I boarded a guy's three horses here for several months last year and then they moved them down south several states away due to a job location. They had a
mare (10) with her gelding (4) and filly (3) that had never been weaned. [edited: Ack, shouldn't have said never been weaned, they're weaned just
never been away from her] The babies were adorable, so-so trained but nothing spectacular. The mare though, holy hell she was the most dominant mare I've
ever seen and one hella bitch - she'd turn butt to you in a heartbeat and freaking built like a tank. After a week or so I told him he needed to pick them
up because the mare was just too much of a bitch and although I could live with that (pastured herd got along fine with her) I couldn't deal with her
showing her butt to me all the time. He agreed to come pick her up but asked if I'd give her one chance and just "call her bluff". I did. I
literally put her in time out in a different pasture and until she was polite and respectful on the ground, she couldn't return to her babies or herd.
After an afternoon of a rodeo with drama like you've never seen while I stook calmly blocking the gate, she quietly walked up, nudged my elbow, and bowed
her head. And she was an angel to me from that moment on. They moved shortly after that with me crying watching her go and right about the time I started
working with a trainer.
After a time my trainer told me I had a real knack for groundwork and asked me to work hers for her, then I started doing my own 3 yr olds and got them ready for her to start under saddle. I love groundwork, love it, and my riding has improved significantly with her help. Many a day my mind would wander to that mare and how I wished I could work her, possibly ride her. I got calls over the past year from the owners with horse questions (droppng weight, behavior issues, yada yada) and always asked them to give her a wither scratch for me but then last week I got the call. Another job is taking them up north, ALL the way up north and they'll be coming through this way as a half way point - could they turn the horses out for a short layover? They weren't sure how it would all go down because they had an extra car minus a driver so I quickly solved it for them - my husband and I drove down to pick up the horses and brought them back over the weekend (they'll just leave that truck here and come back in the fall for it) so the horses could have a couple weeks to layover rather than a day.
We arrived to see them in a small paddock with some of the worst looking hay I've ever seen. The calls for behavior issues were immediately clear, the horses refused to each the shitty hay and the neighbor worked in a bakery so he offered to supply the owners with pulled bread. An entire stock tank was sitting next to their pen filled with loaves of bread. The horses are fat, totally out of shape, and they have the worst coats I've ever seen - like it's *dead* hair??? The mare nudged my cheek and then turned butt to me.
We arrived Sunday evening and I gave her yesterday to relax then took her in
the corral this morning. The cool air, the breeze, the open pastures.... I'm not sure but that mare worked at liberty and followed me around asking what I
wanted her to do. After a little work, I saddled her and gave her a nice workout. After a nice cooldown I hosed her off and thoroughly groomed her, then did
the same with her babies. I called the owner to let him know and he choked on his coffee when I said I had hosed her off. I guess they'd approached her
once with a hose and had to catch her about two miles down the road then repair their fence that she busted through. I thought he'd surely pass out when I
told him the two others actually played in the water - and he just about did.
Hopefully they'll come down off the "bread high" soon and enjoy a couple weeks here, I know I will.
After a time my trainer told me I had a real knack for groundwork and asked me to work hers for her, then I started doing my own 3 yr olds and got them ready for her to start under saddle. I love groundwork, love it, and my riding has improved significantly with her help. Many a day my mind would wander to that mare and how I wished I could work her, possibly ride her. I got calls over the past year from the owners with horse questions (droppng weight, behavior issues, yada yada) and always asked them to give her a wither scratch for me but then last week I got the call. Another job is taking them up north, ALL the way up north and they'll be coming through this way as a half way point - could they turn the horses out for a short layover? They weren't sure how it would all go down because they had an extra car minus a driver so I quickly solved it for them - my husband and I drove down to pick up the horses and brought them back over the weekend (they'll just leave that truck here and come back in the fall for it) so the horses could have a couple weeks to layover rather than a day.
We arrived to see them in a small paddock with some of the worst looking hay I've ever seen. The calls for behavior issues were immediately clear, the horses refused to each the shitty hay and the neighbor worked in a bakery so he offered to supply the owners with pulled bread. An entire stock tank was sitting next to their pen filled with loaves of bread. The horses are fat, totally out of shape, and they have the worst coats I've ever seen - like it's *dead* hair??? The mare nudged my cheek and then turned butt to me.
Hopefully they'll come down off the "bread high" soon and enjoy a couple weeks here, I know I will.
