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Discussion on A few questions about a new horse
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007 - 10:18 am:
I got my first second horse on Sunday, an 18-month old QH gelding. He is about as cute as they come, a real fluff ball with a coat about 2 ½ to 3 inches thick! My plan was to get an old quarter horse that anyone could ride as my second horse (as was the plan for my first…ha!), but this guy was presented to me in desperate need of a home. I figure he’ll be the good old boy eventually with some proper handling.
So, my questions:
1. How much exercise should/could a guy this age get? Can I pony him on trail rides, and what would be a good starting time/distance? He hasn’t had any exercise whatsoever. He also has a bit of a gut, is that normal for a youngster?
2. When doing groundwork with him is it best to keep learning sessions short? Should I even be doing groundwork at this point?
3. What should they know how to do at this age? What about by 2, then 3? I don’t want to push him on stuff that should come later.
4. Is there anything extra I should be doing to assure full growth potential?
5. Since I’ll only have 2 horses for a while (may be another year or 2 before I get the 3rd), how can I prevent them from becoming co-dependent and freaking out when losing sight of one another. I have friends who are amazed I can take my horse out on the trail by myself, and I don’t want to lose the ability to do this, or have the horse left at home panic.
6. He’s registered as Dun color but everyone keeps calling him a Buckskin. They also said I may need to update his color on the papers because he might go from tan to grey—-can anyone tell me more about this, or tell me what qualifies as a dun? He does have points, a dorsal stripe, and zebra stripes on his legs.
And of course here’s a picture (excuse my back, but it’s the only one that’s not blurry). I’ll have many more!
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Member:
Stevens
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007 - 12:03 pm:
Too cute!
Here's a link to the International Buckskin Horse Association's definition of the colors.
https://www.ibha.net/colors.htm
According to the AQHA:
Buckskin
Body color yellowish or gold; mane and tail black; usually black on lower legs.
Dun: Body color yellowish or gold; mane and tail may be black, brown, red, yellow, white or mixed; often has dorsal stripe, zebra stripes on legs, transverse over withers.
Sure sounds like he's a dun to me.
Chris
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Member:
Dres
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007 - 12:41 pm:
cp, very cute... he looks young.. so I would take baby steps in all my lessons with him.. you can do lots of ground work with him , just don't over do!~ I personally don't like to back them to ride till solid 3, then only for a couple of months and back out to pasture till 4.. There are tons of opinions on this.. If he is not in shape, just like us humans slowly build him up to your trail rides / ponying him is great. Again just don't over do , use your own judgment ...
have fun...
On the first day God created horses on the second day he painted them with spots..
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Member:
Mzollars
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007 - 12:51 pm:
I would say he is definitely a dun, especially if he's got the stripes on the legs. My AQHA mare is registered a red dun and has the tiger stripes on the legs, dorsal stripe and her mane and tail are mixed.
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Member:
Mcbizz
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007 - 5:37 pm:
He looks really sweet...I'm with Anne with ponying him out. It exposes them to all sorts of new things. Just hand walking them around the neighborhood is great, get him used to dogs, people, whatever. I like to trailer them to small shows or clinics so they get used to crowds, noise,different horses, whatever can happen in those situations.
Have fun with him!
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007 - 10:46 pm:
Be careful cp, I started out with one, now up to 4. They are like rabbits, before you know it you have a whole herd.
One thing I did not do with Levi, was expose him to enough outside activities. He is so farm bound. I wish I would have trailered him to horse shows, parks etc. to accustom him to new surroundings. I am still paying the price at 6 yrs of age for not doing so.
Tonight I went into the barn while the boys were eating and was chewing gum. Absent-mindedly cracked(snapped) my gum like firecrackers. Levi almost choked, smacked his head and did a back-flip all at once. Learned something we will be working on in the near future.
Have fun, its a great learning experience for both of you
suz
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 12:50 am:
Suz . . . so funny about the gum. Can picture it. Hope Levi is okay.
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 8:16 am:
Funny Susan, what a silly guy.I guess the good thing is that I'll only have room at my place for 3, and the 3rd space is being reserved for an old retiree in need of a place to hang for the rest of his life.
I went to brush him last night and just about had him ground tying. I'm taking the day off of work today to play with him a little more. I can't wait for him and my other horse to meet, that will be Saturday! Funny to think that my young arabian once described by a clinician as a 'basketcase' is all grown up and taking on the role of mentor!
Thank you for the link on colors, he doesn't have the stripe on his wither but guess it does sound like he's a dun. It will be fun to see how he sheds out.
So another question I have is in regards again to how firm I should be with him. Everything I've learned to do with my horse is based heavily on being able to disengage the hindquarters. Is it okay at this point to push for that with the young guy?
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 8:52 am:
Have fun with your new guy today, cp. Did you name him?
In answer to your question about how firm to be with him:
Be as firm as you need to be to keep you and him safe and listen to him.
Overdoing any kind of exercise that stresses joints is detrimental, but if you need to move his haunches over to slow him on the lead or for another reason, then you can teach it and review it as often as needed to get the response 100 percent of the time you ask. Give him time, space, patience and consistency and have fun with him building trust. No rush.
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 9:26 am:
By all means teach him to move his hips over, as Holly said over doing it can stress joints but imho if you are asking for a step at a time with petting breaks he won't stress anything.
Teach him as much as you can on the ground.
I believe the more you teach and expose them to as youngsters the easier they accept new things as they get older.
Like Susan found out, I am glad you weren't hurt Susan, that was my first thought after I stopped laughing.
My filly is 7 months and she knows hips overI just go slow( so what is slow, compared to what?)
