Bucky's Adventures

Obstacle Challenges . . .

2010-12-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

After many trail adventures, it was time to take Bucky to a few clinics to work on our skills. So October 24, we attended the first clinic at West River Stables . . . the first major obstacle, was keeping Bucky calm and focused in a ring full of horses!

There were about 15 horses at the clinic and Bucky was VERY well behaved and kept his cool as we practiced turn-on-the-haunches, turn-on-the-forehand and other skills needed to maneuver obstacles on the trail or in the show ring.

Jerilyn & Tana

We worked on backing up on an 'L' and also tricker obstacles like this horse-eater. A board on two barrels that you have to move on end attached to a rope while keeping the other end on the barrel. Jerilyn & Tana demonstrated this for us, Bucky got as far as moving the board, but we did no t complete the obstacle. It will take some time to get used to something attached to us moving!

Angie & Doc working the gate

We also practiced opening / closing a gate from horseback, a very useful skill and something we have also worked on at home. Overall Bucky is very good at this and let me latch / unlatch the gate patiently. I did get a big ole bruise on my knee at home though when we went through the gate without leaving room for my leg - ouch!

Then in December we attended the second obstacle clinic at Crystal Gait, and were able to use their gorgeous heated indoor arena. It was very nice to be in this ring while the wind howled outside and temperatures dropped!

Bucky adapted nicely to the indoor and was very good with the other horses in the ring. Sometimes I forget he is only 5 years old, having many adventures has definitely made him a more reliable mount.

There were a variety of obstacles to work on including this horse eating "teeter - totter" which Bucky thought was pretty scary. We did go over it (and leapt off) a few times, but ended with a positive experience. Bucky also LOVED the big ball to play with, herd and chase. I hope to someday introduce him to cattle work, which I suspect he would love.

We also got to do a mini "cowboy race" which was fun and Bucky was very good. Now it is time for him to have the winter off and get ready for more adventures next spring!

Ride for the Cure VT-NH

2010-10-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today we set on a very important ride. My best friend Alison and I headed to Green Mountain Horse Association (GMHA) in beautiful Woodstock Vermont. We had collected donations to ride in the FIRST VT-NH Susan G. Komen Foundation "Ride for the Cure".

Learn more about the foundation at their link. Seriously. Learn more about this amazing and critical organization founded in 1982 by a woman who lost her sister to breast cancer. They raise money for breast cancer screening, treatment and research with the majority of funds raised going back into local programs.

So we clipped and plaited, glittered and ribboned our horses to prepare for this ride. Dressed in pink and covered in ribbons we rode to honor our family and friends who have battled this dreadful disease.

We again rode in honor of my grandmother, a breast cancer survivor, and in memory of my aunt Dyanne.

And in memory of Ali's friend Sandy who also passed away after battling breast cancer. But it was even bigger than that, even bigger than us and our loved ones, and over 100 people came, all of us touched by breast cancer in some way and raised over $40,000.

The trails at GMHA were great, very well marked and maintained, and the views were simply breathtaking. The weather could not have been better and we had a fabulous time. A day made up of those "moments" cantering through the forest on a trusted horse, with a good friend that make you truly happy to be alive.

The buckskins were wonderful, after a long weekend of traveling they were still willing to get right in the trailer and put up with all our grooming and ribbons! This is where they get to hang out and rest after a long ride and munch hay . . .

July 2010 - Pisgah Trail Adventure . . .

2010-09-05T11:38:00.001-07:00

We headed out again end of July with our friend Jerilyn on Tana to explore Pisgah State Park in NH. Bucky was outfitted in his new (slightly ridiculous) burgundy ear nets to combat the deer flies.

We had a great time, mostly walking as the trails were rocky with lots of water crossings. Some of the bridges were a little scary to me (rotting, slippery wood) but Bucky was a trooper and walked right over them after Jerilyn or I got off and tested each one.

Some spots are a little tricky to maneuver with a horse and we had one very scary moment when Bucky's saddle got caught on this gate, but he stayed calm and we managed to squeeze by without any further mishaps.

