Post by catandminot on Sept 13, 2007 17:34:27 GMT -5
So this is my Palomino, Quarter horse mare, Freckles Snappy Cat:
All About Cat-the-horse:
Ok, I'll start out describing her pedigree/ history. Cat is 9 year-old mare, born on March 15, 1998 in Mississippi. Her dam is Freckles Feline (chestnut), and her sire is Mr Spanish Heritage (palomino). Cat went through 4 or 5 owners (probably more though since these were only owners that had registered with AQHA) before we got her. She was sold as a 3 month old, though she might have still remained with her mom after that. She then went through owners in Miss, Louis, and one in Ga before we bought her.
The first time I saw Cat, she was covered in mud, with missing chunks of hair/ mane/ and tail. I was going out to trail ride at my cousin's old barn, but was really unknowingly test-riding her (who was for sale). I figured she was just another mopey trail horse. I did notice though, that my aunt helped me groom her and was overly attentive to her- way more than for the average trail horse; but I of course didn't think anything of it.
Cat def wasn't the best trail horse. She ran my legs into trees and wanted to be in front the entire time. She was not the typical, herd-bound trail horse that I had been used to riding there. After the ride, we went up to the arena to ride. I remember my cousin and my aunt standing in the center of the ring and watching me riding, but again I didn't think much of it.
When the ride was over and we had untacked, I rode her back to her pasture bareback with a halter. I clearly remember my aunt asking me if I was going to beg my dad to buy her, and saying of course "yes" out of habit (I was 12 at the time and had been hoping/ begging for my own horse for years).
Two months later, I got Cat for Christmas. I had unknowingly been seeing her everyday driving to school. My non-horse-savvy dad had moved her closer to us so he could take care of her. After all of the festivities, we went to go see/ ride her. She hadn't been ridden in about a month, so she was pretty crazy and ran me into the run-in's aisle.
So after about two miserable months of boarding at this place, (we ended up having to buy feed, hay, and shavings for BO's two other horses as well as for Cat, since the BO wouldn¡¦t do anything) we called my new soon-to-be-next door neighbor. (We were moving). She was pregnant at the time and wasn't too keen on taking in another horse, but she let us come. She had a 21 year old gelding that needed a companion, so it ended up being the perfect situation.
Meanwhile, Cat's training was getting worse and worse. She was completely disrespectful. She would buck at the canter, bolt while lunging, and would try to take off with me while riding. After a while of this, I was afraid to ride, and would just brush her instead. Finally, I saw a Parelli ad on RFDTV and noticed that a clinic was coming just south of us. At this point, I figured that anything could help us, so we decided to go. After attending Parelli and Clinton Anderson clinics, I had a approach to training that I had never known. I learned later from my farrier and a friend that the reason she was bucking, was from pain in her hocks.
So by changing her grain from sweet feed to Born to Win Pellets, adding a joint supplement, and using new training methods, she was a completely different horse. I can finally canter her bareback without fear and even ride bridleless on a good day. Our success was even more ingrained when we went to our first show together this past June. It was a local 4-h show, but we ended up getting a 2nd in western halter, a 4th in western walk/ jog, 1st in western pleasure, 1st in western walk/jog/canter, 2nd English walk/ trot, 1st English walk/trot/canter, and a 5th in English Eq. (she wouldn't pick up her good lead (crazy kid) and the had a bucking fit in the corner of the ring.) Thrilled by her success, we went to another (different circuit), and ended up getting a 1st in English WTC, 2nd in English WT, a 2nd in JV Western pleasure, and a 4th (out of 15 horses) in Western WTL.
My plans for her now are to advance in showing on local circuits. I'm hoping to refine her western pleasure training this fall, as well as some hunter training.
So after reading my rambling, here are somemore pictures of her!
