This is what my mare looked like (with the saddle on) about 3-4 months before I bought her. She was underweight, had worms, and had lice so bad you could see them crawling on her. She had rain scald pretty bad, which made her lose her hair...I think the lice contributed to the hair loss too. I believe the horse behind her is her Mother. She now has a wonderful home. Not only was Misty neglected by her owners, she was also abused by a "horse trainer". Misty is a very hot horse, the trainer beat her, ran her up in the mountains on a few occasions, kicked her in an abcessed knee (that was caused by a stick during one of his runs in the mountains), trying to get her to calm down. One time when he had he tied to a hitching post, she straddled it. Goodness knows all the details. When I first rode this horse, she was a nightmare. Tried to back down into a ditch, into a barbwire fence and refused to do anything she was told to do. She was not the horse I was looking for. But...'I couldn't leave her there', nor could I see her being bought by the other interested person (whom I knew)!!!!! So, $600 bought me a horse, complete with tack.  When I first got Misty at the age of 3 in 1989, I did about 30 days ground work with her. The first day I lunged her, she charged at me!! This mare was filled with fear of what I was going to do. What I had to do, was put her in the round pen and lunge with no lunge line. Within no time, I had her at a walk, trot, canter, stop, and reverse. It took a couple weeks before I got her to lunge with the lunge line. Saddling her was a breeze, take the bit like a veteran. But as soon as she thought you were getting on.....LOOK OUT!!!! Took only a few lessons of 'stand still' though. I think she wanted to believe I wasn't going to hurt her, but her doubts took over. When riding her, she would freeze and refuse to do anything sometimes(Oh, she would back, sidestep, jump), would not turn to the left at all, and I knew she was capable of flipping over (scary thought). I did get her neck reining very nice (left was still a problem), stopping, and going at a walk, trot and canter ( uh, sorta). I had had her out on the trails a few times, and up in the mountains, with my husband on his horse (Sheba) and there was just not much improvement. Well, one day, we saddled up, and left the yard. That's as far as I got!! Misty refused to go anywhere. I walked her up the road a ways, got on...same story (Except back, sidestep, jump). So, I took her back to the pasture, and John got on.  
 
...and who's gonna win?? 
.....ummmm, going good in one....  About 45 minutes into it here, and the sweat is really rolling (keep in mind here, that Misty has been up in the mountains and lunged regular, and is in very fine condition for this kind of workout). By now, my heart is breaking for her, but John has not beat her, hit her, all he has done is try to make her go where he wants her to go.   OOPS, got a little too close to that fence, looks like she might win this one!!   After about 2 hours of battle, and a cooldown, Misty responded pretty well. This day, John stayed on! The battle went on for about a week (no pics). During that time, Misty did flip over...3 times! On the last day of the "war", she flipped over for the last time (John was in the saddle when she got back up), she stretched way out (that was a funny one). When it was all done, her training began! By the next year, Misty was doing 17 second barrels, turning on a dime (both ways), doing 10 foot slides with only the lift of a hand and a soft 'whoa', responding to leg pressure, going where she was told too with no fight, walk, trot, ummm..cantering was really tough..run was easy. As a halter horse, I didn't need the halter, she followed me and did all she was told to. I could put any kid on her so long as they didn't touch the reins (very sensitive). I don't credit myself much with her success, Misty was a charm to teach. Is she still a hot mare to ride? YEP!!!   $600 bought this mare, and today, no price could buy her. She is one of the many things that I treasure dearly    This is "SkipDeCandyBars" Born April 24, 1992. But we just call him CandyBars. Sold in 1999 to a 5th grade school teacher who just loves him!!  |
