, he did so good, I thought "let's try a little cantering"...to his credit he went RIGHT into a canter....which instantly turned into a full-blown grab-the-bit GALLOP, to hell with the human on his back! We galloped about 1/4 mile or so, up and down hills, my attempts to turn him into any sort of circle failed miserably...we were heading right for my farrier's pasture/electric fence, he started to slow, and suddenly SHOT to the left...I flew off to the right and landed FLAT on my back.

Excruciating pain in my back, hearing galloping hoof beats receding into the distance...I could scarcely breath, but managed to roll over to my side and dig my cell phone out of my coat pocket (luckily I didn't land on that)...only to discover I hadn't put the barn's phone # in the address book...I figured well, Quzqo will return to the barn, they'll know something happened and come looking for me, worse comes to worse I could call my brother, as I lay there in the grass, staring up at the mockingly blue sky.

LUCKILY this basically happened in my farrier's back yard, his wife and daughter JUST happened to be in the back sunroom, saw a white horse galloping up the hill, noticed it was riderless with a saddle hanging down its side (!), then I guess the daughter saw me laying in the grass...they both came running out...there was no way I could walk anywhere, I couldn't even sit up (I could move my legs and arms though, first thing I checked, you bet!).

The mom brought her van down and they got me into the passenger seat, and with a quick stop back at the barn to get my purse from the car, she drove me into town to the emergency room. It was frighteningly strange, riding from her house to the barn...everything got VERY bright and white and sound became muffled and distant...normally when I pass out, things go grey...I had trouble breathing, and the pain in my back was extraordinary...but we got the seat to recline and things came back to normal...thank God, I was worried for a second there.

They did a bunch of X-rays of my back at the ER, and happily nothing is broken or cracked! Thank GOD! Basically they sent me home with advice on a hot pad & Excedrin/Motrin, gee, thanks guys, but it was worth it to know nothing was broken.

So here I sit, home from work today, in a fair amount of pain but a lot better than even last night, I can at least lift my feet when I walk and no longer almost pass out from the pain. When we were driving away from the barn to the hospital, the Farrier's daughter and another girl were walking along the front of the pasture, leading Mr. Hot Shit "I like to run!" Quzqo ...GRRRRGH.

My brother will be coming by this afternoon to give me a ride to the barn to get my car, which has been there all night...I imagine I can handle driving that short distance, I'll be hopped up on Excedrin enough by then.

Needless to say, when I get feeling better/recovered, Mr. Quzqo and I are
going to have long and meaningful discussion about our relationship. }:-/

Quzqo Goes Solo

Mon Oct 25, 2004

I had tried to organize another trail ride yesterday afternoon, but apparently other people are pussies who didn't want to brave the overcast sky, light drizzle, and temps in the low 50's. Wah wah wah, we can only ride if it's blue sunny sky, wah wah. Phooey!

So, thankfully I'm at a stage now that I felt safe taking Quzqo out by myself (Yes, had my cell phone with me)... It had rained very heavily the day before, so I couldn't use the round pen to get the piss & vinegar off of him (flooded), couldn't lunge him in the indoor arena, as it too was flooded (no roof on the barn!!!), and the outdoor arena was also flooded. So...something I'd NEVER have done with Tezlu (in his younger days)...I just tacked Quzqo up and hit the trail!

He was in NO mood to go out by himself, and was lollygagging, dragging, swerving, balking, meandering, oozing backwards, just about everything BUT walk in a straight line away from the barn/other horses, but between my heels and Mr. Whip, we eventually made it up to the dirt road that leads to the State Forest trails. He was VERY tentative up there, as there's a large collie mix that runs loose..but she's as old as the hills and can barely bark...he wasn't too worried about her, just being Alone I think.

A car came by and passed us slowly, he was fine with that. Made it down the hill and into the woods...he crept along, looking at everything but where he was going...almost went into a couple of trees, he was so busy rubbernecking, LOL! We had one spook incident (I scarce would call it a "spook", more of a "startle"), over WHAT I don't know. We crossed the paved road all right, THAT was a worry spot for me, as when we rode with other horses, he would try to barge across the road to catch up, never mind if a car was coming. Nope, he stood patiently while traffic went by, waiting for my cue to proceed, good boy!

He did startle at some distant gunshots, and jumped when we saw a large dog up ahead on the trail...looked like a Blue Heeler to me, but it was moving away from us, and kept on going. Fine with me!

When we got to the long, flat open dirt road, we got some good trotting done...he was ready to expend some of that energy of his! That boy CAN move when he wants to...the rest is just downright laziness I'm sure! When we got to the end of the road, we did a little backing up (three steps!!!) (I had a noseband on him, that may have helped since he couldn't gape his mouth wide open to avoid backing), turned around, and headed back. You can bet his pace quickened. I even got him into a VERY nice canter (right lead...I'm trying to remember to cue him with either leg...Tez NEVER wanted to canter on his right lead, so I was used to automatically cueing for a left lead), and I can't hardly express how WONDERFUL it was to ride a soft, balanced, CONTROLLED canter...with loose reins even!!! (and a SNAFFLE!!). Tez was a wonderful soul, but by God he was hell on hooves when it came to that third gait!! It was SO nice to not fear for my life, and just enjoy (ENJOY) a lovely canter! Now he wasn't lopin' along like a WP Showhorse, he was doing a pretty good clip, but still, at no time did I feel like I lost control!! I was surprised that I had to ask him to slow down when we got near our turn-off...considering the last time it was a chore to keep him GOING (but I had run the P&V out of him before that trail ride...he had the energy this time!)

A very uneventful ride, gone maybe 4-5 miles round trip I think...and despite the clouds and the drizzle, the Fall colors were BEAUTIFUL (this past weekend was supposed to be "the peak" for this area)...those wussy saps who didn't go sure missed out on a treat!!

He was pretty sweaty when we got back, but his fur is about an inch long, ready for Winter. And yaaaawning, LOL, he was plumb tuckered out, poor boy! Good, he needs it!!

Wish I felt better today, it's a beautiful sunny WARM day out, perfect for a trail ride...but then, my luck my boss would be driving down the road and see me riding or something, LOL!

More Mindless Adorations of My Horse

Sun Oct 17, 2004

What WON'T that horse do???

All this talk about bitless bridles and riding with halters got me inspired, and since Quzqo was acting very "I don't wanna do anything" this afternoon (I think it's the weather...high of 40, constant rain & wind, the horses were inside all day), I snapped a pair of split reins to his halter, and rode him thus!

He did VERY good, but I didn't notice any additional "softness" or rounding compared to riding with the snaffle...his stops were just as nice, his steering was just as bad (lol)...but it did help remind me to use my legs and seat more than my hands...he's getting real good at responding to leg and seat bone pressure lately..thank goodness!

Tried backing him, and the first time he tucked his head and backed right up two steps!! Huzzah! But that was a fluke, because from then on he wasn't having anything to do with it and was acting a big a dork as if he had a bit in his mouth...raising his head, refusing to back, hollowing his back, resentfully stepping half a step MAYBE, LOL. Eh, we'll work on it.

BUT...the Big Thing...CANTERING! Yes, I got him cantering!!! A sharp jab with the outside heel, inside rein lain across the neck, shift the weight, and away he goes! He got so worked up with the repeated cues that he started taking off without me asking him to, LOL!! Not bad with no bit!

Now I'm wondering if I should buy a bitless bridle...Hmmm....

It got more interesting when we went outside (40 degrees, 20 mph winds, light drizzle) for a quickie trail ride. I use a 5 gallon bucket as a mounting block, got up on him, he started moving and knocked the bucket over, flipping it right-side up...and promptly (don't ask me HOW) stuck his right foreleg IN the bucket! We stood there, the horse with a leg in a bucket...calm, quiet, not the least bit concerned. I moved him forward, he stepped OUT of the bucket and away we went! LOL!

Wish someone had a camera, that woulda been a picture!

And yes, Quzqo is STILL an Arabian. Hard to believe some times!

