Ride Number 3 ...

Quick update, on ride number 3 - which went perfectly.

He's very easy going. Walk, trot, canter no worries.... Needless to say, he was proud of himself.

Definitely a happier pony with a job to do - and I have a feeling he's going to make a wonderful saddle horse.

Very kind, biiiiig expressive movement, and LIVES to be told he's a 'good boy' ....Love this boy!

1st piccy: trotting against the sunset.

2nd piccy: partner was going all "austin powers" with the camera and I happened to really like t his shot, so I tweaked it. hehe.

Ride Number 2 ...

Huey-monster had his 2nd ride today and he was again perfect.

I ponied him down to the arena off Red, which was easy enough aside from his eternal laziness...

He's going beautifully. Stands still to be mounted, nice soft mouth, responsive to what I'm teaching him, and being the typical standy lovvvvves to hear the words "good boy" ....

I actually think having a job again has made him happier - he's been quite smoochy recently, and had me in stitches today ... I took out my digital SLR camera with the intent to get action shots ... but alas, it was playing up.... I was fiddling with it and looking through the lense, next minute everything goes black ..... now, keep in mind I'm still sitting on Red at this point, and holding Huey's leadrope in the other hand.... I look up and Huey's got his lips wrapped around the end of my lense ....

opefully my D-SLR will be working tomorrow and I can get some action shots.

And we're on our way!!

Firstly, let's take a brief walk down Huey's memory lane - so we can see just how far he's come....

• September 08: He arrived a skinny, dead coated, depressed horse
• 2 weeks later, we removed a good 1/2 of his hoof wall, due to seedy toe / wall separation
• LAME. Lame lame lame lame. Periods of soundness. LAME again.....
• November, he was looking fantastic and free-lunging every now and then (when not lame)
• January, no longer lame, and free lunging with a saddle and bridle on.
• Break from January to now......

And now you say???? In April 2009, after close to 7 months.............

............. Huey is sound and FINALLY UNDER SADDLE!

To be honest, I anticipated some fireworks from him, because he's got an attitude to say the least. But he was perfect. I did 2 'test mounts' by putting weight in the saddle, hopping, and standing down again. He turned his head and looked at me as if to say "Well, are you going to get on?!" .... So I did! Swung straight up into the saddle while he stood there like it was nothing.

We did a short session around the roundyard. Walking, trotting, changing directions, steering and brake checks.... He had it all .... With typical Huey attitude, haha, but still well behaved.

When it was done, I walked him back t the paddock. We had a minor incident, when he wanted to go one way (the direction of home) and I wanted him to the other way (the gate so we could GET home) .... but other than that, he was an absolute doll....

Very proud of him! He's going to make a great horse. I didn't get a ridden pic of him, but I did manage to get this one snapped.... Yes, I need a mounting block!!!!

Oh Heaven, My Hay-filled Heaven!!...

It's here - heaven itself! It arrived today on the back of a trailer and Huey couldn't be happier...

When I rolled it into the paddock, he kept a wary eye on it - we discovered what it WAS, his eyes just about bugged out of his head.... Not content to wait for me to open it, he began ripping at the string in an attempt to hastily extract the divine bounty with which he'd been blessed...

Both he and Red, have literally not moved from it's side since! You'd think I never fed them! Or maybe they think it's too good to be true and must stand guard so I don't take it away. haha.

Either way - these are two VERY happy ponies right now!

The Day Has Come!....

Huey's in work!! Huzzah!!

This post is a bit of a reminder of where we started from, to where we are now........

He arrived near 5 months ago ... 2 weeks after, we removed a good 1/3 of his hoofwall due to a rampant case of seedy-toe, and he was disgustingly underweight ... Earlier pictures of him show a tired, rather depressed horse. Recent pictures show him with that spark back in his eye ...

He's now looking like a million dollars and is SOUND! We've spent alot of dollars (well, I have) and we've come a a long way - but the day has come where this gorgeous laddy can stop just stuffing his face, and start earning his keep...

He's worn the lunge-roller before, but for our first session back, we graduated straight to the saddle for our free-lunge session .... He was a star! Took everything in his stride and displayed a great work ethic.... He wanted to work; makes me wonder why he never made it as a racehorse - guess he never found the right trainer.... I look forward to getting this young guy going - he's going to be a stunner for sure ..... He's only 6 - rising 7 .... He's got a bright future ahead!!

And now for the important things... Piccies!!

Let's not forget - how he looked in his SALE photo.... (Knew then I had to upgrade him)

Wearing the saddle

Impersonating a Swan (and and uphill swan at that!)

My FAVE picture! Love how he looks!

The After Lunge Roll - His Fave!

Getting up from the Roll...

Hoof Update!

Wow. I've been slack!

Huey's hoof is looking great! He's no longer lame, and he's getting pretty damn fat.... He's going to be very upset shortly - when the silver service he once knew it over and he has to work for a living, hehe.

I took the below pics on the 14th of Dec, there's a little bit more growth from these ... (Yes, slack, I know!) .... This is after I stalked my THIRD farrier for him... And I must say, I am very happy with the work this guy does, I mean look at the frog!!! It looks like a little piece of cake! So precise and neat! hehe...

Yay! We're almost there....