My Appaloosa Mare and colt - Dino
Raising your own horse is like baking a cake from scratch. If you start with quality ingredients, follow the recipe, take your time, don’t open the oven door before the timer goes off, test for doneness, and don’t over-bake or set the heat too high, you end up with something delicious! In horse speak – if you start with a healthy horse, use tried and true training/handling methods from trusted sources, have patience, check your progress and don’t lose your temper you end up with a friend and riding companion that will bring you years of horsey enjoyment!
It’s not always possible to breed and raise your own foal – things like time, money and space make it difficult. Sometimes it’s more feasible to purchase a weanling foal and with horse prices these days the cost might even be less than most stallion breeding fees! Of course, “raising” your own horse doesn’t always mean it has to be a baby either. There are a lot of good older horses out there – some that may need a little retraining and some that just need a new loving home. As my daughter’s OHSET coach used to tell the girls, it takes at least a year of consistent riding and handling to really get to know your horse and bond with it. So “raising” any horse is more a process of allowing that bond between you and your horse to grow and develop through time, effort and patience.
Licking those last drops of milk off my lips...
About 4 years ago I bought a pregnant Appaloosa mare and got a fantastic colt out of the deal. Pebbles was an 18 y.o. leopard Appaloosa and when I bought her she was about 3 weeks away from having her foal. By the time I got her to my place it was a week before she gave birth to a brightly colored Appaloosa colt we named Dino.
Pebbles was the perfect mom. She was a bit cantankerous and irritable but when it came to little Dino, she let us mess with him whenever we wanted.
Pebbles and Dino being admired
By the time I walked out to Pebbles the morning Dino was born and spied what I first thought to be a crumpled paper bag that had blown into the pasture (I wasn’t wearing my glasses!), Dino was probably less than an hour old. He was still a little damp and was resting quietly on the ground. I was so excited that I sat down on the ground next to him and just touched him all over – from his cute brown ears to his tiny little hooves! Pebbles just watched nonchalantly while resting from her ordeal.
Dino with front legs bandaged to correct upright pasterns
The first month of Dino’s life had many veterinary visits. He had his usual checkups as well as Pebbles. There were some shots that had to be given. Then there was a bout of diarrhea with a touch of colic. Shortly thereafter his pasterns were discovered to be too upright and had to be corrected by wrapping his front legs in support bandages to allow the ligaments to relax. After that first month Dino had become an expensive little baby!
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These kids have comfortable laps...
Finally, the fun began. My two daughters (and their girlfriends) and I spent lots of time handling Dino. The girls played with him and I had the task of making sure he didn’t start thinking he was a big pet dog. There were lessons in catching him – Pebbles standing patiently while we would run around her from side to side to trap Dino. We’d catch him, put his little halter on, pet and love on him, take the halter off and do it all over again and again and again…. Pretty soon being caught was no big deal. We’d brush him, handle his feet (had his feet trimmed starting at an early age), lead him around, pony him off of Pebbles, and took lots of rides with him following along behind – sometimes haltered and led, other times just running freely. We started discipline early on when he’d try to hump his little rump up at us. This usually involved a swat on the rump, a push away and a loud “NO”. To this day a firm “NO” means something to Dino! When he’d try to nip at us we’d stomp our feet, thrash our arms in the air, make a lot of scary noise as we’d get in his face – but we’d never hit his face, EVER. To this day Dino has no concerns about his head – he is neither head shy nor wary when arms and hands are moving rapidly around his head. He also doesn’t bite although we’ve had to watch feeding him treats as he started to innocently engulf fingers and hands in his eagerness for goodies.
Dino at 2-1/2 being ridden by my youngest daughter
When Dino was 14 months old I had him gelded. I knew it was time as he began to challenge my authority with more frequency. Plus, I wasn’t interested in having a stallion. Up to the time he was gelded he’d been led around daily, blanketed in the winter, trailered, ponied off of my black horse Hershey at all speeds and followed along behind on dozens of vigorous mountain rides (in forest service land where we’d just let him freely follow along with the group). I had just started to do a little round pen work with him before he was gelded and continued with this afterwards until I got him lunging on a line in the big arena. From the time he was gelded until he was a little over 2 years old he had been handled almost daily, lunged regularly, saddled and lunged, driven on two lines with a bit in his mouth, turned out with other horses, knew that clucking meant “move your feet”, taught to give to pressure, tied and cross-tied, had his feet done on a regular basis, been clipped, bathed, wormed, given shots and doctored. And sometimes just for kicks I’d throw one of my daughters on him bareback when I’d lead him out to pasture. I did everything in little steps. If it seemed like he was getting overwhelmed I’d backup to something he knew and did well then stop for the day. I was in no hurry and my main goal was to make all I did pleasant and non-threatening.
