Oslo

[atticus]

Oh Yes...

PS: Oslo is on a diet the vet says he is 150-200 lbs overweight.....he is an easy keeper!!!!

[agilitygal]

He's very beautiful. Quite the little chunk as that breed is. He's lookin' good! I am beginning to like this breed more and more. Aren't they normally gaited as well?

[atticus]

agilitygal said:

He's very beautiful. Quite the little chunk as that breed is. He's lookin' good! I am beginning to like this breed more and more. Aren't they normally gaited as well?

I don't think he is gaited although he is pretty smooth, I am not sure if they are all gaited.

[atticus]

CONGRATS TO OSLO!!! It is his 2 year Anniversary of being saved from the Feedlot!!!

Pics of him at the feedlot 4/06:





Pics from today 4/08:

[cybercat]

Whatta hottie, Ashley! I love, love, love him! (Don't I sound like a teenage girl, hehehe...?)

He looks awesome in his sexy little saddle and pads...

[atticus]

cybercat said:

Whatta hottie, Ashley! I love, love, love him! (Don't I sound like a teenage girl, hehehe...?)

He looks awesome in his sexy little saddle and pads...

I love love love him too. My husband says that I love him more than him!! (sshhhh it is probably true!!)

[atticus]

YAY!! Thank you all for the jingles, it was quick and easy!!! I told him if he was good it would be over with before he knew it and he was so good, he didn't even fight the sedation injection, this vet is SMOOTH!!! I totally recommend him, he is an equine dentist and his name is Dr. Klugh (sounds like "Clue" ) he is at Columbia Equine in Gresham.

They took rads after he was sedated and they looked good, the tooth is healing itself and the tooth is still alive, no signs of infection (he has been on AB's for 10 days) and he has a big hole in his cheek but the doctor said it would heal up right away, he will be on ab's for another 7 days. We are to watch him for runny nose or swelling but he thinks the tooth will be 100% in a couple weeks. He said we can be back on the bit in a couple days. So YAY!!! It was excellent, just what we hoped for! Thank you all so much for jingling!!!

Here is pics of him in the stocks and the tooth fragments that were removed and his dental rads, it is some interesting stuff. I have his tooth right here in a pill vial!!

Ashley

[caryn]

OHHHHH Good boy!!!! I'm so happy to hear all is well. YAYYYY for Oslo and Ashley

[atticus]

Well the weather today was a little colder but beautiful none the less! I checked out Oslo's mouth and low and behold after just 5 days it is pretty much healed, I am amazed, the doctor said it would take very little time as the mouth heals extremely fast. Anywho tried the bit and he was fine, so we went for a ride, then after his grooming he got to mow the lawn for a little bit.

Here are some pics. We are building up stamina so spend lots of time trotting and bending, he loves to sidepass. He likes me to use voice commands and leg ques. Maybe he is used to voice from being a cart horse...who knows. He is gaining muscle and loosing tummy which is nice.



Him mowing the lawn after his workout. He makes a nice headrest.

[atticus]

Oslo and I are riding about 4-6 times a week now, he has built up a great amount of stamina and is doing great. We are still working on the canter but he is getting better. He is still working on bending but getting better at that as well. He likes to let me know when he is done cause he goes over to the mounting block and will throw a little fuss when I ask him to go away from it...he is like "OK get off now!" But then he gives in and just goes back to work, the brat. I rode him bareback today and he did not like it he wouldn't move and then just brought me back to the mounting block so I just sat on him for awhile, while he got used to it. He is so good and calm. We did some liberty work today as well and he did great as always. We are thinking of some schooling shows to go to and get into the groove of showing again. He has lost some weight and gained muscle and the vet is very happy with his new weight, she said " BOY what a turn around from Fattie Mc Butter to muscle man!".

Pics from today

[Tate]

Oh Ashley, I just saw Oslo for sale on Craigslist, I'm sorry things changed I know how much you love him..
Tina

[swissgrl]

Ashley, is there any way, with some help you can keep him? What would be needed? He is such a handsome man, and I know how hard it must be for you to find him a new home.

[icehorse]

Oslo is for sale??! Do you need someone to keep him for awhile until you can? I'm down a few horses and have the room. I love Oslo!

[gratefulknits]

Can someone post the link? I'm not sure how often Atticus comes on the board, perhaps we could contact her through her CL ad to see if she would accept some help?

[TashGaia]

seattle.craigslist.org/sno/grd/1200679747.html

KIGER MUSTANG Gelding - Big & Stout! - $900 (OR/WA )
Reply to:[e-mail]
Date: 2009-06-01, 6:20PM PDT

Oslo is a 10 year old Kiger Mustang Gelding, he is buckskin and 15hh. Oslo has been broke to ride, he has had over a year off and is in professional training now for a refresher. He will remain in training until he is sold. He does all 7 of the Parelli Games, he gives to pressure willingly. He lunges, has been ridden both english and western (it is possible he knows how to drive, that is the story we got when we rescued him, but have not tested it). He ties, trailers, bathes, and stands for the farrier. Have not tried to clip him he has great hair! He has very nice ground manners. He loves water and will willingly go right into the river. He is built like a rock, sturdy and stout. Has rock solid feet and does great barefoot (his feet are huge,he looks to have some draft in him, maybe Fjord?). He is current on all his medical. Oslo requires an experienced confident rider / trainer, he is not for the faint of heart, he craves structure & consistency in his training, he likes to have a job. He is a big horse with alot of power and looks to his person for confidence, he wants to please. Once you bond with him you will have a friend for life and he will be a great partner. He will make a great trail horse and will be able to go all day long. He has been ridden in the Cascade Lakes Forest in Bend and did great in the mountains. With more miles he could go any direction, he has nice enough movement for dressage. He is very beautiful and striking - we get compliments on his look all the time. The only reason he is up for sale is he is too much horse for his current owner.

