This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > "Sher Olson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > we were told that "...he's been ridden some..." [...] > He's been doing so well, that yesterday, I held the lead line, and Rick > (hubby) lifted my son (15yr old) up on Loki's back. Loki did not even batt > an eye > [...] Hubby helped me up [...] > end up grabbing Loki's thick neck, feet hanging off > his rump (full horiztonal, laying on his back), and laughing so hard! Loki > the > whole time just looked back, as if to say "are you up there yet?" A slight > flinch but no panic or antsy from him at all. [...] > We think that he is "telling" us that he's no greenie to saddle riding after > all, as we suspect from what the seller told us - but don't know for sure. >
This reminds me of a story that Nancy Clow/Lehnert told on herself many years ago. (I bought two of my Fjords from her, one in 1986, and one in 1990, when she lived in Buffalo, Wyoming.) When Nancy and Jim Clow bought the herd that included King Gjestar and his broodmare band, they got an assortment of youngstock with them. So, Nancy began by trying everyone out, to see what they knew. One 3-year-old filly chewed the bit a lot when bridled, so Nancy figured that maybe she'd been ridden with a hackamore, and made that tack change, then saddled her up, got on, and rode her around in their "front yard"---about an acre, surrounded by a barbed wire fence, with cattleguards. Nancy concluded that the filly was sweet and willing, but didn't know much, so put her back in the pasture and moved on to the next horse. Later, she contacted the previous owner to compare notes. Turns out, that filly had never before been saddled, let alone ridden! Well-handled Fjords tend to try to figure out what you want, and just do it. Loki has a pedigree that includes a lot of the "Foundation American" stock, which Nancy once noted were known for their "good minds". Loki may indeed have been ridden, or he may just be faking it, going along with the program. You'd probably do well to work him up thru all the riding-training steps, just to make sure that no one skipped a step that "he obviously understands". Fjords are good at hiding "potholes" in their training.... However, enjoy---he sounds like a good one! Gayle Ware would undoubtedly agree, as her recently-departed, favorite old mare, Molde, is in Loki's pedigree, too. Marsha Jo Hannah Murphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 15 mi SW of Roseburg, Oregon