Almost 5 years ago with about our third ride:
At my neighbor's house:
Spring '07[ftp][/ftp]!:
When she was REALLY fat this spring waiting to give pony-rides at the fairgrounds:
August 2007:
August 2007 Video of her:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll8QzJGiFKM
All About Cat-the-horse:
Ok, I'll start out describing her pedigree/ history. Cat is 9 year-old mare, born on March 15, 1998 in Mississippi. Her dam is Freckles Feline (chestnut), and her sire is Mr Spanish Heritage (palomino). Cat went through 4 or 5 owners (probably more though since these were only owners that had registered with AQHA) before we got her. She was sold as a 3 month old, though she might have still remained with her mom after that. She then went through owners in Miss, Louis, and one in Ga before we bought her.
The first time I saw Cat, she was covered in mud, with missing chunks of hair/ mane/ and tail. I was going out to trail ride at my cousin's old barn, but was really unknowingly test-riding her (who was for sale). I figured she was just another mopey trail horse. I did notice though, that my aunt helped me groom her and was overly attentive to her- way more than for the average trail horse; but I of course didn't think anything of it.
Cat def wasn't the best trail horse. She ran my legs into trees and wanted to be in front the entire time. She was not the typical, herd-bound trail horse that I had been used to riding there. After the ride, we went up to the arena to ride. I remember my cousin and my aunt standing in the center of the ring and watching me riding, but again I didn't think much of it.
When the ride was over and we had untacked, I rode her back to her pasture bareback with a halter. I clearly remember my aunt asking me if I was going to beg my dad to buy her, and saying of course "yes" out of habit (I was 12 at the time and had been hoping/ begging for my own horse for years).
Two months later, I got Cat for Christmas. I had unknowingly been seeing her everyday driving to school. My non-horse-savvy dad had moved her closer to us so he could take care of her. After all of the festivities, we went to go see/ ride her. She hadn't been ridden in about a month, so she was pretty crazy and ran me into the run-in's aisle.
So after about two miserable months of boarding at this place, (we ended up having to buy feed, hay, and shavings for BO's two other horses as well as for Cat, since the BO wouldn¡¦t do anything) we called my new soon-to-be-next door neighbor. (We were moving). She was pregnant at the time and wasn't too keen on taking in another horse, but she let us come. She had a 21 year old gelding that needed a companion, so it ended up being the perfect situation.
Meanwhile, Cat's training was getting worse and worse. She was completely disrespectful. She would buck at the canter, bolt while lunging, and would try to take off with me while riding. After a while of this, I was afraid to ride, and would just brush her instead. Finally, I saw a Parelli ad on RFDTV and noticed that a clinic was coming just south of us. At this point, I figured that anything could help us, so we decided to go. After attending Parelli and Clinton Anderson clinics, I had a approach to training that I had never known. I learned later from my farrier and a friend that the reason she was bucking, was from pain in her hocks.
So by changing her grain from sweet feed to Born to Win Pellets, adding a joint supplement, and using new training methods, she was a completely different horse. I can finally canter her bareback without fear and even ride bridleless on a good day. Our success was even more ingrained when we went to our first show together this past June. It was a local 4-h show, but we ended up getting a 2nd in western halter, a 4th in western walk/ jog, 1st in western pleasure, 1st in western walk/jog/canter, 2nd English walk/ trot, 1st English walk/trot/canter, and a 5th in English Eq. (she wouldn't pick up her good lead (crazy kid) and the had a bucking fit in the corner of the ring.) Thrilled by her success, we went to another (different circuit), and ended up getting a 1st in English WTC, 2nd in English WT, a 2nd in JV Western pleasure, and a 4th (out of 15 horses) in Western WTL.
My plans for her now are to advance in showing on local circuits. I'm hoping to refine her western pleasure training this fall, as well as some hunter training.
So after reading my rambling, here are somemore pictures of her!
Almost 5 years ago with about our third ride:
At my neighbor's house:
Spring '07[ftp][/ftp]!:
When she was REALLY fat this spring waiting to give pony-rides at the fairgrounds:
August 2007:
August 2007 Video of her:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll8QzJGiFKM