There were also some trails that were impassable due to large fallen trees and we had to resort to "bushwacking" around them through the forest. Bucky was a champ and led the way through all sorts of terrain. He can be a very bold little horse!

If you're headed out to Pisgah, bring a map and flyspray!

June 2010 - Buckskin Adventures!

2010-09-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

We found some great riding buddies and headed out for new trail riding adventures this summer.

In June, we met up with Angie & Doc (another buckskin) to explore the local trails. We had a great time riding at the Springfield Reservoir, what gorgeous trails and a big river to cool off in.

Our first time out I took Bucky, although younger & green, he is still the "more experienced" trail horse of my two. So we set out to explore the trails at Springfield with our fearless leader Doc. After a few initial spooks at big scary rocks, Buck settled right in and was a great little trail pony.

Seeing double? Doc is a buckskin Paint who looks like he could be Bucky's twin. The two boys got along very well and are great trail buddies.

For our next adventure I took a different buckskin trail riding in Putney to explore the trails of the Putney School and surrounding area. Angie & Doc were again great leaders for Haley & I to follow. Haley was a trooper, but small streams definitely gave us pause.

Haley did this big hill without any complaints and we even cantered up it on the way home. Haley is well on her way to being a fabulous trail horse too!

Buckskin butts headed home! Unfortunately our riding buddy Angie was in a riding accident and won't be riding for a while - we miss you Angie, heal quickly!

A few great reasons to trail ride . . .

2010-06-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Bucky & I did the MA 2010 "Ride for the Cure" June 6th along with some good friends. We had a great time, managed to stay mostly dry, and rode 10 miles to raise money for the Susan G. Komen foundation.

The ride overall was a success despite skies threatening to rain all day, we had fun and Bucky & Haley had a good ride. For the most part they were VERY well behaved except for a few bucks from Bucky at the canter.

We rode in memory of my aunt Dyanne, who passed away from breast cancer and in support of my Nana, a breast cancer survivor.

Today we completed the 7 miles ACTHA "Ride for Rescues" in Springfield, VT and also had a great time. Both buckskins were in good shape and a little frisky to start off! They settled in and were good trail ponies for the remainder of the ride.

This ride had six judged obstacles and we did our best, though very green Haley tried her best at each obstacle. Bucky was good (as long as it wasn't the dreaded trotting poles!) and we placed 3rd in the pleasure division.

We also worked on trailer loading this week which paid off, both horses loaded very easily to go to the ride and home! Something never to take for granted with young horses.

Show #2 . . . the real thing!

2010-05-29T18:46:00.001-07:00

This weekend we headed to the River Riders Open 4-H show at West River Stables, it was our first "real" show . . . where we would compete in classes with other horses in the ring. Bucky was fantastic and I was so proud of him!
He was a little quick, but overall very good for having 10 green horses in the ring and I was just happy that it was a good experience for him.

He has a big stride for such a little horse!

If only his mom could remember how to ride huntseat . . . we did get 4th in equitation though.

He was great in trail class, minor leap over trotting poles, did the mailbox, bridge and gate well, our practice has paid off. BUT I forgot an obstacle . . . oh well, he was great and we had fun!

First show!

2010-04-25T10:55:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Bucky, Haley, Ali & I headed off to our first show! We found the ideal opportunity to introduce them to showing at the SYALER Dressage Schooling Show at Langwood Farm. So we brushed, braided, and borrowed gear!

We had a beautiful day and the show was small, so the horses quickly settled in and were very well behaved!

Bucky trotting in the indoor, he was good and even got the high point horse award for the day.

Photo from SYALER

The judge was also very nice and gave many helpful comments and things for us to work on.

Haley has only been really going under saddle for a few months and has been being ridden (and loved!) by my best friend Ali. Haley has had some biting issues and had only been ridden in a bitted bridle for a week prior to the show.

Photo from SYALER

She was also a star though and did very well for Ali.