I did get him cantering out along the fenceline for a couple hundred yards! Uphill...Okay, I did chicken out and put his bridle on for the trail ride, he was having a little trouble slowing down with the halter inside, call me timid, I won't deny (okay, how about "cautious", that's a better term)

My farrier was at the barn, working his horses, and complemented (in a left-handed fashion) about what a nice horse Quzqo is...this is the guy who called Tezlu "The Old Turd" mind you...guess Quzqo has been perfectly angelic with him as well, for trimming & shoeing...good to keep on the farrier's good side after all!

Oh, yes, his lameness of yesterday had disappeared...thank goodness!

A Bad Day

Wed Sep 29, 2004

Haven't shared any Quzqo tales lately, mostly because I haven't been doing anything with him the past week or so. The shoe on his forehoof was getting looser and looser, so I didn't want to ride him. The farrier is coming out Friday, so I figured just let well enough alone, he'll last 'til then.

Tonight I go to the barn after work, get to walk out to the pasture to get Himself...happily he was heading in towards the barn, so we met half way, he gave me a nice welcoming whinny (!!). Automatically I glanced down at his forehoof...the shoe is gone! Oh, great...BUT...all the nails were still in his hoof! When Tez pulled his shoe off, the nails tore right through the hoof (taking chunks with it)...surprised me that the nails were still in the hoof like that, with the nasty sharp clinches sticking up, grrrgh!

I automatically give the horse the once-over when I catch him, taking advantage of the good light outside...just a habit I picked up with Tezlu...was NOT pleased to find **8** fresh, bleeding wounds on my boy!!! A big abrasion on his left shoulder, and the other 7 wounds on his right side, starting at the shoulder, elbow, armpit, and three in a row on his flank. They're like 4-6" long stripes, nothing that needs stitches, but had been bleeding...but they were definitely done this afternoon! GRRGH! Can't imagine what caused them, they reminded me of like wire cuts or something, but the pattern made no sense. Tez had a similar injury on his hip years ago, it never did heal back right, so he had a ridge there for the rest of his life (a "brush stroke", lol!). C'mon, it's a 30 acre pasture, I couldn't imagine Quzqo got in a tussel with another horse with all that room. But none of the wounds looked like toothmarks (owning Tezlu, I got REAL familiar with what horse bite marks look like) (i.e. he got bit, not me, LOL).

All I figure he was doing SOMEthing, stepped on the back of the loose shoe, tripped himself, ripping the shoe off and taking a tumble. He was limping slightly, but that could also be due to his left leg being shorter than the right one (with the shoe gone). Boy, was he obnoxious as hell though...you can't ignore that horse, he just gets SUCH a 'tude!!! Bob, the barn owner, was nice enough to remove the nail clinches for me when I brought the horse inside, so those sharp metal bits are gone...just hope Quzqo doesn't do any more damage to himself 'til Friday.

So he got well-doused in Betadine. I've got some Blu-Kote, but didn't think big blue spots on a white horse would look that great, LOL! Luckily none of the injuries are where the saddle or cinch would go, so once he gets retreaded he's gonna get WORKED!

Why are there so many effing stupid people in the world!

Sat Oct 16, 2004

I left Quzqo tied in the aisle for 30 seconds while I went into the tack room to look for the Show Sheen...I hear a BIG loud commotion thundering down the stairs to the arena part of the barn...I come out of the tack room into a crowd of about 8 teenage girls, who HELPfully informed me my horse had just gotten himself tangled up in the arena railing...had gotten a foreleg up over the 2nd rail! If he did that, it was probably because you FARKING MORONS came tromping and hollering down the farking stairs!!

So, now Quzqo is lame...rode him a little bit, his hobbling on the forehand gave me SO many memories of riding Tezlu...*sigh*. He probably (hopefully) pulled a muscle or something, rearing back and up and flinging his leg over the rail. Will give him a couple days' rest I guess.

Farking Morons.

Quzqo's Big Adventure

Mon Sep 13, 2004

Yesterday (Sunday), Quzqo had his First REAL Trail Ride! Some past trail riding acquaintances trailered their horses over to the barn (amusingly, I could not get any of the boarders interested in a nice, organized group trail ride!!! Go figure!!)(losers!!!), and thus in the company of three huge QHs, Cusco got his first taste of the Michigan Shore-To-Shore Riding & Hiking Trail (y'know, in all my years, I have NEVER met anyone actually HIKING that thing?).

Two of the QHs were 4 yrs old, so he wasn't the baby at this time. He did ***SOOOOOOOO*** good (as I suspected he would), tagging along 2nd-to-the-end...no problems on the dirt road, no problems in the woods, no problems on the flooded two-track (he walked right through the big puddles without any problem, the QH baby behind us danced and pranced and finally took his rider for an adventurous trip up on the high banks of the road, LOL). He went down the steep hills, across the wooden foot bridge (okay, he did JUMP up on it and JUMP off...it was a whole 8" tall after all). After the bridge, the trail goes up a rather steep hill, which had become VERY erroded since I last rode up it (which probably was back in early 2003 I think)...Quzqo just dug his feet into the soft dirt and chugged up the hill, eventually trotting up after the other two QHs in front of us!

The trail we took was pretty hilly, and believe me, it was SO nice to be able to have a horse I could just drop the reins, give him his head, and let him pick his way down the steep hills...Tezlu did the best he could, poor old guy, but with him I'd dismount and lead him down steep hills, to make it easier on him, and to avoid him tripping). Quzqo just scampered right down those hills with no problems at all (yeah, okay, he's also 21 years younger than Tez was at the time, LOL!). There was a HUGE soupy mud pit in the middle of the trail in one swampy area...deep sucking mud, fetlock deep...the QHs in front of us just hop-trotted through it. Not Quzqo , he JUMPED the damned thing, LOL! Note to self: when jumping in a sport saddle, it's better to lean forward, not backwards!

More hills to go up, in loose sand, winding trails, eroded cutouts...the QHs took off cantering, Quzqo took off cantering! LOL, yes, at long last, my horse is CANTERING!!! He did very well, we did more cantering on that trail ride than we've done in the past 3-1/2 months!! Heck, once he even cantered on the flat, trying to catch up to the QHs in front of us! Very comfy canter, I'm looking forward to it!

No great adventures, although the friend riding behind us on an obnoxious young QH enjoyed a nice bucking fit from her youngster who resented being held back...she was so proud that she was able to ride it out, considering last fall that horse bucked her off and broke her pelvis!! That horse also tended to annoy Quzqo, who was forever pinning his ears...until "Tres" got too close to his butt, and Quzqo let him have it with both barrels, er, hooves! Yep, kicked him right in the chest! Surprised ME, and Tres began kicking and bucking! Goofy thing! Looked like Quzqo hit him right in the big QH type leather breastcollar though, no harm done, but Tres sure gave Quzqo his "space" for the rest of the trail ride! Well, he IS "Emperor Kuzco" after all, and should be respected!!

3 hour ride, approx. 10 miles! Quzqo's fur is about 1/2" long, (winter's coming!) and you bet he was a disgusting sweaty MESS! For the first time, I think he enjoyed getting hosed off! Considering how much he was yawning that last mile home, I bet he slept good last night!

He only shied once (I'd barely even call it a "shy", more of a "veering"), at a sign. However the OLD QH in front of us did most the spooking (stumps, puddles, brightly-lit ferns), LOL! Sure was strange to NOT have at least one explosive display of spookiness. Nope, Quzqo just sort of took it all in stride, didn't mind the motorcycle (no dirt bikes, thank God!!!), the golf cart, the cars & trucks, the wild recliners in the bushes, the boat landing, the running water...just another day at the office!

I don't think I'm up to more than one marathon trail ride a month, but sure going to try to get together a shorter, "calmer" ride without so much jumping involved for this weekend! And kudos to the Bob Marshall Sport Saddle Company, even after 3 hours in the saddle, my butt was comfy, my knees were fine, my hips totally pain-free!! My riding companions could barely walk after dismounting from their Western saddles, heh heh. And 'twas a secure ride too, didn't even lose a stirrup during one of those wild rides up the steep hills, jumping the washouts and dodging trees!

And yes, I wore my helmet!

My legs are kinda sore today, but that's from spending 6 hours weeding the perennial beds on Saturday!

