Paisano has moved on

Jan 242010
 

It’s time to post an update on what’s happening with Paisano. In November, I took my last ride out with him at Mt. Pisgah. I ran into Lisa and Laura and Lisa took some photos.



Then he shipped off to Utah a few days later with Zelda and Mike.



He has settled in very well with Amanda and Cody. He has two fillies to care for and watch over. I am very happy that he has his own little herd now. I wasn’t able to have him in a place where he could be turned out in a group. Now he really has that.

Amanda has her own blog at Earth Dancer Spanish Mustangs, where you can see updates on Paisano, Rosie and Miss. And the recent photos of Rosie and Paisano on her Flickr site make my heart melt. It is wonderful for me to see him find such an excellent home, where he is loved by both his equine and human friends.


Rosie and Paisano



In-Utero Foal for Sale

Jan 112010
 

Are you looking for a quality Spanish Mustang foal? I am offering an in-utero sale of a foal by Paisano and out of Choctaw Lily. The breeding would take place in the spring of 2010 for a 2011 foal, and would be performed at the clinic where Paisano’s semen was collected and frozen. This offer is available through April 2010.

Paisano SMR 3313

Paisano SMR 3313, HOA 1418
(War Dancer x Wyoming Dusk)


Paisano has proven to be an excellent riding horse. He was graded First Premium by the American Sport Pony Registry (ASPR) as a two year old, judged against dressage and eventing performance standards. He has an excellent personality to go along with his correct conformation, smooth yet animated gaits and sweet nature. He has been ridden bridleless and at Expos in front of large crowds and fully enjoys the attention. Paisano is homozygous for black, negative for LWO and also exhibits LP (appaloosa) and Sabino-1 pinto patterns. Paisano stands 13.3 hands tall, with the build to carry a full sized rider.

Lily on the trail course at the Oregon Horse CenterChoctaw Lily SMR 3150, HOA 1318, AIHR O-3887
(Choctaw Three x Irish Lassy)

Lily is a multi-gaited mare and an excellent riding and trail horse. She has been called a “confidence builder” due to her gentle and forgiving temperament. Yet, she is also sensitive to the aids and ready to pick up her pace with a confident rider. Lily shows several lateral gaits besides walk-trot-canter. These will be refined as her training continues. Lily is solid bay dun with one sock and stands an even 14 hands tall.

The foal may be black, bay, dun or grulla and may well be multi-gaited. He or she may be either solid or show LP traits and/or sabino pinto. Your foal would be halter trained, load in a trailer and be well handled prior weaning at no extra cost. The foal will be eligible for a number of registries including, but possibly not limited to SMR, HOA, AIHR. The foal’s SMR registration will be included in the sale. He or she would be a full sibling to the two horses below.

2009 filly, AR Margarita de los Prados SMR 3886

2009 filly, AR Margarita de los Prados SMR 3886

2006 gelding, AR Cirro SMR 3613

2006 gelding, AR Cirro SMR 3613

Some details about how this in utero foal sale would work

The sale of the foal would be live foal guaranteed. We would agree on a purchase price, and the deposit (50% of the purchase price) would be paid at the time of signing a contract. If the foal were to not survive to the foal’s 7th day of age, the deposit would be refunded in it’s entirety to you. The deposit on your in-utero foal is refundable only if the mare does not produce a healthy foal (in the opinion of a veterinarian) and deliver it safely to stand, nurse, and be insurable at 7 days of age.

When the foal reaches 7 days of age and is insurable, any remaining balance of the original purchase price will be due. Time payments may be arranged prior to the foal’s birth. There will be no charges (no board) for the care of your foal until weaning. Veterinary and farrier expenses, (as well as mortality, major medical, and surgical insurance, which will protect your investment) will be the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in discussing this further or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Catching up

Oct 072009
 

Amy Jo & Cornelius on Saturday

Amy Jo & Cornelius on Saturday


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Romina & Sky on Sunday


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Megan & Diamond on Saturday


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Me & Paisano on Sunday


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Me & Paisano on Saturday, just before finding a nest of ground bees!


Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

It’s been a busy time for me lately. I started this post a couple of weeks ago and now two Thursdays have passed, so time to finish it and get it posted!


I am thrilled to have found a wonderful group of women to ride with. A weekend get together had been in the works for quite some time and it finally happened last month. Amy Jo arranged for us to meet up with Megan and Romina for a weekend of riding and visiting. We all stayed at Romina’s and rode two days in really wonderful settings.


Saturday, we rode out from Romina’s around dormant cropland, through huge open fields and around acres of Christmas trees. The views were incredible and expansive. I felt like I could see the curve of the earth fall away around me.


Paisano did well, riding with the two mares and one gelding. We had ridden together before, but in the more familiar setting of Tired Dog Ranch. On our arrival, we tried Paisano in a pasture with Cornelius and Diamond. After maybe twenty minutes of sparring with no one really settling down, I moved Paisano to a small paddock out back. He was totally fine hanging out on his own, so there he stayed for the weekend. He enjoyed riding out with them, but sharing living space was not quite so cozy.


After a wonderful dinner Saturday evening, provided by Romina, and very nice, restful sleep, we trailered to Silver Falls State Park for our Sunday ride. Even at noon, it was jacket temperature under the trees. We unloaded, tacked up and headed out for a loop of about eight miles. The only disappointment to the day was finding out that none of the horse trails go by any of the falls so prominently displayed on the park website.


The scenery was beautiful none the less. There had been some rain, which made the trails slick in some areas. At one point, we all dismounted and led our horses. Paisano was wearing his Easyboot Bares. They don’t have the greatest traction, so he was practically skiing through the slick clay. He took it all pretty calmly. I was just glad that I was not astride! I will look forward to returning in the dry summer months.


