Sadly Blue was taken to The Creator in July 2007

 

Blue and Me:
The Story
[ at End July 2007 ]

Blue had two blue eyes and that makes him “sacred” to Native  Americans.

I am  a descendent from  the Lakota Sioux and Cherokee Tribes.

Before detailing from when I first met Blue, it is very important to state the following.
 
Blue’s previous owners were ‘not’ unkind, cruel or uncaring, just a little amateur and dis-organised. Blue was loved very much, but for reasons that will become apparent; somewhat neglected.

Blue was born 25th of April in 2000. A Pure-Bred Arabian Colt Sired by Monsanta AHSB XV111 {Kestral/Princess Scenario}, his Dam being Body Heat (US) AHSB XV111 {Numaa (ES) /Bint El Haskim (US)}

He was re-registered to his first owner from the Breeder 16/07/01 and I first met him in August 2002. This first picture was taken the day I met up with him. What can be seen is the barren paddock that he shared with three mares but what can’t be seen is that his off-fore hoof was clubbed and that pastern was near vertical. Also that his near-rear pastern was still repairing from a major accident. He was lame on both.

August - 2002

Blue; on loading into a single horse trailer; had slipped his rear-near hoof down between the ramp and body of the trailer. It was serious and he was hospitalised for some time. After healing sufficiently to be transported again he had been re-loaded into the same box. A 6 hour forced loading. He was still on pain killers at the time. Apart from the resultant set back to lameness he was [understandably] unlikely to load or travel in a trailer/box again.

Blue had no friends or companions in his dusty paddock. Oh yes he was with three mares but they were each vying for the lead position and bonding to any of the three was defied by the other two; in any combination. Thus, although in a group; isolated.

He had become independent in that situation, playing when he could but with no real horse bond. His handling and food/stabling became his highlight and with that in mind, this young colt became enthusiastic and boisterous when his owners came and went. This enthusiasm for company was misconstrued as “possible aggression” and the following procedure was adopted in general terms.

Turn-out was in the main, ‘Open paddock gate and open stable door.’

The reverse for stabling except that bedding, hay, water and food would already have been renewed and so apart from being hosed down [under pressure] and a light brushing, there would be no human in depth contact other than ‘over the stable door’.

Blue’s stable had a water main pipe upstanding in one corner which burst more than once under mains pressure. There was considerable noise and a number of times cold flooding. Blue hated water and being hosed.

Up until my involvement he had no actual attention from a farrier.  There had been a number of tries but no practical work done at all. It had been impossible to lift his feet without serious resistance born out of his own very bad experience and injury and thus not only had his hooves grown abnormally but also his ‘clubbed’ off-fore hoof had caused his pastern to lift in the vertical, thus causing growth of his off-fore leg to be shorter to the coronet than his other legs. Due to the inability of lifting his feet he had ‘thrush’ in all four and a double frog in the off-fore hoof.

[Next picture at October 2002]
Although by this time I had had a farrier make his first light trim, you can detect from the picture below the near vertical pastern and club foot.

I had retired from riding in 1998 due to a serious accident where amongst other serious injuries I had fractured three vertebrae and in late 1999 COPD {Emphysema} had been diagnosed also. I was however still “volunteered by friends to help out with the odd problem horse” and that is how I met Blue. Not he regarded as a problem but the fighting mares with whom he was.

Blue and I became friends on our first meeting in the August and I took over most of his care by September.

 

 

With the help of a friend [to do the stable work for me] I had full control of him by October 2002 and in January 2003 became his owner and took him away to my own stables. With friend helpers and another pony we walked him to my yard.

 

And that’s where his life changed.

Blue’s New Life

I have worked with horses the ‘Indian’ way since 14 years old, back in 1957. That way revolves around treating others [human or horse brethren] the way you like to be treated. i.e. Health, happiness, understanding and empathy; companionship and responsibility.