Gettin' There

Wed Sep 8, 2004

Gettin' There!

Mr. Q. got to go on a trail ride with BillyBob the Corgi tonight! He did great, didn't spook or try to kill the dog or anything, didn't even get upset when we started trotting, and Billy was running right on Quzqo's heels, yapping away! Oh, little Fats got a workout all right (er, the dog, not the horse), about a mile up and down hills on those fat little legs of his, LOL! Quzqo did quite well, in fact he was almost frisky, hard to believe; breaking into a trot all on his own more than once, surprised me for sure!!

Big achievement came when we returned to the barn, and before dismounting I tried some of those flexing exercises...he tucked his head immediately, and with a little more pressure, backed up a whole step without any dramatics!!! We did it two more times just to make sure! Hoorah! It'll just take time (I did take my draw reins to the barn, just in case)

Poor guy got wormed tonight, he didn't take it as well as the first time. In fact he spat out a good 1/4 of the dose (luckily there was more wormer left in the tube, heh heh), got it on the floor, the wall, the lead rope, and my arm! Well, the honeymoon is over as far as wormer is concerned!!

I can't find his blue ribbon from Sunday!!! I found his 5th place rosette on the floor of the barn aisle...I hope some kid didn't steal it off his stall, GRRR!

And the mare who impaled her butt on Sunday is doing well, took them 3 hrs to stop the bleeding, she's swollen up "back there" and on antibiotics, but saw her wandering around the pasture tonight, so hope she gets to feeling better soon!

Monday, Bloody Monday

Mon Sep 6, 2004

No rest for the wicked, or the Reserve Champion! I tried my darndest to get together a trail ride for today, even emailing people from the barn, and putting a sign up yesterday...but not 30 seconds after I brought Himself into the barn, the skies opened up and it RAINED and RAINED and RAINED...just stopped a little while ago, about 4+ hours later, GRRRRGH! Needless to say nobody showed up for any sort of trail ride...Fine, just one day I'll go so stir-crazy, I'll take him out on the Shore-To-Shore alone, he'll kill me and then won't they feel bad! Harrumph!! (JK!!)

I will try again for next weekend, probably all those teenagers were worn out from their horse show, but I'd think people who weren't into showing might have been interested. The barn owner said if he's around, he'll ride out with me during the week, probably dragging along plenty of potential horse buyers like he does, LOL, that'd be nice.

Instead we worked indoors, the arena is 2/3 its normal size due to all the temporary stalls still up from the weekend, but Quzqo and I worked on backing and flexing and some trotting. Got him to back 1-1/2 steps!

We did manage a quickie trail ride around the perimeter of the property between rain showers, and he did pretty good, even with the 30 mph wind gusts making the trees creak and rattle!

However, when we got back to the barn, we found one of the families there crowded around their elderly pony mare in the aisleway, which was puddled with blood!! Apparently the mare SOMEhow got a big (like 1" diameter) puncture wound just right of her vulva! It was deep, and it was bleeding...the Mom was having a devil of a time keeping pressure on it, because the towels kept getting soaked with blood....course being a holiday, they couldn't get ahold of any vets, just their Services. I found my vet book (I forgot I had it, dealing with a healthy young horse all summer), but all they recommended was keeping pressure on it and calling the vet. Duuuuh.

The mare seemed unaffected by the whole thing, patiently standing in the cross-ties while her people took turns pressing on her buttocks. They were at it for well over an hour, with the blood still dripping through the saturated rags...but we thought it was finally subsiding. (the dripping)...the stuff has to clot some time! It was dark, veinous blood, so that's good I guess, not the bright arterial stuff. There's SO many big vessels in that part of the horse, and so close to the surface...wouldn't take much to make 'em bleed. When Quzqo got his West Nile Virus booster in that area, he bled pretty profusely, shocking the vet, who blamed it on him being a "delicate Arabian", yeah, right. Well, true, he doesn't have a big fat ass like some of those QHs that jiggle when they walk, LOL!

That poor mare though, she's 29, barely has any teeth, but gamely toted tots in Lead Line this weekend. I know it'll ruin the vet's holiday, but I hope they heard back from one, I had to leave before I found out how it all came out. To top it off, that Mom has a Trakehner filly who also suffered a puncture wound THROUGH a leg tendon a couple weeks ago. If I were her, I'd be out walking that pasture & figure out just what's going on!!

I need the name of a good contractor....

Sun Sep 5, 2004

I need to hire someone to do some remodelling, mainly to make the top half of the door to Quzqo's stall bigger, to accommodate his SWELLED HEAD!

RESERVE CHAMPION PLEASURE TYPE HALTER!

Whoooooo!!!

Okay, okay...I'll admit...there was ONE entry in Pleasure Type Mares (a Walkaloosa filly about 8 months old), ONE entry in Pleasure Type Geldings (Quzqo), and then a fat pinto Hunter type Pony from the Pony class, that made up the Showback for Champion. The fat Pony took Champ, and Quzqo took Reserve, which at least means he can beat a weanling! LOL!!!

Done showing for the year (as far as I know) 'til next Spring/summer (good, maybe now I can find someone to go on a friggin' trail ride with me!!!)! We didn't do too horribly yesterday...placing 5th out of 5 in the Pleasure Type Gelding Halter (the show had been invaded by a DOZEN gorgeous "Class A" circuit TWHs, so there were 4 glowing palomino TWHs against one bony little grey Arabian, not fair!!). BUT it was also his first time (as far as I know) in a RIDDEN horse show class, i.e. Green Horse Pleasure! I didn't have time to practice much, got to ride him around the arena twice while everyone else was warming up...worse than driving in rush hour traffic, LOL (didn't help that there was the barn owner's granddaughter (4 yrs old, going on 40) careening around on her horse, not paying any attention to the traffic pattern).

But when our class came up, there were three other "green" horses in there (I know for a fact one is an 8 yr old Off-The-Track TB)(another one was wearing a Kimberwicke...Hmmm), which was perfect. Unlike Tezlu, Quzqo does his best when he's following another horse (Tez would always want to be in front, which is hard to do when you're riding in a circle!) (maybe he was a
NASCAR driver in his previous life, who knows!). Unfortunately the horse we followed, a small palomino QH, was violently spooking at EVERYthing, which got Quzqo worried, thankfully all he did was shy a little at the In-Gate as we came around. He trotted SO nice, lots of speed to him (wonder where THAT came from!), he stopped, changed directions, we had nice transitions between walk and trot, I remembered to post on the correct diagonals. Of course in the line-up, we had to back...LOL! All I managed was a good display of a resistant horse (he was a total snot yesterday, I think he was pissed I put baby oil on his face)...the judge just told me to "work on that", LOL! No shit, lady.

The TB wouldn't back either, but he didn't spook, so maybe that's why he got 3rd. We placed 4th, over the palomino that was spooking every time the announcer said anything on the loudspeakers! Not bad though, considering it was Quzqo's first time in a ridden class!!

Today I totally forgot to put the baby oil on his muzzle, maybe that's why he was in a better mood, or else he was tuckered out from yesterday! But he did better in the Halter, despite being the only entry. He set up for me, didn't doze off, and wasn't as wiggly and belligerant as yesterday (I swear, he kept cocking a hind leg just to annoy me!).

Unfortunately today I spent too much time doing his mane (a LOVELY Continental Braid ala "Palomar Elite", got complements on it too!), and trying to get ON him (don't use Show Sheen/other silicone coat polishes on the SADDLE area of the horse), and having the saddle slip off (I fell on my back once...so technically I've now fallen off the horse, LOL!), by the time I got down to the show arena, the lunch break was over and the arena closed for warm-ups! So I had to just go right into the class...oh goody! Only three entries today (the spooky palomino was not in attendance), and while Quzqo didn't spook, he did quite a bit of swerving and corner-cutting. But, when the judge (an amazingly brusque and Drill Sergeant-like judge lady!!) asked for us to stop and back 5 steps (no more, no less), I miraculously managed to get Quzqo to step back one whole step!! Good Boy!!!!