What a pretty mare, Ali has done a fantastic job with her. We are looking forward to more adventures with the buckskins this summer!

A good cause . . .

2010-03-21T15:34:00.001-07:00

Bucky is doing very well in his training, we have big plans for this spring & summer. Next weekend we are going to a Centered Riding clinic and we have a few fun trail rides scheduled as well. One that is very dear to me is the 2010 MA Ride for the Cure, which is going to be held this June in Barre, MA.

Not only do we get to go on a trail ride with some great people, but it is to raise funds for a very worthy cause. We will be riding in memory of my aunt Dyanne and in honor of my grandmother, Claire, a breast cancer survivor. There are many other women we will also be riding to remember and honor.

Consider sponsoring us for this ride by making a donation here to the Susan G. Komen foundation:

Trotting poles . . .

2010-01-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

Despite Bucky's success as a trail horse, he is still very skeptical about things under his feet. We spent a good deal of time this fall working on trotting poles. We started with one and gradually added a few more, he seemed to get the idea.

He was very careful and cautious to *not* let the poles touch his feet though and you can see the look of concern on his face . . .

And then of course . . . he tapped a pole and *IT MOVED*, which lead to this giant leap over the rest of them. The funny thing is that Bucky has never shown a tendancy toward jumping, but I think he did a pretty good job in this photo!

And after a few more tried, back to trotting, although a little more cautiously . . . I think we'll do some more lunging before I ride him over poles ;-)

Trail riding fun!

2009-11-07T17:58:00.001-08:00

So we have had a busy fall, getting Bucky out and about on the trails. His stifle seems much better on the straightaways and trails rather than doing circles in the ring. And he has fun! After a few more local rides with friends we did a few organized trail rides this fall . . .

We ventured off to North Brookfield, MA for the Sportman's Club fall ride . . . we had fun with all our VT Morgan friends and completed the 8 mile ride and all the obstacles.

Bucky was fantastic, calm and brave, he even was the leader at times! We went through rivers and over logs, up hills and through mud . . . (thats Bucky up front)

Next we ventured off with best friend Ali and borrowed horse Flash to a 4-H trail ride in Lyndeborough, NH after finding our way there we had a great ride on the "the boys". Riding a BUCKskin we had to make sure we would not be mistaken for a deer, that silly scarf sure does the trick!

Flash is an experienced trail horse and set a great example for Bucky to follow . . . there was more riding on the road on this ride so Bucky got used to all kinds of traffic. The train tracks gave both horses pause though!

Checking our directions . . . hoping for a few more good rides before winter!

Poor Bucky!

2009-07-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

He doesn't really look like a lame horse , does he? Unfortunately Bucky has an upward fixating patella, so he is not classically "lame", but every once in a while his stifle goes "pop" and out goes his knee, causing him to stumble. Poor fella! Having been through this before with another horse, I know I need to get Bucky in better shape. Building up those gluteal muscles are what he needs to hold the stifle in place.

The challenge becomes maintaining his confidence and willingness to work while getting him in shape despite the random instability in his gait from the locking stifle. Poor Bucky has started counter cantering in the lame direction and reluctant to pick up the trot that direction as well!

Up-hill work, cavalettis and trotting are all helpful, so hopefully we'll have some good weather to keep up his exercise schedule. I am hoping we can resolve this with exercise since it is not too severe. Wish us luck!

If you want to see his patella lock, there is a video here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/tlmstar1#play/all/uploads-all/0/gk0qsM85cJs

Lessons from A Horse . . .

2009-06-28T16:05:00.001-07:00

We are all still adjusting to the loss of our beloved Lady Byrd. The biggest thing that she taught me over the years, and something I hear repeated by many great trainers, is "listen to your horse". Listening to Lady taught me so many things about riding, horses and also life.

These are a few lessons I have to come understand and appreciate . . .

