Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Wow.  I just handed over the check for Leonardo's Night Out--a beautiful but untrained 3.5 year-old Arabian gelding.  I wound up focusing on three horses:  one beautifully trained (western pleasure) 8 year-old mare; one untrained six-year-old black stallion; and Leo.  

The mare was perfect in every way except her thin legs bothered me.  I worry that I'm stupid for not buying her:  she had an excellent early start in wide-open pastures with other horses, and now she's had two years of gentle, sensible training (though none of it on trails).   She has perfect gaits--three clear speeds at each level--three walks, three trots, etc.   She has a great back and straight legs, but her cannon bones are somewhere around 6 inches, and she has really little feet.  Is that a stupid reason for not buying an otherwise well-conformed horse one hopes to take on hundred-milers?  I'll always wonder about her.  She's selling for $1,800 because her owner's sick.   If you're interested in that unbelievable deal, I told her owner I'd tell ridecampers about her.  Her name is Dahly.  She's on Dreamhorse in Snohomish, Washington.  I almost want to buy her for my kids so they'll have someone to ride along with me.  Verrrrry gentle, but eager and forward-moving too. 

The stallion is the straightest, strongest horse I've seen in years--and SO pretty.  Romantic black curly hair hanging down over his eyes.  *sigh*  He's an intelligent, kindly-eyed boy, but he's barely been handled and hasn't been out of his 20x20 pen in a long time--years maybe.  His owner handed me the lead, then said, "don't let him move until I'm out of his pen--and, whatever you do, don't turn your back on him."  Needless to say the experience was a bit nerve-wracking.  I still wonder how he and I might have fared had we had half a chance to get to know one another.  Instead, we spent 3 minutes together with him whirling around me on the end of a 6 ft lead.  It was horrible.  I kept going back and forth between thinking, "he's going to fall and kill himself", and "he's going to smack into me and kill me."  Having said that, I think he's really a gentle, eager guy who just needs some time in a round pen.  I wish one of you would buy him and give him a chance to be a horse.  His name is Midnight Morafic.  He's on Dreamhorse and lives in Stanwood, WA. 

There were a few others--Zeus in Index who already highlines and hobbles, has a huge chest and cannon bones and feet to match, and has done a few distance events already.  But he doesn't care for puddles and doesn't like to go first in the pack....  I hate that.  

And Then I Met Leo....

Omigosh.  This whole thing is like falling in love.  I walked out to meet him and he shied away like a deer and had to be herded into his shed to be haltered.  By the time I left, 3 hours or so, something had changed in both of us.  Since then I've gone out there four more times.  Each time I come back elated by how smart and eager and warm-hearted he is (--and impressed by what a long haul this is going to be).  He's really high.  She listed him as a "ten" for temperment on Dreamhorse.  When I called on him I asked if he'd tried to kill her or something to earn that high a mark.   But she's right, he's not mean--just really shy and fresh.  He seems relieved to have someone focusing on him--I've never had a horse try to hug me before--it's really odd and sweet.  He touches his neck against my ear, then curves his head a bit so that a lot of him is touching me.  Then he sighs and relaxes for a moment.  Most of the time though, it's like working with a cloud.  He never leans or pulls or pushes--there's no weight on the lead at all, ever--he just floats around like a super-charged electron.  

Anyone who'd like to give advice about starting him well is more than welcome to email me at lazykfarm at comcast dot net.  I'm trying to go slooooowwww because he's such a nervous thing.  

It's going to be a fabulous journey.  I'm really happy tonight.

Mary K.