Eva did her very first jump today! She had to work out the technique a bit but once she got the idea she seemed very willing and capable. She definitely did NOT like knocking down the pole and when she did she bucked and bucked, kicking out as hard as she could at the jump. But the next time, Eva made the correction and discovered that she could easily get off the ground to avoid hitting the rail. Her little tantrum was so funny! I can't wait to begin her formal jump training!
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My friend and I decided to take a little field trip to Santa Rosa Equestrian Center with our Golden Gate Fields OTTBs. Both girls had a wonderful first outing and seemed to genuinely enjoy their little adventure. Santa Rosa Equestrian Center is a gorgeous facility with a newly renovated large jump arena and state of the art indoor arena. I think the girls liked all of the goings on at a busier show barn and had no problem checking out the indoor arena or working around the other horses. Eva is still trying to figure out how best to get out of the trailer. She is unsure about the step down and we can't help but smile at her extreme cautiousness. This was my fourth time riding Eva and she is just so balanced and accepting of the aides that even by our 2nd ride she was understanding contact. She also seems much more at ease doing new things with a rider on her back than with a handler on the ground, which I find interesting as I would have guessed it would be the opposite. The fact that she finds comfort and an easier time learning with a rider on her back definitely works to our advantage in developing her into a sport horse :) Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Our dear friend and professional photographer, Marcie Lewis, captured these wonderful photos of our little family! Looking forward to all of the adventures that 2014 will bring!
Cheers! The Ortons With all of this unseasonably dry weather we've been having, it seemed like a perfect time to introduce Eva to a larger turn-out. We started by slowly making her living arrangements larger and then included a few hours a day in a small turnout. She is SO friendly and kind to all of the horses and absolutely does not make a fuss over the fence, that we could turn her out next to even the most obnoxious horse on the farm without worry. My good friend has also recently bought a horse from Golden Gate Fields, and this cool mare seemed like she might be a perfect turn-out buddy for Eva. After living next to each other in the barn, we turned them out and they became instant friends and seem to genuinely enjoy each others company. Eva likes to play after she gets a good roll, but they keep the lid on and after kicking up their heels a bit, they simply wander around, relaxing in the sun. Eva has been living the country life for almost three weeks and words cannot express how impressed I am with this mare! She is such a high-quality horse and I truly feel fortunate to have her on the team. Overall, she has been making the adjustment to her new non-racing life well and has quite a hearty appetite now, although still prefers to consume most of her calories at night, so she gets an extra flake of hay in the PM. She has developed a taste for cookies and rivals the ponies in her "begging tactics" to secure herself a goody from everyone who passes by. Currently, she is perfecting her "cute" face which seems to do the trick because no one can resist! I have started some lunging work with her rather than continuing with the ridden work since she seems a bit body sore and we're just taking our time anyway. By the second time on the lunge, she definitely had the aides down pat and is truly a pleasure to watch her strut her stuff. Boy can this girl MOVE! Our plan is to get some massage and chiropractic work done (she's a bit girthy and not the biggest fan of brushing yet!), and start bringing her along with the ponies on their trail rides! This will help develop those non-racing muscles and it'll be great for her mentally as well. She loves having a job and seems to be quite fond of all of the new activities! I am absolutely head over heels in love with this mare!! Eva has been very receptive to the ground work that I've done with her this week. She is becoming so soft, yields nicely, and seems to really enjoy the work. It was such a joy to get Roue's bridle (my beloved former Advanced level Event horse) out of the tack trunk for Eva to wear and boy did she look the part of a sport horse! Although I haven't done a lot of "lunge work" per say, I have worked her on the ground and in new places enough to feel comfortable that getting on and taking her for a short ride would pose no problem for her at all. Sure enough, she stood quietly when I got on and we just walked and trotted around on a light contact for about 15 min. She actually seemed to have a very good understanding of the leg and hand aides and was very quiet, soft, and responsive about everything I asked of her. She was an absolute dream to sit on and just gave the best feeling! Eva seems so happy in her new life and I feel so lucky to have this lovely girl as my partner! We were extremely happy to discover that Eva's goody of choice are carrots! Her pony neighbors are helping her learn that cookies, pears, and apples are also quite delicious, but Eva still has her doubts. Eva has been settling in much better than what I expected, she is extremely aware of herself and where her body is which is helpful in knowing that she will do her best to take care of herself in her new, much more vast surroundings compared to her living arrangements at the track (large stall and small attached paddock). She is also proving to be very quiet with meeting her new friends over the fence and has yet to squeal or make any kind of fuss during their interactions. She loves to be outside soaking up the sunshine and only enters her stall to drink. Unfortunately she is so intent on staying outside and watching the other horses wander in the neighboring pastures that she hasn't been very interested in her hay and grain. We were careful to move all of her food outside (her hay net, grain bucket, and loose flakes of hay on the ground) and this certainly has not gone unnoticed by the ponies who are simply besides themselves watching flakes of hay piling up and a full grain bucket go untouched. Maybe Eva will succumb to the peer pressure from all of her pony friends and begin to hold food to the same standard as they do! We have been taking her on walks and doing some ground work in the arena (we are still waiting on shoes) about 4 times a day which does help her focus on her food when she returns from her "outings". Much to my relief, on Saturday morning I arrived to find an EMPTY grain bucket! We are going to start her on a course of Gastroguard just to help in transitioning to her new life, but it's a great sign that she is finally showing interest in her food. Interestingly, although she ate from a hay net at the track, she certainly prefers to eat her hay from the ground. The Connemara breeding farm that Eva now calls home is located adjacent to the local Fire/Police/EMT training center. Although it is generally quiet for much of the day, they do the high speed driving training and other activities for short periods throughout the day. Much to my surprise, the horses actually seem to enjoy the "entertainment" of people zooming around and occasionally setting things on fire and putting them out. On our second day of ground work in the arena, the driving training was in full session. Not surprisingly, Eva was still much more mesmerized by the big grass pasture and really could care less about the goings on next door. It is so fun how desensitized these horses are to what we would normally consider "scary", and yet it is nature that they find so new and intoxicating. KO Eventing is pleased to introduce our newest team horse, "Eva" (Momentum x Electric Fable) a 6 year old 16.2hh mare (JC name Jumpin Janet), who has retired sound from a full racing career. We brought her home from the track on Thursday evening, November 14th. She was definitely a barn favorite and adored by her trainer and groom. Although she's excited and "ready to go" seems fairly well mannered and extremely sensible. I hope to use this blog to chronicle her progress and unique challenges taking a horse from the track and transitioning to life as a sport horse. Eva travelled quietly in the trailer and after a few minutes understood that we wanted her to back out of the step down trailer. We'll definitely have to practice a bit more but she was very willing. We put her into the big stall with a small attached paddock and she was so happy to meet all of her Connemara neighbors at Rosewood Farm in Windsor, CA. She is proving to be a very sweet and friendly girl. We made sure she had a full hay net and bucket of grain, but for now she seemed more interested in taking in the view. I can't wait to see the progress she makes in the next few weeks and months!
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