Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Oh Happy Day! Wally Gets a Shoe and I Get a New Horse

Don't I look happy? This is Joey, my new horse. Hmmm.... I'm beginning to think that I have a thing for sorrel overo geldings.
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In a few minutes I'm heading over to my parents' place to meet up with Ed, our farrier. He's going to nail Wally's front shoe back on, now that the Hoof Abscess from Hell is beginning to heal. I'm eager to see how much of Wally's hoof has to be cut away in the process, which will help determine how long it'll be before I can ride him again.
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In the meantime, as you can see by the photo above, I acquired another horse. I know, you're probably thinking, "Wow! That happened fast!" But in reality, this little 3-year-old Paint gelding was one of the first horses I looked at during the beginning of my horse hunt. It was love at first sight: Joey is the perfect size (15-hands), he has excellent conformation (he placed 4th at the big APHA halter futurity as a yearling), he's been in professional training for a year, and he comes from the same training barn as Wally. I knew that I could trust the trainer because she'd been so upfront about all of Wally's idiosyncrasies. My husband, Ron, just fell in love with Joey, too. I think that was mostly because Joey has the disposition of an overgrown Golden Retriever. Yet I'd promised EVERYONE, including my vet, my sister and all of my horsey friends, that I'd look at more than just a few horses before deciding. Indeed I did, and yet every time I inspected or rode a horse, I kept going back to Joey.
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The only things that prevent Joey from pursuing a career in the show pen as a western pleasure mount are his size and his movement. To win in the major divisions at the large APHA shows, the western pleasure horses have to be at least 16 hands. Joey will never make that, thank God! They also need to move with long, low, sweeping strides. Joey is not a bad mover, he just has too much knee action. But none of those traits prevent him from being a lovely horse for recreational riding. So, to make a long, tortuous story short... After much whining and moaning about all the unsuitable horses I'd been looking at, my husband bought Joey for me. I believe he actually said, "I'm buying the horse this time around, so it's going to be one that I like. And I like Joey." Fine with me! What made it even better was that the owner was also Joey's breeder, and she wanted Joey to go to a good home. Because the trainer vouched for how well I cared for Wally, Ron and I were able to negotiate a little on Joey's price, which was nice, because originally he was a little above our budget.
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Today, after I rode Joey in the arena, I rode down the trail. Those he's only 3, Joey just cruised along, not minding the barking dogs nor the traffic along the street. His ears were up and his head was down as he just strolled down the bridle path. As we turned the corner we came upon a gentleman who was riding a very fancy buckskin mare. I said good morning to the man and he smiled at me and Joey and then said, "Now that's a happy Paint horse." Indeed, Joey is a happy Paint horse. And I'm the happy owner of another horse. Now I can split my riding time between Joey and Wally, and (hopefully) keep all three of us sound and content. I just hope Wally will be happy to see that he has a little brother!
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If you'd like to contribute a comment, you can click on "comments" below.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Cindy! The horse hunt has ended at last! Joey is very cute. His markings are gorgeous! I bet Wally will be happy to have a new companion, and you will be happy to have a new horse. It works out well for everyone! And of course, I was, as always, happy to read your blog.:-)

Anonymous said...

Yay! Congratulations!! He is very very pretty! My Koda is a sorrel overo. They wanted way too much for her when she was a 2 year old, so I waited. When she was 4 years old they decided since I really, really, really wanted her, they would negotiate. She is 13 now, and my pride and joy! She looks a LOT like Joey.
I'm happy for you!
Jamie

Mandy K said...

Good luck with the new horse. May he carry you many miles in the future. I have a 2 yr old paint gelding the is off and on with the training. He is still growing which is evident by his rump being several inches taller than his withers. Hopefully he stops soon so we can get back to business.

Anonymous said...

Congratulation on your new baby. He's very, very cute and I just love his markings or coloring as you call it. I'm sure Wally will love the company. Happy Trails to you. Marion and H.T. and Indy.

Cindy Hale said...

Thanks for the comments and good wishes. Yes, the markings on Joey are nice, but as I'm learning, they come with a price: lots of manure stains! And what's worse, he really seems to enjoy rolling and sunbathing. So I'm spending a lot of time grooming and spritzing on the Cowboy Magic "Green Spot Remover." Joey is also a little butt high, so he is on a modified riding schedule. I don't ride him two days in a row, and I'm don't over-stress him on the trails. I'm doing mostly arena work right now, in fact.

johnson said...

Oh, what a wonderful day! Wally gets a new shoe, while I get a new horse. Finally, the horse hunt is over! Joey is adorable. His markings are stunning! I'm sure Wally will be delighted to have a new partner, and you will be delighted to have a new horse. It's a win-win situation for everyone! And, of course, I was delighted to read your blog, as I usually am.This is an excellent post! It includes a wealth of important and pertinent information. I loved the way you organized your thoughts and views. It's incredibly easy to read and understand. I appreciate the time and effort you put into writing this content.
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