Dashy is a special horse and I’m proud to be her owner. If I’m being honest, I love horses a lot but I am scared of them. It has been nice to work with a horse that I’m still training but is calm enough to help me get my confidence back (or I guess develop confidence since I’ve always had Horse anxiety, especially while riding).
Dash is figuring out lunging and doing better on the ground. She cantered for the first time on the lunge line on saturday and has wanted to move forwards better. She is still sore but is improving and moving out more. I got the bit in with no help for the first time (it took about 5min and lots of deep breaths lol).
We rode bareback in the indoor arena (I even got on by jumping and no leg up lol) and practiced walking, trotting, backing up, and stopping. And I stood up on her back for the first time.
Dash still loves being brushed with the curry comb and is still ornery about picking up get feet, though she holds them longer every day. She enjoys walks and I took her on one after I brushed her out so that she doesn’t get into the habit of work and run back to her pasture.
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| Pooped after a day at the ranch |
On monday (sept 24th), I took Dash to the vet for a checkup. She did great and we learned a lot of good stuff. We learned that she has thin soles and need horse shoes (which is why she has been sore) and that she has had a lot of laminitis in her life. She is healthy and about 12yrs old. She got vaccinated and practiced with the horse trailer (which still needs a lot of work but we survived with some assistance).
We love Dr.Geary and are so excited that Dash will fully recover from her time out in Montana and will be healthy and sound in time.
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| Dash injured herself freaking out about the trailer today. The vet looked at it and said it would be fine |
On Sept 26, we worked in the outdoor arena some more. We haven’t figured out riding yet but our ground game is pretty good. Dash isn’t a fan of lunging but she will do it at a walk. She follows me everywhere and listens well on the halter now (she followed me around barrels and over ground poles). The funniest thing was watching her get stuck while walking over a cross rail.
We tried riding at a walk in the outdoor but Dashy got to frustrated trying to figure out what I was asking so we walked in the indoor yesterday and she did pretty good. I need to research different ground games to teach her and how to help her understand the bit and riding better. But we are improving and doing our best.
On September 27th, Dashy wore a saddle for the first time! She did great! I tried the English first because it’s my favorite but my girth doesn’t fit her. The cinch for the western doesn’t fit well either but it works. I lunged her with the saddle and then we walked around in the indoor arena. Super proud of my girl. She is still ornery about taking the bit but getting better about directions while in the saddle.
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| Sadie is still learning manners around the ranch. She loves being out here! Today, she knocked me over when I got off of my horse. |
On September 28th, Dashy got her feet done for the first time! It took about 2hrs and a whole tube of dorm gel, but we had a great and patient farrier and he got it done. Her feet look good and she has begun walking and moving out better and better every day.
On Sept 29th, I put an English saddle on Dashy for the first time. She looks good in English and actually does better than western. She did great in the outdoor arena and I even got her to canter a few strides for the first time! She is doing so much better after getting shoes put on.
On Oct 2nd, I rode dash around more outside and she actually had lot's of energy. For the first time, she was pulling to go faster and moving pretty well around the arena. We struggled with direction a little bit, but we worked it out as problems arose and she did pretty well. A friend rode her and they did well together in the outdoor arena. Dash cantered easily yesterday. I think she is feeling a lot better now and acting like her true self.
We also worked on having her follow me around in the indoor arena and go over poles and the red mat. I then put her away and just sat and chilled with her. I sat in Dash's feeder and eventually she let me climb on her back while she ate. I really love this horse.
