But for the starts- I got lucky with this guy. At his first endurance ride
(a northern California 50) I rode with a friend who was bringing her horse
back from a layoff. The morning of the event arrived with the usual
pre-ride excitement. It was dark, there were horses zooming all over on the
way to the start, riders were trying to control bucking and jigging horses-
a typical madhouse! I led Shatta through camp over to my friends trailer.
We waited for 10 minutes or so after the start, then mounted up and left.
Shatta walked over to the start, just taking it all in. We actually walked
the first couple of miles, even with my friends horse jigging and going
sideways down the road. We started trotting, and he was still calm, yet
very powerful. We were trotting along as the sun came up when the first of
the 25 milers caught us and came blowing by at a run. OH NO! I thought, but
Shatta was very good. He wanted to go with them, but I said no. "Are you
sure I cant go with them?" he asked me. " No, we are walking now." And he
walked. I was so pleased at how he behaved., and for the fact that I was
not having to pull on him at all to keep him in check. I left my friend
since she was having no luck controlling her horse.
What is the secret? Good question. I have a nervous young horse who shys
and spooks, who is very strong and loves to go, and is very competitive.
Yet he behaves very nicely at the starts. Maybe he is making up for the
way my Wife Judy's horse Warpaint acts at the starts. Warpaint thinks
every ride is Churchill downs!
Nick Warhol