Sunk.

I'm sunk.  I just know it!

This foolish grin just plain will NOT be wiped from my face.  I just can't help myself. 

This horse, well, he is going to be my savior, and my downfall.

After a trip home for the long weekend, in which Lex exhausted herself chasing bugs, and I enjoyed visits with friends, a typically horrid but hilarious golf game with my mom, and chilling by the fire pit while Lex chased bugs (Weirdo.), I made it out to the barn last night.

Took Lex with me, as I had to video a couple horses and wanted to fit in running her wherever time allowed.  Since the arena was quiet, we got to video'ing almost right away, but first I brought my new guy in.  Brushed him, cleaned up him, and left him chilling in the barn aisle until someone was in the arena. 

He's surprisingly chilled out to tie.  Just hangs out.  No pawing, no fussing, no impatience.  No halter-pulling!  I love this.  He watched with interest, but no real fear, when the quad with hay wagon was driving right up beside him.  He chilled.  He played with the horse in the stall he was tied to.  He chilled some more.  I fell a little bit more in love.  I'm so easy!

We did the first horse, and then while J warmed up the 2nd, I brought him into the arena.  And then, per R's suggestion, I brought Lex in as well as began enforcing an offleash down-stay with livestock/activity.  She's got it at home.  She's got it at the dog park.  (could be cause she wants the frisbee!).  But she can be such a moron when there are distractions.  And I need her more solid around stock, and more solid around activity, and she isn't going to get there by being continually tied to my waist. 

In November, when I take care of my friend's place, I need to not have to worry about her chasing the horses, and getting kicked.  Or raising a ruckus around the sheep. 

So, brought her in, tied a long line to her, and down-stayed her. Went to work my horse.  She came darting in to help.  She's worse about chasing horses if I'm near them - she is intimidated by them and really goes into "protect" mode.  Dropped the horse as he kicked at her for biting at his heels, and let him bugger off while I caught her.  Of course, because my luck is such, the long-lead came undone.  A bit more force to the down stay, and then I added the precaution of tying the long lead to the door.

Then, my poor, traumatized horsey, who watched me catch my dog and cart her back to her "spot" to lie down, figured that if I was that nasty when I was mad, he didn't want to have anything to do with me! 

Walked him down, caught him, rubbed his forehead (he loves this), and taught him to lunge.  It was so easy. He was so easy.  I'd forgotten what sensitive, heart-filled OTTB's were like... He's all try.  He's so sensitive to body language and pressure that it is easy to get him going where I wanted him.   Played with him for a while - it was not without bumps in the road, but he was pretty good and full of try.  And pretty sure that the muck buckets in the corner, the tarp I had down along the wall, and the tractor in the corner, among other things, were totally going to eat his poor self!  He was beside himself with worry about that, but still tried. 

After we finished photographing the 2nd horse, J did take him and sack him out a bit with the rope - tossing it over his back and just in general working to convince him that he doesn't need to be quite so reactive to stuff.  Typical TB.  He got a clue very easily, with next to no fuss. 

The consensus on him is that I am going to have a lot of fun with him this winter, and that he's got a great attitude/mind, and is a "good horse." 

I, of course, just adore him plain and simple.  I love his heart.  I love his try.   I love his mind and his cheekiness and his attitude.  And I absolutely cannot WAIT to get on him and go for a spin! 

I'd forgotten, truly. Somewhere in the mess of lameness issues with Poly, I'd forgotten how truly well I mesh with TB's, and what a joy their workaholic, sensitive, heart-filled natures are to be around.  And somewhere in the last nine months (it'll be nine months to the day that I lost Sprout, tomorrow), I'd forgotten how much I love being in the arena with a horse, cultivating a partnership.  I'd forgotten the peace, the unadulturated happy, and the sheer excitement of a night where potential is tapped.

More and more, I think I found this horse for a reason.  I'm walking on air, and exhausted because, naturally, I was too excited to sleep last night!

I just wanna hug him.  Oooooh, I'm excited for fall/winter!

And Lex?  I haven't forgotten about her.  She down-stayed very well the entire time, after our first little set to.  She didn't lunge at the horses and R and J rode them past her, and she ignored me with a horse. Although she perked up and was much more watchful while I cooled out J's horse while she worked with my guy.  She did get up and dig a bit at one point, but I growled "DOWN" from the other end of the arena, took two threatening steps forward, and she dropped.  Good puppy.   

I've been given the opportunity to bring her all the time.  Leave her loose.  Down her while I tack.  Let her be loose and with me and step up the obedience so that at the end of the day, I have a GOOD dog instead of a monster :) 

She's pretty good, she really is.  I try not to dwell on the problem areas, because I have a tendancy to get down about things and decide I'm doing a horrible job with her, when the truth is, she's a gutsy, head-strong pup with TONS of jam, and she's my first dog: It's a huge learning curve for me, too!  So I Try to be happy with what I have, but I'm excited to have the opportunity to step things up and really get her backed off horses, etc. 

Of course, she came home and immediately started barking at invisible monsters again.  I rolled my eyes, pointed to her crate, and she slunk in.  Eventually, 15 min crate time outs will hopefully cure her of this little game.  Lol!

Ahh, still grinning like an idiot.  There's just something about this horse that does happy things to me.  He's a total ray of sunshine and he has brightened up my life considerably.  It's a wonderful feeling.

Now, if only I could find a barn name for the poor guy, so I can quit calling him "the horse" and "the OTTB" and "horsey".  :)