This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 2/28/05 8:36:05 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> > This message is from: "jgayle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Gail, re Dusty one of my favorite stallions. Some years ago when you were > riding Dusty in a show I noticed that you had a rider ride him about an hour > > outside to get him calmed down. It never took the spectacular edge off this > > stallion but he evidently paid more attention as he won his classes. Jean > G. > Hi Jean, Thank you for the compliment! Every horse is different and it becomes our 'job', if we are going to show them, to know how to put their 'best foot forward'. Dusty has always been like the energizer bunny. That horse would drop dead before he would ever let you know he was tired. He just keeps giving and giving. However, that in itself, becomes a challenge in a show situation. If I don't work him enough before a class, he ends up beating himself. I remember Wayne asked me one time if I was ever going to teach that horse how to walk - that was right after a class when he was not tired enough yet and I was unable to sit deep enough to get a flat footed walk out of him. Sometimes I think there must have been an Icelandic somewhere in his 'woodshed'! One particular show comes to mind. It was a 2 day show here in Eugene. I entered him in English the first day and Western the second day. It was an Open show. He stood 5th in the stallion's halter out of 25. I was pleased with that since the judge was a QH guy. As soon as the halter classes were over, I tacked him up and got on. I rode him all day, either in the warm up pen or in his classes. When I wasn't on him, someone else was. That's what it takes for him. He was his normal self during the entire show - including trying to eat the plastic greenery in the Trail class while maneuvering backwards through barrels. The judge was giggling at him the whole time. I was ready to smuck him! By the way, he won! The next day, we began all over again Western. Rode that puppy all day. The very last class of the weekend was Reining. I was tired, cold and grumpy and just wanted to go home, but my barn 'gals' begged hard enough so I agreed to stay. After two days of hard riding, Dusty FINALLY settled down enough to walk into that reining pen like he should have. He put on a spectacular performance and WON! That judge kept saying things like - WISH I HAD THAT MUCH ENERGY! Anyway, with most horses it takes a few minutes to take the edge off so that they are ready to go to work. With Dusty it takes a couple of DAYS! He is definitely a challenge! Gayle Ware Field of Dreams Eugene, OR www.fjordhorse.com