Because this girl is a bit reactive, I bred a dead quiet mare to a very calm stallion and yup I got a reactive, go figure, I am happy if she shifts in the right direction, then tomorrow is she shifts sooner, then tomorrow she should move somewhat, with my mini filly who is way calm I can ask for movement in one day.
So, your horse will tell you how fast you can go.
Dennis had a very good list of what he worked on in a previous thread.
I would say he is dun, not sure why someone suggested grey unless he has very light coloured goggles that aren't showing in the pic. If they are going to grey they need one grey parent and by two have sufficient grey there is no doubt.
He looks like he is kind and sweet.
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 9:48 am:
He came with the name of Hank which I am keeping. His registered name is 'You can call me Hank'. I think it's a Hank Jr song. I'm not much of a fan of Hank Jr but love Hank Sr and Hank III, so good enough.
I did find the post from Dennis and it was very informative (thanks Dennis). This horse is a big sweetie and already looks to his person for reassurance, just in the wrong way--he wants to hide behind me.
He was coaxed onto the trailer with grain when I picked him up, but one of he first things I'd like to do is get him used to being pushed by people instead of pulled. He did take a pretty big leap out of he trailer which kind of worried me, but it was pouring rain and I was excited and didn't take it slow enough on getting him out---so we'll work on that.
Lori, he has a thick grey petty coat but I don't think he has grey goggles. I'll take a closer look today.
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 4:16 pm:
Many people confuse gray with gray. What I mean is there is a horse color defined as gray; it starts out black or already beginning to gray, gradually becoming more gray, eventually becoming nearly or all white.
There are a few colors(grulla) or combinations roan+ that appear visually gray(ish).
So even if your artist friend looks at him and says, oh yeah, thats gray, on the horse colour wheel he is not.
Pictures are not always true but his body colour does look a bit light, I'm wondering if he has a buckskin, palomino or smokey black parent, maybe he is a dunskin?
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - 9:02 am:
A dunskin? Now we’re getting nutty.
I spent a long time grooming him yesterday, actually used a barber’s comb to get through his long fur, and it was great for getting all the rain rot scabs out. Now he’s super fluffy!
I tried doing a little ground work with him, but wow, he is so different from my Arabian! I’m not used to a horse that is so laid back. I swung the rope at him more and more energetically and he just looked at me like "why are you doing that". My Arabian responds at the wink of an eye, I’m not sure how to work with the opposite. Think I'll try without the rope in a roundpen once it dries out and see if that works better.
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Member:
Mzollars
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - 9:27 am:
CP, Do you know how this little guy is bred? It amazes me how different lines have different demeanors when it comes to the early lessons. I've had my 6 year old mare since she was a weanling and I was always amazed how puppy dog like (for lack of better explanation) she was even with halter and lead training. She was eager to learn from the beginning and has never offered a bit of resistance. I started at 18 months with getting her used to trailering to shows, introducing to blankets and saddles, round pen work etc. She is still the most eager to learn new things. Good luck with this guy. He's got a beautiful little head on him!!
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - 10:37 am:
I just looked his dad up on the allpedigree site and see that he is a buckskin with a bay dad & palomino mom. Appears he's quite the halter horse too! Can't find anything about the mom horse, but they said she came from the barrel racing side of things.
I do plan to start taking him along for my weekly sessions with my trainer, maybe we'll save the last 15 mins of each to work with Hank & me together. He seems interested in things and is very curious about what does startle him. Thank you for the compliment on his head! He also has a few whorls that are kind of neat.
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - 5:07 pm:
Now that we know the sire is buckskin so it is possible he is dunskin(bay dun+ buckskin) all this means is he is a bay dun but also inherited a cream gene which dilutes the color to produce buckskin from a bay.
This would account for why he is so light.
just curious, you said he has some swirls, where and how many?
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - 6:38 pm:
Just had to share how sometimes we humans are just plain stupid. I was thinking I should accustom my horses to not fear that cracking sound, (snapping gum). So I snapped my gum, and then listened to what it sounded like. YIKES! It sounds exactly like the sound of an electric fence that is snapping to keep my lovely horsey children in their safe yard! No wonder they had near heart attacks! I think I will let them be fearful of that sound for now. All of a sudden mom was not the friendly gal she usually is, but more of an electrified mean machine. We live and we learn.
suz
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Friday, Jan 12, 2007 - 7:11 am:
I'll have to take another look tonight, but I think there are one or two on his forehead, some just behind the jaw on the neck, and on his chest, and maybe under his mane? I'll take a swirl inventory and let you know for sure.
Susan, at least you caught on quick!
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Member:
Tangoh
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Posted on Friday, Jan 12, 2007 - 4:01 pm:
Gee, cp, I don't like him at all. Scruffy lookin' little hairy thing! I'd be happy to take him off your hands so you can look for something more appropriate! 
Seriously....he's adorable...I love duns.
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 13, 2007 - 1:11 pm:
No way! He's already family. Hank got to meet his "older brother" today, and they got along great. They're at a boarding facility temporarily until my place is ready (hopefully May), but here are the pics, and another one of Hank cleaned-up a little.
This is one of the most exciting times of my life! Thanks for letting me share.
Mr.Shadow meet Hank, Hank meet Mr.Shadow
hay!
scrub-a-dub (got him back in the trailer too)
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 13, 2007 - 2:33 pm:
Adorable, cp . . . I hope they will be the best of friends.
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 13, 2007 - 5:36 pm:
Very adorable cp. It is great to share happy goosebumps with fellow horse folks. Enjoy.
suz
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 13, 2007 - 5:38 pm:
cp, wow he is gorgeous. He sure cleaned up nice.
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Member:
Ilona
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 13, 2007 - 8:37 pm:
Enjoy Cp,
He's lovely and Hank seems to like him too! Those are great pictures, thanx for sharing them.
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