Bucky helped me to realize that the harder it is to reach a goal, the more important it becomes to recognize it once your there. We have been struggling with a nice, soft, smooth halt for a few weeks now. I realized that each time I asked for halt, got it, and was then thinking ahead, "Next we'll swing hindquarters over, then back up . . . ". I realized I wasn't taking the time to show him that "yes, that is what I want". So today we worked on halt, and then standing quietly savoring our lovely square, soft, halt. This concept was also very helpful with Miss Haley, it took so long for her to come to me in the paddock, so we make sure to spend lots of friendly time when she does.

Haley, though still a little mistrustful, reminds me the most of Lady Byrd. She is very very smart, but far more interested in her own self preservation than what you are asking her to do. She is teaching me daily to throw agenda out the window. Today I carried saddle blankets, flags and lead ropes out to the paddock to work with her and then realized what she really needed was to just build trust and work slowly. So we spent 20 minutes just working on facing me in the paddock and allowing herself to be approached without swinging her haunches at me. It was pretty amazing though to watch her think through the process, after 3-4 times of stopping & looking away whenever she would turn towards me she finally turned her haunches away and then stood there chewing and yawning for about 3 minutes before walking right up to me.

And then of course there is Sassy, forever reminding me to have patience. No matter how many times we have been over hoof trimming or fly spraying, there are always days when she has to be naughty and forget her lessons. When we first got Sassy she needed a lot of care - bathing, wound care, clipping her matted winter coat, hoof trimming and deworming. Because she is little we were able to get this all done without too much trouble, but at times I didn't take the time to help her accept what was going on. In the long run I think this has led to more problems with her and I should have just taken the time to let her be dirty and matted while we worked through her issues. Lesson learned, and we are now trying to work through things more slowly with her and help ger gain trust and confidence.

First trail ride . . .

2009-05-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

Photo by Cody Jeffers

We headed off for Bucky's first trail ride today. A benefit ride for a local rescue Animal Aid Inc. It was a beautiful day for it and he loaded right in the trailer and off we went to Crystal Gait Horses in Townshend to enjoy a 5 mile ride or hike depending on how Bucky was doing.

I saddled him up, but left his halter on so I could start out leading him. I was lucky enough to find a nice group of friends who let me tag along behind them, so we could walk at our own pace. Bucky was great, he started off a little snorty and prancing, but quickly settled down. After about 20 minutes he acclimated to the woods and other horses and was walking quietly, so I decided to ride him. He was great!

For the most part he was a very brave boy, even leading the way part of the ride, up and down hills, and through trees, but the deep mud was a little intimidating, so we let Andrea lead the way with a Mountain horse mare through the muddy sections and he would follow right along.

The things we so often take for granted, tying, trailering, and standing patiently . . . Bucky has learned well. He was very good and we are looking forward to more trail rides together.

Happy to be home!

Social Skills 101 - Girl trouble!

2009-04-05T19:04:00.001-07:00

We recently added another new horse to our herd, a recent rescue from Spring Hill Horse Rescue (where we got Bucky from two years ago). They have some very nice horses and we couldn't turn this one down. "Haley" aka Shades Noble Highlight is a registered buckskin Morgan mare, for Bucky it was love at first sight. BUT poor Bucky has a lot to learn about MARES.

He has been living with our 30 year old mare and the mini Sassy so has been the un-contested herd boss for quite a while and both mares find him to be a little rude. As you can see he tailgaits horribly . . . Haley gave him a few warnings with ears pinned and the hoof raised, but he didn't listen . . .

And so he did get a good kick or two from Haley for his troubles . . .

And then Haley decided she'd rather hang out with the other mare, Bucky is still trying to make friends, but not quite sure how to do so politely.

This is what Haley thinks of Bucky . . .

The girls maintaining a respectful distance and checking each other out . . .

Bucky looking on after he finally gets the hint to stay away. Poor fella! It might take a while for him to catch on to mare-talk!

An spring adventure . . .

