On the lunge

It's New Year's Eve in Australia so let me to be the first to say happy new year!

I visited Riggs over the weekend just past and was delighted to see how friendly he was! He left the company of his girlfriend to greet us and later voluntarily followed me up to the barn (no halter or lead!). He's so very sweet now that he's settled in and it's rewarding to see his personality shine through.

He also had his third trot on the lunge and despite some general silliness (though it was nice to see him feeling well all the same) he moved quite freely. And this was a vast improvement on the way he dragged the inner hind and was brushing two weeks ago. He's a total giraffe though, head in the clouds haha. Can't wait to teach him to drop his head.

We also made zero progress on learning 'woah'. However, he is crystal clear on 'stand' and 'stand up', so I may well settle for those. The other thing that was mildly concerning was seeing how ribby he'd become. He looks alright standing but on the move... just wow. We have added pollard to his feed so hopefully we'll see the positive effects of that shortly.

 The girlfriend... how cute are they!

 See, he looks alright here - light on, but alright

 But the ribbiness here actually makes me want to cringe

Giraffe!!!

Going Forward

So, with 2013 just around the corner it seems timely to plan out Riggs' retraining schedule. If things are going really well into the middle of the year then I may seriously see about taking him to the local show in October - just in led classes - to see how he goes out and about. But, much needs to be done before that is truly on the table...

Starting from (hopefully) this weekend, I'm going to teach him some voice commands. I'm currently physically incapable of doing anything with him other than leading him around. And leading him around is only possible because he is the politest, most sensible race trained thoroughbred I have ever had the pleasure of working with. So I'm planning on teaching him some basic voice commands with emphasis on 'woah'. I believe that 'woah' will prove useful in the future.

Once the cast is off and my wrist has regained reasonable strength I will lunge him regularly, gradually increasing his fitness. I will also use full tack to de-sensitise him to wearing the new saddle and incorporate side reins to teach him to respect the bit and help him learn that pressure does not equal full gallop/psycho action, as well as teach him to round up and use his hind quarters. I fully expect this process to take a few months as I want to make sure both he and I get it; further, I don't want to spoil him by rushing through anything.

I will be keeping a close eye on his bow, which is seven months old, to ensure the circle work is not adversely affecting the tendon. Once he's good about the bit and rounding up a bit I hope to start riding on the lunge (how much trouble can he cause going in a circle?) and learning how I can aid him.

January will be about forging a tight bond and light lunging when my Aunt isn't busy. I really, really want him to trust and respect me so we can work as a team. As well as the voice commands I plan to just spend time with him and see how he talks to me so that I understand him in return.

I am super pumped for 2013 and getting really started with my boy!!!

One month with Riggs

Today marks one month with my wonderful boy - and it's both an exciting an eventful ride.

He arrived on a warm Wednesday morning - November 21st to be exact - and he caught his first glimpse of four lunatic zebra looking things. That first look was enough to send him flying back up the paddock toward the driver who'd dropped him off. However he soon overcame his fear and was chatting with the Fjords over the fence! He soon went out into a more private paddock to settle in.

Meeting Gus

Checking out his new digs

Two weeks later and he had settled in well, chatting with the Fjords over the fence as frequently as possible. He was eating well and even flipping his tyre feeder when he thought he hadn't gotten enough. Riggs also received his first bath and was a very good sport about it (even when he stole the hose while drinking out of it) and he was an even better sport when I removed all the knots from his mane. On December 1st I also *attempted* to ride him for the first time. The ride ended in a very convincing bucking bronc display that included much spinning around, bucking, rearing and pig rooting. Once all four feet started leaving the ground the saddle turned into an ejection seat, a stirrup came clean off and I went past his shoulder hand first fracturing my scaphoid (don't worry, I hadn't heard of it either... apparently it's a carpal bone under your bone). Riggs was then turned out with Gus for the first time and they had a merry time cantering around the paddock together. He also gave a secondary bronc display (someone is super keen for the rodeo!!). His bowed leg pulled up really well from the hi jinks, so he'd be getting lunged after that display from that point on!

