Fall Updates

Well, for those of you that don’t know, I was travelling for work and vacation through most of August and the first part of September.  I’m home and I’ve actually ridden my horse and it was great! Yahoo!

Just an update on my previous fosters.
She’s Got Wings – Adoption Pending
Sea Dar – Available
Soothe The Soul – Available (perfect husband horse)
Saribel Cruz – Available

It just now occurred to me that all of their registered names begin with S.  How weird is that?  Anyhow, visit the FFI website for information on them including pictures and video.

Saribel Cruz (aka Flirt) has been started over ground poles and little Xs.  She is doing really well and is going to make someone a REALLY nice horse.  She’s only just turned 4 and is just shy of 16h, so I think she’ll probably finish around 16.1 when its all said and done. Someone needs to snatch her up!

Our tracks will be closing in a couple weeks for the winter.  That means that new horses will be available soon.  The date of the track sale has not yet been announced, but I’ll certainly put it up here when it is!  I’ll have new fosters in at that time and will certainly post about them here.

Let me know what you’re doing with your horses and how the summer went.  Just reply to this thread to keep in touch!

 

Magic is on the Midnight Train to Georgia

Okay…so he didn’t leave at midnight, but Magic did head southward to his permanent home in Georgia at around 8AM this morning. Over the last 5 months that he’s been here, he has relaxed considerably. He’s figured out that trail riding is pretty much the best job ever. I’m really proud of how far he’s come.

In addition, Wings has been approved for work. I’ve already been working her in the round pen and plan to get on her later today! Yippee! Flirt and Jewel both went very well in lessons last week with Sarah. We’ll be taking another lesson a week from today. I definitely enjoyed the lessona and I’m looking forward to the regular feedback.

 

Fabulous Flirt

I had a really excellent ride on Flirt today. Instead of having any preconceived hopes of what we would accomplish, I just focused on having a calm ride. It worked! She was great, despite the “dance of the riding lawn mowers” going on across the road. Apparently it was a good day to mow the lawn. Anyhow, Flirt took everything in stride. She had a very nice, relaxed trot. Transitions to walk came easily. Lots of walking on a long rein. She was fabulous. And so different than last weekend. We’re definitely going to have to deal with her issues of working with another horse. However, I’m thrilled with how well she did today on her own. This filly is going to make somebody a *really* nice horse. Know anyone who wants a (nearly) 16h 2005 dark bay TB mare? Send them to Friends of Ferdinand. The website link is above.

I also rode Jewel. After nearly 3.5 months off due to various injuries, it was great to have a ride where I feel like she actually worked some.

I have lessons scheduled with both mares tomorrow with Sarah-Jayne Bower. She’s a British Riding Club certified instructor. I’m looking forward to them. The vet is also coming out to do exams on Wings (aka Smoke) and Sully. She’s also going to do a health certificate and coggins for Magic, who will be leaving for home next week some time.

I’m showing Sully tonight to a potential adopter. I think it will go really well. He’s a super nice horse. Stay tuned to find out what happens!

 

Playing With Ponies

Kim came over this morning and we played with Flirt and Wings. Kim rode Flirt, who was anxious as ever in the outdoor arena. After a good 20 minutes outside, we went back in the indoor because it started raining. Flirt calmed right down. Its quite obviously her comfy place. After about 20 minutes indoors, we went back outside where she stayed quiet and Kim had a couple really nice walk-trot transitions and then finished on that note. Kim’s going to come out and ride Flirt as her schedule allows. I think that is a good thing.

Afterwards, we played with Wings for a while. I hadn’t done anything with her. We turned her out in the outdoor and got some video of her moving around at liberty. She’s a lovely mover. When we went back inside, she was pretty anxious at first and called a lot to her buddies (Darcy). I stuck her on the lunge line and she pretty quickly figured out that she was supposed to go around in a circle. Once she figured out that her buddies weren’t going to save her, she settled in and started paying attention to me. We worked both directions on the lunge line. I would have liked to have used the round pen but the footing was pretty mucky. Anyhow, after about 10 minute each direction on the lunge, we did some in hand work, getting her to yield her haunches and shoulders. She picked up on it very quickly. Afterwards, she stood quietly in the cross ties, allowed us to groom her and love on her, pick up her feet, etc. She also stood reasonably well for pictures. All in all, she was really good. She seems to be a very intelligent horse who learns quickly. She also seems to be a thinker rather than a reactor. I like this. She’s very athletic and I couldn’t see any lameness or prior injury that would keep her from doing anything. We’ll see what Doc Angie says.

 

New Pics of Flirt

Due to circumstances beyond their control, the adopters of Flirt ended up returning her to the FFI program. She had been in training with me, so as far as she is concerned, life never changed. But I think its important to share with everybody out there that Flirt is once again on the market. Here are her stats:

Registered Name: Saribel Cruz

2005 Thoroughbred Mare

Color: Dark Bay w/few white hairs on forehead & 2 hind pasterns

Height: 15.3 1/2

Training: 60 days training & sound for all uses