Auggie and Friends

 Overcoming Fear and Fitting Saddles It's kind of a big deal The Old Crosby saddle that I had been using could not fit Auggie properly without some modifications. I spent hours researching how to fit his saddle the right way, and ultimately required professional help.   Smartpak saddle fitting guide         The next day I dusted myself off and resolved to begin again. I had been told countless times what I could and couldn't do with my life and none of it ever helped me evolve. I was not where I wanted to be in life, and it was my fault for listening to the wrong people; I had to own that part at least. The times when I did pursue my goals against my mother's advice, happened to be some of the best times of my life and I needed a whole lot more of that. I could only hope that Auggie wouldn't toss me on my head and prove her right.     I had to get Auggie acquainted with the wash stalls before the dentist came to the farm, so I figured I ...

Tough Love Some Parents Don't Know When to Let Go           That Wednesday was my daughter, Cheyenne's first afterschool lesson at the farm since summer camp had come to a close in August. She had just turned 11 years old and survived her first couple days of fifth grade, so coming back to the farm for some saddle time was a bit of a release for her. She was going into her second year on the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) team as a novice rider and was thrilled to be back with her horse show buddies for another season.     I had brought Cheyenne around Auggie a little at a time for the first few days, and she helped a little with brushing and handling him. I wasn't sure about letting her get too close to Auggie at first, but the kid boldly charged into his stall, as if he were magnetic, with comb in hand. I resisted the urge to stop her when I saw Auggie's face light up. His ears went forward and he lowered his head for some attentio...

Setting the Pace "Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe."                 -Saint Augustine          The following day I returned to the farm to take another stab at riding Auggie. The weather was better, so I wanted to see how much that affected his behavior. I asked Amy to put him on the list for the equine dentist at the end of the week as well. I knew the rescue had done a lot of work of rehabbing and vetting him, so I trusted that his teeth had been floated, but I couldn't rule out new dental issues for some of the head flipping action without having a professional check into it.       He seemed a bit grumpy and standoffish, but not quite as wired as the rainy Sunday afternoon. We played the same game with the bridle, but I was more prepared for it, so I tried to let him dip his head down and take the bit on his own terms. The way he t...

I'm Not for Everyone "Yeah, I'm hard to love, it's true I'm a little more rough than smooth It's a wonder I found somebody like me, like you..." -Brothers Osbourne     The following morning was clear and crisp as the rain had moved out of the area during the night. The weather was becoming more fall-like, and at last the drought seemed to be coming to an end. While the drought and heat had been rough, we were grateful to have missed out on any major flooding events on the property, as the previous two years we had devastating high water from the Wissahickon creek that had destroyed equipment and supplies in the shop and the barn. Life by the water wasn't always as idyllic as people made it out to be. I had grown tired of the scramble to move machines and equipment to higher ground every time the sky looked ominous.  The back half of my property as Tropical Storm Isaias moved out of the area August 2020. On September 1, 2021, a tornado crashed throu...

 Trouble Begins... One bad day doesn't mean it's over.          The Sunday following Labor Day was gloomy and damp. There wasn't very much to do that day except to go up to the farm to ride Auggie in the arena. It was starting to rain as I arrived at the barn around 2:30 pm, but I didn't think much of it since I could use the indoor ring. Diane was leading Auggie in from the field as I walked down to the barn, and I could see at a distance that he was being a bit of a handful. His graceful neck was stretched sky-high as he surveilled everything around him, as if he had never seen any of it before. Diane dangled on the end of the lead rope, gripping for dear life as she tried to keep up with his massive stride. As they approached the gate near the barn, I could see that Diane was relieved to see me.     "Here, go to your mom, " she said as she hurried to toss the rope over to me. She was off in a flash to grab the next round of horses before t...

First Ride at the Farm Sometimes the fastest way to accomplish something is to take it slow.                         The last days of August were hot and dry. Auggie was beginning to settle into his new surroundings a little at a time for the first couple days. He was turned out in the pasture with two other geldings during the day and was behaving quite well, according to Rich and Amy. He really enjoyed eating and was mostly focused on grazing when turned out. He still walked on the lead with his head held high like a massive periscope, though, and he walked with a definite purpose. He was still a bundle of nerves and seemed to internalize his anxiety.      I planned on taking things as slowly as possible. He was in a strange place again, and I had no desire to make this change a bad experience for him. I now had a bridle that would fit him, so the process of tacking up and taking him o...

Finding a Fit When the Tack Doesn't Match the Horse Auggie inspecting someone's grooming kit in his new bridle and running martingale.      The first roadblock I encountered with Auggie on day one, was finding tack in my collection that would fit him appropriately. He not was thick as a draft horse, but he was certainly much larger than our Quarter horses and not as fine boned as Tony was. At 17H in height he was a large horse, but something more like a big Dressage  horse and not like a racehorse. He had an enormous head, that wasn't going to fit into any of the English bridles that I had at home.     I was left with the choice to simply buy a brand-new Bridle and martingale. Since I didn't have a whole lot of time that week, I ordered an inexpensive dressage bridle by Henri Di Rivel from Amazon (  Henri Di Rivel  ) and had it delivered very quickly. It was anyone's guess whether or not it would actually fit, but it was the best option I ha...