Career after halter?

Someone recently had an issue with me not riding Loki frequently because I decided to keep him at halter weight. Darling, horses don't beg to be ridden at 3. He is broke and could easily go out right now and glide through a trail class. Do I choose to do this? Rarely. Sure, if I don't have many halter classes that day I may throw a saddle on the big boy. I have a little barrel horse and a yearling whose training takes up lots of time.

By the way, everyone, Boston is going to be just fine! He is still in a bit of pain but his life is no longer in danger. I'm so thankful the vet rushed over and didn't take the hours I was told she would to get here.

So anyway, do halter horses have careers after halter is over for them? YES! Beau Reve was a 2 year old halter champion, then he went on to win a World Champion in Hunter Under Saddle. Mister GQ was a world champion in halter that later went on to win the Solid Gold Non Pro Western Pleasure. GQ Shine My Chrome started out winning halter and went on to winning performance events. The list could go on for pages.

Sure, there are horses that are broken down by age 10, but there are too many that go on to different things. There are also those performance halter competetors that have ROMs (required) in a performance event but can still go out and win the world in their halter class. So the bottom line is, can I go out and get on my halter horse? Yes. Do I choose to do that at this point? No. When he is older, you can expect to seem him hitting the performance ring, but not right now.

I can't wait anymore!

Boston needs to hurry up and grow! I'm already itching to hop on him. He is going to be a knockout hunter under saddle horse. He'll mature well over 16 hands and wow what a mover! He's almost 15 hands as a yearling. Not only that, but he has a super personality. Very sensitive and eager to please. I have been doing a little ground driving with him and putting things on his back. He is a little unsure but has plenty of time to figure it all out! I also realized I'd been slacking on Boston photos so have one! Look how big he is next to me. He is Loki's opposite as far as personality goes. He is patient during feeding time and an angel to work with. Showing him is very easy. Loki wants to make my life as difficult as possible.

Family resemblance

I was looking at some pictures of

Loki's parents and grand parents. This is his grandsire, Obvious Conclusion to the left. Look that that face! And those tiny ears. Just like Loki's. Now if only he had that bod! Loki is to the right. This was during one of our many discussions about how setting up hasn't, nor will it ever actually kill a horse.

If you don't believe me, just look at grandpa up there, doing it like its nothing. He makes it look so easy. With you Loki, it is a battle to the death. I know what you are going to say, your uncle that beat you at State didn't even set up during the class. He was too busy rearing. Well I guess the judge could care less about cow hocks, pasterns that scream "put him down now before its too late!", or a crooked leg. I guess it doesn't matter if the horse is big and shiney.

I'm bitter. Can you tell?

He is too smart

Yes, you know who I am talking about. A certain oversized, 1000 lb, 3 year old or may or may not live in my barn. We've all met the horses who will stop at nothing to make our lives as difficult as possible. Only Loki can LEAN on the side of his stall and rip out the screws holding it together. I've had a horse, or two...or three...that have tried their hardest to tear this barn apart and it has held them all safely. So what makes Loki so destructive? He is too smart for his own good. How smart? Smart enough to untie himself, take off his own boots, and remove his halter. He knows when I can dicipline him (outside the ring) and when I can't (inside the ring). He knows exactly when to misbehave, which happens to be when the judge is looking.

But for some reason, I still love him. For a while, I wanted to sell him because of my love for speed and his inability to do anything athletic whatsoever, but I don't think I could imagine life without him. Now, if only I can keep this in mind next time he refuses to set up until after the placings are called.

Show Results and Gunnar news!

Woot! The computer is cooperating today! Loki's show yesterday was okay, although I'd have prefered judging the thing myself. Her placing of the english horses was excellent, but when it came to western, a rock could have done a better job. Loki was an idiot in the first class. Extremely studdish and mouthy. I bopped him a few times and he chose to stand nicely for the remaining classes and ended up winning halter. Boston took 3rd in his halter class. The entire yearling class was his brothers and a sister.

Loki's Western pleasure didn't go too well. The horse in front of us spooked and backed into him. My poor boy was quite shaken up the rest of the class.

On an even cooler note, I came home and played with Gunnar a bit. We worked the cows. We were trying to seperate one of the calves that was supposed to be brought up to be handled but in the end, Gun had to stand back and let Stormy show him how it is supposed to be done. I also took him swimming at the lake. He loved it.

I have no pictures because of Loki's destruction of my camera but soon will have some from state.

What are you smoking?

http://bloomington.craigslist.org/grd/1307852913.html

During my frequent trips to Craigslist, I've seen this guy pop up a lot. Not only are you letting your child who couldn't ride to save her life on your THREE year old stallion, but you are suggesting someone breed that...that thing. You say you are buying a mare and don't need babies? See those things between your stallion's legs? He doesn't need those, either!

Smashed Camera

Yes, Loki smashed my camera last night. So this was it's last picture. My friend's lab, Sam. RIP little camera.

I caved

and created a blog. I figured my adventures with my four horses were interesting enough to write about. The horses include Stormy, my 18 year old paint mare and horsey soul mate. We've barrel raced, jumped, tried reining, and everything in between. Boston, my yearling, is a perfect gentleman. It didn't start that way, however, we met when he reared up at a family member and tore down part of a round pen. Gunnar is my 6 year old paint pony. He is truly "fun size." He, like Stormy, is a true jack of all trades. He is learning to barrel race, jump, and drive and is showing incredible promise in all of it. Best of all, he tolerates my love for bareback runs across hayfields and is always up for one more race.

Last but not least is my 3 year old Loki. He is better known in the halter ring as "Ur Gonna Envy Me." He has the biggest personality of all the horses and is famous for tearing off my number or hat. Or maybe he'll lay down, or attempt to make friends with the mare in front of him, or give me a concussion, or spook at the judge, or take the lead from me, or....