I changed his name!!!

I went to the barn today to ride the new horse.  I went to the pasture and he was midway out and Sarge was on the other side.  I whistled to the new boy and he started coming in.  Sarge just kept eating.  All of a sudden Sarge started GALLOPING in and cut in front of the new horse and ran to me.   LOL he is has a jealous bone somewhere in his body.  New boy had a kick or bite on his side but it was pretty tame looking. 

Walked him up to the washrack and the LeeAnn's were there fooling around with Rogue.  I was brushing the horse and talking with both Lee Anne's and LeAnne P got the biggest kick out of the new boy's mustache!  It is so cute!  I told her he had a mane like Nick Nolte's hair and we decided he looked more like a Nick/Nicky/Nick Nolte than a Pac!  So Nick it is!

I picked up all four of his feet.  The back ones he pulled back but not like he was going to kick.  He looked wary and a little unsure but he did such a good job of being laid back!  I tacked him up moving slow with him.  Lee Anne P got her lunge line and ran it through his bit, over his head and snapped to the other side and worked with lunging him.  She never could get him to canter but he was trotting so prettily!  She did both sides - he is unsure but he kept going.  He did a good job and seems willing and smart and able to learn quickly.  He may have been lunged long ago.

I put his stirrups back on the saddle, attached the curb chain and reins and mounted with the block.  Lee Ann was directing and I put him in a trot and he does go too fast and slowed him down.  We went around a number of times both ways.   He was responding well.  Lee Anne told me to slow him down gently, talk gently and softly, etc.  He will move off the leg if he is moving forward so we practiced that to start the process of teaching side pass.  I tried an actual side pass...uhhhh no.   He is clueless. 

He seemed afraid of the lunge whip and Lee Anne gently ran it over him but later he could see it and we could tell he had his eye on it.  He isn't spooking or looking wild eyed but you still get the feeling there has been some really rough treatment in his background.  I insisted on picking up his front feet again - I got some guff from him but got to pick them up anyway.  I brushed and groomed him.  I am going to get the purple shampoo to keep his mane and tail pretty.  We think he has gained weight in the past 12 days and gained some shine to his coat.  I think in 6 months he will look like a million bucks. 

I did call and made an appointment at the vet to have his teeth floated and he and Sarge to get rabies shots.  It is for Monday at 6:00 PM.  I talked to the vet assistant and she said he was gelded in 2006 under the name of "Blaze".  Geeze...he was 5 years old!  Poor guy.  He had a Coggins on 06 and earlier this year.  Sporadic shots.  I am getting a profile on him so that I can fill in the gaps.