TOABH: I'm A Loser, Baby

Since I started this blog at the beginning of the year, I ended up missing several of Beka's blog hops. I'm going to go back through and post the rest of them over the next few weeks. They're a lot of fun and make me think about some things I probably wouldn't have thought of before.

This is the last one, then I'm caught up!  Thanks Beka, for all the great hops.

I'm A Loser, Baby

Let's talk about your horse's biggest fail.  What did Thunderhooves do that embarrassed you, scared you, shocked you or just annoyed the hell out of you?

Hands down, Max's spinning and bolting is the scariest thing he has done.  It probably doesn't help that this mostly happens when I'm riding bareback and the spin throws me off. I think he knows this now, and this is why he tends to try that shit when there's no saddle.  Bad pony!  

TOABH: Shining Star

Since I started this blog at the beginning of the year, I ended up missing several of Beka's blog hops. I'm going to go back through and post the rest of them over the next few weeks. They're a lot of fun and make me think about some things I probably wouldn't have thought of before.

Shining Star

Let's talk about the biggest achievements your horse has accomplished.  I'm not talking about you as a rider - I want to know what your ponykins has done to make you proud.  Is there a glorious satin collection, did he/she figure out some dressage movement that took months to learn, or are is it just a great day when your butt stays in the saddle?  

I think the end of the last sentence sums up my answer.  We haven't had so many problems now that I'm riding in a saddle. I can stick better.  Something else recent that has made me proud is his side passing under saddle. He goes really well to the right. Not so much to the left yet.  We've also been learning some tricks. He is picking those up very quickly. Smart boy.

TOABH: Making of the Horse

Since I started this blog at the beginning of the year, I ended up missing several of Beka's blog hops. I'm going to go back through and post the rest of them over the next few weeks. They're a lot of fun and make me think about some things I probably wouldn't have thought of before.

From The Owls Approve

Making of the Horse

Last week, we talked about our babies.  This week, let's talk about our greenies.  Who trained your horse?  Is your ponykins still in the process of figuring out this whole monkey-on-my-back thing, did you send off for thirty or sixty or ninety days, or did you buy a horse with all the bells and whistles?  Who has helped your horse become what he or she is today?

Simply put, I don't know. Max had several owners before me.  He seems to know quite a bit, but was rusty on everything when I got him. Plus, he has the intelligence that is characteristic of the breed.  So he can really take advantage of the person if they let him.

Intelligence + stubbornness + a bottomless pit of a stomach

TOABH: History of the Horse

Since I started this blog at the beginning of the year, I ended up missing several of Beka's blog hops. I'm going to go back through and post the rest of them over the next few weeks. They're a lot of fun and make me think about some things I probably wouldn't have thought of before.

Going back to the very beginning at The Owls Approve:

History of the Horse

Before you met, where was your horse?  Who bred him/her?  What do you know about his sire and his dam?  What do you know where he came from?  Tell me about the time before he had a trainer.

Showing off our 'new' tack shortly after I got him.

Max was bred and born in Illinois.  According to his papers, he was sold twice, however, there were at least two more owners who aren't listed that I know of.  I do know he came to a local lesson program and was sold to a former adult student about a year before he became mine.  In searching his registered name, he pops up on an Illinois State Fair results website as being shown in a halter class. I'm guessing he was also taught to drive since the owner listed is was also in a bunch of driving classes. However, they don't list all the horses names for those.  In the year before I got him, he was pretty much a pasture puff. The previous owner said the riding program didn't use him very much either.

Max comes from the 'M' line of haflingers.  His great-grand sire is Midas Touch NTF.  I believe the M line tends to be somewhere in between the drafty types and the sporty types of haflingers. They make good driving ponies.

TOABH: 18 on the 18th

Happy birthday Archie!

Eighteen on the Eighteenth.

In honor of Archie's 18th birthday, tell me 18 things you love about your horse*.

 

1. His good nature

2. His intellegence

3. That he is low to the ground

4. That he can be goofy

Goofy boy!

 

5. His colors

6. That he loves food

7. That he calls for me whenever he sees me

8. His little pigeon-toed front feet - they're adorable

My brave pigeon-toed pony. Yes, we went through the bridge.

9. He can be very brave

10. He is easy to catch

11. He has a great walk to woah

12. That he loves his afternoon naps with Cinderella

 

"Oh, hi there. Are you bringing me some food?" *gets up to investigate*

 

 

13. His curiosity

14. He puts up with my shenanigans

 

Saturday, we became chicken feed

15. That he stays relatively clean compared to some horses

16. That he has a lot to teach me

17. That he keeps me on my toes

18. That he is mine, all mine

I loved this blog hop! Thanks Beka! I'm thinking about going back and posting the ones from last year that I missed. 

On another note, I start my lessons again on Monday. Won't be riding Max, but we have a new therapy horse I'm excited to ride. Lessons on her will do us both good. 

And finally, I think I want to cry.  Such lovely, warm weather, but storms and more storms. Tis the season for tornado anxiety....

 

TOABH: Introspection

Another great blog hop from Beka at The Owls Approve:

 

Introspection

What would your horse change about you?