2009-04-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

So with mud season in full swing at our house, Bucky goes off on another adventure. We headed out with our new (used) trailer Saturday for a lesson in an indoor arena (with Heidi Potter - Maple Ridge Stables). I have been able to ride him 2-3x weekly for short periods of time when the paddock is dry. I was hopeful that our work over the winter would help him to behave, this is only his second trip away from our farm. We had a pretty good spooking incident two days before while riding in the paddock, but he stopped himself and I stayed on . . . a good sign!

Here Bucky is all dressed up and ready to go . . .

Our confidence and trust building exercises have paid off in that we have a horse who is now very easy to load into a trailer. After a mishap with a wrong turn and LOTS of backing the trailer up, we arrived! We let Bucky loose in the indoor to tack him up before lunging him. He explored calmly taking everything in. He was very good on the lunge, so I rode him for the second part of our lesson.

He was a very good boy! We are working on taking up gentle contact with the reins and yielding to leg pressure at the walk. I am hopeful we will be able to have more adventure this summer as Bucky continues to learn.

Playtime . . . again!

2009-03-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

After a false start at spring (mud season -ewww!) we are back into winter with another 4-6" of snow. After putting fresh shavings in the stalls today Sassy decided to take off with the empty shavings bag, which Bucky quickly claimed as his own. And boy did he have fun! Video here.

So we keep impatiently waiting for spring . . . Bucky is learning some valuable lessons in respect from our mini mare Sassy. She gives him the occasional kick when he nibbles her too much or plays too rough.

Is winter over yet?

2009-02-14T17:56:00.001-08:00

Winter is tough! We don't have an indoor or really many places with even good footing. So I am trying to find exercises to keep Bucky in shape and also mentally stimulated. So far we have settled for yielding from pressure work on halter and from the ground, he can do a nice turn on the haunches and turn on the forehand!

I get on him about once a week when the weather allows and work on walk-halt-walk transitions and bending. Thats about it . . . I'm thinking about trailering him to an indoor to see how he is . . .should be fun!

In the meantime Sassy is a little pest, chasing our old mare around and jumping over the divider between paddocks(yes she jumps about 3" without any problems . . . ) when I try to put her in with Bucky. She is slowly adjusting to life with Bucky.

I love watching Bucky do quick turns and sliding stops as he plays in the paddock, he has such amazing athleticism and potential. I can't wait for spring!

New friend?

2009-01-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

We just adopted another pony from Spring Hill Rescue, she is a 4 1/2 year old pinto shetland we named "Sassafrass". I was hoping she could be Bucky's new friend . . . we introduced her to our old mare Lady first.

Lady LOVES Sassy . . .

Sassy is not so thrilled with meeting Bucky . . . we'll see how it goes after she settles in!

To see more available ponies from Spring Hill check out our photos here.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

Bucky is really enjoying the snow! Althought the cold, wet weather has put a damper on some of our riding / training, I am still working with Bucky as much as I can. He is learning to accept the bridle much better now and I have been able to long line him without any problems. The footing is not good so we have been doing ground work and walking primarily.

I am also hoping to teach Bucky to bow this winter and *someday* would like to teach him the spanish walk. He is very clever and I think would pick up on it quickly. He gets bored and invents games of his own if I don't work with him regularly (like removing his own blanket, or hide the feedpan . . .).

We have started the introduction to bow by getting him to lift and hold up a forefoot on command . . . so I tell him "foot" and gently tap the near fetlock, once he picks it up - he gets a treat or scratch. He is doing it and holding the foot up on command but its still inconsistent. I tried to show my farrier as I thought she'd appreciate it, but he was distracted and wouldn't comply.

Bucky after sedation to have his teeth floated.

We have also continued to work on Bucky's teeth, he had his wolf teeth pulled a few months ago and is losing a few premolar caps. He is eating primarily just hay now without any problems and even had to be put on a diet as he was a little chubby. Our previously skinny boy is now an easy keeper! I should also mention that Bucky has been great for me for all his veterinary work. He is good for shots and deworming, we have used lots of positive reinforcement and he has been great for blood draws, shots and teeth, although with the level of dental care he needs sedation is required.

