Beaventing Family Update

Well a lot has happened since my last post...all good stuff considering the year we've had. I think it may be safe to say Beaventing is on it's way back...but don't call it comeback yet ;). First, Legacy has been on the Gastrogard for a month now and he is a totally different horse. I'm now wondering how long he's been dealing with pain in his tummy. He's so much sweeter around the barn and just seems like he's all around a happier horse. It really is good to see, although I feel terrible for how long we were potentially been letting him suffer...I guess better late than never. It's just amazing to see what a difference it has made. Of course he's much better when riding, I haven't had any hesitation from him about going forward at all for over a week. I think there were so many little things that also seem to have gone away...he's not as cinchy when I tighten the girth, he's much better to work around when grooming, etc. he doesn't even pin his ears when you try and pet him anymore!! So hopefully this is all positive reinforcement that will allow us to continue our career. I'm not sure what the plan is for the fall...I'd like to find a paper chase for Seth and I to go to in the next few weeks just to get him out there...only time will tell. There's definitely no rush for this season.

So during this past month, we were looking at another horse for me. Danny ended up finding this 10 yr. old TB that had done a few Intermediates a few years ago. We had never considered looking at something with experience...a) I always wanted to make the horse myself and b) there's no way we ever thought we could afford something that's been around the block. Well enter Sempre Fino. He bounced around a bit the past 2 years and had colic surgery last November. His current owner was moving and had to sell him quick. Danny forced me to go look at him after I had been totally frustrated looking at young horses that I thought were overpriced. Well I head down to Courtney Cooper's and sit on this horse. First of all, he's only 16.1 and made like a tiny, little thoroughbred...not my type. BUT the horse is a freak of a jumper. I started jumping him and Courtney kept raising this oxer until it was Intermediate height. So after 15 minutes on this little guy I had jumped bigger and wider than I ever had. And he was really forgiving with me b/c to say the least, my eye was not perfect :). So after thinking about it, Mom, Seth and I decide that this is a fantastic opportunity and he was at a really decent price. So we go for it. Well some issues came up with his right front foot in the vetting and we ended up coming to an agreement that we are going to lease him for 5 months and use a really good farrier to see if we can solve the foot problems. So we've had him a week now and he's settled in. Cody and Legacy are ruling the roost and he's a bit of a pushover, but he's doing really well. I said it looks like Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear in the pasture...they are all the same color bay. He needs some muscle and weight, but we have him on our normal program and we think he already looks better. I've only jumped him once, but he's really neat to ride. He's very light in your hands and very dainty and light on his feet. He's really quick too and knows where to put his feet. I already feel like riding him makes me be able to feel things on Legacy and will make me be able to train him better. I think my muscles are getting a workout too since he's so much skinnier. Seth rode him tonight for the first time and he said, "It's like riding a 2x4". So far it seems like a really good decision we made and it does seem like this route makes sense...instead of me and the horse trying to move up through the levels, hopefully he will teach me how to ride at a higher level and it will make it easier for next time.

Just a quick note about his name. He came with the barn name Sam, but we thought that was boring, so we've spent the past week thinking of names...Mom and Dave spent 3 hours on Friday night talking about it and even got a bartender involved!! So on Saturday they came down and mentioned the name "Hobbs". Well Seth and I had discussed that name for a dog in the past because of the movie, "The Natural". So I really liked it and I was leaning towards that name. Well when I looked at his coat that night, there is a scar on his side that looks like the lightning bolt that Roy Hobbs put on his bat, Wonderboy, so once I saw that it was a done deal...his barn name is Hobbs.

I'm hopefully that the 2011 season will be strong for Beaventing...but we have a long way to go!!