Apparently the TB wasn't able to back at all, or else the judge was so bedazzled by Quzqo's continental braided mane, but we ended up placing 2nd!! I had to pick my jaw up from the arena floor, LOL!

Quzqo was glad when I was done bugging him, first thing he did when I turned him loose was to drop right into the dirt and GRIND it into both sides of himself and the back, rolling and rolling and rolling, like "to hell with you and your show sheen!!", LOL! Then a big long drink, then GALLOP out to the pasture before sedately walking along out over the horizon. Goofy boy!

I might go back this evening to bring him in & watch the Western classes, if they're still going on. This judge today is really zipping through the classes, but then, there's also fewer horses than yesterday (thankfully those TWH's didn't come back! Else we sure wouldn't have a nice Res Ch
Rosette on our stall door!).

Nobody Said Beauty Was Easy

Fri Sep 3, 2004

Poor Quzqo, all in the unglamorous stage of being a beeeyooootiful show horse! I think my main problem taking him into Green Horse Pleasure will be keeping him MOVING! LOL!

Gravity is a Harsh Mistress

Wed Sep 1, 2004

I haven't ridden English since last Fall, I'd forgotten how comfy my huntseat saddle is! (just a synthetic jumping saddle, bought in Wisconsin in 1995 at a used tack sale for $135.00). Cusco didn't seem to mind it either (it was one of the saddles that Tez could tolerate with his achey withers/back too). I also put Tez's English Show Bridle on Quzqo (adjusted to the smallest it would go), and he looked good in it! We did some walking and circles, some softening and backing (okay, one step, but still...), then some trotting, and he did pretty good...kinda sluggish because he'd had his dinner and figured his day was over, so he did as little as possible, LOL! With the help of Mr. Whip he got movin' though (I just have to carry it, don't have to do anything else!).

Luckily riding and posting doesn't bother my knee, it's only when I get off that I hobble around, ha! Gravity is a harsh mistress (--"The Tick")

Anyway, we rode outside and into the outdoor arena, which has been harrowed in preparation for the show this weekend. He got a little spooky over some lawn chairs by the rail (outside), but other than that, did very well, and got him trotting a couple times all the way around! THAT is an achievement for Mr. Lazy-Butt! We might be able to actually do the class this weekend!

I have a black w/white trim saddle cloth, which looks very sharp with his grey coloring...think I'll do his mane up in a French braid too, didn't see anything that fancy done at the previous shows around this area. Considering how wacky the green horses acted the other weekend, I think we might do all right (hopefully he won't start bucking like that one green Arabian, LOL!)

Better stock up on Motrin!

Going Treeless Through The Trees

Sat Aug 28, 2004

That boy keeps on surprising!!

He's recovered from the horse show last weekend, and my knee is almost all better (don't need the cane any more anyway). I've been working with him this week, applying those Chris Cox "softening" exercises combined with some Richard Shrake "softening" exercises...just quiet flat work, which is about all my knee can take right now. He put up some stink when I started, but before the evening was over, he was flexing and "softening" in the bridle SO nice...and now, by today, he tucks his head almost as soon as I pick up the reins! Eventually maybe I'll be able to get him to back (oh, dream on!)

I switched to my treeless Bob Marshall saddle this week, mostly so my knee wouldn't be further injured by the Western saddle...using just a thin pad, I was reminded why I loved that Bob Marshall saddle so much (and why its previous owner wants to buy it back, LOL!). I swear, it's like sitting in warm pudding, SO comfy!! I suspect that also helped with Quzqo's "softening"...I kind of wondered if the Western one wasn't pinching him or something (it sure pinched Tezlu, that's for sure, so much that he'd collapse!!). And I've become a LOT more confident with him, so I feel "secure" in that treeless saddle.

Thursday night we had severe thunderstorms roll through, with heavy heavy rains. As a result, the whole Eastern end of the outdoor arena is under water!! While riding Himself outside, after our incident-free trail ride (where he JUMPED over a mud puddle, goofy lad), we came into the arena, and as another woman was splashing her horse through the water, I figured, why not? She did help me a bit by riding in front of us, and walked into the water...after a second of sniffing, Quz just hiked right into that water like it was nothing!! Granted it was maybe coronet-band deep, but still...

We played in the water a bit...he tried to drink it AFTER pooping in it, I don't think so! I was quite pleased he was so blase' about the whole thing...I can think of another Arabian who would have put up a performance worthy of Olivier rather than set hoof in Scary Water, LOL!

Today we worked indoors a bit, did some trotting, happily posting doesn't hurt my knee. And then a trail ride around the fence, and an adventure across the hayfield to The Road...I haven't been to The Road since last October with Tezlu, that was kinda nice...Quzqo did great going across the field, but once he got to The Road, he was all Red Alert...The Road goes through a deep, dark scary forest...not good horse territory. Once we got on The Road, the dog down the street there started barking, so Mr. Quzqo goes all tense coiled spring ready-to-bolt freak city...we go the other way, I see a car approaching about 1/4 mile away. Not wanting to see how Mr. Coiled Spring might react to an SUV going within feet of him, we went up a short, steep embankment. I just grabbed some mane and let him go...and he scampered right up that embankment without hesitation, AND managed to grab some grass at the same time! LOL!

I'm really getting to trust him, and he I...kinda neat..

14 days 'til the next Horse Show! IF I can find a girth the right size...maybe Green Horse Pleasure class???

The Horse Show, Day Two - Sue Injures Her Knee!

Sun Aug 22, 2004

Quzqo is SO Sweet! As sweet as a serpent. I rode Himself yesterday afternoon with some damned fool idea of MAYBE taking him into Green Horse Pleasure today (walk/trot). Little practice session in the indoor arena. Even gave him his evening grain beforehand so he'd be happy. But they left the fenced-off end of the arena where the hay is stored OPEN, and The Emperor wanted THAT, to hell with the monkey on his back...so he became a total retard (think of the "real" Emperor Kuzco before his llama transformation)...SOMEhow we ended up between two sections of pipe fencing that made a "v" shape, of course he wouldn't even consider backing out for me, just tossed his head, resisted, REARED...just as a big truck hauling a bigger trailer of sawdust pulled into the dooryard...all I could think is them coming into the arena with that thing, freaking the horse as I was basically trapped...somehow during all this I wrenched my knee and vaguely remember thinking "ow".

I ended up getting off (in a dangerously cramped space but better than the horse flipping over), and MADE His Highness back the hell up (with the use of Mr. Whip to Mr. Quzqo's chestal region), got back on his Imperial back, and rode him down to watch the horse show and fume. He enjoyed that, the standing still and observing the goings ons...and he WAS...his head was going side-to-side, like he was watching a tennis match, LOL!

Gave up, threw him in his stall, and left early all disgusted and discouraged and depressed.

And this morning I can barely walk! The pain in my left knee is ASTOUNDING! I even had to dig out my mom's old cane to hobble around! I've scarfed some Xtra-strength Motrin, see how that works...I've got 4 hours...if I can't walk, I obviously can't show Himself in Halter. No big loss. But my Grand-niece will be wanting to do Leadline...I figure her Mom can lead the horse, she's got horse experience, after all, Tezlu dumped her about 3 times!

Later...

Good ole' Vetwrap and double-dosages of Motrin! The pain was mostly gone by the time of our Halter class (around 10:30.) It came back immediatly AFTER the class (the running did it, no doubt).

After throwing a major Prima Donna Drama Queen Hissy Fit about the baby oil on his muzzle and by his eyes, Master Quzqo behaved PERFECTLY well this morning! I got him to set up perfectly in the class, and he had his ears pricked (mostly), and neck arched so nice... It was the same other two horses competing against us as yesterday (Morgan & Arabian with no tail),
and the placings were the same...2nd for Mr. Quzqo (different judge). And diddly in the Showback, durn, but the TWH Mare who took the Champ WAS gorgeous (she was horrible in Trail later in the day, heh heh).

Today was my Grand-Niece's turn at Leadline...she didn't do as well as her older brother, because she was having a major Shy episode...shy of being in front of EVERYONE, the Strange Lady being Judge, she forgot most of what she learned the other day about steering a horse, LOL! She was the only entrant today, so that probably added more pressure. She did manage to turn Quzqo sharply and unexpectedly to the left, which about put a horse in my lap! After many tries she got him to back two steps for the judge...she wasn't about to say anything out loud, just whispering "whoa" and "back" and "giddyup", heh heh...I doubt the horse could even hear her.

