It's been a while!!

Hey y'all!

It's been a while since I last posted. Ma has been super busy with students, horse shows with Luna and my education too! I have gone on a few more field trips since the first one to the city of Lakes. I like riding in the box to new places. I get to see new people and things. Ma says that I'll be going on many more field trips from now on. She says I have to get ready to go to Kentucky! Three more months til the Finale!

I got dancing shoes! I got sweet metal shoes on my front feet and they're awesome! I stand real quiet for the farrier man so he can put them on for me. I have to wear these little foot boots that protect my shoes. Ma says I "Over Reach" so the boots are supposed to keep the shoes on my feet. But I am sneaky and can still pull them off! Haha!!

Ma got me a nice new saddle pad that she calls a "Thin Line" pad. It's not exactly thin or a line but it sure is comfy!! She uses it every time she puts the saddle on my back and it sure makes my back feel better. She also got me some new white booties to wear when we work too! They protect my legs and make me feel fancy!

Well, I gotta go. I'll update soon on my training! Ma says I'm doing really good!!

Field Trip!!

This morning I was woken up by the sound of feed bins. My breakfast had come early!! Little did I know, Ma had plans to load me in the box and roll me down the road. Luckily I have my friends Mo and Magic, fellow OTTBs, with me.

Well, we are currently rolling really fast! Ma was super proud of how brave I was getting into the box. I figured if it was safe for her, it was safe for me. Plus there was alfalfa hays. My favorite!

Ma said it's just a field trip to some Oaks in the city of Lakes, I think. Something like that. I haven't been on a field trip yet so I'm excited! New smells, sights and things. Weee!! I'll update yall on the way home!

Rule Number 1

Hey guys. Today was tough! A lady came to the barn today called Lara Knight. Let me tell you about our day with Lara.

After my tasty breakfast I was turned out with my friends. Everyone except Mo. After a while I heard some noises coming from the jump ring so I went to the top of the hill to see what was going on. Mo was in there with his Ma and Lara. She had Mo going STRAIGHT! The horror!! He was unable to throw his haunches to the inside to make his job easier and his Ma was holding these little sticks to keep her hands upright! It was so sad. I felt so bad for them. Lara wasn't letting them get away with anything.

Then, Magic and Lila went in. Magic was so mad about rule Number one... What's Rule Number 1? Straightness. It's a new rule. Ugh, how awful. Being crooked is so fashionable right now... everyone else does it! Why can't we? Anyway, Lara got on Magic and had him moving his shoulders around, and his haunches around and basically making him do sit ups so he'd lift his back up. I was very glad I was hanging with Luna and Pippen in my pasture.

Next was Turk the school master and Holly. Lara made Turk put his head down and lift his back too!! Turk LOVES  doing his Llama impression but she wouldn't allow it. It sure did make him look pretty though...

Then came Annabelle and Cali. Again with Rule Number 1. We just couldn't get away from straightness. When Cali got Annabelle straight, she jumped really nice but it's so fun going down the grid crooked and seeing I'd the rider can keep up. Or so I'm told, I haven't jumped yet.

Then Pippen left the pasture and I realized he had a date with Lara. She got on him too and there it was... Rule Number 1 again! He was so mad. His favorite game is "Lets-throw-the-shoulder-and-run-through-the-leg". He's even taught me how to play!

Suddenly, Ma came and got me out of the field. She groomed me real good (which I hate) and tacked me up. She didn't get herself tacked up though and I found that curious. I thought she must just be practicing tacking up. She led me out and I realized to my horror that we were headed to where Lara and Pippen were.

I danced and fidgeted as hard as I could to convince Ma to take me back to the barn. I even tried hugging her and then flinging my front leg around to get her attention. But it didn't work.

Suddenly, there was Lara. Coming right at me!! She took my reins and asked me to move my shoulder. I said "You move YOUR shoulder!" And she didn't like that. So I moved my shoulder. We did this for a few minutes and I realized it wasn't that bad. It kinda made sense.

Then she got on the saddle. She told me to move my shoulder again and I said "No!" Well, as you can guess, she didn't like that so I moved my shoulder. Ma was sitting right there not helping. I kept looking at her trying to get her to get Lara off of me but she kept nodding at what Lara said! She was in on it!

Well, after a while I started realizing that Lara wouldn't bother me if I softened my neck, lifted my back and relaxed. It was even fun! Then I'd get tired and fall apart again. She kept saying that was okay since I'm still young. She did keep emphasizing that dreaded Rule Number 1!!

After she was done and I was tired, I got lots of tasty treats. Dinner even had a surprise of Beet Pulp!! Yum! And Ma fave me extra peanut hay while I had my evening groom. Now I'm in my cushy stall, eating tasty peanut hay. Ma is sitting on the corner of my stall with a little square glowy thingie in her hand and her thumbs are moving feverishly around on it. I don't know what she's doing but I keep checking on her to make sure she's okay.

Well, that was my day... sounds awful huh? So much LEARNING!! Oh the humanity!! But ya know, the rewards I got for learning so much might just make me want to learn more. Maybe I'll allow Ma to bring Lara back out...

MY BIRFDAY!!

I am 5 years old today!!! Party Party Party!!

Whoo-hoo! I got peppermints and carrots and a new halter and lots of pats.  I still had to work today though. We worked on stretching downward and relaxing through the neck. It was really hard cuz we got two new horses in the last two days so I was really busy looking at them. Especially since one of them is all black and white and looks like a cow! I played a lot today too. I ran around with Kai, my newest best friend. Me and Kai like to see who is taller when we stand on our back feet. He's taller than me but he's older too!!

