I bought a pony! Meet Lola

[findeight]

@Bluey

know of several people that were run over when grazing horses

Bluey, think you meant to quote OP on hand walking by an orchard, not me. But you do make an excellent point that does apply to me-thats exactly how I got my first broken bone…at age 60ish. Hand grazing after a tough, 2 hour over fences clinic, gossiping, facing friends, not horse and wearing stupid shoes- really cute tapesty backless wedgies.

One in a million, freakish incident spooked all of them, mine right over the top of me. Had that 17 year old horse for 8 or 9 years at the time and it gave me a nudge with its nose and the “not my fault” stink eye as I lay there. The cute shoes were unscathed. They don’t have to be green or mean hurt you- be careful.

[Bluey]

@findeight

Bluey, think you meant to quote OP on hand walking by an orchard, not me. But you do make an excellent point that does apply to me-thats exactly how I got my first broken bone…at age 60ish. Hand grazing after a tough, 2 hour over fences clinic, gossiping, facing friends, not horse and wearing stupid shoes- really cute tapesty backless wedgies.

One in a million, freakish incident spooked all of them, mine right over the top of me. Had that 17 year old horse for 8 or 9 years at the time and it gave me a nudge with its nose and the “not my fault” stink eye as I lay there. The cute shoes were unscathed. They don’t have to be green or mean hurt you- be careful.

Sorry on the mixup.
Glad you are ok now, those run over incidents happen so fast, scary!

[aregard]

@quietann

OMG y’all. Lola got shoes and pads in front yesterday and isn’t she just the fanciest little thing!

That is a NICE stride on a little horse!

[quietann]

She’s as big a mover as a short-legged pony can be.

[quietann]

Yikes! I mean, I have hand grazed Feronia for the entire time I’ve had her. She has spooked but never spooked into me. Most common cause of spooking is stepping on her leadrope, and she never had the training to not spook at that. But Feronia has demonstrated herself to be incredibly conscious of where I am. Lola may not.

[findeight]

Well, in my case, it was some tag a long kids who had a sibling in the clinic session following mine. They were throwing a frisbee in a parking area on the other side of the indoor arena and barn. Apparently somebody’s border collie joined in and they threw the frisbee along the side of the building not realizing a number of people were hand grazing on the other side, did I mention one of the horses was blind on one side. The frisbee and airborne collie suddenly appeared and ran right into a metal trash can on that horse’s blind side sending it ballistic and scaring the rest.

Who knew…not something you can plan for.

[quietann]

Sometimes spooky things are just so random, you can’t do anything except hope to get out of the way. I might need to be a bit more Zen about these things.

[quietann]

Two Lola photos. I had another pony ride today as Lola has discovered that the “scary” orchard has grass that she is now allowed to eat.

I’ve been having fun with “head down” when leading her. She knows the cue, although she often pops her head back up. But if I’m leading her, and I crouch down, she lowers her head right down next to me and we walk along together like that. It makes me laugh.

ETA: I bridled her by myself today with no help! I am still putting her in a stall to bridle but I think she’ll be OK for bridling in the aisle soon.

ETA: I just noticed that she was wrinkling her nose when that photo was taken, and she looks very silly.

[cayuse]

She’s so cute !

[quietann]

One more Lola photo, trainer up. She’s angled to look a bit less low-slung here - and very Morgan. All recent trips to the orchard have gone well, so I’ve given the go-ahead to try the second orchard, which is across the street and much larger.

[quietann]

More Lola! I get very anxious about this whole thing at times. She is young for her age, green, and sensitive. Definitely not my trail horse just yet. But… she has a great brain.

Today we went to the orchards with our trainer on another horse, and trainer’s mom on foot. Other horse spooked at something and had a bit of a tantrum. Lola shied when he spooked… and then stood still while we waited for the other horse to Get Over Himself.

I like this.

[quietann]

Something funny happened yesterday. Lola’s breeder contacted me and asked if I’d sell her to someone she knows is looking for a palomino Morgan, trained to ride, spicy is fine, horse would have an excellent home, ridden only on groomed trails etc.

There’s just one problem - he’s a tall, slim man, and Lola is 14 hands if she stretches! Her breeder hasn’t seen her since she was a weanling. I reminded her of this, and we had a good laugh.

[quietann]

Lola in the orchards with a new friend. He was the one to act out first - he squealed and pinned his ears at her not long after this photo was taken. Poor Lola; she just wants to be everyone’s friend! And once again, she was the one who behaved herself out there.

(Feronia goes nose to nose like this with no horse, as she will squeal and strike out very quickly. She’s weird.)

I went back later, after Feronia’s perfect hand-walk, and finally hand-walked Lola to the orchard. Just the entrance to graze for a minute. She was very good other than wanting to cross the street in a hurry going back (um, no, you are backing your little butt up and standing still)… and then one spook when we were already back on the barn property over who knows what. Still working a little bit on personal space.

Clicker tip OTD: when a horse gets distracted by something and looks like it may spook, but doesn’t, that’s the perfect time to click and treat. “You got nervous and didn’t spook - how wonderful is that!”

Please note the new, hot pink rope halter!

[sophie]

I am so very late on congratulating you on your new horse! I just saw this thread.
Lola is lovely.
After I lost my little (14.3h on her tiptoes) Morgan mare, years ago, I had my eye on a gorgeous palomino Sport horse Morgan filly. But she was expensive, and she was far away…and then a friend found a little OTTB mare for me…
I still love Morgans.
Lucky you!

[quietann]

Thanks! I’m definitely a Morgan person. Of course, right after I bought Lola, I started seeing ads for Morgans who would have been more appropriate for me. But I’m having a lot of fun with her.

[cmdrcltr]

I think that is just the horse-buying algorithm. You can’t find what you are looking for. You buy something close but maybe not quite “perfect.” After you have filled the stall, numerous ads pop up that fit your search criteria.

[MsM]

Remember that so many horses sound great and more suitable in the ads. Then you go to see them and they are nothing like you thought!

[Bogie]

@cmdrcltr

I think that is just the horse-buying algorithm. You can’t find what you are looking for. You buy something close but maybe not quite “perfect.” After you have filled the stall, numerous ads pop up that fit your search criteria.

Or, you say you will never buy (insert, draft x, mare, OTTB, etc.) and that’s exactly what you end up with.

[OnAMission]

My SIL just bought a buckskin Morgan gelding she isn’t totally sure is going to be what she wanted; I have first dibs!

[quietann]

Well however it turns out, one or both of you will be happy.

I’m seeing more and more of Lola’s good points. I’ve had her 9 weeks, and she’s made great strides. She’s smart, she loves praise, and while she can be reactive, it’s usually over quickly. Plus she’s just so stinking’ cute!