A Late Throwback Thursday

My First Love

This is my first heart horse Velour. I am probably 13 in this picture. Maybe younger. I think this was a Novice level, local 3-day event. Velour was a quirky Thoroughbred that I rode for a few years at a lesson barn. We did hunter shows, hunter paces, foxhunting, and 3-day eventing. I thought I was a pretty good rider but after I left that lesson barn and moved on to other horses I realized it was all him the whole time. He was a very sensitive, unconfident horse, but once he trusted you he gave you everything and he was extremely athletic.

 Several years after I left the farm the trainer called me to tell me to come get him because he was just not working out in her lesson program (still quirky I guess!). He was in pretty bad shape so I was lucky enough to get to him and give him the retirement he deserved. I got five wonderful years with him before he passed away at the age of 24 from cancer and heart failure. Miss him every day.

Beautiful Velour

Training Log

Oak

Location: Paddock
Duration: 20 mins
Activity: Tacking up and wearing the western saddle
Observations: Much better this time. Added a back cinch which he did not seem to care about. Stil nervous with me fussing with it, but does not seem to care about the saddle when he moves out at the walk and trot. I need to learn how to tie a western cinch because it was really loose!

 Gray

Location: Roundpen
Duration: 15 mins
Activity: Lunging (1 and 1/2 circles at the trot), walking over poles, backing up, walking over wood.
Observations: Not a fan of the wood, and still pretty sticky and reacitve when I ask him