Ma says that according to the Jockey Club, I turned 5 on January 1 this year. It's a thoroughbred thing. But my ACTUAL birfday is today. 

I have been learning a lot! Ma keeps telling me to relax. All the time! She says that everything is no big deal. But I think its a big deal!! We cantered the other day and it was SO FUN!!! I wanted to RUN but she wouldn't let me. She's no fun. We also trotted over these long colorful plastic thingies. I think she said "trot poles" but I dunno. They were fun. I had to really focus on what I was doing though. I really want to play with all the other horses around me but when Ma asks me to go over the poles, I have to focus. She laughs and says I have ADD. I don't know what that is. I hope I'm not sick!!

Ma made a new spray for my coat and tail. Don't tell her, but I like the way it smells. I stand really still when she sprays it on me! She does spray the fly stuff and I don't like that as much. It's stinky. No wonder the flies stay away!

Stay-cation

Ma has been gone for two days now. Yay! Pippen says I am on a "Stay-cation" whatever that means. I've had two glorious days of helping reduce the hay roll to nothing. We are tearing it up!!

Anyhowz, Ma had a nice girl come out and take pictures of me while Ma and I did our workout. She was really nice. She hung with me in my condo and told me her name was Lacy! She had teal hair! She wants to take pictures as a job. Her brand is LNB Photo. Ma said she took great pictures. She showed me a few and I must say, I am a good lookin guy! We have big reflector thingies in our arena and I like to look at me when we go by.

Here are a few of the pictures Ms. Lacy took. Yall enjoy! Ma will be home tomorrow night. Hope she doesn't see that I wrote on here without her!

The "New Slady"

Hey guys! So let me tell you about my morning. So there I am, grazing with Pippen and I see my mom coming to get me. I considered wandering off to the hay roll just to see how badly she wanted to catch me but then I noticed she had something in her hand. She put the leather thingy on my head and lead me back up to the barn. Once in the barn, she sprayed the evil smelling stuff on me that she swears keeps flies away but it just makes me stink! I hate that stuff... Anyway, she was talking about a "New Slady" coming to talk to me. She continued to brush all the dirt off of me. I worked hard to put that dirt there! She does it every time!!

 

Anyway, the New Slady came out with this black boxy thing. She kept pointing it at me and Ma. She started asking a bunch of questions to Ma and I heard her say my name a few times. Something about a makeover and Kentucky and dressage. Not sure what any of that means but she seemed excited so it should be fun! Ma kept giving me cookies so I thought I'd look cute and paw at the ground while she was talking to the New Slady. I got bored while they were talking so I started trying to do a dance in the aisle but Ma didn't like it so much. The New Slady pointed the boxy thing at me some more and Ma took me back to the pasture. I trotted away to play with Pippen and Mo. After a while the New Slady left and Ma walked out to tell me that I was going to be on TV. What is TV? So many new things, I guess I'll find out later.

Oh! Here's Ma! Gotta go!


Hey there! It wasn't a New Slady that came out today. It was a News Lady, from WTXL 27. Scotty and I will be on the news tonight at 5:30!! Watch for us!!

Here is the Web version!

http://www.wtxl.com/news/former-race-horse-gets-second-chance/article_3317572c-d4e9-11e5-98fc-8bba1ef202ea.html

The Chosen One!

At 8:30 this morning, the Retired Racehorse Project released the competitors list for the 2016 Thoroughbred Makeover. I am ecstatic to see that I made the list!

The horse I will be competing is a 5 year old gelding that we call Scotty. His JC name is "Hope At Last." His last race was on June 13, 2015 in Delaware where he placed 7th. He placed first in a race on May 22, 2015 in Grantville Pennsylvania. He was acquired through a sale ad that was posted to Facebook and seen by my friend and boarder, Holly Lawson. Lawson convinced me to drive over to Jacksonville to take a look at him as we had nothing else to do that day except go on an Equine Adventure. As soon as his blanket was pulled I knew he was the one I wanted.

Scotty has such a good brain. I've ridden him a grand total of 6 times and he has been nothing but sweet and attentive. He learns quickly and responds to the slightest aid. I have high hopes for this little guy! We have begun with lunging. He is lunged before each ride so he can get any ya-yas out and focus on what I'm asking. He walks and halts like an old pro and is getting the idea of steering down. Small amounts of trotting have been introduced and he's understanding that we don't have to go a million miles per hour! A nice steady pace is starting to develop.

Here are a few words from Scotty himself:

Hi guys! I was born in Pennsylvania during a snowstorm but now I live in sunny Florida!! My new farm has big pastures and big stalls for me to play in and sleep in. Standing in the cross ties has become a fun activity! Standing still equals cookies! Wow!!  I have four pasture buddies - Kai is my bestest friend. We are stall neighbors. Macho is the old geezer who just hangs out. I try to play with him but he just tells me to get off his lawn. Mo is a thoroughbred like me! He belongs to a teenage girl who takes him places that he calls "Events". He's gone for a few days at a time but I don't mind. He is the alpha in our field so I have to follow his rules. Pippen is a big guy! My new mom likes to see us together so she can say "Hey! It's Scotty Pippen!!" I don't know who that is but they've got good names!! My mom tells me I'm a good boy all the time. She showed me something called a "Mirror" and it shows ME!! I'm a good lookin guy! I like to look at myself in the mirror when I pass by. Mom likes to take pictures of us in the mirror. She says it looks neat. We do lots of things together, me and mom. We go for walks down the road, ride in the arena and we hang out together in the barn. She seems like a nice lady. All the other horses say so. Well I gotta go, Pippen has a primo spot at the hay roll!! Here's a picture of me and Pippen.

Tune in next week for an update on "Hope At Last"!!