Post by coconut on Mar 13, 2009 0:04:54 GMT -5
I had some good news to share and realized I hadn't used this topic before so here's a thread for our Paint Project horse, Sugar so she can get out of the "Need Colt Advice" thread
Her APHA registered name is Spooks Sugar Bar None
She was signed over to Maeve & I in Feb 09 by her former owner who was no longer able to care for her and her (then) 10 month colt (now a gelding known as Basil).
She was behind on all of her foot & vet care and we've been getting her caught up over the last month as well as working with her on the ground.
I was able to contact a previous breeder and got a little information on her.
She had one previous owner before her career as a broodmare. Apparently she had been broke for trails and had worked with a trainer frequently. In fact the owner was actually nervous to ride her but the trainer did fine...so I hear. She also had a head shy problem and could not take a bit. The story I was told was that she didn't get sedated to get her teeth floated and had never allowed anything near her mouth again.
The breeder I spoke to had bred her several times to Macho Dee Bar (out of Barlink Macho Man, a very winning halter paint!). The pair has had 5-6 foals together, several of them are currently showing well, so I'm told. This breeder had 3 or 4 foals and then sold Sugar to her daughter, who bred her once, foaled and bred her again and sold her in foal (all to Macho Dee Bar) to the person who brought her to my boarding barn.
Sugar surprised us with a colt on April Fools Day (4/1/08) and the pair of them have been at my barn ever since. When the current owner was having personal and financial difficulties she tried to sell them but the current horse market did not find them anyone willing to purchase them. She heard about Maeve & I and felt we were the best possible alternative for her horses because, despite not being able to care for them, she loved them & wanted a good outcome for them.
So we've got Sugar caught up on her feet, got her teeth done and have had her in training with Coconut's trainer, Crissy for a few weeks now. We're discovering little by little that there's quite a horse in there. The once dirty and dejected horse with no purpose in her life is now acting like the proudest horse in the world and is coming along her training.
We've been "dressing" her up for practice so to speak and she's accepted a saddle several times and in the last week has calmly took a bridle and bit with no protest. No reins yet, but just working her with the headstall and bit has been a huge "ah HA" for us because we'd been told she would never do it....yet...she does!!
Today I was giving her weight on each side standing in the stirrups. She was a little sensitive about having the toe of my boot touch her but she settled in to even that after awhile. I was able to lean over, giving her all my weight and rub her opposite belly with stirrups and she seemed very calm. When Maeve came to the barn today we decided to full on sit in the saddle and the divine Miss Sugar took it all well. She still got a little touchy about pressure on the side and gave a little "pre-buck" but other than that she was very calm. Maeve rode her half an arena length and dismounted in place. That went well so I came up and put the lead on her and we walked around the arena w/Maeve in the saddle and ended it all on a good note!
So here's a couple photos from our adventure today...
The first leg over
In the saddle for the first time
Walking away from mounting block (which she easily walked up to btw!)
Still calm
Ending on a good note
Maeve & Nicole, our exercise/stable girl/groom for the day;)
and some IMPROVEMENT shots since previous photos we posted...she cleans up well and is obviously thriving under her attention program! Check out the sparkle in those pretty blue eyes
and just a little reminder of how far she's come in the glamor department
Her APHA registered name is Spooks Sugar Bar None
She was signed over to Maeve & I in Feb 09 by her former owner who was no longer able to care for her and her (then) 10 month colt (now a gelding known as Basil).
She was behind on all of her foot & vet care and we've been getting her caught up over the last month as well as working with her on the ground.
I was able to contact a previous breeder and got a little information on her.
She had one previous owner before her career as a broodmare. Apparently she had been broke for trails and had worked with a trainer frequently. In fact the owner was actually nervous to ride her but the trainer did fine...so I hear. She also had a head shy problem and could not take a bit. The story I was told was that she didn't get sedated to get her teeth floated and had never allowed anything near her mouth again.
The breeder I spoke to had bred her several times to Macho Dee Bar (out of Barlink Macho Man, a very winning halter paint!). The pair has had 5-6 foals together, several of them are currently showing well, so I'm told. This breeder had 3 or 4 foals and then sold Sugar to her daughter, who bred her once, foaled and bred her again and sold her in foal (all to Macho Dee Bar) to the person who brought her to my boarding barn.
Sugar surprised us with a colt on April Fools Day (4/1/08) and the pair of them have been at my barn ever since. When the current owner was having personal and financial difficulties she tried to sell them but the current horse market did not find them anyone willing to purchase them. She heard about Maeve & I and felt we were the best possible alternative for her horses because, despite not being able to care for them, she loved them & wanted a good outcome for them.
So we've got Sugar caught up on her feet, got her teeth done and have had her in training with Coconut's trainer, Crissy for a few weeks now. We're discovering little by little that there's quite a horse in there. The once dirty and dejected horse with no purpose in her life is now acting like the proudest horse in the world and is coming along her training.
We've been "dressing" her up for practice so to speak and she's accepted a saddle several times and in the last week has calmly took a bridle and bit with no protest. No reins yet, but just working her with the headstall and bit has been a huge "ah HA" for us because we'd been told she would never do it....yet...she does!!
Today I was giving her weight on each side standing in the stirrups. She was a little sensitive about having the toe of my boot touch her but she settled in to even that after awhile. I was able to lean over, giving her all my weight and rub her opposite belly with stirrups and she seemed very calm. When Maeve came to the barn today we decided to full on sit in the saddle and the divine Miss Sugar took it all well. She still got a little touchy about pressure on the side and gave a little "pre-buck" but other than that she was very calm. Maeve rode her half an arena length and dismounted in place. That went well so I came up and put the lead on her and we walked around the arena w/Maeve in the saddle and ended it all on a good note!
So here's a couple photos from our adventure today...
The first leg over
In the saddle for the first time
Walking away from mounting block (which she easily walked up to btw!)
Still calm
Ending on a good note
Maeve & Nicole, our exercise/stable girl/groom for the day;)
and some IMPROVEMENT shots since previous photos we posted...she cleans up well and is obviously thriving under her attention program! Check out the sparkle in those pretty blue eyes
and just a little reminder of how far she's come in the glamor department