So, decided to keep a journal to share with you all my experiences with first time ownership of a horse.
Basic beginning info: Always loved horses from a very young age, and always wanted to own one. Yeah yeah yeah, you all heard that before, right? Alright, so, I previously leased my lesson horse and loved that time and that horse. Sadly, situation arose where I couldn't/wouldn't by him. Broke my heart.
So, after talking with my fiancee, we agreed I was ready for ownership. This was something I had been toying with for a while, and I always seemed to make up reasons why I wasn't ready. None of which were logical.
I guess the main one was fear. Not fear of the horse, but of ownership. It's a big commitment! We have the expenses covered, but there are always what ifs... ( yes, we have money saved up for incases- but one can never feel it is enough, right? )
Well, it's going on 2 months of owning my mare Zoe. And yes, we've had our ups and downs. Thankfully, I knew horse ownership wasn't like the shows/movies I loved as a kid such as the Black Stallion. I knew there wasn't going to be this majestic bond between us instantly or it wasn't going to be puppy dogs and rainbows all the time.
BUT
We have started bonding!
But I want to talk about the horse a bit first. Zoe, pronounced like zo-ey, is an 8 year old mare. Unsure of her actual breed, but we know she has arabian in her. She did come from a rescue, and yes, I read on here that rescues may not be the best for newb owners, however, how I found her was through my B/O's friend, whom she had got 2 horses from.
The rescue is Omega Rescue, and yes, Zoe was rescued from slaughter. She had a baby shortly before being rescued, but there was no signs of her baby. Several months later, she is my B/O's friends barn for some training for several months. While there, she was rode by mainly the farm owner, but some kids as well.
Well, obviously you know what happened, and once all the sale mumbo-jumbo was done, we eventually brought Zoe home, and I was the proud new owner of a pooping machine.
Yes, to this very day- I have never seen a horse poop so much on the cross ties. Yes, she is scared. Yes, it is getting better as she adjusts. But man, is it annoying! At least she don't have colic, right?
The second day she was at her new home, my fiance Steve and I go to visit her. Want to talk about a different horse? My poor steve was so scared he had an escape route into an unused stall. Zoe was all worked up, wouldn't stand still, and even at times reared ( tho, looking back, I know I kinda made her rear accidently- I scared her one time with going into a bag to get something) It wasn't major rearing with hoofs flailing, just stood up quickly, but she did listen to come back down. I left the barn that night a tad but questioning my choice.
The next day- different horse again. She was calm, wiggled a little on the cross ties but no rearing or even getting very excitable. Steve didn't come with me, and we both thought that his nervousness mixed with the horse's for being in a new barn played off each other too much.
There are times Zoe is still a poop machine and nervous, usually for sat morning lessons, but each time it gets a bit better. ere are times I think she is going to be more ancy- like when I go see her before they eat- you know, all the horses are waiting at the gate and if they see one go in/up to the barn they all want to go- and she is fine. She is in a field with her pal Maddy, the other mare- and the 2 bonded pretty well which can cause some problems of their own (mostly with maddie...lol) but last night Zoe did good. I put her on the cross ties so she can see Maddie ( sometimes we don't because we want her to have to deal with not always seeing her buddy) and get to work.
What am I working on? To break an action the horse is doing before it becomes routine. Oh yeah, the dreaded bad things...so, th ebad thing about th erescue is they wanted the horse branded. Ok, whatever, I may not have decided to do it on my own but wasn't against it. Naturally, the horse hated it- who could blame her? FYI- it healed great- just she only took putting cream on it for so long before she started to cow-kick... I'd yell at her and eventually get the cream on, but it would progressively get worse- but the brand was healed.
We have her blanketed, and while she was blanketed before several times, she isn't the calmest with the blanket- we can get it on alright and all, but when you shimey it to adjust how it lays or take the front off to curry a little, she gets a little ancy just because she has to get used to what we are doing- its understandable.
But now a habit of cowkicking with both legs developed. I yell at her, do the loud sharp Ah-ah's and eventually get her to stop ( like if I am currying her belly, she starts up, i yell, and eventually she stops) But I am not able to get her back legs...