When it came time to actually ride Dino, it was a simple matter. I saddled him as usual, took him into the arena, stepped up in the stirrup and leaned over his back like I had done many times before – only this time I put my leg over him and sat down in the saddle. He was used to having a kid thrown on his back from time to time while being led so having me up there in the saddle didn’t seem to faze him. I got up and down on him a few times just to let him know I wasn’t going to become a permanent fixture on his back! Finally, I stayed in the saddle and when I clucked, he moved. Again, he was used to carrying some weight on his back at the walk so his step was confident with me up there, even though I was a little more weight than a kid bareback. When I continued to cluck he moved into the trot as he had been taught on the lunge line. Since he had been line driven in a bit and taught to give to pressure, all I did was point his nose in the direction I wanted him to go. When I made the kissing sound he broke into a canter, again as he had been taught on the lunge line. Cantering with me on his back was a little more challenging for him and he sputtered back and forth between the canter and trot getting used to the balance. Never once did he buck or panic. I kept the session short and after going a few rounds in both directions at all three gaits, I stopped, gave him lots of praise and turned him out with his buddies.
Taking a break on a trail ride
Thus began the next phase in Dino’s life – that of being a riding horse. During the next year of Dino’s life there began the more challenging aspects of making a good riding horse. It wasn’t all a bed of roses. There was integrating subtle body cues and pressures, leg and seat aids, direct and indirect rein, lateral movements and trail rides (lots and lots). There were trail obstacles like mud puddles, water crossings, bridges, rough terrain, logs, other horses, crowded conditions, ocean waves, dogs, deer and cows. At times Dino balked, refused, threw hissy fits and kicked up his heels in youthful exuberance! Yet we kept asking with a firm and gentle hand. By three years of age Dino got passed on to Charlie, my significant other, as his riding horse. Initially my daughters and I did most of the work with Dino, but by the time he was handed over to Charlie, we sought some outside assistance for both him and Charlie so that they might grow together into a good working team. Plus, my daughters and I wanted to focus on our regular riding horses….
Charlie and Dino getting a lesson from Stacey
Together Dino and Charlie entered another phase of riding. Dino spent a month with Stacey Payne of Payneless Performance Horses where he was consistently worked with obstacle training, neck reining and ground manners. Charlie also took lessons on Dino with Stacey. From there they both spent 4 months with Jeff Evenson of Evenson Performance Horses learning reining – spins and sliding stops – and just general well-broke horse stuff. During this time Charlie continued lessons on Dino with Jeff, usually getting in about two lessons a week.
Charlie and Dino on a trail ride in Three Creeks - Sisters, OR
Now Dino is 4 years old. Has it all been worth it? We’d all have to give a hearty “YES” to that! Dino is an awesome horse and a “well-broke” horse at that. He has been to the mountains, to the beach, on poker rides, overnight camping, team-penning, working with cattle, over narrow little bridges, through water and swimming. Dino will step over logs or jump them depending on how you ask. He neck reins and moves off of subtle leg cues. We can put a beginner child on him or a seasoned pro and he gives a good ride. He’s easy to handle and respectful. He enjoys his people and looks forward to going out on a ride. He goes with Charlie to regular lessons, works super in the arena and has a lot of heart. He has learned to trust his rider and together they are forming a bond of companionship that comes about with time, effort and patience.
So what about Pebbles? A few years back, circumstances forced me to find a new home for her. She spent a couple years being a great riding horse for my youngest daughter. She was very well broke and very kid proof while being ridden. She wasn’t always the best for a small kid to handle on the ground as she did have that cantankerous attitude. But, once on her back she was a blast. Last I heard she was being used as an OHSET horse for a high school girl. I wish her well and thank her for the wonderful little colt she gave us.
Charlie and Dino cooling off
An introduction to cows
Love those kids...they're so LIGHT!