The Shadow of a Horse
Here's my story. I spent two months in the hospital in 2013 with a medical problem not horse related. Two months after I returned home, I had to put my quarter horse mare to sleep due to a deteriorating condition in her back hip. She was in pain and getting progressively worse. This mare had spoiled me; I could ride her bareback, saddled, haltered or bridled. In the seven years I had her, she never bucked, bolted, bit, kicked, or stumbled. I knew when I lost her I would want another horse but I knew there would never be another one like her. She was the second horse I had bought after regaining my interest in riding in my late 30's. She was also the second horse I had lost due to age and/or infirmity so I wanted something a little younger for my next horse.
I had been checking the ads on my local Craigslist and found an interesting listing that described an 8 year-old bay trail gelding. On Sunday afternoon, I contacted the seller for more information, and also asked for pictures to be sent to my phone or posted on the ad. Since the horse sounded nice, I made arrangements to go see him on the following Wednesday. On Monday, I emailed the seller and again asked for photos, but they never came.
As soon as we arrived at the barn, I understood why Darrell hadn’t sent me pictures; this horse was about as homely an equine as I had ever seen. Poco had a Roman nose, long, thick, floppy ears, a scrawny neck, and a goose rump. My husband and I knew that a good horse is not always pretty and we wanted to give him a chance. He was a little underweight, but a long ways from starved. We both checked the horse over and he was good to pick up his feet and was not nervous being handled. I tried him, my husband tried him, and he was a good ride in the arena.
Oh, and by the way, the gelding was being stabled at a fabulous facility. Darrell portrayed himself as the facility’s trainer. His website indicated that he had been very successful competing in western trail classes with the horses he had trained. Darrell told us he had started Poco as a two-year-old and sold him to a family whose daughters rode frequently. He said Poco was good in parades, would walk through water, and was close to bombproof and he offered to let us come back and try the horse anytime. When we asked about a trial period, he said no. He also would not allow returns in the event we got Poco home and did not like him, and he never offered the contact information for the previous owners. My husband and I both still felt the gelding would be a safe bet since Darrell offered lessons if we needed them. We bought the horse.
My husband brought him home the next day. I rode him for a little while and he was a bit anxious, but mostly OK. My husband took him out for a few minutes and Poco panicked when he saw our little white pony mule. My husband hung on and the horse settled down after that. Over the next few weeks, I rode on the farmer’s levees and right-of-ways, found he spooked at his own shadow, and was deathly afraid of ATVs. He also had a tendency to bolt and crow hop a bit, but he never tossed me off. He was hard-mouthed and would take the bit in his teeth, but he never ran off with me at full speed. I couldn’t take him out and ride like I used to with my mare because he was unpredictable, and I cannot imagine he has ever been in a parade.
He was not the same horse we rode that day at Darrell’s barn, for sure. I don't think he had been sedated, I just think he was underweight and probably had the crap worked out of him before we got there.
After I had the suspicion we’d been snookered, I checked the local court record website and found my seller had been sued for child support. Around that same time, I went back in the hospital for more surgery and spent another three weeks off work and several months recuperating. Months later I found out that Darrell had also been charged with embezzlement, although the charges had been dropped after restitution had been made. I don't think Darrell is anything other than the caretaker for the facility where we saw Poco, though he may "train" a few horses on the side. And I think my horse had either not been trained as much as Darrell claimed, or he was abused. I am planning on taking lessons from someone else to improve my skills and to provide further training for Poco, so maybe we can make a go of it. He doesn't bite, he hasn't bucked me off yet, and he has actually kind of grown on me, but I will never put myself in this position again.
My first mistake was buying an underweight horse. My second mistake was buying an underweight horse knowing I could not return him if his behavior changed as he became more fit and healthy. My third mistake was not researching the seller before signing that check. Usually men who don't pay their child support are probably not too scrupulous in the first place. I didn’t try to talk to Darrell either, after we bought Poco. I just wasn’t up to the duel of words that I knew would start if I confronted him. I’m sure the usual litany of "you had every chance to try him, you are not experienced enough, you are using the wrong cues, the wrong bit, the wrong saddle", etc, would go on far past my energy level could endure. Plus, he has already been hit with those embezzlement charges. I kind of like to think of that as Karma with a sharp set of teeth. And finally I guess it boils down to this. Poco, the ugly rascal, comes to the fence when I pull up and wants to be petted, he loves his apples, will stand well for the farrier, and is happy with me. I don't think he had much “happy” before he came to my place. He has 120 acres to run, another gelding to run with, trees to nap under, and a blanket when it gets below 30 degrees. I have high hopes for the future, even if parades aren’t part of the picture. And when I look at Mr. Hot Shot Trainer’s web site, I see four kids depending on a dad who's probably less than a stellar parent. I have learned a valuable lesson. No written return policy? My money goes elsewhere.
