My Reality Check Is Bouncing

Sunday, May 30, 2004

NO mere mortal horse can be so good. It just ain't natural!!! And not for $350!!

Yep, Day Two of Quzqo Ownership...not a single part of my body is in pain, bruised or broken. I have not eaten any dirt, my glasses have not been knocked off, nor have I feared for my life. Pretty good I'd say!

Mr. Cusco, or as I am spelling it on his stall sign just to be obnoxious, "Quzqo", is transforming before my eyes. I'm wary now...WHY did the original owner sell him? WHY was he sold off so cheap. Is he a killer? Was his original owner allergic? Does he drop and roll if you cue him for a canter? Or was it because he was too smart for those people and got his way...such as his little displays earlier in the week (the rearing, the bucking, the rushing, the gate antics).

Well, thanks to the Wise Friends and their advice, today, Quzqo is no longer ring sour!! I rode him, and I had trouble keeping him on the rail; he wanted NOTHING to do with the gates!! LOL!!! Now, I do have another theory...it just so happened that while I was riding him, there were 3 or 4 other horses in the arena with us, and a couple in the aisles being tacked up. He was
fine as could be. We worked the rail, we rested in the middle of the arena.

But the teenage girls all evacuated the barn to go ride outdoors (with the 20+ mph winds, go for it!). There was one horse left tied in the aisle...and damned if Quzqo didn't start oozing towards the rail where that horse was, and started to balk and head-toss! Nothing like previously...but now I'm wondering if he isn't "ring sour" per se, but just insecure and desireous of other equine company! Because when the girls came back in, he settled down again, and trotted past that horse like it wasn't even there. He's constantly whinneying at the other horses...I bet that's part of his "issues" right now!

But I did trot him, and he DID trot for quite a while this time (I had trouble keeping him going on Friday)...his gait has really loosened up...no more choppy jarring trot, his trot was as smooth as warm chocolate! WONDERFUL! Okay, yes, true, I've been riding a horse with a limp for the
past 7 years, but even discounting that...I was very impressed! He didn't try to run off, didn't grab the bit, slowed and collected when I asked him to...

Maybe tomorrow I'll be brave and try cantering him. I'm chicken, I'll admit, but getting more confident each day!

More amazing things: while riding him, a white plastic shopping bag started slowly blowing down the aisle on its own...Quzqo glanced at it and kept on walking. You know how far up into the rafters Tezlu would have jumped at that? He'd have hopped out of his skin and gone galloping nekkid across the arena!

I was lunging Quzqo with the saddle on...but I forgot to tighten the cinch before starting. He's trotting around and around...the saddle starts to slip...slip...slip...I tell him to "whoa", he stops, just as the saddle slips over and is hanging UNDER HIS BELLY! He STANDS there! Looking at me! Like, "well? I thought you were experienced at tacking up a horse!". He let me undo the cinch, the saddle fell to the ground beneath him, I had to lead him away from the saddle, as he kept standing there.

I don't need to mention how apeshit Tezlu would have exploded if that happened (that one time he threw my niece into the fence and went galloping around the arena with my Stubben saddle under his belly; broke the saddle tree AND snapped the metal stirrup iron...I still have that stirrup).

If I hadn't had all ready bought Quzqo, I tell ya, I would have bought him on the spot after that little demonstration!!

Still shaking my head in wonderment...

I Didn't Believe It!

Saturday May 29, 2004 5:14 pm

$350.

Three Hundred and Fifty Bucks.

That's all Bob wanted for Quzqo.

That's figuring the "freight" of getting him up here from Chicago...his Coggins & vaccinations.

Good thing I can keep a straight face. But then, he did say days ago I could buy him at cost. He said otherwise he'd want around $850. (which I would have been happy to pay as well). (Tezlu cost me $2000, after I knocked the price down by $1000).

Yep, I bought him. Wrote the check out on the spot.

AND he's giving me Tezlu's stall back (he's got a gorgeous buttermilk dun QH in there now)(one of his sales horses, not a paying boarder). So I imagine tomorrow Quzqo will be in Stall "M".

I still don't believe it!!! I don't know who's sweeter; the horse, or Bob!!

