Horse #2, come on down!
Yesterday I dropped Clover off at MRF to start her new job as a schoolie for dressage lessons. Michele and I had talked about it last fall, but she couldn't follow through because of finances, lack of stall space and the anticipated drop in lessons over the winter. I wasn't just getting rid of Clover, I knew I wouldn't be riding much over the winter, and Keane needed to be started, and I was looking forward to saving money on the board I wouldn't have to pay for Clover. It didn't pan out, so I've been riding Clover once or twice a week and working with Keane very infrequently.
But then Michele emailed me last Wednesday and told me that her school horse had suddenly coliced and needed to be put down, leaving her without an entry level school horse. She asked if I was still interested and of course I said yes. She called me the next day and said I could pretty much bring Clover over (ha ha) anytime. So I cleaned up her tack, packed her brush box, gave her a low trace clip and packed her up to go. She's in Mel's old stall, the first on on the right of the aisle, closest to the doors on that end of the barn. The stall has a run out attached to it, and with that door open, new neighbors and a couple of flakes of hay in the stall, Clover looked content by the time I left. Her first lesson is on Monday. I'm going back next weekend to watch a clinic and get a progress report.
So, with Clover farmed out and a reduction in my board bill, I can focus on Keane and start doing groundwork more consistently in preparation for backing him later this spring. If I save enough money, I'd like to send him out to a pro for the actual backing and 60-90 days of training, if not I may hire someone to be a ground person and start him myself. I think pretty much as soon as I have start/stop/steering I'm going to be taking 20 minute-half hour lessons to keep us on the straight and narrow. Or should I say on the calm, straight and forward (har har).
But then Michele emailed me last Wednesday and told me that her school horse had suddenly coliced and needed to be put down, leaving her without an entry level school horse. She asked if I was still interested and of course I said yes. She called me the next day and said I could pretty much bring Clover over (ha ha) anytime. So I cleaned up her tack, packed her brush box, gave her a low trace clip and packed her up to go. She's in Mel's old stall, the first on on the right of the aisle, closest to the doors on that end of the barn. The stall has a run out attached to it, and with that door open, new neighbors and a couple of flakes of hay in the stall, Clover looked content by the time I left. Her first lesson is on Monday. I'm going back next weekend to watch a clinic and get a progress report.
So, with Clover farmed out and a reduction in my board bill, I can focus on Keane and start doing groundwork more consistently in preparation for backing him later this spring. If I save enough money, I'd like to send him out to a pro for the actual backing and 60-90 days of training, if not I may hire someone to be a ground person and start him myself. I think pretty much as soon as I have start/stop/steering I'm going to be taking 20 minute-half hour lessons to keep us on the straight and narrow. Or should I say on the calm, straight and forward (har har).
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