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Posts Tagged ‘Prize’

Prize has a grand time

12 May

Sylvana, a friend of mine at the barn, and I both have four year olds we are working with under saddle. Our two Arabs (okay, he’s technically an Anglo-Arabian) have the Arab herd-brain: when one snorts the other automatically snorts and looks around. Even if nothing is there. It just takes a snort. Funny to see when a llama is following you around the pasture…

Sylvana is taking her four year old, Renegade, to a clinic on Friday. She wanted to have one more ride on him before she went. We have been spotting each other when we ride our youngsters — buddy system helps prevent a lot of problems. The idea was to have Renegade’s first ride in the big ring and have another older horse to keep him company.

Perfect situation for Prize: older mare used mainly in lessons would probably like getting out some place different. Good soothing influence. Theoretically.

Renegade was the one who was the soothing influence. Prize wanted to RUN! She was in the big ring with a non-student on her back who could ride and she wanted to RUN! Twenty minutes of prancy walk later, she finally calmed down a little to where her head came down and she started to relax. We stayed in the far end of the ring so Renegade had plenty of space. When Prize walked calmly, I asked her to trot (expecting her nice slow trot). Nope, we were off to the races with her Very Fast Pony Trot. I brought her back down to the walk and we focused on getting her to stretch down for a while.

Once Sylvana was off of Renegade, I let Prize canter (make that a hand-gallop) around the ring a few times before we stopped. She was having so much fun. It was like “WHEE! I’m 25 going on 3!”

So the youngster misbehaving was actually 25 and the old-acting horse was 4.

 
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Lunging two horses at one time

11 Apr

Yesterday I did an experiment: I lunged Isis and Prize together in their paddock (which is also a backup ring). A few nights ago, I did a similar experiment except I lunged one horse at a time and swapped between them with both of them loose in the ring. It worked pretty well. How would it work with both of them being worked at the same time?

Surprisingly it worked out pretty well. Some times it was funny trying to get one to reverse and then the other would decide to go the wrong direction. A couple of times I asked Isis to walk and she’d trot. Once I started recording the show-off came out and she stuck the tail over her back and pranced around. Asking them to whoa while holding a camera was not very successful. I couldn’t give the complete signal because I had the camera in one hand. It did eventually work.

They got along very well during all of it. I’ve been surprised. The two of them have struck up a good friendship — enough that they were standing in one of the stalls together when I arrived. (I don’t remember Isis *ever* standing in the same stall with another horse. Ever.)

Prize is on some joint compounds now and seems to be doing very well on them. She’s on MSM and glucosamine, as well as some Omega 3s (from flax) and trace minerals.

 
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Prize settling in well

08 Mar

Prize has settled in very well. She’s still in a paddock by herself, but always next to other mares so she has company. We’re going to try her with Kasane and Katie soon and see how they get along. Maybe this weekend, if it doesn’t rain.

Last weekend, I rode Prize for the first time in ages (yup, halter and lead rope, of course). Funny how your rump remembers where to sit and how to ride a horse’s gaits after so many years. :)

Chris (barn manager/owner) and I have been working together with Prize to make sure we’re using the same cues and commands. It is an interesting process figuring out how to teach someone cues that are second nature.

Prize remembers all of the stuff! Little things that I do with Isis and Kasane (and all started with Prize) that are so automatic now were things Prize and I figured out together.

So much fun having the girls together. This was the first time I rode all three girls over the weekend and on Monday night. I’m going to be sore.

 
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All kitties to the vet tomorrow

05 Mar

All of the kitties are going to the vet tomorrow morning. Ambush and Stella are having fluids. Kiesha is going to be tested to see if she has a UTI like the other two, and if so, she will needs meds.

The farrier is also coming out tomorrow morning for Isis and Kasane. He’ll check Prize’s feet to find the best way to get her on the same schedule as the other girls. (Her feet look great.) Chris at the barn is going to keep an eye on the girls and let me know how they are for the farrier.

After finishing with the kitties, I’m going to head to the barn and spend the day with the girls. It’s supposed to be really pretty. I can’t wait!

 
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Two peas in a pod

02 Mar

Prize arrived on Saturday. It’s hard to describe what it is like to having a horse come back after so many years. I couldn’t stop smiling all day at work on Friday. Saturday I was bouncing off of the walls and wanting to make everything perfect. I had Prize’s halter, photos of her as a yearling/weanling, and her old tack box with her name on it with a backwards Z (from when I was in high school).

Prize arrives

Prize backed off of the trailer like a champ and looked around. Gena walked Prize over to Isis so they could meet. Isis arched her neck. Prize didn’t look impressed. They both squealed and struck with their front legs.

Isis and Prize

Isis and Prize meet for the first time

What I wasn’t expecting was how much they looked alike: same build, same rumps, and two back white stockings. It says volumes considering their ages: Isis is 17 and Prize will be 25 in May.

Prize’s first night was spent in a paddock with Isis in an adjoining area. They went nose to nose again, turned and kicked at the same time — and both hit a board in the fence in the same location (at a knot of course) and split it. No damage to either horse (just impressive noises). I spent most of the remaining daylight helping fix the fence. Silly girls.