Quzqo and I had a good day today. I heeded the wise advice, and when I took him to the outdoor arena, I lunged him HARD right by the main gate. I mean trotting and cantering (I haven't seen that horse gallop yet) in deep, soft sand, and every time he came around to the gate, I gave an extra POP with the lunge whip...after a few times, he'd start rushing PAST the gate before I could snap the whip, then slow to a trot on the other side of the circle, then dig in and RUSH past the gate, then slow to a trot, LOL!

Then we'd take a break, walk to the center of the arena, catch our breath, he'd get pats and an apple slice, watch the world go by...then back by the gate, and lunge his brains out AGAIN!. We repeated that maybe 5 times...there were people riding in the arena by then, so didn't want to be in their way too much. We retired to the round pen and I let him off the line, and he ran and ran, with the bonus of a SCARY mud patch near THAT gate, so combining the scary mud AND the snapping whip, he didn't want anything to do with that gate. In fact, when we were done, I had to pull him towards the gate, LOL!

He's smart..he's a VERY very smart horse.

He does respond to some voice commands...knows what "whoa" means...he was free-lunging in the round pen at a canter, I told him whoa, and he'd stop and turn towards me...gee, just like in the John Lyons videos!!

We eventually went back into the barn, where the poor guy found himself being lunged in THAT arena, by the gate...he wants nothing to do with gates now, LOL!!! I had to get my lead rope I left by the gate, and I swear, I had to PULL that horse along, he did NOT want to get near it!

Tomorrow, we try this under saddle. Put down some cavaletti, etc. Oh, there's plenty of things we can do...I'm expert at entertaining horses.

Trimmed him a bridlepath, he looks much better!!

(Now I get to go Horse Shopping to buy stuff for the new horse...he needs splint boots & stuff!!) (Luckily fleabit dapple grey goes good with black & red, which was Tezlu's color scheme)

Training Thoughts

Saturday, May 29, 2004

A Helpful Friend Suggests: Maybe if he's been ridden in a bosal he might like a bitless bridle,
perhaps a side pull....???.

Actually yesterday I DID start with a bosal, but didn't even get on him. As soon as we got into the arena, he started flinging his head around and rearing up...that worried me, so I chickened out, and put the snaffle on him. He's VERY light in the mouth, needs very little contact at all, which was a Bad Thing when he spooked at the outside trail gate, I had to spend valuable nanoseconds gathering up the slack, by which time he had already spun 180 degrees.

I hear bosals aren't real good for steering...he neck reins nice, but how good is that in a panic situation?

It'll take a while for ME to get used to going from a hard-mouthed, heavy-headed, stubborn horse with a floating hunter trot, to a soft-mouth, light, cuddly horse with a prissy little horse trot, LOL.

I did try some research on ring sourness on the web, and they all pretty much concur with the Wise Friends...work outside arenas, vary the routine, etc. We WERE doing a lot of circles and serpentines yesterday, and he did work best away from the gates. Trouble is, the indoor arena has 4 gates (one on each side), the outdoor arena has 3 gates...gates gates everywhere!!

Can always work on a flat piece of lawn.

I like the idea of giving him treats IN the arena, that's a very good idea. I haven't given him anything treat-wise...I spoiled Tez because he was old and deserved it, but this guy has no such excuse...but I'll try that.

I think today I'll just concentrate on ground work...lunging, leading, etc, maybe "in-hand" trail...I noticed he wasn't afraid of the tractor and cultivator when I was leading him to the outdoor arena, but when I was RIDING him back, he was terrified of it...so perhaps he has more confidence in me on the ground than on his back.

Gonna pop the question to Bob today...."How Much", LOL!

I had thought I should take the summer off from horses, but they're right, "there's nothing better for than the inside of a (wo)man than the outside of a horse"...I still cry for Tezlu, he was a damned GREAT horse (for me), but now that empty, paniced feeling I had last week is replaced with "what to do with Cusco" thoughts...

I have a feeling I'll be at the barn this afternoon instead of planting my vegetable garden...

Dying to trim him a bridlepath...

Friday, May 28 2004

His ground manners are heavenly!!! I turned him loose in the indoor ring to romp and play, which he did, ended up by the open doors, I went over to take some pix, and as I walked away, damned if he didn't just tag along like a faithful dog!! Right at my elbow, it was creepy!! He doesn't know me from Adam, unless now he knows I'm the nice lady who brushes him and makes sure he has water in his quarantine stall.

