Update on Some of the New Rescues!

Questions first:

I forgot people who don't really know horses read this. I said the word "shanking" before. Here is the definition for that

Shanking- Pulling the horses's lead/reigns up and down with force as a punishment for whatever action they did.

Peanut Pusher- A horse that needs more help going faster (with a whip or spurs). They are slower and need momentum to go faster.

Cross Ties- A place where there are two ropes that connect to the horse's halter so they can stand there with something holding them and you can groom them and tack them up.

Tack- The saddle, bridle, etc.

If you never understand a term I use just ask me to define it :)

Update on Timmy:

1st Time Riding Him-
I have ridden Timmy twice now. He is a Peanut Pusher so the first time I rode him it was hard to get him to trot and even harder to get him to canter. Timmy had issues with being in the cross ties because he was nervous because he was with someone who was a bit nervous of him (me) but he behaved better after awhile when I was grooming him. I had a blast riding him the first time!

2nd Time Riding Him-
I used spurs on him this time. He never had been used with spurs before (Timmy is a very safe horse he doesn't freak out about anything) so the spurs helped him go faster but not by much ha ha! He went into the trot and canter more easily this time. He still needs some help with jumping :) Timmy behaved much better in the cross ties than the first time I had him in the cross ties. He only danced around a little bit, and he didn't try to kick me with his leg this time when I was picking his hooves (BTW I rode him Friday May 6th and Saturday May 7th).

Timmy's story:
Timmy was not treated right. He was neglected and no people gave him attention where he used to live. His past owners tried to make Timmy do what he couldn't. So our mission at the barn with Timmy is, is that we want him to trust people more than he does at the moment.

My goal with Timmy:
I want to build a relationship with Timmy so he can have more confidence with people. I'm also working with him to go faster :) which that will come in time with lots of practice!

How did Stroll do at the Horse Show:
This horse has only been off the track for a month. She is doing very well but as we expected she was a bit hyper at the show and didn't want to stand still.

Why was she hyper?:
Because since she was actually used for racing she associates the show with a racetrack and they are taught to GO GO GO so she has to learn how to be more calm and attentive. Her progress is going good though she behaved a lot better than I thought she would :)

How did I do at the Horse Show:
Well, I know I did better than the judge think I did. I am sure she placed me lower because she didn't like that I was showing a pregnant mare (Claerchen but we call her Claer). She even ended one of the classes because she thought she was hurt and she wasn't (clearly). The judge also had a favorite which was upsetting but at least I know what I need to improve on and that I know I did a lot better than she think I did.

The Deal with Pregnant Horses:
It is not abuse if you ride a pregnant horse. It is actually not healthy for them not to be ridden. You can actually ride them until the pop the baby out and even then if you wanted to ride them the day they gave birth you could (i wouldn't though). Some people believe its wrong to ride horses that are pregnant but it doesn't hurt the horse. Claer was fine at the show and she was being a lady and had fun :)

Abuse is never okay! If you see it then contact your local animal police or shelter on what you can do to stop it!

~Nikki Carter