Hello from sunny AZ!

Gurgleflap · Hello from sunny AZ!

Hi folks!

It's just me, old Gurgleflap, from the Savvy club. I'm still in the Savvy club, enjoying the video and education stuff there. But I've been lurking here for quite a while.

I still have Spice, my little Paso Fino mare. She is doing well. I thought I might have to sell her with the economy problems, but I was so insulted by the people who came to look at her, I decided that I would starve first before letting her go to normals. So far so good. She is getting older, about 18 to 20 now, but sound even though a little stiff with arthritis. But then so am I!

Hubby, Bob has Billy G, Rocky Mountain Horse, who is doing very well. Bob is working with L1 materials and other PNH stuff. Billy G is coming along beautifully. He used to fight the bit and toss his head, but we found a great solution to that! We had a professional equine dentist work on his mouth and he had some problems that she took care of. He had canine teeth which were interfering with the bit. He's a changed horse under saddle now. Bob is still a beginner, but he is learning more all the time.

Anyway, Hi to all of you.

Sandy

bit · b

from koolaide to margaritas!

Welcome to the bad apple club!

whudson

Hi and welcome..one question...What does "sunny" mean?

becky b

Hello and Welcome! We are glad to have you here. I loved reading about you and you husband and your horses, glad to hear that things are working out for you. This is a fun place to come to talk openly about anything about horses. Don't have to drink Kool-Aid to be welcome here!!

PasoBaby_CarolU

Welcome Sandy....glad to read you saved Spice from a fate worse then poverty. I'd like to hear the whole story. I really like that little horse and am SOOO glad you kept her.

How's my husband these days? I really miss him. Tell him when it's triple digits down there I have a long list of Honey-Dos up here for him.

Maybe we should start an artwork thread....welcome you in royally.

Gurgleflap

Thanks for the welcomes!!

Hmmmm. I guess a margarita could make even a bad apple appealing, Bit and becky! I was never the koolaide type. Pass the salt! :D

whudson,
"Sunny" means that we have mostly sunshine here in the desert! A cloudy day is usually a welcome gift! We get less than 10 inches of rain a year.

Hi Carol, Yup, Spice is still here with us. We just had her weighed in the cattle scale today. Would you believe that little Spice weighs 910 pounds!!

Bob is laid off from work, so he's doing a whole long list of honey do's around here! He's creating a beautiful front on the bank in front of our property out of river rock! We're really enjoying having the two horses together! I'll copy the tale of the folks who came to buy Spice for you.

Thanks for the welcomes!

Gurgleflap

Here's the whole saga of the lady who came to buy Spice. I copied it from my post on the SC.

I had been considering finding Spice a new home because we board and the cost is getting to be a problem especially since we have 2 horses now. If we have to find a new home for one, it should be Spice, since my husband has never had a horse of his own before and I've had a bunch. I had high hopes that this would be a good home for Spice since this lady has had Paso Finos for years and would understand Spice's "Go-Go gene" and would also take her up North in the summer where she would escape our nasty desert heat. She seemed on the phone to be a really sweet older lady who cared about her horses. She said she was familiar with PNH because she lives in the winter near Parelli in Colorado.

Well she came with a "gaited horse expert" and the expert's husband to look at Spice. Spice was eating hay when they arrived. I went to her pen with the halter and called her. She left her food and walked over, I held out the halter and she stepped forward and bent her head into it. They liked that and were amazed. I mean REALLY amazed. The husband literally dropped his jaw. I lifted my finger and backed her out of the gait. I was answering questions and went about showing them her groundwork skills.

Beyond their amazement at putting her head into the halter willingly, they were totally disinterested in seeing her groundwork. The expert just kept saying, "Well, that's obvious that you have taught her a lot of ground stuff, but can you ride her?" Meanwhile the Lady kept saying over and over, "And you trained her yourself?!" "You didn't send her to a trainer?!" I tried to explain that I studied PNH. She said, "Oh, so you took her to Colorado to have trained." Throughout the rest of the time she just kept asking in an incredulous tone "Are you really saying that YOU trained this horse?" "Are you sure you didn't take her to a trainer?"