He has some yellow discharge coming from one eye, I had a little bit of paper towel to wipe it away, he flung his head back and away, rolling eyes and all worked up, but just with some pets and letting him inspect the paper towel, he let me wipe the goo right off, let out a big sigh, and started flapping his lips like they do when they're relaxed, LOL! Score one for me!

Took my time getting on him, as he got REAL nervous...so I just stood on the mounting block for a bit, then put one foot in the stirrup, took it out, put it in, put some weight on it, took it out, and after a bit, got up in the saddle, he immediately took off, but didn't buck and rear like the last
time.

He lunges like a dream, he's a perfect gentleman, he's mellow and calm. Main problem I see is that he's VERY ring-sour. EVERY gate we came to, he'd stop and if I tried to keep him going or turn, he'd resist, fling his head, start to rear, and just carry on. For the record, I've won every battle so far, but still...

I also rode him outdoors in the outdoor arena, and he was SO ring sour out there, he would try to bolt for the gate, with even more high dramatics if I tried to turn him away from his Precious. Hmmm. I shall have to discuss this with Bob...unless some one can refer me to how to break this bad habit.

Figuring he wasn't much good in an arena, I got brave and rode him outside the arena. We had a little drama queen incident near some picnic tables, but once he saw I wasn't buying what he was selling, he edged past the Scary Tables without more than a tensed back and (I presume) rolling eyes.

Took him along the outside of the fenceline near the road, he didn't flinch when cars and trucks zoomed by...that's good. Up the other side to where a pair of metal gates are (closed in winter to keep snowmobilers off the property)...the wind gusted, the gates creaked slightly, horse JAMS on the brakes, I almost go flying off, but kept my seat! Had to spin him around a few times, he'd jump every time the wind made the gates creak...finally we just stood about 15 feet away, the gates would creak, he'd flinch...creak...flinch...creak...flinch. I got him to take a step towards the gates when the wind gusted, so he tried spinning again. I really do need to get a narrower bit for him, that might help with the control.

After a bit I got bored, so we turned around (because *I* wanted to, mind you) and headed down another trail to the top of a grassy hill, turned around (because *I* wanted to), and walked back to the barn. VERY pleased he wasn't barn sour, he walked slower back than leaving, I was worried he'd try to bolt. Nope. He didn't want to go in the barn, kept trying to head towards
the pastures, can't blame him.

Guess he won't be seeing the inside of a show arena this year, unless it's an in-hand class, LOL. Well, I'll find out what Bob wants for him, and discuss working on this ring sour nonsense. If only he weren't such a damned sweetie otherwise!!

I'm dying to trim him a bridlepath!

Cusco - Qusqo - Kuzko - Quzqo

Thursday, May 27, 2004

You guys enjoyed my Tezlu stories...now you're getting "Cusco" stories, LOL! Or as it's properly spelled, "Quzqo" (That'd drive any showring announcer insane, wouldn't it?) (I see "Cusco" means "Navel of the Earth"...dunno if that's a proper name for a horse, LOL...a horse that looks like a Llama anyway).

Did go back to the barn tonight, nervous as hell, I'll admit. I was a little taken aback by all the rearing and head-flinging of last night, but compromised with myself to just do groundwork with the lad, that's always a good thing anyway. He was even more mellow than yesterday, and I was able to lead him outside to the outdoor arena. The round pen was a mud wallow (thanks to today's heavy rain), so I figured to just let him do his thing in the main arena. Imagine my surprise when he took off and started cantering around me on the lunge line like a proper, educated horse!!! LOL! So I guess last night's lack-of-lunging-knowledge was due to being in a new place with new humans and not knowing what to do with himself! He cantered like a
perfect gentleman, not yanking me hither and yon (like another horse I could name...Tezlu!) ...trotting nicely, cantering...I did note he has a nice overstep at the trot (hind hoof placed down in front of the hoofprint left by the forehoof). No crazies, no snorts or bucking or wierdiosity!! Lunged him maybe 20 minutes, and he wasn't even winded!! Uh oh!




I'm getting the "vibes" that he's really a lot mellower than I thought he was...I've known a couple of Arabians like that at the old barn we were at, you could almost put them in your pocket, they were such sweeties. I think at this time in my life, I'm due for a sweetie mellow horse.

Bob, the barn owner told me he'd talked to the people he bought the horse from, and they had been riding him in a bosel...at 6 (or 8 or 10)! He sure worked sweet with the snaffle yesterday though. Hmmmm.

