Hey, it's been a minute. How are you?
Why so long? I'm not an absent friend on purpose. I've actually been dealing with some health problems since February. Anemia's a pain. I actually haven't been able to safely ride while dealing with this. But now it seems things are stabilizing and I'm back in the tack.
Fortunately, while I had to take a hiatus from riding, I still had a young horse to play with and two little turkeys to continue training in harness.
Let's start with the yearlings! You remember our two fantastic half Arab x warmblood colts from last year? So proud of them. Misha (Baryshnikov SE) was sold to a good friend of mine, and now adoringly dubbed "Tater". He's got a wonderful lifetime home and I get to watch him grow up!
Uri (Nureyev SE) has stayed with us and has started his show career. He hauled out a few times for exposure and then made his debut at the Western Canadian Arabian Horse Breeders Championships in Red Deer. He showed Yearling Colts Half Arabian Sport Horse In Hand Open Dressage and Hunter Types. It was a BIG learning experience for any young horse but he made me proud. The first triangle was for dressage type. Uri was insecure, and didn't show as well as I would have really liked, but he also didn't kick, rear or leave the arena. So that's a win! He took reserve champion by 1.5% with a really cute little anglo colt taking the class.
The following day was the Hunter type and he went through the triangle like a pro! He showed really well, made me proud and took the championship by 5%!
You could absolutely call me a proud mama!
But even more than that, he learned how to be a show horse. He learned about a stall, wash racks, hand walking and lunging in an arena, he learned what the triangle training was for. And he got better and better!
After a few weeks, we headed to an open all-breed show for more exposure. I wanted him to go into a new arena with new horses in a different format and just experience it. I took him in showmanship, halter for yearlings, and halter for arabs, morgans or crosses. The showmanship class was quite large so I used it for a schooling opportunity, modifying the pattern so I could better use it for my training. He stood perfectly for the judge to walk all around him so I could do my squares - my goal for the day!
He showed confidently in yearling halter (big class of 1!) and then again in the Arab/Morgan halter class. We qualified for championship class so got to get back into the arena one more time! We came home from that show with 2 first-place ribbons and a good baby who laid down in his stall and snoozed while Ali rode her under saddle classes. I was so proud of him.
Working forward, we have started to introduce long lining to his lunging in a surcingle and boots, and he's had a bit in his mouth for the first time recently as well. We will take him to some obstacle workshops in the fall when they come available and plan to continue to show him in hand locally next year.
So that's the baby horse update! Up next: Driving littles. I'm obsessed and my head is broken.
Happy Horseing!