If you would like to talk to his trainer please contact Stacey Riggs 503-998-3761 for more info about his training.

Since Oslo was rescued previously from a bad situation an adoption application and site check is required. Please email for more info.

[toeps]

There is also an ad in Portland craigslist that is the same

[atticus]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to check in and let you know everything is fine.

Here is what is going on.

A little over a year ago, I was riding Oslo and we were cooling out, I had my feet out of the stirrups and was walking to the mounting block, Oslo spooked and I came off of him. I was very scared (not falling off a horse in 20 years) and I lost alot of confidence, Oslo has been out to pasture for a year since I was too scared to ride him. My trainer and I (she is great) have been working with Oslo and he has been in professional training now for over 30 days. I have lost so much confidence that I cannot bring myself to get back on him, it has been over a year. I don't feel any of the confidence coming back with him and I and Oslo is very much a horse that needs a confident / experienced rider and daily rides. I am basically a weekend rider. So I have came to terms with the fact that I have taken him as far as I can with my skills and now it is time to find the perfect person to continue. He is doing well in training and will remain there until adopted. So basically that is where we are at. Of course I am very sad about this, but I want what is best for Oslo. So hence the search for the perfect person, I am VERY picky and I will treat his search like I do the search for homes for any rescue horse, reference checks and site checks, adoption contract, etc. So he will not be sold to just anyone, so don't worry about that. It is a very hard thing, but I think it will be best for both of us, he deserves to be used and have a job, he wants to please. I need a steady eddy horse that will enjoy just weekends and doesn't need the kind of consistency Oslo requires. I have been wrestling with this decision for the past 6 months so it is not a decision I have taken lightly. In a perfect world I would own my own place and not have to board my horses, they would be right with me and I could see them daily.

We had a Kiger expert come over and see him since we suspected he has some Kiger in him, and she thinks he is a Kiger. So there is a possibility that is true, but he has huge feet so I think he may have some fjord as well. I billed him as a Kiger because of this and also because he does not have the typical Fjord "temperment" and I don't want people to think he does.

Sorry I didn't post here before, I just didn't want to have a big to-do since this is hard enough already, if you know what I mean.

If you have any questions feel free to email me since I don't get on here much anymore :

[e-mail]

Thanks guys.

[kidznhorses]

Ashley, I don't blame you at all for rehoming Oslo after your experience. When you lose your confidence in a horse, it's really tough to get it back. I am positive you're doing what you feel is the best for Oslo. I don't believe you will be condemned on this board and we should all know you well enough by now to realize you will find the very best home for him.

Good luck, and don't wait too long to find another equine friend who will build your confidence.

Kerrie

MTA: Thanks for everything you've done for Oslo and all the other rescue horses you've helped!

[atticus]

Thanks Kerrie, it has been a tough decision but one I needed to make. It doesn't make me love him any less though I have been back up and riding lesson horses and doing well, I just still get nervous really easy. My trainer has to remind me to "breathe"

[atticus]

Oslo has been placed. I found him a great home down near Ashland OR. The wife is a trainer and she can take over right where my trainer left off. Oslo is going to be next door to 300 acres of trails and he has many beautiful wooded pastures to pick from one with a pond (he will LOVE since he is such a swimmer). He really bonded with the new people and their place is so nice I wish I could live there. He has 2 other horse friends who are spoiled rotten. I think it will be a hit.

Thank you to everyone for the well wishes on a really hard decision. I appreciate it ;D

[swissgrl]

Ashley, I'm very happy for Oslo, and hope knowing he's in a good home will make this a bit easier for you.

[gratefulknits]

Congratulations, Ashley, and also sympathy on having to make the decision you made. I know there is no condemnation for you or your decision here at all. I think most of us were concerned that you (like so many others) were being forced to make the decision simply because of finances, and we hoped to help if that were the case. I think it was almost a relief to discover that this was a decision that reflected what was best for both you and Oslo, at the same time. Thank you for letting us know that he has a wonderful new home; I hope the next great news we'll hear is that you've found your Steady Eddie! I sure know how you feel about the loss of confidence. I am going through that with my mare Pippin but since she is likely not rideable, I won't even waste my time trying to rehome her.

[atticus]

Thanks for the understanding guys, it was not a decision taken lightly, it took almost a year and another stint in training for me to come to terms with the fact that sometimes a horse can be "too much horse" for a person not matter how hard they want it not to be that way, or how hard they try. I know Oslo has great potential with a person that has more time and experience than I. I searched high and low and found that person. Oslo will love his new home, he is most at ease on the trail or in the mountains and never wanted to be an "arena" horse, so I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, so to speak.

The new adopters saw him at his best and at his worst and were not at all turned off, they just continue to be gentle and guiding him through, which is the kind of people he needs. I have no doubt they will be perfect for him.

Does that make my heart feel any better? Nope, but I am up today and moving around again, I spent a couple days hibernating and grieving for things that I wish were different, or feeling like I let him down. I know those thoughts are grief talking, it is just something you have to work through.

Thank you all again for your support and well wishes.

The search for the Steady Eddy began today, since my good friends think "there is nothing better for the inside of a person than the outside of a horse" I put in my order and they are looking for me until I feel more up and ready to look. I am sure we will find the right one, eventually.