Tuesday, June 6, 2017

One Down, Two To Go!

Stan has joined me in Canaan!

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I moved him up last Friday. He was nervous for the first bit of the trip, drenched in sweat after the first 5 miles to the gas station. Fortunately, when I stopped again about 10 miles out of town, he'd calmed down significantly. By the time we reached home, he was totally dry.

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He's settling in well at my farrier Dan's house where he is serving as mentor to a yearling mustang. His pasture situation is definitely a downgrade from the lush digs he has enjoyed most of his life, but it's a good thing! He, like Q and Grif, is an easy keeper. Not being on primo flatter pasture will serve him well and help keep him at a better weight.

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We've been on two rides so far. He's currently completely barefoot, so we're a little limited on where we can adventure. Regardless, we're making the best of the few barefoot friendly options we have.

I turned him loose on a grassy trail the other day and let him gallop. Or rather, he insisted to me that galloping would be far more fun than just cantering and I acquiesced to his request.

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It was the first time I'd let loose and galloped (though still not full bore for this horse, he's SO fast) on a trail my horse had never seen before. Q's exceptional ability to spook and drop me on the ground during the maneuver has sobered me to galloping about like I once did. Stan is making up for lost time teaching me to move past that and have fun.

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I hope to get shoes back on him in the next week and really get to it with our conditioning. We've got so many options right from the house! Bonus? It's a great workout to ride from Dan's place to my house. While my HOA doesn't allow livestock or horses, there is nothing preventing me from putting up a temporary pen to let him graze for a few hours in the afternoon to break up a workout.

I'm hoping to get Grif and Q up to the valley this month, too. Still a few things to firm up first. Fingers crossed!

10 comments:

  1. So fun to have a horse like that. :-)

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  2. Yay, glad things are finally working out- Stan looks nice in the orange biothane!

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    1. Orange has always been his color. I love it on him.

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  3. Congrats on getting him home. I hope the others follow shortly for you. That green lane looks so inviting! I'm glad you have Stan to enjoy and good luck conditioning him.

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    1. I'm looking forward to putting him through his paces on all the terrain around here!

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  4. omg that last pic is a sight for sore eyes. i miss having any old kind of trail that isn't quite as challenging as the footpaths at charlie's barn... but that last pic? ahhh that just looks like bliss!

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    1. It's pretty phenomenal and goes like that for a good mile or two! I wouldn't ride it in the wet, but fortunately it's been super dry lately so the ground is nice and hard.

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  5. Yay for having Stan close to home! That last pic though 😍

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    1. It's so beautiful at home right now. I LOVE the month of May and the first two weeks of June. After that we slowly dive into heat and meh, but the current vibrant colors... <3 <3 <3

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