It’s a real treat to ride in new and interesting locations. This sort of experience is why I have been wanting the freedom of having my own, well trained, easy going horses. The last few years of green horses, organizing and gathering gear, trailer, etc. have all been worth it, as we are here! Now that’s something to be thankful for!

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

  • Sit back and consider what you have to be thankful for. Listing three to five things is nice, but one will do.
  • Post about gratitude on your blog. If you don’t have your own blog, go ahead and write about what you are thankful for in the comments here instead.
  • If you blog, please link back here or leave a comment.
  • Feel free to tag other bloggers, if you like to do that, but it’s not necessary. This is not a meme that obligates you to do anything, but look for gratitude. Oh, and link back, and comment, that’s all I ask.
    • Visit these other blogs that often participate in Thankful Thursday:

  • Tired Dog Ranch
  • Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch
  • Earth Dancer Spanish Mustangs
  • From the Horse’s Back

    • Look what I found

    Oct 012009
     

    Napping

    Napping

    It has been colder and rainy this week with temperatures down to the 60′s with 40′s at night. Paisano is starting to get a bit of a fluffy coat, and the light is fading at seven pm. I made it to the barn last night around six pm and found that Paisano had made a bed in his run in and was taking a nap in it. He always keeps his home very clean, never using it for a bathroom. And usually, his hay is spread around more. I had a vision of him carefully arranging his leftover hay in just the right way before lying down. His back was wet and I could tell that he had been turned out recently from the dirt in his feet. I considered not riding and leaving him to his nap. I sat by him for a while massaging his ears and crest.

    Carrots are something to get up for

    Carrots are something to wake up for

    I went to get my camera and hoped that he didn’t get up before I returned. I brought him a couple of carrots and fed him carrot bits. If I don’t break them up, he will chew it all whole and it’s gone far too fast. He had enjoyed the massage, but the carrots woke him up. I am happy that he is comfortable enough with me and his surroundings to let me sit with him while he’s lying down napping like that.


    Since he was up, I had a short ride in the arena. I used my dressage saddle, which I’ve not put on him for some time. I don’t think that it’s fitting too well. He was reluctant to round up much and his downward transitions were quite hollow. I was also riding him in a jaquima. Next time we do arena work, I’ll go back to the FreeForm, which seems to fit him the best and his snaffle bridle and work on those downward transitions.

    That bit of forelock sticking up is from his ear massage...

    That bit of forelock sticking up is from his ear massage...

    He used to take his naps out in the pea gravel. Maybe he’s telling me that it’s time to put some shavings in there for sleeping on…

    Incredible weekend

    Sep 132009
     

    Vinnie had his second and third rides this weekend. I had brought Paisano up to Tired Dog Ranch for Amanda to ride. I put Vinnie in a nearby paddock to keep Paisano company for the weekend and because I knew I wanted to work with him. He called some to his friends and relatives down below, but was nicely settled down after a night near Paisano.

    Saturday was his first ride in a saddle. I used my old Simco western that I’ve been trying to sell for the last year. It seemed to fit him fairly well. I got on in the 12×24 pen. He was okay, but a bit antsy. I had Amy Jo open the gate and rode him around the orchard area for maybe 20 minutes or so. At first, Amanda helped him move forward leading him with the mecate, then we went solo. He did really well. The only sticky part was him not really knowing that leg means forward. He turned and stopped just perfectly. And he looked very smart in the brown tones of the saddle, my wool pad and bosalito with mohair mecate. All the photos are on Amanda’s camera, so I’ll have to wait to get them from her.

    Sunday morning, we tacked up again. This time, he took a couple of bucks in the pen when the saddle was cinched up. His pal, Cornelius was on his way up the hill to join us. I’m not sure if that’s what set him off or that maybe I cinched it too tight at first. Either way, I took him out and lunged him for a few minutes before getting on.

    We went out on the loop trail through the wood around the property. If you were at the SMR meeting, you might remember that trail. It’s narrow, windy with roots and downed trees to step over. He was a CHAMP! He followed Cornelius, slowing when I asked. The bosal had rubbed a little while lunging, so I had switched to his web halter with reins attached. Paisano and Amanda followed us.

    Vinnie with saddle sweat marks after our trail ride!

    Vinnie with saddle sweat marks after our trail ride!

    When we got to a straight stretch, we trotted. He has a nice long trot like Lily. Then he led the group for a while, even at a trot! By the end of the ride, he was trotting on leg cues and going off on his own. He went in the middle, at the back and in front and I dismounted and mounted back up a couple of times. I was nearly speechless. I knew that he would be easy to start, but this was almost too easy. There is still a lot to be done with him, of course, but to go out on an hour trail ride on his third ride was pretty darn cool! And it was a great feeling to ride my first bred Spanish Mustang.


    Amanda did really well with Paisano too. I think that they will make a great pair. He will likely go stay with her for a while on lease.

    I was thinking of selling Vinnie, but now I am not so sure about that. I’ll do everything I can to keep this boy. He’s a really nice ride. We will need to work on standing still and not fussing and getting into everything. He’s a real busy body.

    I also took Lily out for a short ride this afternoon. I haven’t ridden her in months. She was just fine leaving Rita, who is three months old now and quite independent. Rita looked concerned and called a little, but had aunts and uncles to take care of her.

    Lily was SO ready to go and gaited so very nicely. Amanda and I went about 2/3 of the way I had ridden with Vinnie. It was really wonderful to feel Lily’s energy again. She is such a game mare. If all goes well, we should be able to do a couple of LD rides next year and have a blast!

    It was very special to have all three of my horses out on the trail riding this weekend. It’s been a long time coming.

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