Post by diamondwillow on May 11, 2008 8:58:09 GMT -5
Hi everyone
I am new to the board and am going to introduce myself and my horse. My name is Danielle have a Standardbred by the name of Alexandras Hat. Though he was not 'adopted' per se, he is my charge now. He had a long successful racing career (retired at 13ish) and he just hated retirement - so much so that he would pace himself into a tizzy along the fence line during his turnout - to the point he was lathered and blowing hard. His owners/trainers would have given him a forever home but they train race horses and just don't really have the time to work Hat to keep him happy in his retirement. Hat needs to know he has a purpose in life - total retirement is not his calling at this time.
I was looking for a horse to 'play' with and to keep a newly acquired paint colt company. Through an old college mate who works in the standardbred industry, I was connected with Hat and his owners. He came to live with me last July. Though he had already been backed and had even been at the standardbred show in Milton the year before, he still needed work. I have been riding him pretty much daily except during the dead of winter. He now stretches his topline in walk and trot and is becoming a wonderful riding horse. I would LOVE to show him in July but we don't have a trailer so we will be staying home. We now go out on hacks often and we still do the odd ring work day (depending on the traffic or my time restraints). I am heading out to look at/ purchase a buggy and will be ordering a collar harness in the next week or so for him. I plan to do some distance work with him too - We live in amish country so the town has facilities for horse and buggies. Once Hat is well conditioned for distance, we may start using him for buggy drives into town occasionally. (no- he will not be driven into the ground)
One of my dreams is to drive a team - and maybe even a hitch of 4 one day. I am putting word out that I am looking for another standardbred to start building my 'team'. Knowing that in Hat I have a good stout horse with a sound unflappable mind- my novice husband will be riding him regularly when I get the second horse.
I worked with standardbreds for a few years and graduated a college course on training standardbreds and the harness racehorse industry. Before I got 'Hat' I knew what standardbreds are like and I know that I will be doing all I can to promote them as animals that are worthy of a second chance and can do ANYTHING you want -regardless if they where long time racehorses that earned 1/2 million dollars in their life and never broke stride once or the horse that just hated racing or was not fast enough.
I am new to the board and am going to introduce myself and my horse. My name is Danielle have a Standardbred by the name of Alexandras Hat. Though he was not 'adopted' per se, he is my charge now. He had a long successful racing career (retired at 13ish) and he just hated retirement - so much so that he would pace himself into a tizzy along the fence line during his turnout - to the point he was lathered and blowing hard. His owners/trainers would have given him a forever home but they train race horses and just don't really have the time to work Hat to keep him happy in his retirement. Hat needs to know he has a purpose in life - total retirement is not his calling at this time.
I was looking for a horse to 'play' with and to keep a newly acquired paint colt company. Through an old college mate who works in the standardbred industry, I was connected with Hat and his owners. He came to live with me last July. Though he had already been backed and had even been at the standardbred show in Milton the year before, he still needed work. I have been riding him pretty much daily except during the dead of winter. He now stretches his topline in walk and trot and is becoming a wonderful riding horse. I would LOVE to show him in July but we don't have a trailer so we will be staying home. We now go out on hacks often and we still do the odd ring work day (depending on the traffic or my time restraints). I am heading out to look at/ purchase a buggy and will be ordering a collar harness in the next week or so for him. I plan to do some distance work with him too - We live in amish country so the town has facilities for horse and buggies. Once Hat is well conditioned for distance, we may start using him for buggy drives into town occasionally. (no- he will not be driven into the ground)
One of my dreams is to drive a team - and maybe even a hitch of 4 one day. I am putting word out that I am looking for another standardbred to start building my 'team'. Knowing that in Hat I have a good stout horse with a sound unflappable mind- my novice husband will be riding him regularly when I get the second horse.
I worked with standardbreds for a few years and graduated a college course on training standardbreds and the harness racehorse industry. Before I got 'Hat' I knew what standardbreds are like and I know that I will be doing all I can to promote them as animals that are worthy of a second chance and can do ANYTHING you want -regardless if they where long time racehorses that earned 1/2 million dollars in their life and never broke stride once or the horse that just hated racing or was not fast enough.
