Pickles (arabian) update!

[bantamamba]

Thought I might as well, I'm so proud of this boy.

A few weeks ago he was pushy and would try to intimidate you to get his way. Well, it's been about a month since we moved them both over to a professional barn and the trainer here is helping us oversee his re-entrance into being a gentleman and a good riding partner. He has already come leaps and bounds, and his "moments" of being an a** are getting fewer and farther in between.

This wednesday Trainer Lady is going to give us another lesson with him to proceed with a proper way of longeing (has had had issues with this before we moved, however I was able to get him to halt, walk and trot on voice commands...but we took a break on that to work on leading issues). We're just taking it very slow with him, one step at a time.

A little while ago his ex-owner sent us a silly little email demanding his immediete return or she'd sue us or some such idiocy

Yeah...she can go ahead and try to take us to court. We not only have a signed bill of sale and registration papers in our name, we also have witnesses and photos and SPCA records detailing her mistreatment of this horse. What a load of bull hokey.

Anyway. Here are some pics of him from today. My batteries ran out so no shots of Lilly or any action poses, really. Also please forgive his dustiness, it's where the as of yet unshed winter woolies lie and I can't seem to get him clean. You can still see the patches of mud on his withers...those last, stubborn spots, all that remain of an entire legion of his body-encomposing layer of encrusted filth from this morning. lol!

Lilly in the background! She looks wide...well, okay. She IS wide, but she is trimming down rather nicely. Our old BO might have been overfeeding her. ):

My mum walking him...weird angle.

Farrier visit a few days ago -- he actually had enough hoof to trim this time, yay!

Had him just over two months. Everyone who meets him is surprised to learn he is 13...lol...he acts like a two year-old.

But I luvs him, mischevious equine Super Genius who keeps breaking the hotwire in his pen though he may be.

 

[Imp]

I don't know anything about horses, but I'm glad you are taking care of Pickles & Lilly. Sounds like they are better off.

Imp

 

[bantamamba]

Thank you. It is a gratifying feeling to see him progress.

Lilly is not a rescue...lol. My mother and I scrimped and saved in order to buy her from a reputable seller. She was worth every penny, and more, imho. We were originally looking for a second horse so we could ride together...something calm and used on the trails. I had my eye on this nice black quarter horse gelding...a been there and done that sort of guy...but then, through purely word of mouth we heard of Pickles' predicament. Originally we had no idea he had been starved and isolated...but the moment we saw him, there was was no way we could have walked away. It was either us or the auction house, and an unsure future for him. So...a few days later we very quickly ended up with *another* Arabian (the very last breed I ever thought I'd end up with after starting all this), who was aggressive, skinny, unrideable at that time due to his hooves, and hot ("spirited", full of energy). He's still hot, but as I've said...we've come a long way. I wouldn't trade him for anything, but he's a far cry from the docile no strings attached QH or draft cross I had originally wanted to buy or adopt.

In another year I'd love to do mounted search and rescue with him...he certainly has the "go" for that type of work. As well as some Dressage, to help him learn how to carry himself properly. Despite his issues I truly believe we were meant to cross paths.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Lookin' good!

Who knows? I may see you at the AHA distance championships one day!

 

[EweSheep]

Yes he would be very good for distance riding or a disclipined kind of work like dressage.

 

[jackrooster]

your Arabian is BEAUTIFUL! I got a Afire Bey V daughter who is a dream to ride!!