I'm tacking her up and explaining that I tighten the cinch in stages and the Lady says, "Does that mean that if you tighten the cinch all at once she is cinchy?" I moved her around doing circle game and switching directions and tightening the cinch, a little sideways, a couple figure 8's etc. The Expert says impatiently, "Well we just want to see her ridden."

During this whole time they never once touched Spice. They didn't even want to pet her! I rode her to the arena, showed how she opens and closes the gate. Walked a bit to warm her up (I had explained that she is older and gets stiff and you have to warm her up). They kept asking if she gaits faster than that. I showed them her back up, sideways, backed her in a small circle, did leg yields, some shoulder in and haunches in etc.

Meanwhile the Lady is still questioning me about, "Are you sure you trained this horse yourself?, Well you must just be a horse trainer..." in a sarcastic tone. "Well I've seen Parelli before and he puts on quite a show." "You mean you just watched his DVD's."

Then the Expert says, "We don't like your saddle." I explained that Spice is extremely hard to fit because she is mutton withered and round as a barrel. The Expert says, "Well I use an Orthoflex gaited horse saddle and it will fit her." I explain that mine is a Crestridge and it is also a gaited horse saddle and it was MADE to fit her.

Now I'm riding Spice in only a rope halter, and she is being perfect. Light as a feather! So incredibly responsive that I just look where I want her to go, etc. The Lady says, "Well I like a saddle with more close contact. Yours is too stiff." I said "Would you like to ride her?" She says no, that she'll bring her own saddle back and I can decide if it will fit Spice. The Expert doesn't want to ride Spice either because she thinks my saddle pad is too thick. I ride back to the pen with them following still talking about how impossible it is that I could have trained Spice myself. I say, "Do you just think I look too stupid to have trained this horse myself?" They have no comment. They want to come back with their horses and watch me ride Spice on the trail. Then they want to switch horses out on the trail so that they can ride her. I'm thinking: good grief, like I would want to ride a horse that's been trained by them!!!! At this point I tell her that I think it is a great idea for her to go look at more horses. I tell them that I'm happy that they are so hesitant, because I really would rather not sell Spice to them. I wish them luck and tell the Lady to stay safe.

If I have to starve to keep Spice, there's no way she'll go to someone like that! What that lady wants is a piece of athletic equipment, not an equine partner. Spice is a pet, a friend, a family member.

PasoBaby_CarolU

Good for YOU Sandy!! Spice is such a sweetheart, NO WAY can she go to someone like that!!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Have you talked to the owner of the facility? Maybe Bob could work off some of the board. He's so handy and it did look like there could be some maintenance done there.

I know it's expensive. If I were to board even half my horses, it would make my house payment.

Maybe you could list some artwork here in the classifieds or do custom paintings for people here?

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

joy2ride · Hi Sandy

Welcome
What is the name and # of the equine dentist that helped you out?

I use Curt Laird in Wickenburg but in case I need more.

Glad things our working out for your new horse and you are keeping Spice.

Maryann

Donnawb

Good for you. I feel the same way with my horse shadow. I would starv first he is with me for life. In fact just took out a life insurance policy and will be revising my will for his care and my other animals.

They sounded like weekenders to me.

Donnawb

Good for you. I feel the same way with my horse shadow. I would starv first he is with me for life. In fact just took out a life insurance policy and will be revising my will for his care and my other animals.

They sounded like weekenders to me.

Welcome to the forum!!!!!!!!!!

Gurgleflap

Hi Maryann,
The equine dentist that we used is Tina Eide and her number is 602-284-9052. She studied and has a degree in dentistry. She was more than excellent! Actually the last dentist we used happened to be at the ranch while Tina was working on our horses and he was oooooing and ahhhhhing over her equipment and asking her for tips. She uses power tools and does an incredible job. She even polished the teeth when she was done. Even though 20 years old, Spice can flash a bright smile now! But it really made an incredible difference to Billy G. He's so much better about the snaffle bit now.

Thanks for the welcomes, folks.
Sandy

Hello from sunny AZ!

b

Hi Sandy