So the new pony is here! After spending an agonizing month looking at retiring racehorses, I found my next project!!!! Now most of you may think that spending a month shopping for a horse is not a long time, and when you are shopping for an already trained competition horse, a month is nothing at all!! Try six months for most people! However, when you are shopping for a track horse and have 100's at your disposal for all around the same price, a month is a long time!!! It is even worse when you are like me and typically find a new project wayyy before the recent graduate leaves! I do think though that our new boy was worth the wait!!! His name is " Cassidy Blue" (we nicknamed him Kaz), and he is a 15.3 hand, Chesnut, who just turned 4 years old. Now I know a lot of people fixate on height and want a 16.2 + horse (something which I typically find very silly! The best sporthorses range between 15.3 and 16.1), but boy oh boy is this guy solid and will take up any leg!!! He is super substantial! He makes Darby look like a peanut in build, and Darby is a solid guy! Even better, despite being a more substantial TB, he is super graceful and light on his feet. He has great hind end movement and a toe pointing trot! Even better than that, he is currently barefoot......and sound!!! He came off of the track in February and his owner pulled his shoes then. I plan to put fronts on him next week, but will leave his hind bare and see how he does!! What a concept?!?! A Tb who does not need shoes all the way around?!?!?! I know they are out there, but I have not owned any yet! HA! Another huge buying factor me on this boy, is that he was started so differently than most ottbs. For one, he was kept on the farm and shipped in to the track several days a week to train, so not only is he a super shipper, and in a way has show experience (going to new places often), but is also totally acclimated to farm life!!! Yes, things like standing in cross ties, farrier work without ace, turnout, pretty much most everything that the everyday horse owner takes for granted, needs to be taught to ottbs. He was also fortunate enough to have a wonderful trainer who takes excellent care of his horses. Instead of galloping them often, he opts to work them at a swift walk on an incline treadmill. It is much better on their joints and soft tissue, and also develops wonderful muscling and fitness! Too bad I did not bring my camera to get a picture of this treadmill! Talk about spooky! Chris was like "well if he gets on that thing, I doubt he will be scared of anything!!" Hahaha. I think he is right! I road Kaz lightly yesterday and he was a saint. We had quite a bit of commotion at the barn also (of course there was! I was riding a new horse for the first time!!) and he was a rock. He was not even phased by the minis, who typically insist on chasing the horses up and down the fence line while we are riding. I am quite pleased with him. I think this guy has a lot of promise and will be able to go in many different directions. We'll know more in a few months, but I am pretty optimistic that he is as nice as I think he is!!
Oh yea!! Did I mention that if he was a stud, he could have been registered Paint also?!? He has those high hind socks that come above the hock.......Such an interesting TB!
Btw, the next post will definitely be about Bermuda!!!!!!
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