This is Sir Richard. We had an uneventful trip home.

He loaded up easily. The old owner was very sad to see him leave.

Unloading did not go super smooth though not too bad. He started to turn around so I told him to get off me. He backed and got one foot off and then came back into the trailer where I told him to get off me. "Back" "Back" "Back" He awkwardly got both feet off the back of the trailer then his front feet and we backed a couple more steps. "What a good boy."

We stood for a couple of minutes letting him take it all in.

A calm walk to the back area although he was sniffing the whole time. I said hi to the dogs that were behind the fence. No spooking just a lot of snuffling the air.

I got him into his new pen and admired him for a couple of minutes while he looked at the water and the goats and his new horse friends.

I threw some hay and he was content to eat while I took a few photos. He was really good about me coming around behind him.

He is now busy sniffing his entire pen to see what his new world is all about and back to eating :)

We will get to know each other better over the next few days and I can see I need to build a platform so he can get comfortable backing of a ledge.

I'll take him out and let him see more of the yard. We will start on task one tomorrow.

Looking at horses.

I just bought a leg bag for my gear for a horse I haven't met yet because we are going to go on so many solo rides :)

I am going to meet the horse today. Not sure if I will ride. I had an experienced rider who sent me videos of the horse being ridden bareback and in a saddle. I am not sure I will know if my saddle fits and I want the horse to have a good time when I first get on him.

I'm thinking walk him around, pick up his feet, brush him.

I have an appointment for a vet to do a coggins and a PPE. We will discuss whether xrays are necessary at that time. I am fortunate that a horse vet is available to come out.

It will take until next week to get the coggins test results.

I am going to ask for a trial period. I want my instructor to meet him and see how he does.

Wish me luck. I've talked to the owner, the gal that had her friend ride and took videos. I have asked a ton of questions. Now, it is time to go meet the horse in person.

It's like a first date. Will it be like, love or will we look at each other and say "What was I thinking?" I met my husband through a newspaper ad. We talked for two hours the first time we met in person at a coffee shop. Maybe there is a chance that this horse and I will have a long conversation today.

Like

A mare and lessons

No photos.

I went to see a mare this morning. I am going to pass.

She was really sweet, worked off seat and legs basically.

I only trotted briefly because the girl said slow her down even though I thought it was fine. The trot was very nice.

Stood nicely to be saddled. Bridled easily.

One hesitation was that one foot had a very old injury to the coronet band so she said the mare didn't lope well. Also said that the horse didn't like farriers so she did the feet herself since the farrier would "dig too deep" and with her injury it hurt her.

She did say the horse is sound and can be ridden for hours at a walk and a trot.

I think no foot/no horse.

The mare went over the logs very easily.

Another hesitation was the horse is, quote, an alpha mare who does not want you to touch other horses, end quote.

I didn't have anyone to take with me and I felt very bold for managing to go by myself :)

On another note, I have a lesson lined up for Sunday with the new trainer. She seems very experienced and starts everyone out in an English saddle....wish me luck!

I think I will let my neighbor/trainer know so she isn't surprised.

Saying so long to Tucker

Alright, the folks showed up right on time for their new horse. The 16 year old walked him down the driveway and Grandpa got him in the trailer. I think he will do great at his new home. I am moving on to new adventures. Wish me luck.

I have dozens of photos of my time with Tucker and this seemed like an appropriate last photo.

What a year.

Should I mention that I am taking up riding at the mature age of 58?

I lost my rescue horse Tanka to a tragic end early in the year. I loved the way he would talk to me. I still remember the time we stood looking out over the desert across the neighbor's yard. Tanka turned to me and said, "There's been someone over there." He looked back towards the desert. "I know, that's the neighbor. He's building a fence." Tanka pondered that, turned his face towards me again and said, "I'm very worried about that." "it's okay, buddy, it's his yard." Tanka sighed and we stood there looking out into the desert....content to be with one another.

I found Tucker and then outgrew him in only 6 months.

The having a big horse and the horse riding has been an emotional, satisfying, scary, exhilarating, confusing roller coaster of a ride. A real learning and growing time in my life.

I have bought or used several types of bridle, lots of saddle pads. I bought a saddle. Used four different saddles to ride in. Ridden three different horses [not counting the three or four I rode when buying a horse]. Bought lead ropes and halters. Used a couple of farriers. The experiences are adding up.

Who knew that I would come so far in so few months of riding? Yes, I have a long ways to go but I am doing it.

I am physically stronger. That was one thing I was hoping to get from riding.

My husband's uncle the cowboy so wants me to keep going. He is so impressed. Such a nice man.

I agree that I have done pretty good at the riding. Maybe not quite as good at the horsemanship and maybe not so good at sticking up for myself. I'll have to work on both.

I am going to ride as many horses as I safely can for the time being. Learn what I like and don't like.

I have a lead on a good trainer who has lesson horses. I'll make the call after the first and see what we can arrange.

I now know that I don't like a horse that is klutzy. I want a horse that can trot or lope but, obviously, is really good at a walk.

I want a smoother trot on a horse. Not so choppy.

Probably a shorter horse. I want to be able to get off and on without a mounting block :) The desert is so flat here. There are no ditches or logs to use for cheaters.

I want a horse I can go out by myself on. I have miles and miles of riding available to me out here and I love being alone.

Of course, I want to be able to camp and ride with a group, as well. I have a couple of fabulous groups available to ride with.

