It may be a little bit premature, but I am giving it thought. Because she is unregistered I may see about getting her papered through the American Trail Horse Association, and microchipped for identification purposes. Hence, she would need an official name for documentation purposes. Her barn name is Spirit.
Her mama broke a leg at a boarding facility and had to be put down when the filly was five months old. She currently lives in a very clean dry lot with a TWH gelding who's back is way, way, over my head. He's just huge. She is very joined up with him so I expect the switching of lifetime home will be an ordeal for her, but also a very good opportunity for me to work with her in the roundpen for some joining up, and softening.
I'm so hoping that the trail ride is relatively uneventful and we can just do it, and move forward. If it does not work out, I'll likely stop looking and move towards ACTHA rides with my Phebes. I this month have chunked down easily several hundred dollars in fuel looking at horses that are not useful to me. I've found that everyone thinks their horse is "the best." Including me!
The idea of diving into round penning, bending, backing up, softening, and all that schooling type stuff actually appeals to me. I'll be getting out the tarp and doing a lot of sacking out with that thing, plastic bags, and rattling rocks in jugs.
Guess what the one thing she doesn't have is? Road work. *hysterical laughter* But she seems to have a very quiet mind for the most part. After a few weeks here...we will see what we can do about that.
But first we need a trail ride. ~ E.G.
If you have a way to make a pen for her near the road, you could let her graze in it while the cars are going by. I'm pretty sure this is how my gelding became ok with cars. You could even hand graze her along the side of the road. Just make sure that there's room to go away from the road if she gets too panicky.
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