A common sight at our house . . . pink pony noses looking for treats or attention . . .

She blames ALL her grey hairs on Bucky!

Lady was feeling left out, this is our 30 year old Morab mare Lady Byrd, who is much less thrilled with Bucky than we are. She thought her retirement would be peaceful! I have had her for 19 years and she was my childhood show pony. She has cushing's and arthritis, so her only job now is the occasional pony ride. For the most part we have Bucky & Lady in side by side seperate paddocks and stalls, but I sometimes catch them socializing over the fence and turn them out together for supervised playtime.

We recently learned that Spring Hill, the rescue we got Bucky from, has recently received about 30 ponies / horses from a neglect case and is need of donations, hay, and foster homes in VT. I am trying to figure out ways we can help . . . http://www.springhillrescue.com/ for more information. It breaks my heart to think of these poor horses this winter and I wish I had room to foster a few!

Fall 2008: More adventures . . .

2009-01-01T17:12:00.000-08:00

Bucky is enjoying the mud and getting fuzzy again in preparation for winter and I pulled his mane to keep him from resembling a wild Mustang . . . Like most grooming, he was very good for this and didn't seem to mind at all. He just loves the attention!

Training continues and we were lucky enough to have our neighbors let us use their riding ring as our paddocks became very muddy and uneven. Heidi came over for our first trip over to the ring. Getting there involves crossing a very large wide open hayfield. Bucky was very good, he snorted and pranced a little, but behaved himself on the leadline. Once in the new ring he seemed to settle in okay, we did some ground work and eventually I got on him. He was a little excited, but really tried to behave except for biting the stirrup (and almost tipping us over!) after a one rein stop.

After all the progress we had made at home, I was a little disappointed that he was not better behaved, but I have to keep reminding myself - he's only 3 years old! Mentally he seems like a very young horse and we have no need to rush his training. He continues to do better in his halter than with a bridle / bit on, but we're working on that as well.

Summer 2008: Playtime!

2008-12-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

So as we continued to work at getting Bucky going under saddle, we can't help but notice - this horse has an amazing play-drive. He plays with *everything*! He has the usual likit's and jolly balls that he plays with on a daily basis, along with anything else moveable in his paddock. It is not unusual to have to hunt for his feed pan (in Lady's paddock) and his jolly ball (in the hay field) on any give day. He will also play with tarps, kiddie pools, blankets, grain bags - anything left in his paddock.

We also bought him a large "yoga" ball to herd / play with. I was hopeful this would give us a good foundation for cattle work someday. He certainly liked it, he also destroys them frequently so can't be left unsupervised with a large ball. You can see video of him playing with his ball at these links (its pretty amazing): bucky playing ball one and two.

May 2008: Bucky's Big Adventure . . .

2008-12-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

So with Heidi's blessing I decided to take Bucky to a Jon Ensign "colt starting" clinic in Guilford, VT. Laurie Bayer (of Starfish Farm) and I made plans to load Bucky onto her trailer early in the morning to make sure we would get to the clinic in time. Although Laurie had graciously trailered Bucky home for us the previous summer, neither of us knew how he would trailer. I practiced walking Bucky through all the scary places I could think of in our yard, over and under tarps and sheets, building his confidence. The big morning arrived, and after having my share of trailer-shy showhorses growing up I think I was more nervous than Bucky. But he loaded like a pro - stopped, looked inside and then walked right on.

At the clinic Bucky was a star, we had worked on most of the groundwork already and he was great. Being a very sensitive horse though and a little "forgetful" at times, it helped to desensitize him again all over to the flag and ropes. Sometimes I start to think, "Bucky we've done this 10 zillion times, aren't you over it?" I asked Jon about this and he said, "You just have to keep doing it." I once told Sonny I thought it took about 27 times to get Bucky used to something and he laughed. Sometimes when he sees me headed to the barn with one of our training aids (flag, hula hoop, tarp, etc) he'll ask me what # time it is.

