Honey

[Sabrina]

So I decided that I should probably start up one of these things , not that I'm training Honey, she's pretty much training me.

So it was pretty icy around her barn for a while , and the path up to the round pen was terrible, so i didn't get the chance to ride her for a while so I'd just spend time with her and groom her, but I rode her last Thursday in the round pen for about a half hour, just doing a walk, trot thing, because I want to build up her muscles.

Today when I went to groom her, I swear she shed about 3 pounds in hair, haha it was terrible! But she looks super perdy now . We also measured her, and she's 13.3 hands, and weighs around 760lbs. I took her for a quick ride, down the drive way (which is about 800m's long) and then up and down the road a bit. I walked her up and down the drive way a few more times. (muscle building again)

She's doing great, and she's settling in quite well .

Does anybody have any other suggestions as for what I could do to build more muscles? Keeping in mind where I'm keeping her right now only has a round pen, trails, and a super long/steep drive way. haha

[htrimm08]

lunging definatly helps to build muscle, as well as balance

[Joan]

aww sounds good..i don't think i have ever met honey,what type of horse is she ,how old n things? ahah..ps love the blanked in ur signature!

[Sabrina]

thanks , haha
Honey's a Quarter Horse x ??
She's I think between 19-23 ?
I just got her for Christmas, my dad bought her from Cindy (cindy on here) , which was the best present I could've possibley gotten !

[cindy]

She is all QH. I was told she was papered when she first came to NL, by several people who use to own her. But I guess, with all moving around she did the papers didn't always follow. I was also told she had some very expensive training done ($6000) at one time. She was trained as a barrel racer, but was a little too slow for the NS competitions.

[Sabrina]

Okay, , I knew she had Quarter Horse in her, but I didn't know she was papered, that's cool .

[Sabrina]

I didn't write the last time I went to see her, but that was the day I got pictures, and we just went for a little ride in the arena which is super muddy, and walked up and down some hills.

Today I got there and made her all nice and clean, because she looked like a paint from 20 feet away, she was that dirty. Then we walked up the road about 2 km's and turned around and met some other girls at the bottom of our driveway who were going out for a ride and they asked if we wanted to come, so we went with them, and went for about an hour trail ride. It was nice, and Honey was greatttt . As soon as we got back and she was turned out she rolled in the mud in the field and turned into the little paint that I'd brought in earlier, haha.

[Sabrina]

Shnizz, I haven't done anything here in a while. Well, really at all. But I'm planning on showing her a bit this summer, so I'm going to be doing lots of work once the snow goes.

So today we groomed... for like an hour, and I filled a Sobeys bag with all of her shedded hair, and that was after giving up because it stilll kept coming. After that, we went for a little trail ride up the road. We were going to ride up to my friends house, but I forgot about the overpass between the barn and my friend. Honey & I started going under but then a stupid car had to go over it, and that was it. I tried two more times to see if she'd get over her fear, but I didn't want to stress her out on her first ride in a long time, since she was being so calm otherwise.

I've also noticed a great improvement in her attitude. She's usually really great with me, not threatening at all (she knows I'm not scared of her, and that I won't put up with it), but usually threatens my dad, and Kristen (the other boarder). But today we had no threats at all towards my dad. Tina (B.O.) also told us that Honey seems to be respecting much more, and is finally realizing that pinning her ears and snarling her teeth are getting her no where.

[kylie]

Thats good !!

[Sabrina]

Honey and I were in a clinic last weekend with Rick Mcleod, doing Natural Horsemanship Step 1 Clinic. It was absalutely (sp?) amazing how quickly the horses (and riders) caught on to what we were supposed to do. For me, the rope was the most confusing, not giving the commands. You had a 23 ft rope, and had to hold it in certain ways, and swing the end. It required alot of coordination, haha. I had alot of fun and learned alot. Now I have to save up to buy the rope halter and rope, the rope alone is over 60 haha

[ridersup]

Would it be possible to substitute a different type of rope for now, so you can practise?

[Sabrina]

Probably a lunge line, but the weight of the rope was alot heavier, and the weight played a big role in the idea of movig away from pressure. For now though thats what I'm going to do (use just a normal lunge line) untill I can buy the other rope.