So, last sat we had a lesson and we tried on saddles. I was working with another rider, a younger girl who is more experienced. As we tighten the girth at the ring, the horse cowkicks, and the girl hits the horse- and I think she thought I was upset the way she apologized, but I was like its ok. I talk to her about the issue and she gave me pointers on what to do.
So, last night, I am working with her. This time, I have a crop ready to hit her back kicking leg if she attempts. As I pull off the front of her blanket, she raises a leg, I yell, and she puts it down and keeps it down. And I have the crop ready as I curry her belly.... I am just waiting for that leg to come up like it always does...you know, the whole setting her up for failure speil...
She never lifted her leg again. Its good news, I know... I curried all her legs- even the left hind one that has the brand on it. I tell her she is a good girl and I turn to see how she is doing- her head is so low and she is so calm!
What I think really done it was coming at this situation with a different attitude. Not the 'is she gonna cowkick' train of thought but rather 'alright, I'm ready bring it on' kind of attitude.
Now to be fair to the horse- it more bussiling Sat mornings with more people there, and while it is never ok for her to kick out, I think if she is in the barn aisle cross ties she may feel more claustrophobic and she gets more excited, as well as when its a lesson day. I will demand the no kicking and will always have a crop by ready for that back leg even on lesson days.
I rode her before I bought her, but I haven't rode her yet here ( the girl rode her). I think next lesson I will. I did a lot of ground work, and the horse does look to me during situations, like when we introduce her to Magic on the cross ties ( they met before and are buddies, but she likes to sniff noses first). But I just wasn't ready last week.
There are a few more things that need some work- sometimes she rushes a bit to get in her field, especially if the horses were inside longer. I turn her in circles until she slows down. She also gets fast when walking up to the indoor arena- and I do circles until she slows down.
Steve has been back to the barn to see the horse. All he does is talk to her and let her smell his hand. But both of them are much calmer now too.
So, this journal will show the progression of Zoe and I together.
Basic beginning info: Always loved horses from a very young age, and always wanted to own one. Yeah yeah yeah, you all heard that before, right? Alright, so, I previously leased my lesson horse and loved that time and that horse. Sadly, situation arose where I couldn't/wouldn't by him. Broke my heart.
So, after talking with my fiancee, we agreed I was ready for ownership. This was something I had been toying with for a while, and I always seemed to make up reasons why I wasn't ready. None of which were logical.
I guess the main one was fear. Not fear of the horse, but of ownership. It's a big commitment! We have the expenses covered, but there are always what ifs... ( yes, we have money saved up for incases- but one can never feel it is enough, right? )
Well, it's going on 2 months of owning my mare Zoe. And yes, we've had our ups and downs. Thankfully, I knew horse ownership wasn't like the shows/movies I loved as a kid such as the Black Stallion. I knew there wasn't going to be this majestic bond between us instantly or it wasn't going to be puppy dogs and rainbows all the time.
BUT
We have started bonding!
But I want to talk about the horse a bit first. Zoe, pronounced like zo-ey, is an 8 year old mare. Unsure of her actual breed, but we know she has arabian in her. She did come from a rescue, and yes, I read on here that rescues may not be the best for newb owners, however, how I found her was through my B/O's friend, whom she had got 2 horses from.
The rescue is Omega Rescue, and yes, Zoe was rescued from slaughter. She had a baby shortly before being rescued, but there was no signs of her baby. Several months later, she is my B/O's friends barn for some training for several months. While there, she was rode by mainly the farm owner, but some kids as well.
Well, obviously you know what happened, and once all the sale mumbo-jumbo was done, we eventually brought Zoe home, and I was the proud new owner of a pooping machine.
Yes, to this very day- I have never seen a horse poop so much on the cross ties. Yes, she is scared. Yes, it is getting better as she adjusts. But man, is it annoying! At least she don't have colic, right?