Wow, a real cowboy! Jon and Bucky, look how attentive he is!

Bucky really struggled with the plastic bag near his legs, but we continue to work at that. He was great for saddling and even basic riding in the roundpen. He learned to "bump the fence" easily and will siddle right up to it for desensization exercises and mounting. Its a great exercise because you can get the horse used to scary stuff (tossing a rope for example) at riding height without getting thrown off.

Bucky stayed at Heidi's overnight and was very well behaved, but we missed him at home! (Well Sonny and I did, maybe not Lady Byrd). Bucky had a great first-time-away-from-home experience thanks to a great group of horse people. And for me it was a great experience and showed me that Bucky actually has lots of potential as a riding horse.

Spring 2008: Getting serious . . .

2008-12-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

As Bucky started to shed out his winter coat, I realized we actually has a real horse under that cute little rescue-pony. He really filled out and started looking very stock / Quarter-Horse like. He also grew about 2" and gained 75# since his arrival. We continued our groundwork and started lunging and introduced (scary scary!): the Western saddle.

I spent a few weeks just saddling and un-saddling him until he stopped snorting. Then I put him on the lunge line, and he lived up to his name, bucking and carrying on. So we went back to saddling, walking a few steps and un-saddling, keeping it positive. One of the most important things I learned (and am still learning!) from Heidi is to reward good behavior with release of pressure. Even the *smallest* try. For example: in getting Bucky to walk over a tarp, I would apply gentle pressure on his halter to ask him to walk forward, as soon as he *thinks* about walking forward and lifts a foot in the right direction - instant release of halter pressure. He hasn't walked on to the tarp, but he was doing the right thing. It is amazing how quickly Bucky picked up on things when taught this way. And in no time, without any fuss he was walking over the tarp.

Bucky on the lunge with the scary western saddle. He really had to think about this - look at his ears!

I should mention that we checked Bucky's back and saddle-fit to make sure it was not causing him pain. It just took him quite a while to get over this big, noisy, creaking contraption on his back. So his progress continued and eventually I got on his back - this time in a Western saddle! The second time on him, he had a very minor bucking fit, then I decided to get off after he quit bucking and he decided to help me off - ouch! I would have been fine had the saddle horn not caught the inside of my thigh on the way off.

So with all our progress I asked Heidi, "Do you think people would laugh at me if I took him a clinic?". She laughed and said no, so plans were made for Bucky'sbig adventure!

Fall / winter 2007: Training Bucky. . .

2008-12-29T07:29:00.000-08:00

I took the task of training Bucky very seriously. In all of my dealings with horses at work, some of the saddest cases to me are young, well bred, beautiful horses with no manners or training. With so many horses in need of homes, you know that these ones will someday be in jeopardy. While their current owner may not care about thier lack of training (or the safety of anyone working on the horse), horses change hands A LOT and an untrained horse quickly will loose value and end up at auction or worse. So I was determined that Bucky would be well trained.

The basics were easy, he had a great foundation from Gina at Spring Hill and was eager to learn. We did daily grooming, picking up hooves and haltering with no problems. He was very quiet to ride bareback with a rope halter and knew to turn his head to pressure and halt (sometimes!). It took some time to get him used to a saddle though and he much preferred the english saddle, so silly as it looked thats what we started him in.

Bucky Sept 2007, his face says it all . . . he's just tolerating this nonsense!

I decided at this point that to give Bucky a good education we needed professional help . . . so I called Heidi Potter from Maple Ridge Stables. She helped us through some natural horsemanship exercises to develop a working relationship from the safety of the ground. Bucky learned to walk, halt, reverse and trot in a circle and on the lead responding to lightest of requests. (Like a deep sigh to prepare for halt). He was a great student and loved the time we spent together, he learned to come to be haltered and lower his head. He would point an ear back and look at me to await his next cue. We also worked on touching him all over, and finding the softest cue required to get the desired response.

That's a happier pony! Bucky coming right over to start the day's lesson.