 

The simple answer is that he would prefer that I rarely ride and leave him out on pasture 24/7 with free access to grain and treats. 

I is good boy, now give me treats :)

 

Otherwise, I think he'd prefer I pay more attention to his moods and not pick fights when he clearly wants dinner, or is in spooky mode.  I think he would like to try some jumping, I just haven't had the chance or the guts to try him over a cross rail yet. Though, right now the ground is probably ideal...not too hard, not too soft.

He'd also want me to do more clicker training, because he would get more treats.

TOABH: Metamorphosis

This week blog hop from The Owls Approve

We've talked about what your horse doesn't like to do, and I don't want to confuse this with that.  I'm not talking about personality quirks or training foibles.  Tell me:  if you could change something (or things) about your horse, what would you?

This is an easy one. I would change how Max spooks.  Even the most bombproof horse will spook at something, be it a horse fly biting sensitive areas, a tree falling (been there, done that...twice), to anything else unexpected.  How the horse spooks matters.  Unfortunately, Max tends to bolt and this scares me. I would much rather he spook in place, or just do one of those jumps to the side and stand still rather than taking off.

"Gunfire didn't bother me Saturday. I was a good boy!"

I'd also change his size.  I love me some draft horse and his 13.1h height is a bit on the short size.  I'd like some more drafty bone on him.  Those drafty looking Haflingers are beautiful.

But in the end, I do love what I have. He definitely keeps me on my toes and is teaching me a lot.

TOABH: Defining the Relationship

Defining the Relationship from The Owls Approve

Snookum-ukums, where do you see this going?  

Let's be realistic.  What's the plan with your pony?  Is it a five-year investment with a return, is it until you move up beyond the Kin's abilities, or is it forever?

 

My plan for Max is to turn him into a trail pony.  I might take him to some local show or competitions for fun, but it probably won't be often. 

Unless a horse is clearly not compatible with me or trail riding, they will have a forever home with me.  Or, I suppose, if something terrible happens and we are no longer able to afford them. Then I would do everything in my power to make sure they will have a good home.

Shaggy pony says. "Why'd you stop grooming? It felt good!"

TOABH: Fail

From The Owls Approve: 

 

Fail.

We know what makes Thunderhooves happy, but what does he hate to do?  Let's not ignore those times that you have whip out all the tricks or pharmaceuticals for grooming.

 

What does Max hate to do?  Work, be taken away from food, eat breakfast or dinner late, or just anything that doesn't involve food.  

Sometimes I seriously question whether the boy enjoys doing anything except eat.

Max doesn't like the hay hoop, but loves his hay.

TOABH: Ermahgerd

It's week 13 of Beka's blog hop series at The Owls Approve.

What is your pony's absolute favorite riding activity?  What makes those little ears perk and causes the knees to lift?  Let's just focus on the favorites - we'll save the bucks for next week.

Honestly, Max's favorite part of riding is probably the mounting block, for dismounting that is.  He's not really barn sour, but if you let him, he will take you back to the mounting block.  Subtlety is not his thing.

He goes to the mounting bucket on his own.

I still haven't figure out what he truly enjoys doing.  I do think he might enjoy jumping but I'm not really a jumper.  He's very willing to jump and has done it to avoid the tiny muddy "ditch" out back. He has also jumped a few things while on a lunge line. There was the mounting block when I wasn't paying attention, several ground poles that he should have trotted over, and a small cross rail just to see what he did.

He will also go to the stall doors at dinner time. Not a subtle pony.

TOABH: Costly

From Beka at The Owls Approve:

What has been your horse's most expensive injury to date? Let's exclude maintenance things, like hock injections and the magical monthly package of MSM. What single episode blew your savings or left you boiling ramen? If you want to get technical about it, time is money, too. 

Thankfully, other than routine vaccines, Max has only seen the vet once for an emergency type situation since I've had him.  Last winter (on one of the coldest days) he coliced. That vet bill was just under $300 I believe.

The dirty pony decided to stay out in the snow Saturday morning.

TOABH: A Rose

This week's blog hop from The Owls Approve

 

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Every horse seems to have at least three names:  the "real" one, the barn one, and that special one.  What are some of your pony's names?

 

Goat Beard

 

 

Max doesn't have a show name, so registered name it is.

 

Registered Name: Melvis RDP

Barn Name: Max

Nicknames: 

• Fat Boy
• Pony (Pony Boy, Golden Pony)
• Shit Head
• Brat 
• Maximus
• Droolie Boy
• Fuzz Butt
• The Yak

TOABH: Idiosyncrasies

This week's blog hop from The Owls Approve.

Idiosyncrasies.

What personality quirks does your pony have?  What makes him or her special?

 

 Where do I begin?  Most of Max's idiosyncrasies revolve around food.  First, whenever I come home, he meets me at the corner of his paddock and gives me "the stare".

 

The stare

Then he will whinny when I actually get out of my car, or come out of the house, or even open the house door to let the dog out. Or when someone else pulls up and gets out of their car, or any other time he thinks he will get food.  He loves his food. 

