I was on a mission, and standing before me to help complete my task was a two story tack shop. Equestrian paradise in suburbia. I didn’t even notice the screaming children in jodhpurs and cowboy boots – I was completely zeroed in to equine comfort in the shape of bits, girths and saddle pads. Well almost. I had to buy my defective Arab a horse sized halter (more on his defectiveness later though).
I love spring. Laid out before we was a mass arrangement of halters in an array of bright colors. (And it was so organized! That just makes me want to buy more, ya know??) I selected a bright cerulean blue color with matching lead. Although, it kind of makes him look more like a western pony, but that’s his fault for not fitting into his Arab/cob halter. (I’m holding a grudge, can you tell?)
My serious mission still needed to be completed, however. It was mission COMFORT. I decided that if my horse was super comfortable, then perhaps he would enjoy being ridden more. Right? Right? So I found a French link snaffle, a fleece lined girth, and a super fluffy saddle pad. I was set. Riding would be a breeze, he would love me, and we’d all live happily ever after.
It was a perfect day too. The sun was shining, the temperature was around 70, and my horse was standing happily at the gate waiting for me. My mother and I each went to fetch our respective horses. Kehbir gave her his best “moo” of a whinny and went trotting up to her.
Sudi was standing patiently at the gate as I presented him with his bright new halter. I had the halter halfway up his nose when his eyes suddenly doubled in size, nostrils flared, ears perked up, and OFF he shot to prance around, tail flagging with his new girlfriend Willa (a six year old Trakehner playmate). Maybe this particular blue was going to eat him or something. I trudged through the sand to the middle of his pasture where he was stoically standing as if to say “Are you coming to get me yet or not? What’s your problem? And where are my treats?” As I inched closer, he caught sight of the life threatening halter again, and again did his best impression of an Arabian stallion in a liberty class. Willa thought this was just the best fun ever and joined him in his escapade around the pasture. (Was it me, or was she suddenly looking like a freaky Arabian too??) Eventually they tired of doing laps around me, and I was able to throw the lead over Sudi’s neck and get the new HORSE sized halter over his ears. On a good note, it did fit him perfectly. However, the new shiny cerulean was in stark contrast to the gray sandiness of a horse it adorned.
We trudged into the barn, but I was not to be hindered by his filth. I had new tack, and I was determined to use it. Well...maybe not the new white fluffy saddle pad - I could handle that staying clean a little longer. :-) So, we tacked up and mounted successfully (although he didn’t seem to appreciate the fluffy new girth as much as I would have imagined – and by that, I mean that he didn’t want to stand still to let me tighten it). We were off to hit the trails…Or rather the driveway and several scary pastures – it’s all the same to three year olds.
So we’re coming up to the part where I realized that my Arab is truly defective. We were tromping through some slightly soggy footing when we came to a woodsy area. All of a sudden, it sounded as if a huge Tyrannosaurus was going to come barging out of the woods. Kehbir struck his most beautiful Arabian stance – Neck arched forward, ears perked, nostrils flared, tail up, long mane flowing in the wind. I looked down expecting to see my horse pose for his “fight or flight mode” (I KNEW he could do it, as he demonstrated earlier in his pasture), but was sadly dismayed. He definitely was watching the woods, but was not about to begin looking like the Arabian he was so specially bred to be. He rather reminded me of a “Good ‘Ol Boy” about to lounge on the couch to watch a movie. He was munching on his new snaffle as if it were tobacco, his back leg was resting and his head was cocked to the side, mane flounced everywhere. Why is my Arab broken??
Well, we made our way around other pastures 89% successful (we really had to suddenly jump three feet in the air when we caught sight of a piece of green sheet metal lying across the ground). So all in all it was a fun ride. But if it was comfortable or not, I really don’t care: My back-woods, horse-sized-halter-fitting Arab is broken.
I love spring. Laid out before we was a mass arrangement of halters in an array of bright colors. (And it was so organized! That just makes me want to buy more, ya know??) I selected a bright cerulean blue color with matching lead. Although, it kind of makes him look more like a western pony, but that’s his fault for not fitting into his Arab/cob halter. (I’m holding a grudge, can you tell?)
My serious mission still needed to be completed, however. It was mission COMFORT. I decided that if my horse was super comfortable, then perhaps he would enjoy being ridden more. Right? Right? So I found a French link snaffle, a fleece lined girth, and a super fluffy saddle pad. I was set. Riding would be a breeze, he would love me, and we’d all live happily ever after.
It was a perfect day too. The sun was shining, the temperature was around 70, and my horse was standing happily at the gate waiting for me. My mother and I each went to fetch our respective horses. Kehbir gave her his best “moo” of a whinny and went trotting up to her.
Sudi was standing patiently at the gate as I presented him with his bright new halter. I had the halter halfway up his nose when his eyes suddenly doubled in size, nostrils flared, ears perked up, and OFF he shot to prance around, tail flagging with his new girlfriend Willa (a six year old Trakehner playmate). Maybe this particular blue was going to eat him or something. I trudged through the sand to the middle of his pasture where he was stoically standing as if to say “Are you coming to get me yet or not? What’s your problem? And where are my treats?” As I inched closer, he caught sight of the life threatening halter again, and again did his best impression of an Arabian stallion in a liberty class. Willa thought this was just the best fun ever and joined him in his escapade around the pasture. (Was it me, or was she suddenly looking like a freaky Arabian too??) Eventually they tired of doing laps around me, and I was able to throw the lead over Sudi’s neck and get the new HORSE sized halter over his ears. On a good note, it did fit him perfectly. However, the new shiny cerulean was in stark contrast to the gray sandiness of a horse it adorned.
We trudged into the barn, but I was not to be hindered by his filth. I had new tack, and I was determined to use it. Well...maybe not the new white fluffy saddle pad - I could handle that staying clean a little longer. :-) So, we tacked up and mounted successfully (although he didn’t seem to appreciate the fluffy new girth as much as I would have imagined – and by that, I mean that he didn’t want to stand still to let me tighten it). We were off to hit the trails…Or rather the driveway and several scary pastures – it’s all the same to three year olds.
So we’re coming up to the part where I realized that my Arab is truly defective. We were tromping through some slightly soggy footing when we came to a woodsy area. All of a sudden, it sounded as if a huge Tyrannosaurus was going to come barging out of the woods. Kehbir struck his most beautiful Arabian stance – Neck arched forward, ears perked, nostrils flared, tail up, long mane flowing in the wind. I looked down expecting to see my horse pose for his “fight or flight mode” (I KNEW he could do it, as he demonstrated earlier in his pasture), but was sadly dismayed. He definitely was watching the woods, but was not about to begin looking like the Arabian he was so specially bred to be. He rather reminded me of a “Good ‘Ol Boy” about to lounge on the couch to watch a movie. He was munching on his new snaffle as if it were tobacco, his back leg was resting and his head was cocked to the side, mane flounced everywhere. Why is my Arab broken??
Well, we made our way around other pastures 89% successful (we really had to suddenly jump three feet in the air when we caught sight of a piece of green sheet metal lying across the ground). So all in all it was a fun ride. But if it was comfortable or not, I really don’t care: My back-woods, horse-sized-halter-fitting Arab is broken.
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