Looking smart after his bath 

 Looking smart and sexy all saddled up

 Running with Gus

A taste of the bronc act... This photo taken with my broken hand ;)

Another two weeks passed and he had his first visit from the farrier (Saturday just gone)! She liked him a lot and was happy with the condition of his hooves. She also commented on how he walked, flicking his toes out and putting his heel down first indicating no hoof soreness at all! So very good news indeed. He was also so good about the trim!! He didn't move at all - quiet enough for me to hold with my fractured wrist. He's the most perfect gentleman on the ground. He's also started lunging last weekend and the weekend before and happily remembers exactly how to do so. He thought we were truly awful people putting his bridle on and making him trot in circles... much lip flapping and head tossing was done. 

This week, one month into his new home he met the two retired standardbreds on a neighbouring property and he is absolutely in love with these mares. My aunt tells me he spends his day chatting. Yesterday he refused to come in for dinner (and he loves his food!) and had to be caught as part of being convinced and this morning he rejected breakfast altogether! Unbelievable. It must be comforting though to see horses that look much more like the racehorses he'd been around for around eight years - I can see how the Fjords would be a huge culture shock! Happily though, he didn't need much convincing to come eat his dinner tonight.

Overall, he's settled in really, really well. He prefers being out with the Fjords to being on his own (his head is down grazing far more often) and he's super sociable with people. He comes up to the gate when he sees you, loves his carrots, pulls faces at meal times and even blows the occasional raspberry. He's so gentle and polite that I can't believe he threw me! I can't wait for my wrist to heal so that our next month can be even better!

An OTTB and a horse mad girl

My name is Adrienne. I live in Australia and recently graduated high school. I also became the owner of my very first horse.

Like many before me I became enthralled by the sport of kings. From my primary school years I remember avidly following my ill-fated hero Mummify, cutting out newspaper clippings of him and many other thoroughbreds and plastering my walls with them. Other girls followed bands and the latest teen sensation movie star (who were the big names of that decade?) but the champions of racing proved my idols. I watched from my lounge room as Makybe Diva won her legendary three Melbourne Cups and became infatuated with the baldy-faced Apache Cat who will always be my favourite racehorse. So it came as no surprise to my parents that I made friends with stablehands and late in 2008 got a Sunday morning volunteer position with a leading Victorian racing stable. Fast forward to 2012 and I've worked in three stables with some of the top Australian racers of the past few years. For me, it became about the horses as I'd never been able to be so hands on with them so often before. I learnt to handle horses in these stables and learnt toughness, firmness, patience and understanding. I also made some great friends, human and equine.

So when I quit my job in May this year I quickly found that something was missing. And that something was an equine connection. As a consequence I resolved to find a horse to call my own for when school finished. I decided that this horse would be an ex-racehorse or off track thoroughbred (OTTB) as I felt most experienced with thoroughbreds as a breed. Through friends that I had made in racing I found Mr Riggs. I'd seen this horse racing and he was a tough old campaigner, frequently seen on metro tracks. The trainer and his wife had not yet decided whether to keep Riggs or let him find a new home, but after much thought they decided to let him go home with me. It was heartening to see a trainer care so much for his horse and I feel very privileged to be Riggs' new owner.

Everyone who has worked with him describes him as a loveable charmer with bucketloads of personality. He was also described as quiet having helped trained an apprentice jockey and gone on trail rides as part of his race training. Since his arrival I have found him to be a complete gentleman - gentle, polite and very easy to handle. He's also very funny with his facepulling and tendency to blow raspberries. His only 'baggage', so far as I can tell, is his bowed tendon. However, the injury is now seven months old and has given him zero trouble since his arrival.

I know that this journey will be challenging and a steep learning curve, but I am ready for it. And Riggs is too.