The judge (REAL nice lady) asked her some hard horse questions, like what do they like for breakfast. what's his name, how old is he, what breed is he...she only knew his name and that he likes grass for breakfast. So of course the judge had to mess with her mind and suggested he might like pancakes...she wasn't buying ANY of it and told the judge as much, but no, she insisted maybe at night horses go to McDonald's for pancakes...it was funny, this 5 yr old basically doing point-counterpoint with this middle-aged woman...Celine maintained horses wouldn't be able to get out of their stalls because they don't have hands, nor could they drive cars to get to McDonalds...finally the judge conceded the point, and awarded her First
Place!

Unlike my Grand-Nephew yesterday, Celine was bouncing all over, so proud of her big blue rosette, LOL (I did find out that G.J. WAS showing the rosette to anything with eyes yesterday, once he got home...no surprise there). No big mishaps, no big excitement, just Aunt Sue hobbling around and grimacing and trying to not act like her mother, ha!

When I went back out to the barn early this evening to put His Highness in for the night, got some more detail pix for my web site...a beautiful dun was snoozing in the pasture, so I could get some great shots of his back/dorsal stripe.

There's quite a brisk wind...and unfortunately, for a good 50 feet or so walking out to the pasture, you get a pretty strong and distinct odor...as the wind blows over Tezlu's grave. Oh, hoorah. It's pretty covered in rocks, I doubt the coyotes can do much about it, but man O man, the smell...bring on the cold weather!!

Well, will be a long time before anybody forgets about him...you're reminded every time you walk out to the pasture!

Quzqo; Blue Ribbon Winner!!

Sat Aug 21, 2004

Okay, yeah, it was in Leadline, where ALL the competitors do SOOO well, the judge just can't make up his mind, so he awards Blue Ribbons to EVERYone! Whoo! Hey, it fakes out the 6 & under crowd, so who cares!

Day One of the Windsonnet Jackpot Series today...My niece brought her kids & HER niece out last night to practice leadline...they picked it up pretty darn good, but the boy was upset he couldn't make Quzqo back up, where both the girls (5 & 6) were able to get him to back a step! Had to laugh (inwardly)...the Niece's niece is something of a brat...think of that blonde girl in "RugRats" (I forget the name), but that's her. Shrill, loud, spoiled... When my niece tried to lift her up onto Quzqo's back, Quzqo shied AWAY from her! LOL!! The other two kids, he didn't care, but when that girl was approaching the saddle, he didn't want any part of it! Heh heh. Horses know...

ANYway, this show today was a lot smaller than our last one, but still a decent crowd considering. Our Pleasure Type Geldings had 3 entries...two Arabians and a Morgan. Quzqo did pretty good, although I couldn't get him to stand still nor to get "set up"...I was able to mesmerize him with a clod of soil from the arena floor, got his ears to prick way up and forward...he knew I had "something" in my hand but he knew it wasn't an apple or carrot,
heh! I'll have to remember that trick. But, we placed 2nd behind the Morgan!! An obvious A-circuit type showhorse at that! We won't dwell on the fact the 3rd place Arabian was fat and missing half its tail (obviously lost in an accident...half the tailbone gone, I should get pix if he's there tomorrow)...(the judged asked the girl showing him if he was part Hackney..LOL! Good quality judge, that one!)

Which meant we got to do the Showback Thing again, although I pretty much assume any 2nd placer has little chance of winning anything, but we did it anyway, and didn't get anything, but it's good experience for both of us.

Then the MADRUSHDASH back to the barn to slap tack on the horse, as there was about 6 minutes before Leadline (they had to do the Stock Type Championship showback)...THAT was chaos...a worried figity Arabian, FOUR kids under the age of 7 getting in the way, my Niece trying to juggle camera, children, and be wary of the staples in her stomach from a Caesarian
three weeks ago (a boy! #4!). Managed to get the horse dressed, and back down to the arena with minutes to spare!

Leadline was fun, and danged if GJ, the boy, didn't steer that horse by himself!! We had to walk in a big circle to the right, stop, reverse, walk a big circle to the left, come back to the center, stop, and back for the judge! He did it all himself...I made a point of keeping lots of slack in the lead snapped to the bit, so the judge could appreciate that the kid WAS doing the driving...albeit a bit drunkenly at times, LOL. I was downright astonished when GJ managed to get Quzqo to back two steps!! That damned horse just tucked his head so softly, and stepped backwards... Arrgh! I need to have 6 yr olds train him (maybe because he and the kid are the same age, LOL)

The other child in the class was a boy around 5, on a squat little brown pony, and my niece tells me it was obvious the girl leading him WAS leading him, the kid didn't do any steering by himself...harrumph! I'd think GJ would get extra credit for riding a full-sized horse, PLUS his feet were nowhere near the stirrups, PLUS the saddle had no horn! But, as I mentioned earlier...both boys got 1st place rosettes, which GJ was pretty nonplussed over, almost embarassed and irritated that anyone would make a fuss over it! LOL! I bet that lasted until he got home...probably will sleep with it tonight, ha!

So, Quzqo has a red rosette hanging on his stall now...that makes two reds, a yellow, a white and two greens for his show career!

Astute observers may note that Quzqo's mane has somehow migrated to the OTHER side of his neck from the last show. Don't ask me how, it just happened!

Tomorrow we get to do it alll over again...oh, joy.

That'll teach 'em to not bury my horse properly!

Sun Aug 15, 2004

Hoorah, they dumped tractorloads of rocks on Tezlu! That sounds strange, doesn't it? The Teenager & Pre-Teen boy at the barn (yep, only two...6 girls to each boy, what a deal), used the tractor with the bucket to gather up rocks & dirt & fill in the hole and add to it. According to the barn owner, he suspects it WAS coyotes, because they could hear them at night. Oh, wouldn't that make for great sleep...hearing yapping and yowling nearby, knowing they're ripping at the rotting carcass of a beloved horse. *sigh*. Hope this stops them, and they don't just dig another hole in.

I suspect something nasty happened while they were dumping the rocks, because suddenly there was a LOT of top-of-the-lungs yelling and hollering from the boys out in the field...I was about 1/4 mile away with Quzqo by the arena, but I sure heard it, LOL! Didn't sound like arguing, sounded like something really upsetting. I hope the weight of the rocks didn't cause the
carcass to "pop"...they were yelling loud enough to make me wonder. Wind was blowing away from me, so I won't know. But I hope that takes care of it. I feel a little better knowing it was coyotes somehow. They aren't liable to come bouncing around the yard with a leg in their mouth.

I took Leela the Dalmatian out with me (leaving her in the car until I was ready to ride, so as to safeguard the new barn kittens), she hasn't been on a trail ride in over a year. See how Quzqo likes her and all. Surprise to me...she didn't "get it" that I was on a new horse...was the strangest thing...she kept looking around for me, never mind I was yards away! She's used to looking for dark legs with white feet, not white legs! Then she started acting worried and fearful, like Quzqo was dangerous to her...then she decided that playing with the Aussie Shepherd pup was more fun than coming with Mom. Sooo...she earned herself more sitting in the car with no fun time.

Mr. Quzqo is toting a major 'tude this weekend, maybe it's the cool weather (high of 70 today), maybe he's just showing his true colors. But he sure was acting like his cartoon namesake (the arrogant, spoiled human version!!). He earned himself more than one pop with Mr. Whip...he even balked, head-tossed, and reared up twice rather than walk around the corner of the fence to the trail around the fenceline! Oh, yes, he did walk the walk, after Mr. Whip had a short conversation with his butt! He tried a few more little tricks and antics, each one answered in kind with either heels and legs or Mr. Whip. Don't want you to think I'm out there beating on the horse now, we're talking quick, single taps (never more than a tap, don't need more)...and he lowers his head and moodily trudges onwards. I quipped to one of the barn ladies there that it's like dealing with a 13 yr old boy at times. At least I won't have the hormone troubles, heh heh.