It was also about this time Bucky started getting really fresh, all his good care and nutrition caught up with him and he discovered, "Hey I'm a 3 year old!". We ended up having to seperate the paddock so that he would stop harrassing Miss Lady Byrd (our 30 yr. old Morab). Although he was intended to be her companion, he was really making her miserable. They had stalls side by side and still touch noses over the fence, but she was fed up with him chasing her through the snow.

Lady Byrd says, "Seriously, kid?!" Shortly after this Bucky got his own paddock.

Summer 2007: Bucky arrives home . . .

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Bucky arrived and fit in well with our little backyard herd. "Flash" who we had borrowed to keep our old mare company went home and we were left with a 30 year old Morab and Bucky, our 3 year old mutt pony. Bucky got a makeover when he arrived. His parrot mouth was quite severe and required multiple floatings to get him chewing hay normally, he got a bath and deworming as well.

This is Bucky his first week home, definitely not the poster child for good confirmation.

I started thinking . . . hmm will he grow? Will his back even out? Will he ever be big enough to ride? What had we gotten ourselves in to? With low expectations I resolved to train him the best I could so whatever he grew into he could be a useful horse for someone.

His teeth also continued to be a concern, after consulting with a few of my veterinary colleagues, I decided to try reducing the upper incisors and regularly removing the upper premolar hooks to see if we could get a better occlusion. I won't bore you with the details, but you can see Bucky's dental photos on the VT NH Vet Clinic website. It worked well and although he'll never have a pefect smile, after a few floatings Bucky was chewing normally and gaining weight!

So now to continue his training, I had lots of horse experience and had even started a few horses under saddle, but had no formal training in training.

I don't know who looks more worried, me or Bucky . . . who's training who here?

Summer 2007: How we met Bucky . . .

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After we finished building our modest barn, we needed an equine companion for our retired Morab mare, and a friend suggested Spring Hill Rescue in Clarendon, VT. With an older trained mare in mind we set out to visit Gina and her horses in July 2007. As soon as Gina met us she said, "You're little, you should check out Bucky . . ."

I have always had a soft spot for buckskins and had been looking for one, but was trying to keep an open mind and get a sensible, trained, older horse in need of a home, instead of selecting a new horse based on appearance or color.

As soon as we met Bucky, we were knew all sensibility was out the window. . .

This is Bucky the first day we met him, following close behind us as we toured the rescue and met the horses.

So we went home to talk and think about it, we had also met a perfectly sensible older Appendix QH mare and then there was Bucky. He was too little and too young and too green . . . but he had stolen our hearts. We went back on August 5 (my birthday) to finalize his paperwork and he was delivered to us the next day.

This is me at the rescue the sitting on Bucky for the first time, he was calm and well mannered.

Gina and her daughter did an amazing job of starting him with groundwork and under saddle so it was no big deal to sit on his back. His willing and calm temperment convinced me that we had made the right choice and he would be a great training partner.

We learned more of Bucky's story from Gina, this is from the Summer 2007 SHHR newsletter:

"It's been fairly busy so far this year. We got a sweet little buckskin colt in around the first of the year. He was emaciated with severe edema (swelling) in all four legs, infested with lice, had a fuzzy matted coat and his front teeth had a gap and stuck out. Being a buckskin and having bucked teeth, guess what name he fell into? Bucky! With good nutrition and lots of love Bucky pulled through the winter and is now up to his natural weight. In fact he is completely off grain and gets free choice hay and grazes like all of the other healthy horses. This spring we had him gelded and wouldn't you know he just lost his buck teeth and two straight adult teeth have come in:-) Bucky shed his ragged mattes and he now sports a beautiful rich shiny golden coat...truly a diamond in the rough. Bucky is about 3 yrs old and I think he'll mature to around 14.2 hh. I've started him on a driving harness and under saddle—what a wonderful student he's been. He'll be great for a small adult and children when he's had more training."

This is a photo of Bucky that Gina showed us from when he first arrived at the rescue, poor little buckskin!