I have a horse - now what?

Outside of my two lessons a week, I want to try to see Kid on the weekends and leave Monday and Thursday for Pilates and additional study time. I went last night and tonight but it is so hard to be there and not ride him. I want John's okay before riding out on my own just to be on the safe side but it can't come too soon.

Kid had already eaten by the time I got there so I tracked him down on the north side of the barn and put his halter on. We went for a nice walk around the pasture and again, worked on stopping and starting on my direction. He wanted to go back to the barn but I didn't so we kept on. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, nothing like the end of August should be in Texas. Upper 80's with a north wind is Nirvana.

Tomorrow, I'm going to put his tack on and take pictures. I really haven't got to see how his lovely orange saddle blanket looks on him.

Spurs

I finally got a pair of bumper spurs and some spur straps that were somewhat toned down. Most straps have studs, conchos, hair, or bling of some sort which is not quite me. Tomorrow I will get to wear them at my lesson - weeeee! I hope they will help Kid pick up the pace without causing pain.

I went to see him at dinner time today. Now that school is starting, it will be hard to go out there every day. I like that his stall time in the evening is from 5 - 6 so I can at least see him for a few minutes before he goes back to the pasture.

After he ate, I put his halter on him and we walked around the outside of the barn for about 20 minutes. It seemed like time well spent since we practiced stopping when I stop and going when I go. I know he has already been trained so really what we are doing is getting used to each other and establishing respect.

Finding a Kid and Losing a China Doll

The past couple of weeks have been emotional as far as horses are concerned. On August 11, I bought my own horse to ride in Texas. His name is Can I Kid You but we call him Kid. He is beautiful and huge and I love him. I have never felt so comfortable on another horse. So far we have taken a trail ride and ridden through pastures along with working on trotting in the arena. I look forward to the day when I am ready to ride him on my own without the instructor being present.

Yesterday, I took my husband to the barn to meet Kid. Steven couldn't believe how big he was and saw that he was a gentle and loving horse. We put his new halter on and just spent some time with him.
There are so many things I need to learn about having a horse such as hoof care, vet visits, feeding, etc. I want Kid to have a long and happy life.

On that note, our China Doll had to be put down on Tuesday, August 18. We bought China less than a year ago in October. She was a veteran Civil War reenacting horse who had spent her time in the 1st Virginia Cavalry, company H. Since my brother-in-law, Mike, had just started to ride, China was the perfect match. She needed to work on her manners and definitely needed to gain weight, but she made progress over the months. She did struggle keeping weight on but always responded well to forage. No one really knew how old she was but we thought around 16.

Last weekend, we all went to a living history event at Sully Plantation in Virginia where China performed as beautiful as always. On Tuesday, she started to exhibit signs of colic, and after a visit from the vet, it was determined that:

1. She was much older than we thought - probably closer to 30
2. She had fatty tumors that had strangulated her intestines
3. It was time to let her go

My sister, her husband and children, as well as friends were all present to say their goodbyes. Even though I was not there, I had always known it would be a difficult event to go through and it was. China went peacefully and was buried at the farm where we board her. She was loved by many people and will be greatly missed.

Referencing Traveller, Robert E. Lee's horse from Army of Northern Virginia, a poem by Stephen Vincent Benet:

And now at last,
Comes Traveller and his master. Look at them well.
The horse is an iron-grey, sixteen hands high,
Short back, deep chest, strong haunch, flat legs, small head,
Delicate ear, quick eye, black mane and tail,
Wise brain, obedient mouth.
Such horses are
The jewels of the horseman's hands and thighs,
They go by the word and hardly need the rein.
They bred such horses in Virginia then,
Horses that were remembered after death
And buried not so far from Christian ground
That if their sleeping riders should arise
They could not witch them from the earth again
And ride a printless course along the grass
With the old manage and light ease of hand.



China
? - 2009