Both yesterday and today we had nice trail rides outside the fenceline, today we did some 'sploring in the Forbidden Woods (why did they post the "no trespassing" signs far enough apart that you can walk a horse right between them???), he did VERY good, not a spook or twitch or quiver!! On the way home he was just a'draggin', worse than Tezlu ever did!! Lolly-gagging along, trying to grab some grass or clover, gawking around, just being a snot. So, got his lazy butt trotting, which he didn't like and kept trying to slow down...nope, the heels say TROT! And he did, poor overworked lad. I did try backing him on the trail, by facing him into some dense trees...and after some snotty hesitation, he backed TWO steps for me! We're getting there.

Yes, I can see where an inexperienced or timid rider might have had trouble with him, which might be why he ended up at auction. But unluckily for him, *I* can give as good as I'm given...which he knows, he just chooses to forget occasionally!

Horse show this coming weekend!!! Halter & Leadline! Thus begins the Makeover once again! Need to dig out my White Horse Shampoo and baby oil and styling gel and hoof polish and...

A VERY Disgusting Topic (Don't Read if You're Squeamish)

Fri Aug 13, 2004

The coyotes have found Tezlu's grave.

DAMN them...they've got a good three-foot deep trench dug right down to him...I know I shouldn't have looked, but you know I had to...nothing like seeing your beloved friend of 15 years' bare rib cage sticking out of unnamed and unmentionable "stuff"...I got pretty upset, as you can imagine...imagine the smell if you will (only downwind). Plus now theres a big three-foot deep hole dug right in a horse pasture...I can just see some horse falling in there and getting hurt! Not to mention Tez was pumped so full of anesthetic (enough to kill a horse!!!), those frigging coyotes are going to be ingesting it and could die!

No one was around I could tell about this (I doubt the owner/etc walk that far out into the back field), I couldn't lift the big rocks I wanted to move (the farking coyotes had dug UNDER the big slab of concrete I'd put on top of the grave, didn't stop 'em one bit). So, I left a very interesting note on the blackboard...surely an attention getter. I hope they can just use the bucket loader and move some of the HUGE chunks of concrete from nearby and pile it on top (after putting the dirt back in the hole the coytes dug). If not, well...if I see one of those Aussie Shepherds dragging a bay leg with a white stocking around the barnyard, I won't be responsible for my actions.

That'd make a great "event" during their big two-day horse show next weekend, impress the visitors and entrants to no end. Esp. since the arena is downwind from the Hole.

Shit, you'd think they'da buried him DEEPER than three feet!!! I buried a hen that deep and the dogs found her and dug her up (and ate her and dragged her legs around the yard...that was memorable)

*sigh*

I hadn't been out to bother Quzqo since Sunday...busy with the County Fair & all. Yeah, he'd reverted to a snot...doesn't take him long, that's for sure. As one lady there mentioned "The fun of working with babies"...yeah, joy, I have a baby all right. Spoiled Emperor Kuzco, not the Kind, Sharing Emperor Kuzco. Lucky for him I'd bought a new lunge whip today, so we got to spend some quality time in the round pen. I've been working on voice commands, and he is getting it! I'd say "canTER" and off he'd go! When I had him tuckered out and humbled enough, I planned to ride, but discovered I'd forgotten to bring a bridle down with me!!! (the round pen's about 1000 feet from the barn...all uphill going back)...heck with it, I was in a round pen, I just tied the lead rope to his halter (both sides), had my sissy Tellington-Jones Balance Rein (rope around his neck), and rode him that way! He didn't like it, but if I remembered to not pull the reins, but to use the Balance Rein, he'd lower his head and round his back.

BIG news though...I got him to canter!! Just with the balance rein, the voice command, and good hearty kicks with my outside leg, LOL! It got that he started anticipating me, so I had to go back to just trotting and walking. He's a lot harder to control without a bit (and a whip), but since we were in a round pen, I didn't worry about that. I was just so pleased he cantered repeatedly for me!!

AND I got him to back! Nicely too...TWO steps this time! Pulling on the balance rein helped, so the pressure was on his neck/chest AND on his nose (with the halter).

We might do that some more tomorrow, and throw a trail ride into the mix...won't forget the bridle this time!

A New Career Path

Sat Jul 24, 2004

Embarking on yet another career path, last night (Friday) Quzqo got introduced to the exciting world of letting toddlers ride him!! My niece and her two oldest children came by to see the new horse and pay their respects to Tezlu...we picked wildflowers to put on his grave...the damned coyotes had been at it again and had a nice deep trench dug...and at the bottom it was seething with fly maggots! Oh, hoorah! The boy, "GJ" asked "What's THAT?" and as my niece and I kicked rocks into the hole "Oh, nothing"...arrgh! But we bedecked the rocks with the flowers and the girl (Celine) left a carrot as well...I wonder how long THAT would stay there, with the other 20 horses in the pasture, ha! I didn't smell anything, but maybe they could and would stay away...it was obvious the flies (and coyotes) could detect some odor...poor Lou, harassed in death as in life. Unless those coyotes can lift big heavy rocks, I don't think they'll be bothering him any more.

Quzqo was easy to approach in the open pasture, and enjoyed the carrot...for some reason the boy didn't think Quzqo was going to eat him...he was always convinced Tezlu WAS going to, LOL! The girl insisted on leading Quzqo back to the barn...I helped of course (she's only 5)...the horse pretty much lead HER into the barn as you can imagine.

He endured being brushed by those two, and my niece was very impressed that the horse was so calm (she's the one Tez threw into the fence when she was a teen) (ah, memories!!). I lunged him to get the P&V out, and then we tacked him up to see how he might do in lead line.

It probably helped that it was the end of the day, the horse was dragging and yawning, ha! But surprisingly both kids were able to get him moving, turn him this way and that, stop him, etc...he complied just fine! Both kids even were able to ride him unassisted, and they were walking him all over the arena! Not a funny twitch or spook or tail-swish at all...little 5 & 6 yr olds riding him like old pros!! (neither one had ridden a horse alone as far as I knew).

Now my niece has to compile proper Lead Line outfits for both kids by August 21, LOL! Luckily it's a two-day show, so each kid has a chance to compete!

Can't Win 'Em All

Sun Jul 18, 2004

Day Two of our first show! Interestingly, this was about the "loneliest" show I've ever been to, *sigh*. There's just as many cliques in the real horse world as in the model horse world.

Quzqo wasn't in a good mood, I think he was sick of being away from "home" and had just about enough of me, the fairgrounds, not having any grain, and the HUGE leopard appaloosa stalled next door to him (gorgeous mare!). Miraculously he had NO poop stains on him in the morning, He must have just missed all the piles when he slept last night, LOL!

Wisely we didn't enter Novice Showmanship...no need to go looking for humiliation at a horse show! BUT we DID enter the Halter Jackpot class ($10 entry fee!)! Only five entries in there...four stock breeds and Quzqo! I did try the "kinder, gentler" approach...i.e. a shorter lead when we trotted (he still had plenty of room to float), no carrot in my left hand to make him want to climb on top of me to get it, in fact, I focused on getting his feet in the proper position and let it go at that, not worrying about making his neck arch or stargaze or what have you! The placings in the Jackpot class only went to third, and the first two placing went to Professional "A" circuit Paint trainers...and third place was QUZQO!! WhooHOOOOO!!!

Of course that left me all super-confident about our chances in his Breed class...hopefully the judge would remember him from that Jackpot and place him (first!) accordingly! My hope sort of sank as the morning wore on...the fairgrounds seemed to be SEETHING with Arabians!! They weren't here YESTERDAY...but they were there today! Including a VERY cool majorly-fleabit gelding...he looked almost Appaloosa, the fleabites were so huge on him! There was another fleabit grey with slight dappling on his butt, and a very classic profile...a gelding...*sigh*. A beautiful dappled bay mare...that's okay, it's a mare...

Finally Pleasure Type Gelding class came, we were first in the ring, he floated at the trot and even circled to the right at a trot with me...I swear, I had goosebumps, he did so good! I got him set up and left him in that pose!