While I'm getting food ready, he paces. In and out of the stall, then a quick loop around the paddock and back to the stall. He learned very quickly that he has to move away before I'll dump the grain in his bucket.  He knows to stand outside his stall until I have the hay bags hung.  Smart boy. 

TOABH: Self-Actualized

Another great blog hop from The Owls Approve!

Assuming that your horse has absolutely everything he needs (food, bedding, a warm stall, plenty of blankets, and a pasture mate he neither humps, maims nor gets abused by),  what does your horse need to be the best version of himself?

Be sure to check out the original post linked above for a full explanation. It includes a nice graphic.


First, I think he needs to have better respect.  He is constantly testing me and trying to get his own way.  We are constantly working on maintaining space as well as doing what I tell him to do, when I know he knows better. The perfect example of this is grass snatching. He knows he's not supposed to, but still does. 
 

Pony says "F- this weather. Imma stay out in the rain/snow/sleet"

The second one I'm borrowing from Beka since it also applies to me and that's rider confidence.  I'm still a fairly green rider but feel I have a decent seat.  I'm constantly questioning if what I'm doing is the correct way to train him, or if my timing is too slow, and the list goes on.  I can also be a bit nervous under saddle which transfers to him and ties into his respect and confidence.  Yesterday, my husband and I drove to a local trail for a quick hike. The up hill side of the trail is paved for hikers/bikers/strollers, etc. The downhill/ditch side is a horse trail for a couple of miles.  All I could think about were all the things that would possibly spook Max. There were dogs barking, cattle on one side of the fence, mud, low branches (to knock me off when he bolts).  The pedestrian trail is also elevated, so having people with dogs and bikes whirring by above his head won't help things either.

See...rider confidence. 

It got foggy after it stopped raining/snowing.  Today it's just really cold.

TOABH: Worth 1K Words

This is a fun blog hop from The Owls Approve.

Worth 1k Words.

Let's share our favorite photos of our stud muffins.  No limit.

 

 

Max with his ex-girlfriend, Fancy, trying so hard to get that bit of grass.  This was when I was boarding him.

Our one and only trail ride since having him.  We went through the covered bridge with very little fuss.

Princess Cinderella the Llama and Princess Prissyfeet, the Brat About Mud.

Give me my food woman!!

Someone pissed the llama off.

Plotting the farrier's demise.

Seriously, he was horrible for her for this trim.  Little brat.

TOABH: Sugar Momma

From The Owls Approve:

Let's continue pretending that horse poop magically transforms into money instead of the other way.  So money doesn't matter.  If you could buy anything for your horse, what would you buy? 

Land:
First and foremost, more land.  Right now we have roughly 1 acre set aside for grazing and paddock space and that just isn't enough. And I'm going to pay someone to keep it in tip-top shape. If a weed so much as thinks about growing, it's gone. Of course, I'd also want enough land to produce hay for the year for all animals, but would also have some one come bale and stack it. Then, more wooded land with trails to ride around in.

 So much lush pasture...

Arena:
Max would also get an indoor arena for his benefit, of course. He might not appreciate it, but it would be for his health. To help keep him in shape all year long. No need to worry about it being too hot, too cold, too rainy, too whatever. 'Cause this thing's going to be cool in summer and warm in winter. 

Saddles:
I'd also have several custom saddles made for him.  At the very least, one western style, a close contact, a dressage, and probably a treeless just because I'd want to try it. 

TOABH: Wish We Could

Another great blog hop from The Owls Approve

Let's pretend that financial restrictions don't exist and logistics isn't a nightmare.  If you could do anything with your Ponykins, what would you do?

In my dreams...

 link

 Let's also pretend that I'd have a perfect, well behaved Haflinger.  Right now I want nothing more than to take Max to a warm ocean beach and run through the surf.

My reality....

Jan 12, 2015

Everything it sleeted/glazed/snowed all night, so everything was covered in ice this morning.  Apparently, Max spent some time out in the open because he was quite wet.

Otherwise, I'd love to go trail ride out west. Foxhunting is also on my list, though I'm not a jumper.

TOABH: Fave

From The Owls Approve: 

What is your horse's absolute favorite thing?  Outside of riding!  Are there treats that instantly convert your pony into an addict or liniments that leave him yawning and chewing?  What does your horse just love to have?

Hands down, Max's favorite thing is food. More specifically his grain.  This shouldn't be a surprise given that he is a Haflinger. However, he is surprising picky about what he will eat.  He loves his daily grain. So mush so that he will give up pasture time to get it. Last weekend, I put Max out in the pasture for a few minutes while I gave Cindy her grain, put grain in his bucket and did a few small chores. As I was scrubbing buckets, I realized he was pacing the fence line trying to get my attention. He wanted go to back in and get his grain.  He almost charged through the electric fence before I had a chance to open the line for him to get through.

No treats and a goofy hat = no love from the pony

Max also loves apples and carrots, but seemed confused when I've offered him peppermints in the past. He enjoys them now, but not as much as his grain. Cookies (for people), chips, other random stuff I've offered, he has said no to.

Max also loves a good scratching, especially on his neck and withers. But will take food over scratching.