Looks like my buyers will be getting Tucker just after the first of the year. Tucker is going to a great home with experienced owners and lots of grandkids.

I am moving on.

I have lots of advice on what kind of horse to get in the future and some of it is conflicting. That's okay. I have a feeling the right horse will come along.

It's nice to see that my family thinks I should keep going. I have been unsure but I do love riding and horses. We shall see.

Let's just relax and see what the new year brings!

What did I learn?

Do more groundwork from the start.

Watch how the horse tracks when walking, trotting and loping before buying.

Make sure horse can go out alone.

Make sure horse has a nice [not choppy] trot.

Do not buy a really swayback horse.  So hard to fit for a saddle and I swear that saddle slides backwards.

Try to find a sure footed mount that doesn't have lazy feet.

Try harder to find help from someone who seems to understand what is going on.  For instance, Tucker has turned into a real turd going home.  I mentioned some problems to a person who said stuff like "All horses want to hurry home."  "Your horse did not crow hop."  "This is all your fault, you know."  They aren't there and they are totally discounting what I am telling them. 

Okay but that isn't helping me with my horse.  The horse has been getting worse, not better, and I haven't got anyone to help me who is trying to understand what is going on. Now that we have reached the point of bucking, I am done.

The fact is that I so dislike trotting on this horse due to the choppy gate.  The horse has a real stubborn streak.  And I don't have the inclination nor the skills to handle these shenanigans like hopping and bucking. 

Tucker is being sold

Team Tucker

I have decided to sell Tucker.

The vet says Tucker is sound and does not have arthritis.

I am not confident riding him. I don't want to be bucked off.

I have a nice sounding family coming over and looking at buying him. They have horse experience and several grand children.

Thus ends Team Tucker.

I think I will take some riding lessons out of town on a lesson horse and go from there.

arthritis? and Tucker

Team Tucker talked to the farrier today.

He said he wouldn't lope on Tucker either. Don't get hurt.

He said Tucker definitely has arthritis in his knees. He said you can spend hundreds of dollars at the vet and they can do lots of tests and they will still say he has arthritis in his knees which might be causing him to trip.

It is the arthritis that is causing him to trip.

The saddle may have caused some problems but it has nothing to do with Tucker tripping so often and so badly. Definitely worth changing saddles since he has seen saddles cause problems with the withers and bucking but realize that Tucker will still trip a lot.

Ride Tucker at a walk and trail ride him and consider that Tucker may need an early retirement. And don't get hurt.

He's going to call me if he comes across a nice trail riding horse for a decent price.

And don't get hurt. It's not worth getting hurt because of the horse.

He also said that a lot of people blame themselves for the way the horse is but Tucker really does have arthritis and you didn't make the horse what he is today.

We shall see where we go next. I'm not ruling out seeing a vet. I do think I will get the new saddle on Tucker again tomorrow. We will see if we can do okay with that but I will need to work him at a lope without me on him to see if he will be calmer and willing to just go at a walk. But trotting and loping on this horse is not recommended. Which is what I have been thinking myself.

This is just this guy's opinion but I think he is right.

And that really limits me to a great degree.

I think lessons on another horse is my best option to improve my horsemanship skills and to learn to post and lope at least for the time being

Tripping

I'm starting to wonder about Tucker and his tripping. He even manages to trip when cantering by himself in the big pen. I have the farrier coming out Monday.

I realize that I feel comfortable walking with Tucker but trotting and tripping is scarier and I certainly don't want to canter on him.

He's been klutzy since I got him. There is so much to like about Tucker that I have been hopeful that the farrier work would help but I don't think it really is. I am going to talk to the farrier about this on Monday.

The neighbor wants me to trot him but I am at the point where I certainly don't want to trot him on uneven ground. That is when he tripped and bucked last time. Still, the first time he bucked, he stepped on his own foot [I saw the scrape on his hoof] and it is smooth in the driveway. I have been trotting him in the driveway or carefully on the sandy road.

I think I am riding him okay and, again, he does trip even when cantering in the big pen without me on him. I may talk to a vet in the future.

I'm feeling kind of worried.

My husband is being very nice about this since I have spent a lot of time and effort and some money getting Tucker. He says if Tucker has issues that can't be fixed, we will just have to get another horse. That made me feel good about our relationship :)

Peace

Team Tucker is at peace tonight. I thought what a beautiful afternoon. I need to just relax and hang out with my critters.

I took Tucker an apple slice.

I took a book and read it outside Tucker's pen. He wandered over and tried to nibble my pants. I shoo'd him away.

I cleaned his pen and took my time. A friend called and I sat on the mounting block to talk. When Tucker came in too crowd me, I asked him to move away. And he did.

I rubbed his withers and he enjoyed it. He let his lip droop and curled his neck and head up like do that some more! That tells me a lot. The other saddle I had does NOT fit him right. He has not enjoyed those kind of rubs in a while.

He willingly backed up and stood to get his hay today.

I made sure I remembered those releases when he did as asked.

Joseph Pote was thinking what I was kind of thinking today and I enjoyed his post. It pertained to Tucker and I. I need a few baby steps to get back my confidence in Tucker.

I think Tucker and I will go out to the big pen tomorrow and I will ask him to blow off some steam and then do some ground work. I bet it goes very nicely tomorrow.

Tucker is very patient with Cash who likes to share his food.