Four in the class...Quzqo ...the afore-mentioned fleabit Arabian with the classic profile...a GORGEOUS Morgan (who won both Saddleseat classes the day before), and the TWH (#100) that took the Championship yesterday. Yes, I was disappointed when we took 4th out of 4...the Morgan took first and went on to take the Championship..he WAS beautiful, so I took some solace in the fact we were beaten by the Champ.

Quzqo DID have a spate of diarrhea before the class...I thought maybe, since I forgot to clean his butt off, that may have counted against him...the other fleabit took 3rd...the other Arabian also had a very white tail, where Cusco's was still vaguely yellowed..

However in the evening, when Bob, the barn owner, was leading Quzqo towards the trailer for the trip home, I looked at him objectively...and yes, he is sort of rangey and thin...ribs visible, all angles..the other Arabian was rounded and more mature...maybe that's it. But Crikey, considering 50 days ago Cusco was at a livestock auction in Chicago...I think he's come pretty
damned far, eh???

Next horse show is August 21 at the barn where I board (no trailering, and he can sleep in his own stall!)!

I DID tack him up after his classes and rode him a little bit in the warm-up ring at the fairgrounds, but he'd reverted almost back to his old wacky self, with the bolting for the gate, head-tossing, spinning, and just being BAD...so maybe ridden classes won't be in his future this year. I prefer the Halter...less stress. In fact, watching the ridden classes this weekend, I felt absolutely NO desire to do one. Been there, done that. Halter's fun enough for me, you spend a lot less on tack & clothes, LOL!

Our First Horse Show!!

Sat Jul 17, 2004

Halter, yes....Showmanship, No!

What a FUN day!! I like showing Halter! No work, no sweating, no soreness, just run around a little bit and let the horse be pretty!!

On a stupid whim I entered Novice Showmanship...Quzqo ain't no showmanship horse, he didn't hold still one second, wiggled all over the place, but our amazing performance got the judges grinning at the foolishness of it all, and two 6th place rosettes (out of 6 entries, LOL!)

Pleasure Type Geldings only had 4 entries )...two TWHs, a Morgan, and Quzqo! I see by the photo that I need to work on getting him to not crowd me, but my my, didn't he set up nice (it was the chunk of carrot in my left hand that did it...without the carrot he wouldn't do what I asked) (ditto without the whip, he was just a wandering slug, LOL!)

Under "Judge A" we placed 3rd, which was okay, considering it was my first ever attempt at Halter showing (and his, for all I know). But under Judge "B" we placed 2nd, which meant we were eligible for the Championship Show-Back! WhooHOOO!!! Just like model horses! (lol)

For the Pleasure Type Champion that also included the Mares (were no pleasure type stallions or foals...all stock breeds at that show), and I had a foolish hope, but the TWHs WERE gorgeous, and the Champion was #100, the TWH in front of us in the above pic. He WAS gorgeous (and I hope will NOT be there tomorrow, LOL!)

Cusco spent most the rest of the day lounging in his stall (I caught him sleeping at one point). I'm dead on my feet...they were JUST beginning the Western Pleasure classes when I finally left (at 5 p.m.!) I don't envy those exhibitors...there's like 20 classes to go!

Tomorrow I think we'll try the Halter Jackpot class (were only 4 entries this morning, with a cash payback), plus of course his breed class. Hopefully those Walkers won't be back (they weren't stalled, they were with horse trailers, which meant they weren't spending the night). But even if they are, it'll be a different judge (one who likes Arabians...I heard that the two ladies today were stock horse fans, so maybe they didn't know a good Arabian when they saw one).

Going to try a "calmer" approach...they (the judges) may not have appreciated/understood my trotting him on a loose/long lead...but the other girl showing an Arabian (mare) had her hand right by that horse's face, with maybe 6" of slack...that isn't right either! Well, it's all a learning
experience, and I've got 4 more shows I can go to this summer to work on it!!

Those Pre-Show Panic Attacks

Fri Jul 16, 2004

Agh! I've forgotten how STRESSFUL it is in the times leading up to a horse show (it's been like 9 years since I've shown!). I left work an hour early and got out to the barn around 5, figuring I could then finish clipping Quzqo and sand his hooves/put a first coat of polish on. I hiked on out to the pasture to get the horse...he wasn't with the other horses, but maybe further up, down in the valley where I couldn't see him...so I hiked up hills to the furthest point...NO horses! ARGH! The horse was GONE! He wasn't in his stall, so logically one must deduce...they all ready took them out to the fairgrounds!! GRRGH!!! Yep, when I hiked back to the barn, the helpful teen girls said "sure, they took them out around 2 p.m.!" Well CRAP, a friggin' phone call or NOTE on the blackboard might have been helpful!!! Save me the 3/4 mile hike round trip looking for him (I'm wearing my pedometer today!)

So I packed up the essentials (baby oil, fly spray, booger rags, the usual stuff) and drove across the county to the fairgrounds...it was PACKED, with a dozen or so horses being worked in the main arena, never mind the show isn't until tomorrow! I didn't even think that people would arrive the day before, but I guess so. When I DID do shows, the barn was like 4 miles from the fairgrounds, so we never worried about renting stalls or staying overnight.

I spotted Quzqo in a stall first thing (pretty distinguishable, being so SMALL!), and he was glad to see me, I warranted an actual welcoming nicker! A first!! He has a nice open-sided box stall (wire grating), it'll be balmy nights, no problem there. Gave him some water & some hay, he was obviously famished, poor guy! I've learned over the years that you can't make a hungry horse focus on ANYthing but food, so might as well let him eat a bit.

Walked around, looking at the other horses...I MUST take pictures, there seems to be a plethora of COOL-colored equines! A gorgeous sorrel red roan (flaxen m/t), a deep chocolate palomino with big dapples, a way cool red roan overo...Droooool!!! I noticed with amusement most the horses from our barn were brown...two dapple greys (counting Quzqo), the rest bays and
chestnuts, LOL!

But the most interesting and optimistic fact...Quzqo is the ONLY Arabian there! Heh heh. Okay, yeah, sure, I know, a thousand more horses could trailer in tomorrow, maybe even the ones from the show stable I used to board at, but knowing them, they'd have reserved stalls...and I didn't see their name anywhere...let's hope, eh? I don't need Quzqo to compete against $10,000 Wayne Newton-bred Egyptian Class "A" Arabians thank yew!

With a LOT of difficulty I did manage to find an electrical outlet and get Quzqo s fetlocks trimmed, sanded his hooves and got some hoof polish on him (he did NOT like that, it probably felt cold). I walked him around the fairgrounds a bit, and into the arena...I DO wish they'da mowed the thing first, it's full of tempting yellow clover...very distracting for the horse,
*sigh*

On a whim I took him into the warm-up ring (nobody in there) and tried some showmanship moves...stopping, setting up, turning, trotting, stopping...and damned if he didn't do it like a pro!!! Even when I turned him, he planted that one hind foot and spun on it!!! Thus I have decided to add "Novice Showmanship, 19 & Over" to our class schedule tomorrow!!!

Also practiced setting him up for halter, using a carrot piece in my left hand...not any surprise by now, he set up (forelegs square, left hind leg behind, neck stretched UP and OUT)..repeatedly!!! Dayum!!

Left him around 7:30, immersed in his hay, with about a foot of clean, fresh sawdust in the stall (hey, it's included in the stall rental!)...might get out there around 8 a.m., that'll give me time to trim those few whiskers I missed last night! My Showmanship is the 2nd to the last Showmanship (right before "PeeWee Showmanship", LOL!! (10 & Under). Hey, I've got no pride, I'll be a Novice!

Was sure a LOT of crabby overweight middle-aged women there, cursing their horses and life in general...not real impressed. I was kind of smug that my lone Arabian is just fine with his long, loose mane, as dozens of stock breed showers were cursing and fussing, banding their horses' manes, LOL!! Suckers!!!

Ah me. Tomorrow'll be a long day! Made my lunch, got the cameras loaded with film & fresh batteries, my co-worker WILL come and take pix...so...Stay Tuned!

Wonder Boy Does It Again!