With the aid of a friend specialising in diet, a superb farrier and great Vets support together with three other horses I set about getting Blue used to grazing on grass; learning to play with other young horses but under the eye of a good lead gelding; getting his pastern to the right angle and his hooves as even as possible; building up his condition and confidence with good grooming and handling and by May 2003 we had him used to being boxed. By then he was also fit, strong, happy and healthy. In late May he and his three friends were sent on ‘holiday’ to run free [but with twice daily checks] on some 10 acres of un-grazed pasture. He was trusting enough to load and box without any fuss and his leg growth had evened up.

MAY 2003

BUT

Above: Just prior to walking out of his old home, January ‘03; & Below Blue at grass in late May ’03.

On his return in July ’03 I set about getting him used to walking out on the lanes. Getting him familiar with vehicles near him. I used various 4x4’s with and without trailers, vans and ATV’s in the fields to the extent that he would generally try out the taste of the odd windscreen wiper or door handle. He was happy with just about any road sign being in his vicinity and the odd blowing black bag became fascinating rather than frightening.

As far as Halters are concerned, I used them in the fashion of a ‘bosal’ but with no pressure points. To explain:
Using a heavy but lose halter and the light pressure of your hand you can replicate bosal usage. i.e. Walking forward a lose rope. A stop, pressure from both rope and a hand tapping back on chest or tapping on the nose but as soon as he stops the tapping and the rope pressure stops. A turn towards you [either side] is accompanied by light finger pressure to the outside of the cheek strap whilst light rope pressure is applied towards the turn. The nose band will twist slightly with a little pressure to the outside. As soon as the turn is made; slack all off. And so on but all with voice requests.

Biting was carried out with the aid of Blue’s favourite toothpaste and a very light leather split ear bridle with no brow or nose band. That was initially worn under his halter until, in October he could be led by either with just voice requests.

Wow!

Good Boy!

Stand!

Walk-on!

All above, BY mid-October 2003

By November 2003 Blue had got used to wearing and walking in a roller [which occasionally had various blankets under], and the intention was to proceed through to January doing road and traffic work from a lead rope. However:

In Late November my COPD became aggravated by a series of lung infections and all work stopped until mid February 2004. This onset of my own winter problems decided me to move Blue into a Full Livery Situation where he would have 24/7 management and I could, when necessary, have practical help.

Blue was moved into Livery in mid March 2004. A great Yard with BHSAI help.  I had located a yard where there was a sheltered ménage.

This is where his first real groundwork was to start and there are many pictures in the portfolio to show progress but a few examples will follow in this text.

The aims for me and Blue [the Native American way] were to “do things from now on, together”.
Obstacles, Jump stands, poles, shapes, cones etc., all were to be negotiated on foot by us both until Blue would carry out the negotiations by himself [un-haltered]. This needed to include such oddities as coming to stand with me whenever I dropped to the ground in a sit or crouched position.
That confidence would be built before saddle work.

By the end of May all our goals had been achieved.

 

Interspersed in this training block was also getting blue used to saddlery and lunging.
My targets were to progress from roller;
 to a light saddle pad without stirrups and then with;

 

 [With my great Friend Nina.]

 

 onto a lightweight synthetic saddle;

before a full weight working saddle.

 
 By end July 2004 the targets had been achieved and blue would lunge at all paces, with full control, under a fully rigged working saddle.

However, I now [due to deepening COPD] needed help and Nina Wright, BHSI, worked with me doing most of the physical tasks. We therefore needed to adapt and compromise in certain aspects * but Blue still achieved the calm and control needed prior to taking a rider aboard.

*[A caveson being introduced at times and now we would have to work off a snaffle bit.]

 

His lunge paces and requests were.
 
“Walk out” & “Walk on”.
One tongue click to trot [jog].
A second mouth noise [kiss] or “hup” to move into canter [lope].
Control word was “steady”.
“Wow” was used as the stopper & “Stand” to be still.
“Come in” was used to ask him to come to the centre.

