Henry the Handyman from rags to riches

He looks like he’s totally enjoying his new life and job.

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I dunno … I don’t see so much upside down but forward and out…which is how I like to start babies. Accept leg, establish cadence, accept contact.

Upside down to me is tight in the back, tight in the neck, short steps.

He looks great!

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Gosh, going to have to change your name to 2BaysandaPinto. Nice boy!

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Well, don’t you fit him quite nicely! What do you plan to do with him?

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Hopefully he can do a little bit of everything, like the handyman he is! I’d love to have one that can do both local shows and foxhunt, as well as trail riding and hunter pacing. At this point in my riding I really want to dabble in lots of different enjoyable activities. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Perfect! He looks like he is going to make a fabulous handyman!

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Oh boy he looks ready for some new adventures with you! How is he settling in and adjusting to proper feed and your other horses?

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We’re having so much fun following HTH. Thank you for all your updates and photos. It’s enough to school the little guy, but you’re being so generous sharing.

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He’s got some bone on him! I guess I do see it in the initial post too, but now that he’s all cleaned up and tacked up, MAN does he have some legs!

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He settled in like a champ, turned out with two other geldings and they’re all buddies. I feed an all forage diet -soaked alfalfa pellets - with flax and a vitamin/mineral supplement from Mad Barn. He was getting the 10/10 “livestock sweet feed” from Tractor Supply in his former home, so the first couple days he was a little confused. But he’s chowing down now like crazy and adjusted quickly.

I’ve never seen a horse shedding out so quickly, his hair is literally falling off of him and his color is turning out lovely, a nice rich bay amongst his white patches. :heart:

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He’s quite thick in his legs and good big feet! That’s really what pushed me over when I went to see him in person, he was so poor looking otherwise, but his legs are straight and solid and he’s so free moving. What could go wrong? :rofl:

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What could go wrong? NOthing’s gonna go wrong! It’s all going to be such an uplifting journey from here on out! You found yourself the proverbial diamond-in-the-rough!
You’ll be going to sleep at nights with a smile, reliving the little wonderful things that happened between you two that day.

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Now that he’s all prettied-up, that tail really does stand out like a flag! Maybe because his bay-pattern black legs are covered up with white markings.

The photos look like he’s active with his tail. “Look at me!” :grin:

Fancy hony! Henry seems to be the mostly-feral but trainable pasture find that everyone spends their lives hoping for! :clap:

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Technically, he’s (half) bay! My gosh, I just love him!

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If it weren’t for COTH, would 2bays own Henry right now? Maybe so. Maybe not. Just wondering. :slight_smile:

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Yeah, my DH would like a word with y’all.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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He seems sensible and relaxed here, not sullen and argumentative. You can fix the rest but you can’t teach willingness and kindness to a horse that just does not care to play.

Maybe old owner didn’t do much with him but he’s sure not been screwed up.

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THAT is worth something for sure!

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The first few rides Henry showed a little trick that he’d learned somewhere. He planted his feet and refused to move. The first time he did it I gave him a pretty good bump with my little spurs, and he got broncy! :rofl:

Hopped up and down acting all offended and then just stood there.

He did it again the next two rides. Each time, I hopped off and immediately put him on the lunge line, pushing him hard (just trotting forward) past the balking point. Then I got back on, and he would ride right on with no problem. After three rides with that behavior and my response, he hasn’t done it since.

So I think he probably came up with this little trick with his former owner, who couldn’t manage the normal baby questioning of the rules, and I bet she would just get off and give up.

2bayboys, on the other hand, did not just fall off the turnip truck. :rofl:

I’m not saying it will never crop up again, but he’s learned pretty quickly that naughty behavior gets him harder work, rather than untacking and back out with his friends. Thankfully the habit doesn’t seem ingrained, but more likely it’s fairly new. And once past the naughtiness, he happily and willingly rides forward.

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I knew a fairly novice horse owner, who said of her two pasture horses, “we used to ride them, but they don’t let us anymore”. She and her husband didn’t seem to mind, they enjoyed them as pasture pets. But yeah. Those two horses took charge of the situation for sure. :grin:

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