Speedy's a No Go

Better Day Weatherwise

At least it was in the afternoon, after I had committed to perhaps driving over to see the horse at the farm on the other side of the woods. That left me kind of limited as I had to keep the house phone on me when I went outside.

I decided to lunge Tucker. I'm keeping in mind the concept I used earlier last year in that no matter what he does he needs to go forward. The lunging is an easy way to get after him without risking life and limb should he buck. I'll mix lunging, lining and riding for the next several months whenever the weather allows, just insisting on forward energy and not worrying too much about the frame. Actually a good frame tends to just come with the forward, so that's a given.

Tuck worked nicely. When he wants to cooperate, he is very responsive and good on the line. After some good basic walk, trot, and canter, I sent him over the trotting poles and again, he was really good.

I was still cold, but the ground is improving daily. Good enough footing to ride, I think. Gotta get my ambition perking.

Stacie went to try the Thoroughbred today. She called on her way home. Apparently there were two basic, or three problems with him. First, he was slightly off, something his owner insisted he normally warmed out of, but he had just been shod--not a real excuse in my book, nor Stacie's but perhaps, a real issue. Then, he was apparently far more green than he appeared in the photos. Stacie said she could not ride him into the corners or bend him at all. While she is perfectly capable of schooling a green horse, the rest of his behavior was not the most encouraging. Apparently, he simply took off with her for no reason at all, bolting so much she had to ride him into a wall to stop, and then he bucked.

She just doesn't want to have to put up with that kind of nonsense any more. Even if he is a good price, it's not worth it for her to deal with his temperament. When the owner took him back into the barn to untack him he acted really headshy and keep flinging his head around when she tried to take the bridle off. More of that annoying behavior to sour her interest in him.

He'd make a nice project horse, but that's not what she's looking for.

So the quest continues.