Before I left on Saturday, I helped Chris, the barn manager, throw hay. We were walking through Isis’ paddock to give the horses hay in the field next door. Chris gave me some flakes to toss to Prize. I called to Prize and Isis immediately walked over with her “you are my Mommy why are you near HER?” look. She squealed at Prize (20 feet away on the other side of the fence) and Prize squealed at Isis (20 feet away on the other side of the fence).

By Sunday afternoon, the two of them were walking the fence with each other and acting like a little herd.

On Sunday, Prize walked along the fence when I free lunged Isis. Not trotting or
upset, just staying with us while we worked. When I took Prize to the round pen
to play with her, she hollered and carried on for Isis. Isis hollered back. Prize ripped around the round pen like a mare half of her age. I caught her and we did some walk and whoa and basic ground work. She remembered so many things that we used to do (including standing up in halter). I couldn’t stop grinning.

You can always tell if a horse is happy: their eyes, their demeanor, and their body language tell you volumes. Prize looked fabulous and happy. It is so obvious how much she has been loved and cared for. Prize gives Gena kisses. :)

 
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Prize is coming home

26 Feb

It has been almost exactly one year since I got to see Prize for the first time in 12+ years. Since then, I’ve been out to visit Prize a few times. Last time she even nickered at me.

Last weekend, I met Gena, Prize’s current owner, and her Mom, Rody. (I’ve met Rody several times.) They are great people and have such love for Prize. They met me at the Isis’ and Kasane’s barn to see what it’s like there. Both Gena and Rody were impressed and really liked the barn and the people. I also really like them both.

This is where it turns into a fairy tale (Gena’s words). Gena and Rody are blessing me by giving me Prize. (It is through the generosity of Jon and Chris at the barn that this is even possible.) Prize will most likely arrive this weekend. I know how hard it is giving up Prize. I cried for weeks and never got over feeling guilty about having to sell Prize to pay for back board. (Yay bad post-college financial management! Not.)

I am almost in tears thinking about having Prize back home. The Original Bay Wonder Mare home with the other two Bay Wonder Mares. (How odd is it that since Prize, I have had only owned bay mares with three white socks?)

I know how difficult it is for Gena and Rody and I will do everything I can to take care of this grand old mare. She will have love and lessons with people discovering horses for the first time. And lots of pampering.

 
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Directions to Prize

22 Feb

I just received directions to where Prize is stabled. I really will get to meet her tomorrow. I’m going to take plenty of pictures.

Wow. I think I’m still in a little shock.

 
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Seeing Prize this weekend!

19 Feb

Ever since I sold Prize, I have felt guilty over what happened. To say I berated myself is an understatement. I felt like I had let down my horse. I had promised Prize I would never sell her, and then I had to. I swore that I would do everything I could to prevent that same thing from happening again. When you sell a horse in desperate circumstances, you have less control over who or where she goes. Apparently, she ended up in good homes with people who loved her and cared for her. She was incredibly lucky.

I called Prize’s current owner last night. Prize is at a barn that is on the way from my house to the barn where Isis and Kasane are. It turns out that Rody’s daughter had Prize for the past six years. She did everything with Prize: driving, hunter pace, anything. Rody said that Prize is amazing and complemented the training I did with Prize. (Well, we really trained each other.) I was delighted.

Since Rody’s daughter is in college (and currently overseas), they are looking for someone to come out and spend some time with Prize. Rody thought I would be a good choice, if I was in the area. She tracked me down through the letter I had sent when I first sold Prize. That letter was passed from owner to owner wtih Prize for 12 years.

I feel like a weight has been lifted. Like I have been given a chance to make amends and see that Prize is okay.

This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that happens.

This Sunday, I get to see Prize at 2:30.

I’m still in shock.

 
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Prize… Again

18 Feb

Monday afternoon my Mom forwarded an email to me. A woman had emailed her asking if Mom had a daughter who had won a horse in a raffle…

Prize is still alive! She’s 23 and living in Chapel Hill, 10 miles from where I live. I’m going to call the lady tonight and go see my old girl this weekend.

I can’t believe she is still around.

 
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One More Nite, aka Prize

16 Feb

When I was 16, I had a dream come true. On Mothers Day that year, we were at the regional show at Frying Pan Park, Vrginia. The horse show was part of the Eastern Amateur Arabian Horse Show Circuit. We arrived with a four-horse stock trailer with three horses, including the gray mare I was showing, Silver Run Sahsha.

The show had a big event: a purebred Arabian filly was being raffled during lunch. To support the club, Mom and Ed bought two tickets at $1 each. She was a cute filly, small, but very personable. During lunch, she kicked the handler as she was brought into the ring. She was was not malicious: she simply didn’t know what was going on.

When the name was drawn and the winner was announced, I couldn’t believe it. Mom was the winner! I was thrilled! My stepfather was not.

It’s hard to describe what it is like to win a horse, especially when you’ve always wanted to train a horse and be able to show. Do all of the training yourself and come home with a ribbon or two (it doesn’t matter what place the ribbon is either).

Read the rest of this entry »

 
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