Archive for the ‘Little Dude’ Category

Well, with only 15 days to go till our first show, we are into full training mode. Little dude is making great strides in adapting to his nervous mom’s driving style. He is getting so well behaved under harness, that I forget that he is still a little hotrod under the hood.

I found out, a little while ago, that LD can moved out at an ungodly speed of 30.94 kph (19.2252247 mph) when he thinks he needs to. I will not go into details on the spook, but lets just say, I don’t want to do that type of speed in a cart without asking for it first!

We have been working on the cones and obstacles lots & we are getting better. So, hopefully for the show, we will be up to speed and on target.  I seem to be more of the problem then he is. I keep looking at the cones as we pass them, but paul has been after me about sitting up and looking forward, so hopefully this all will hammered into my head by showtime.

I have a lot to learn and a very short time to learn it in. I don’t want disappoint myself. Wellington has always been on of those places of “One day, I’m going to show there” places, so, I have personal expectations for this show.  I got hooked on horses at this show ground & I always thought that I would get to be a dressage rider there, but that was not to be. So, to get to show there with Little Dude, I am thrilled and a little scared. I really hope that the experience will live up to what I have thought of the place.

By the way, the new cart is a godsend!!! It has stood up to anything that we have thrown at it so far, and believe me, we have tried it out hard! Also, on the equipment front, for the people who think that cheaper is good, please think on this point. We learned the hard way about the cheap nylon harnesses and novice horses. Believe me, get a good harness!!! If something goes bad, the harness is what might be what keeps you & your equine from being hurt.

Well, I have been Little Dude’s primary driver for about a month. I took the walking boot off shortly after we lost lookie. I have been trying to keep busy so that I don’t think about the loss of lookie. I miss him, but I know that he is not suffering any more. I know that he helped Little Dude find his passion for driving. Little dude is driving like a champ now.

Shortly after, We got a Pacific Smart Cart for him, becuase we REALLY needed a better cart. We got the marathon shafts as well for it becuase he wouldn’t realy bend to the right in the cart, but he would bend both ways long lining him. What a difference!!! He seems much happier in this cart then he has been driving. There has been such a change in his attitude towards driving. He seems to be enjoying it a lot.

We have taken him back to Black prong since losing Lookie and other than learning that he needs to be able to see other horses in when he is in a stall (otherwise, the humans in the appt in the barn don’t get any sleep) he was a good boy. He loves the hazards and we ARE fast!!!! We are going to be competing at Preliminary Level VSE this coming winter, so we will see what the competitions do with us. Around here (at least at the events that I can pull up the results for) when they allow a VSE to compete, they compete at the training level & this will just not work for me and little dude. We canter in the hazards. We will just have to see what they say.

Our first competition will be on Sept 18 in wellington. they are doing a trial event with carriages down at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. This is the same place that they have the winter equestrian festival every year. They are going to be doing some pleasure classes and then in the afternoon, they are going to be running cones and obstacles. Little Dude will be doing the cones and obstacles as a single VSE.

But, I have a surprise for everyone, Little Dude will be pairing up with a mini named Teddy, do to the obstacles as a VSE tandem & Bob Giles will be driving them!!! Little dude and Teddy have been driven as a tandem once before, back in April (at the Bob Giles Clinic). Bob thought that they would be a good tandem pair and so, on a whim, we put them together …. The picture is from that clinic. Little Dude is the leader and Teddy is the wheeler. Bob is looking forward to this and I think it is going to be fun for little dude and teddy.

Looking back, Little dude has come such a long ways since that clinic. I took him to that clinic to see what I could do to get him to enjoy his job, and look at us now.  I can’t believe that I have been working with him for over a year now. My how the time flys by!

The days are getting easier every day. I can now tell people that he is gone without crying or choking. I can look at his pictures with crying.

The first day was the hardest. We had to move Little Dude into Lookie’s stall the day we put Lookie down. That was hard for me to do, but I had to. The horse next to him needs a companion at night.

The Friday after, the farrier came out for LD & realized that there was no more Lookie to have done. No more seeing the farrier every 3-4 weeks. No more frantic phone calls and texts telling dennis that lookie had lost his packing &/or shoes. I get to see the farrier in a more normal time frame now.

I miss Lookie & his antics. There is no more dancing horse asking for treats next to the fence. The gates are safe for the moment, as niether LD or Deseo are as smart as Lookie. Don’t get me wrong, LD is a character, just a different type of character. He dives fences. He plays with me in the pasture. He give hugs and kisses (as long as you get down on his level).  It is going to take me some time to adjust to this new life.

As far as a new horse, We am looking for one, but it is going to take time. We won’t just settle for just anyone.  It is got to be a lot like Lookie. We will know the horse when we meet him. I don’t think that we are going to seriously look until after the winter season is done. The show season is really busy for Paul & I, but you never know.

LD will be showing this season with me as his driver (I hope). Wish us Luck. If everything goes as planned, our first public outing will be September 18th, 2010 in Wellington, FL.

Yesterday, little dude took a trailer ride, up to black prong for the day. He was great! I will few posting some videos from his day.

He didn’t bulk at anything! He went thru the tunnel filled with water. He went up & down both bridges. He drove thru all the obstacles & really seemed to be enjoying himself a lot.

Anna, who hadn’t seen him drive in a couple months, was very impressed at how much he had improved.

He is also learning how to travel like a pro. He left home wednesday night to spend the night down in vero. We left out of vero at 5:30 in the morning & then by evening, he was home. He was tired, but he was pretty bright eyed this morning. So, I don’t think it was that hard on him.

I can’t wait to see what he & I will do this winter! I think that if we get our act together, we might actually be something to be reconded with!