I took tomorrow off for a long weekend, so I'll see how he does tomorrow...some lunging, some riding, we'll see. I feel a lot more confident now that I know he's not a wild crazy nutburger. I have to LOL at Bob's warning yesterday that this horse might "have more energy than you want"...he really never knew Tezlu in his prime, LOL. By this time in my relationship with Tezlu I had suffered a broken finger, sprained knee, and numerous scrapes to my hands, LOL!!

God, I sure hope little Quzqo ain't too expensive....he's not registered, so that's a plus...I'll find out this weekend I'm sure..

(One of the barn moms told me tonight she'd put some flowers on Tezzer's grave, I started getting all sniffly and teary...I'm still a mess.)

Oh Great, Another Arabian

Wed May 26, 2004

I went out to the barn tonight, to maybe ride Prince or Tru, those two "loaner horses" from this winter that I rode while Tezlu was lame. I barely walk in the door when Bob, the barn owner, sees me and says "Hey Sue, I found something for you! C'mon back and have a look!" Oh, great...now what!

Turns out he JUST happened to be down in Chicago yesterday to a horse sale (?????) and JUST happened to come back with a gorgeous, petite, fleabitten grey Arabian Gelding! Gentle, broke, you can ride him with just a halter, neck reins, maybe 14HH if that much...

I'm welcome to play with him, ride him, work him, whatever I want. If I like him, well then, he'll sell him to me at cost...and from the hints I gathered that ain't very much. Also judging from the fact the horse had hooves badly in need of a trim (farrier coming tomorrow)...no 5-figure showhorse would have such overgrown and chipped hooves.



And JUST so happened that the vet stopped by tonight as well (same one that sent Tezlu on his way), and she JUST happened to do a checkup on that gelding while I was there...pointing out all the good healthy things about him. She guestimates him to be around 6 years old (I didn't think he was that old, considering how dark a fleabit grey he is), he's got a slightly overshot lower jaw, but she didn't think that would matter any. Got him all blood tested and vaccinated, asked me what his name was...hell if I know, don't think he has one, so she named him "Oasis" for now.

Well, I did brush him, and he had VERY nice ground manners, picked his feet right up for picking, not head shy in the least, settled right down and enjoyed the brushing. Was odd to brush a horse with meat on his bones, LOL. SO short too, tiny tiny horse, mutton withered, wide-chest, long sloping shoulders, no rafter butt.

Saddled him up, he had no issues with that at all, though the pad was huge on him...and the girth too! Was surprised as hell when I put the bridle on, he about picked it up and put it on himself! Very gentle, very friendly, very "people-oriented" (but it IS an Arabian)

He didn't know how to lunge, great...I got on him, he immediately took off & started bucking before I got my right foot in the stirrup, but spun him in
some circles & got my foot in. He was full of Piss & Vinegar...not surprising, if he'd been in a stall for at least two days, never mind the 7 hr drive up from Chicago in a horse trailer, he def. needed a good workout before being ridden. So, I just walked him...he definitely had his own ideas
of where to go and what to do, but so did I...I'm certainly used to dealing will bull-headed Arabians (Tezlu was an Aries, need I say more?). Little bucking, little rearing, lot of head-tossing, but after a while of walking and circles, he did settle down and turned into a nice, responsive little horse with a good long stride. Very ticklish on the sides, but neck-reined quite nice and was very very light in the mouth with a plain snaffle...Hmmm.

I still feel it's too early to get another horse...but the barn owner did offer to let me play with that horse all I want...so I plan to. Maybe get him in the round pen at least. Review my Richard Shrake videos, LOL.

I think I shall call him "Cusco"...because when you're riding him, the back of his head/neck looks like a Llama ("The Emperor's New Groove" anyone?), LOL!

He's got a nice trot too...I was too chicken to canter him. Not 'til I get a shorter girth anyway. And work his brains out to get that energy level down.

We shall see.

Every Beginning Starts With An Ending

The story of Quzqo would not have happened if not for the death of my beloved old Arabian Gelding, Sierawood Tezlu. Tezlu was foaled April 16, 1975, and was put down on May 21, 2002, after living to the ripe old age of 29. He had collapsed in the pasture and was unable to stand, and was humanely put to sleep on the spot. He is buried very near that spot on a grassy hillside and is missed every day.