I Really Like This Horse!

A new stall cleaner was supposed to start today but she didn't show up and didn't call or anything. What is up with people who do that?? This is starting to become a pattern and it's frustrating. I really need to clean fewer stalls so I can ride more horses. I actually kind of like cleaning, but it doesn't make sense for me to spend that many hours on stalls when I have horses to ride. I managed to blow through them pretty quickly today and rode one whole horse. Woo!

I picked Fly, the Welsh Cob x Arabian gelding that was pictured yesterday. Fly belongs to a student and I ride him periodically to tune him up. I hadn't been on him in several months (except for once when I hopped on to make him go in his spooky corner a few weeks ago) but we hope to take him to quite a few shows this year, including the Arabian Region 4 show at Devonwood, and I want him a little more polished before he goes. His teenage owner has been doing a fantastic job with him, riding him in lessons and on her own, but there is still work to do. I plan to ride him at least every other week now through the show season.

Fly is the kind of horse you really have to ride. You can't just sit there and expect him to do the work, but if you ask for something he tries hard to get it. He was a little shocked to have me on his back today, I think, but settled into his work pretty quickly. The first five or ten minutes were spent asking him to bend and shift his weight off his forehand (and then he needs a reminder of these things with each new gait) but once he's listening, he's one of my favorite types of horse to ride. His gaits are very big, he is learning to come round for short periods of time, and he actually appears to enjoy his flatwork.

He's a fun and challenging ride for advanced riders but will pack an intermediate rider pretty well. He has almost auto lead changes when he's jumping courses and will jump anything as long as you're riding confidently. He used to turn a bit like a barge but we've been working on this in lessons and he's starting to wow us with his jumper turns! It's really satisfying to watch a horse go from totally green (we got him with about thirty days under saddle) to a horse with an education and some natural talent starting to shine. His owner wants to show him mainly in the jumpers now but the plan is to half-lease him to a less experienced rider who will do low hunters with him as well.

Not everyone needs a giant warmblood. Fly is about 15.2, has tons of bone, is never off and never needs shoes. He's a great size to handle both on the ground and under saddle. He has "Arab moments" sometimes but can generally be talked down from them. He's the first of his cross that I have trained and I really like that he is talented and fancy enough to show and sturdy and sensible enough to be able to take camping.

I should take a moment to plug his breeder. He was bred by Egret Flats Farm in southern Oregon. The Drum and Gypsy horses are not my thing, but I really like the Arabian x Shire and Arabian x Welsh Cob crosses they're producing. I'm trying hard to get another one in my barn!

Today's photo was taken last summer with his owner at the beach. :)