The second day she was at her new home, my fiance Steve and I go to visit her. Want to talk about a different horse? My poor steve was so scared he had an escape route into an unused stall. Zoe was all worked up, wouldn't stand still, and even at times reared ( tho, looking back, I know I kinda made her rear accidently- I scared her one time with going into a bag to get something) It wasn't major rearing with hoofs flailing, just stood up quickly, but she did listen to come back down. I left the barn that night a tad but questioning my choice.
The next day- different horse again. She was calm, wiggled a little on the cross ties but no rearing or even getting very excitable. Steve didn't come with me, and we both thought that his nervousness mixed with the horse's for being in a new barn played off each other too much.
There are times Zoe is still a poop machine and nervous, usually for sat morning lessons, but each time it gets a bit better. ere are times I think she is going to be more ancy- like when I go see her before they eat- you know, all the horses are waiting at the gate and if they see one go in/up to the barn they all want to go- and she is fine. She is in a field with her pal Maddy, the other mare- and the 2 bonded pretty well which can cause some problems of their own (mostly with maddie...lol) but last night Zoe did good. I put her on the cross ties so she can see Maddie ( sometimes we don't because we want her to have to deal with not always seeing her buddy) and get to work.
What am I working on? To break an action the horse is doing before it becomes routine. Oh yeah, the dreaded bad things...so, th ebad thing about th erescue is they wanted the horse branded. Ok, whatever, I may not have decided to do it on my own but wasn't against it. Naturally, the horse hated it- who could blame her? FYI- it healed great- just she only took putting cream on it for so long before she started to cow-kick... I'd yell at her and eventually get the cream on, but it would progressively get worse- but the brand was healed.
We have her blanketed, and while she was blanketed before several times, she isn't the calmest with the blanket- we can get it on alright and all, but when you shimey it to adjust how it lays or take the front off to curry a little, she gets a little ancy just because she has to get used to what we are doing- its understandable.
But now a habit of cowkicking with both legs developed. I yell at her, do the loud sharp Ah-ah's and eventually get her to stop ( like if I am currying her belly, she starts up, i yell, and eventually she stops) But I am not able to get her back legs...
So, last sat we had a lesson and we tried on saddles. I was working with another rider, a younger girl who is more experienced. As we tighten the girth at the ring, the horse cowkicks, and the girl hits the horse- and I think she thought I was upset the way she apologized, but I was like its ok. I talk to her about the issue and she gave me pointers on what to do.
So, last night, I am working with her. This time, I have a crop ready to hit her back kicking leg if she attempts. As I pull off the front of her blanket, she raises a leg, I yell, and she puts it down and keeps it down. And I have the crop ready as I curry her belly.... I am just waiting for that leg to come up like it always does...you know, the whole setting her up for failure speil...
She never lifted her leg again. Its good news, I know... I curried all her legs- even the left hind one that has the brand on it. I tell her she is a good girl and I turn to see how she is doing- her head is so low and she is so calm!
What I think really done it was coming at this situation with a different attitude. Not the 'is she gonna cowkick' train of thought but rather 'alright, I'm ready bring it on' kind of attitude.
Now to be fair to the horse- it more bussiling Sat mornings with more people there, and while it is never ok for her to kick out, I think if she is in the barn aisle cross ties she may feel more claustrophobic and she gets more excited, as well as when its a lesson day. I will demand the no kicking and will always have a crop by ready for that back leg even on lesson days.
I rode her before I bought her, but I haven't rode her yet here ( the girl rode her). I think next lesson I will. I did a lot of ground work, and the horse does look to me during situations, like when we introduce her to Magic on the cross ties ( they met before and are buddies, but she likes to sniff noses first). But I just wasn't ready last week.
There are a few more things that need some work- sometimes she rushes a bit to get in her field, especially if the horses were inside longer. I turn her in circles until she slows down. She also gets fast when walking up to the indoor arena- and I do circles until she slows down.
Steve has been back to the barn to see the horse. All he does is talk to her and let her smell his hand. But both of them are much calmer now too.
So, this journal will show the progression of Zoe and I together.