Here is a summary of what Zoey has been doing for the past year (and a day). It is quite a short summary. She has had less than ten rides, all of which she has been decently well-behaved for. She had her first mounted walk around the arena. It did not end in her running around and leaping through the air so we will count it as a success. She bucked for the first time with me on her when she got spanked with the ends of the reins after deciding not to move forward in the round pen. Luckily, she seems like she is going to be one that just leaps straight up into the air and comes down in the same spot.
She has spent the last year and a day being a young horse. She learned to stand tied in her stall and on the walker (although it was a rough lesson!), learned to wear a bit and ground drive, learned to get a bath, learned to lead with some semblance of manners. She learned to destroy jumps when turned out in the jump field and how to dig holes in the same jump field when she is bored. She has spent the past 12 months and a day growing...she is a solid 16.1hh at her hip and running downhill right now.
I love this mare. She makes me remember what it feels like to be attached to a certain horse and to genuinely appreciate them for their quirks and personality. I don't ever mind odd little things in my horses but, with all of my young horses that I ride for my job being for sale, their odd idiosyncrasies tend to get translated into "Well, that will turn a potential buyer off" and "This behavior needs to be eliminated so that they are marketable". I also have a tendency to not get too attached because all of these horses are here on a temporary basis. I find myself genuinely enjoying Zoey for who she is, not for how marketable she is or how talented. (Of course, it does help that she is gorgeous and great-legged and super cute...look at that picture up there!).
She has her crazy, wild-ass moments...this sums them up nicely!
I had a well-known, very successful AQHA hunter trainer come out to the barn the other week to look at some sale horses. He wanted to see Zoey, so I pulled her out and put her in the round pen. He really liked her...she was actually his favorite. I think she is really special, so it is always nice to hear validation of that! He asked me to think about what I would take for her, money-wise. I have a policy that everything is always for sale for the right price...but it would have to be a crazy high offer on this one. I want her to stick around for a while.