We did not extend the trot, moving from jog to controlled lope. But We “Wow’ed” at all or any pace.

The Lunge line was either controlled from a ‘connector’ attached directly to the bit rings or from the outside bit ring, up over his pole, then routed down and out through the inside bit ring. [I prefer the former.]

Working from a snaffle and going away from thoughts of being able to move directly to a bosal and thence direct neck reining meant that I would introduce hand control and balance control from walking before riding. That would allow Blue to interpret rein weight and balance pressure more easily and get to the neck rein stage in a snaffle easily.

This process uses the walker to have his hand on withers, neck and the saddle horn sequentially. Turning is carried out by placing gentle outside pressure at wither point or outside neck and or pulling on the saddle horn indicating weight change.

A light pull indicates turn in.

Stroke down to wither evenly to stop.

{The stop is achieved by direct light even downward pressure on the withers and “Wow!”. [A western trained horse should stand when the reins are rested.] }

Walk-on is a simple slide up and lift hand off replicating the lift of the reins.

 

I knew that I could not be the first rider {for health reasons} and so I employed an AQHA registered instructor to work with Nina and me for the initial Mounting and Riding. By end August I was in the saddle.

Walking pace work was started which also included back ups all with neck rein training and subsequently moved on to work at the jog.

I introduce Blue to a soft type of Mecate rein in order to start snaffle neck reining; picking up from the hand pressure lessons. This rein also has a tassel and helps learning as when the outside rein is laid on the neck, the inside rein is drawn wide which puts the tassel in view on the inside as the light in side rein is drawn back helping the turn. Pressure is applied down the inside stirrup and the outside leg closes on the flank at the cinch.

Right rein drawn back and wide. Left rein up across neck. Pressure down the right leg and left calf at the cinch on the left flank.

Progressing away to normal leather reins; the rein is gradually moved higher up the neck.

In October Blue received an injury from being kicked by a shod horse at turnout. At the same time we had to move yards as the Livery closed.

We moved but my fantastic helper Nina Wright BHSI could not continue due to the distance to the new Livery Yard. However the training continued
with myself and the fortunate assistance of Wendi Sheridan who [amongst other training] trained Polo Ponies.

The vet’s clearance on Blue’s injury came in January 2005 with permission to re-start training. By August 2005 Blue was enabled to neck rein fully at all paces. He could move to lope from standing or from jog. Carry out very good straight back-ups for as many paces as required. He could canter or lope off on whichever lead was wanted and could change lead. He had just started ‘roll-backs’ and was just learning slide stops. By now my riding ability, due to deteriorating health, was very low and in August I had a stroke. It was decided in October to put Blue to a young enthusiastic rider who had worked with Blue and me and loved him to bits but for practical reasons that did not work out and he came back to me in February 2006. We moved to wonderful Annie Christie’s yard where my great friend Nina now worked thus happily being able to carry on in the manner intended. Here also he was with ‘his’ friends; Nina, Annie and numerous other very kind and loving humans but also with great four legged company. His day to day Groom , Kirsty, was an exceptional committed young lady who grew to adore Blue who eventually took full charge of him when my health got so bad that I was banned from any strenuous work at all.

Sadly for us all Blue had a massive heart attack and died whilst in transfer to new grazing. July 2007.

Blue would want me to thank a few outstanding people

who helped both him and I have a very happy “togetherness”.

 

To our wonderful Vets, Ben and Sally;              {and in no special order};
Nina, Annie, Tanya, Kirsty, Big Julie, Victoria, Julie, Garry, and amongst the many others Wendy;

We Both Say Thank You.

Blue was a remarkable, kind, intelligent young horse with tremendous potential.
With his training and ability, love, intelligence and temperament and an understanding of his past training; With the right human input Blue would have been a champion under the W.E.S. rules for “Pleasure or Trail”, or as a Reining Horse with the N.R.H.A.

 
Goodbye My Blue.
Please wait for me, your friend,
Buster