New Horse

Well, I'm not rescuing as I'd first intended, but taking on a horse all the same.  He's cute and quick to learn.  The three of us [me and two ladies I ride and train with lately] are really excited to see where he goes and what he blossoms into.  We think he has a lot of potential.

While I worry about money a little as far as things are concerned with him, I realize that in the larger scheme of things its not very much at all.  Its not like I'm truly hurting, I'm just overly careful.  The ability to learn from this experience is much more important to me than the monthly board and other small costs I will incur in between.  He is healthy currently, just a little underweight.  He'll need his feet trimmed, but that expense is minimal.  Its not as if I need to run around buying products and tack for him, I don't need them since he's only 18 months old.  I just need to invest time into him - and some hay obviously.

I don't know that I will post pictures right away, as I'd like to get him settled in and responsive.  Then one day when its nice and I can get all the mud off I will post photos and some video of us training perhaps.  He's a pretty little thing; we'll see where this goes!

: : :

Oh, and I reckon my resolution/goal of "100 riding days" shall be amended to "100 days training/working with horse".  Works for me!  I've got a quiver of arrows, each a different skill, but all to do with riding in some way, shape or form.  Now I'm looking to add a new arrow or two, this time to do with groundwork methods.  Time to expand my skill set.

And so I can get these in writing for my own records...
My goals [and now his] for the next month (he does most of these in some minor form already):
- be comfortable with all parts of his body being touched and handled
- comfort with having his feet picked up and handled for a far amount of time (need to get his feet trimmed soon - yes, we will be barefoot and natural!!)
- learn to lead and give respectable space to me while leading
- giving to pressure and flexing
- lunging and listening to requests, body language requests, as I don't expect voice commands to click yet
- practice loading happily and quietly
- ground tying and standing politely and quietly to any and all acceptable objects