I miss my mare; Poco is hardly in the same league. But… I take Poco, saddle him up and work him around the house and in my round pen. He is patient about letting me mount, and his bad behavior comes with enough warning so I can prepare myself. There's enough good in him that I cannot just throw him away.
For the next story, click Experience is Wisdom
I had been checking the ads on my local Craigslist and found an interesting listing that described an 8 year-old bay trail gelding. On Sunday afternoon, I contacted the seller for more information, and also asked for pictures to be sent to my phone or posted on the ad. Since the horse sounded nice, I made arrangements to go see him on the following Wednesday. On Monday, I emailed the seller and again asked for photos, but they never came.
As soon as we arrived at the barn, I understood why Darrell hadn’t sent me pictures; this horse was about as homely an equine as I had ever seen. Poco had a Roman nose, long, thick, floppy ears, a scrawny neck, and a goose rump. My husband and I knew that a good horse is not always pretty and we wanted to give him a chance. He was a little underweight, but a long ways from starved. We both checked the horse over and he was good to pick up his feet and was not nervous being handled. I tried him, my husband tried him, and he was a good ride in the arena.
Oh, and by the way, the gelding was being stabled at a fabulous facility. Darrell portrayed himself as the facility’s trainer. His website indicated that he had been very successful competing in western trail classes with the horses he had trained. Darrell told us he had started Poco as a two-year-old and sold him to a family whose daughters rode frequently. He said Poco was good in parades, would walk through water, and was close to bombproof and he offered to let us come back and try the horse anytime. When we asked about a trial period, he said no. He also would not allow returns in the event we got Poco home and did not like him, and he never offered the contact information for the previous owners. My husband and I both still felt the gelding would be a safe bet since Darrell offered lessons if we needed them. We bought the horse.
My husband brought him home the next day. I rode him for a little while and he was a bit anxious, but mostly OK. My husband took him out for a few minutes and Poco panicked when he saw our little white pony mule. My husband hung on and the horse settled down after that. Over the next few weeks, I rode on the farmer’s levees and right-of-ways, found he spooked at his own shadow, and was deathly afraid of ATVs. He also had a tendency to bolt and crow hop a bit, but he never tossed me off. He was hard-mouthed and would take the bit in his teeth, but he never ran off with me at full speed. I couldn’t take him out and ride like I used to with my mare because he was unpredictable, and I cannot imagine he has ever been in a parade.
He was not the same horse we rode that day at Darrell’s barn, for sure. I don't think he had been sedated, I just think he was underweight and probably had the crap worked out of him before we got there.
After I had the suspicion we’d been snookered, I checked the local court record website and found my seller had been sued for child support. Around that same time, I went back in the hospital for more surgery and spent another three weeks off work and several months recuperating. Months later I found out that Darrell had also been charged with embezzlement, although the charges had been dropped after restitution had been made. I don't think Darrell is anything other than the caretaker for the facility where we saw Poco, though he may "train" a few horses on the side. And I think my horse had either not been trained as much as Darrell claimed, or he was abused. I am planning on taking lessons from someone else to improve my skills and to provide further training for Poco, so maybe we can make a go of it. He doesn't bite, he hasn't bucked me off yet, and he has actually kind of grown on me, but I will never put myself in this position again.
My first mistake was buying an underweight horse. My second mistake was buying an underweight horse knowing I could not return him if his behavior changed as he became more fit and healthy. My third mistake was not researching the seller before signing that check. Usually men who don't pay their child support are probably not too scrupulous in the first place. I didn’t try to talk to Darrell either, after we bought Poco. I just wasn’t up to the duel of words that I knew would start if I confronted him. I’m sure the usual litany of "you had every chance to try him, you are not experienced enough, you are using the wrong cues, the wrong bit, the wrong saddle", etc, would go on far past my energy level could endure. Plus, he has already been hit with those embezzlement charges. I kind of like to think of that as Karma with a sharp set of teeth. And finally I guess it boils down to this. Poco, the ugly rascal, comes to the fence when I pull up and wants to be petted, he loves his apples, will stand well for the farrier, and is happy with me. I don't think he had much “happy” before he came to my place. He has 120 acres to run, another gelding to run with, trees to nap under, and a blanket when it gets below 30 degrees. I have high hopes for the future, even if parades aren’t part of the picture. And when I look at Mr. Hot Shot Trainer’s web site, I see four kids depending on a dad who's probably less than a stellar parent. I have learned a valuable lesson. No written return policy? My money goes elsewhere.
I miss my mare; Poco is hardly in the same league. But… I take Poco, saddle him up and work him around the house and in my round pen. He is patient about letting me mount, and his bad behavior comes with enough warning so I can prepare myself. There's enough good in him that I cannot just throw him away.
For the next story, click Experience is Wisdom
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