Thu Jul 15, 2004

What CAN'T that horse do???? (besides CANTER!!!)

Tonight was Quzqo's Spa Night...getting himself all beautified for the horse show this weekend! They're trailering them to the fairgrounds tomorrow evening, so I had to do the bathing stuff tonight! He did pretty good for the bath, got rather agitated when I was washing his butt...he's very butt-sensitive, poor guy, but seemed to enjoy drinking the water from the hose, LOL!! He wasn't dirty at all, just a couple grass stains here and there. He's all purdy and clean now!! I gave his tail another shot of White Minx to make sure it stays WHITE!

When he was pretty much dried I started trimming what I could...got the bridle path all neat and tidy, and BIG surprise, he was FINE with me trimming his jaw and muzzle, didn't care one whit!! AND he let me do his eyes! (I only did the upper whiskers, and sort of half-trimmed the
lower...he aint' goin' into Showmanship after all). AND, (Tah DAH!!!!) he let me trim his EARS!!! Okay, I didn't hollow them out like a die-hard person might, but I trimmed the huge fluffy "old man" hair he had hanging out the bottom, and sharpened up the edges (he's got the cutest little
"points" of hair on the tippy-tips!!). Dayum, he is looking SHARP!!!

I need to trim the feathers off his fetlocks yet (they're pretty long), but they were too wet from his bath (I had trouble trimming his lips due to the drooling, LOL). I can do that tomorrow along with sanding his hooves and putting the first coat of polish on them. He's now wearing a good coating of Show Sheen (silicone spray), and smells awful purdy for a horse, LOL!! If his posse in the pasture thought he was a sissy boy before, they'll KNOW it now! He was pretty disgusted by that time, it was 8:30 and he hadn't had his hay yet!! Poor lad!

But he looks AWESOME...if I say so myself! I hope it's sunny Saturday morning so he'll just GLEAM like I know he will!

Soooooo nice to not have to worry about RIDING him, LOL! Kinda relaxing! Now I need to make up LUNCHES to take with me, and all those last-minute things. I found Tezlus' shipping boots, gotta take those out to the barn tomorrow! I should have taken tomorrow off from work!! *sigh*

(gotta remember the Baby Oil too! AND fly spray!! And an old T-shirt
to wipe up horse drool!!!)

Aw Geeze...

Mon Jul 12, 2004

Arrgh!!!

Just got back from the Barn, both Bob's daughters invited me (and Quzqo) to come with them to a fair-sized 2-day horse show being held at the local county fairgrounds THIS WEEKEND! For his Halter Debut...and they were trying to talk me into showing/riding him in "Novice Walk-Trot Rider Over 19" (since he won't canter, LOL). I tried to tell them I'm probably known as no Novice Rider (after running over numerous judges with Tezlu over the years), but they figured nobody will know me there, plus I hadn't shown in like 8-9 years (gads!!)

They've got stalls reserved at the fairgrounds all ready, plenty of room in the trailers (they're taking two 4-horse slant loads)...shit!!

Now of course my mind is all a'twirl...shit...I really need to get a longer chain for his show halter NOW...plus that special whitening shampoo for his yellow tail, and hoof polish, and clip his whiskers and ears...ARRRGH!!!

I ain't riding him, THAT I know for sure! We're lucky if we can trot around the arena in one continuous loop...of course if he acts goofy, then they would assume I'm a novice rider, LOL!

Dang!

Good Boy, Quzqo!

Sun Jul 11, 2004

Another stellar day for the Wonder Horse! Today he got another visit from the vet for his West Nile booster...she injected him in the tender buttal area, and surprised me that he didn't kick her! But he shocked her by bleeding profusely all over the floor! Oh, she felt SO bad about that...commenting what a "delicate grey" he is...goody. Yes, she got the bleeding stopped...my poor guy!!

At least the hair on his face that was rubbed down to the black skin is growing back, now that he's turned out halter-less...delicate grey indeed!!

Rode him indoors in the shade, and got him to canter THREE times! Maybe five strides at the most, but still...his canter is HORRIBLE...disjointed and rough, but it's probably because he's not used to doing it with a passenger! We'll work on that, not like I'm real anxious to have a horse that can run off with me (again), LOL!

After working inside, we did head out on the trail again, going the opposite way around the property from yesterday. He did GREAT, except for an explosive blow-up over a little black birdie that flitted out of the tall grass in front of us...a great 180 degree spin, I lost a stirrup but stayed on and got him turned the right way again, LOL! Goofy boy. We met Bob (the barn owner) and a prospective sales customer out on their own trail ride, and I commented about the spook...the woman (who is shopping for a totally bomb-proof recreational riding horse), commented "SEE? That's what I've had enough of!!" LOL! Hell, girlfriend, that's what makes 'em interesting!!!

But what I liked was that when they rode off opposite the direction we were riding in, Quzqo didn't care one whit that the other horses were leaving him, he was perfectly content to be alone with me! That's a Big Deal, believe you me!

He finally got to wear his fly sheet today, the flies are bad enough. Goofy me forgot to tie the tail strap thingee though, and remembered that when he was halfway back to the barn. I was dying of thirst, so got a drink, by the time I got back out, I could see him out in the field, with the fly
sheet hanging from his neck on the ground!!! Aaak!!!

I hurried out there, figuring he couldn't run off, he'd step on the sheet and fall down!!! But, Mr. Perfect stood out there quietly, and waited for me to get there. Got it on straight, tied the tail thing, and rigged a belly strap out of some baling twine...he let me, never mind he didn't have a
halter or anything on him making him stay put in the middle of that 30 acre field of grass and horses!!

When I was walking back to the barn I glanced back and saw he was ROLLING! Oh great...but when he got back up, the sheet was right where I left it...straight and secure! Whew!!

Tezlu had one of those sheets last year until the other mean horses tore it off of him. A couple of geldings were sort of harassing/herding Quzqo around, probably making fun of him for wearing the sissy sheet, never mind one of them had a goofy fly mask on, LOL! He'll be fine.

Dang Model Horse People

Sun Jul 11, 2004

You know how difficult it so to find an Arabian Show Halter on eBay when 95%
of the search results are for BREYER MODEL HORSES!! Grrrgh!!!

Trying to find one for Quzqo, the one I bought last week (on eBay) is too
SMALL for (even) him. Luckily I've got around 45 days 'til the horse show,
but still...

Learned to Lead

Wed Jul 7, 2004

Got Mr. Quzqo ALL gussied up now, ready and waiting to begin his show career in Halter at least! The show at the barn isn't until late August, so we've got time, but now is the time to prep. He's got a proper Arabian bridle path, and Monday I put his tail "up" with t-shirt ribbons for fly-swatting, to give it a chance to grow longer without catching on the stall boards or door latches! Even found him a black & silver Arabian show halter on eBay which should be here Friday...then to take some proper halter portraits!

Yes, at long last, thanks to Linda Tellington-Jones and that Australian guy (Clinton Anderson is it?), I was able to "teach" Cusco how to trot along with me on a lead! Before he wouldn't, he'd plant his feet and rear back, but with the help of Mr. Whip and the afore-mentioned video trainers, within a very short time I had him just trotting right along with me as smart as you please! Thus sealing his fate as at least going into ONE halter class in August!! I don't know if real horse judges look past any "surface flaws" and go by the actual ABC's of a horse, or if he'll be penalized for his scrapes and scuffies from his tough life on the auction circuit, or his truncated forehooves where they had to be trimmed back severely, or the rubs on his face from the halter, but I don't care, I'll pay my $4 and make 'em look at him anyway. He's so damned purdy otherwise, I dunno, *I* can't see anything conformationally wrong with him!

Got to go on a short trail ride with some of the teens Monday, and Quzqo was perfect (other than stumbling three times that made me flash back to Tezlu) (he was VERY tired, yawning even; they had left him outside in the field all night, so he probably didn't get much sleep, not used to that outdoor camping). Looking forward to when I can take him out by myself! I may give it a shot this weekend, he's calming down a LOT, as he gains confidence and trust...I can tell just by working with him, he's def. getting more comfortable, and I with him as well!

Yep, gonna be an interesting Summer!