Red meets Alex

I went to the barn Monday morning to haul Red to Jasper.  Lee Ann B got to see him before I left.  I fed him some grain and stuffed a hay bag with his beloved alfalfa.  I brushed him while Lee Ann and I talked.  She thought he looked fit and said she read that it takes about a year to loose that huge muscle from racing he always had on his shoulders.  She said "you would love riding him again" and I know that I would.  I will do that in the near future!  He kept nuzzling at me and I know he remembered me just fine.  He was hugged up and kissed up quiet a bit.  I missed him so much!!! 

I asked him to load up and he only gave me the smallest amount of trash by coming off the said.  I straightened him up and ask he to load up and up he loaded up nicely.  Good boy!!!!!!  We took off to Jasper only stopping in Buna so I could get something to eat.  I left at 9:40 which was 40 minutes later than I had wanted to leave.  Half way to Kirbyville it started raining and was raining cats and dogs.  It stopped after Kirbyville and just sprinkled a little.  I talked to Toni and told her how far out I was.  She said "it is a shame it is raining!" and I said "Toni, the very first time I saw Red it was raining cats and dogs so this is a good sign!"  Called Barry and told him he gave Toni a rabbit when she was a little girl and I was one upping him and giving her daughter Alex a horse!  Went through Jasper and up to Hwy 63 past Hwy 225. 

I turned into Tammy's place and OMG it is NICE!!!!  Red will like it there. Nice pastures, gorgeous barn, nice sand arena and best of all, right next to the woods.  It was raining so I hauled to the front of the barn and turned the trailer around to back it up.  A man came out to direct me but I am pretty dang good at backing up the Brenderup.  I hopped out and there were quiet a few folks there - Doug and Brenda, Toni and John, Hanna and Alex, and Tammy and her husband.   I lowered the ramp and told Red to back out and he started backing out on his tip toes.  LOL he isn't used to the ramp being there now so he was a little rickety. 

Alex had been told it was a new boarder that was arriving.  I winked at Brenda and she was smiling from ear to ear.  I gave everyone a nice little speech about Red - his pedigree, his racing career, his trail riding with me all over the place and that he spent two years learning dressage and winning ribbons.  I said that I had picked him up the day before in Louisiana and now I was there to give him to Alex.  Alex was so stunned she didn't say anything!  LOL  I told her "come over here and get your horse Alex".  She came over and took his lead rope and still had a stunned look on her face.  Toni had earlier showed her pictures of him and she had though he was gorgeous which he is.  I told her he was Cary Grant and Brenda said "she won't know who that is" and I said "and there is no young actor that can compare - they are all pretty dang crusty".  LOL 

Red all the while just stood there basking in the attention, calm as can be, just like he did the first time I ever saw him.  I had left my dang camera at home so I will have to get pictures from Toni.  I got out my saddle and pad and we tacked him up.  The Aussie saddle has a dressage girth so it is different than she is used to but she liked the saddle.  I gave her his very first bridle but it has Chicago screws in it and they will have to undo those and change the bit so Tammy got him out a snaffle to use.  She went up and down the hall way for just a bit and then we all had lunch.  Toni had bought her a nice little grooming tote with brushes, a halter and lead rope in blue.  Hahahhahahah  I think he looks better in turquoise and purple. 

I went over his paper work with Tammy but I don't know exactly which shots he was given so I couldn't tell her that.  We went over his feed, his habits (he is pretty dang perfect), his personality and talked about his anhydrosis.  I suggested they keep him in during the day with a fan and turn him out in the evening.  I said he wasn't aggressive with other horses and pretty passive. 

Alex saddled him up again and we went out in the arena.  It was set up with ACTHA obstacles and she asked Red to walk over the long bridge from the short end.  He wasn't too sure about that so I told her to come over it on the short side.  I told her we did a bomb proof clinic and that is how we started out was on the short side.  She did that and he willingly went several times and then he went over the long side several times.  Good boy.  Did the rope gate and she was working with his side passing but was using one hand in the western mode.  I told her he had been trained to side pass with two hands and the lessons I did on him with Esther was more in an English manner.  Tammy knows Esther and Margaret and quiet a few of the people I ride with so that is terrific!!!  Tammy said she would work with Alex this week on the cues for Red.  They are taking him on his first ACTHA ride this weekend.  I am sure Robin is going!!  She will recognize Red when she sees him.  They are going up to Mineola I believe.  Red will do just fine and I won't be surprised if he comes back with ribbons.  Alex is going to work with him this week getting to know him.  Toni said she was up and begging to go to the barn at 7:00 AM Tuesday.  LOL that is terrific.

So happy to have my boy back here in Texas close enough where I can see him whenever I want to.  We are going to Ebenezer this weekend and had Alex not been hauling to a competition we would have gone there and rode out on the trails from Tammy's place with Alex.  I am hauling Biscuit and Sarge to Ebenezer this weekend.  Can't wait to go.  Ready to spend time with my boys. 

I went out to see them Tuesday afternoon.  OMG water is everywhere and I hugged Sarge up.  Biscuit didn't come up to the gate as he always respectfully stands behind Sarge!  I didn't go in the paddock as there was standing water around the gate where they have it sunk in.  UGH.  Going riding Wednesday though!!