| Abrazos Adventure Portales New Mexico offering family and individual recreation to Portales, Clovis, Cannon AFB and the surrounding area with horseback riding and lessons Wendy Toombs owner/instructor 575.607.7344 MEET SHORTY |
Shorty (13 hands 2 inches tall) is a sorrel Tobiano paint. He is not registered and from
the looks of his build may have some pony blood in him. He was purchased at the
horse sale November 11, 2003. Shortly after arriving our granddaughter Kelsea –
about 7 at the time – decided she liked him. We kind of turned him over to her as a
project. Boy – did he educate us.
When I called back to find out history I was told he had been used for ranch work up
near Las Vegas New Mexico. He had also been used by kids for playdays (games on
horseback). The man said he had him 30-60 days and was roping off him. When we
got him there were two big spots, one on each side, where the cinch tightens up that
had no hair. As soon as we started to tighten a cinch on Shorty he would pin his ears,
swing his head at us and try to bite. It took more than a year for him to quit biting. To
this day he still pins the ears and glares at us as we tighten up.
Kelsea had been riding him for a while and wanted to lope him. She was out of the
arena and things were going fine at the trot. She asked him to lope and as soon as
they turned toward the barn he ran away. She was able to stop by the time they
reached the arena and she was still on top. I caught up with them and had her take
him into the round pen where she kicked him into a lope again. This time he tried a
little bucking with her. She rode through all of it and the next few days I rode him and
gave him every opportunity to run off. He didn’t.
When we went to get on him he would kick up as he stepped off. When Kelsea
decided to ride bareback we get on from the fence. He would line up, let her get on
the fence then move his body away from the fence so she couldn’t get on his back.
That too has been corrected.
We had an instance where things were going well and all of a sudden Shorty just
dropped to the ground as Kelsea was riding. I didn’t see it happen, my grandson told
me about it. We got him up and Kelsea back on. The next time it happened we were at
home and I was close. I rushed over, got off my horse and whipped, hollered and
stomped him up. He never did it again.
After reflecting on all the little tacky stuff he did I think he had gotten his bluff in on
kids. Do junky things and they will get off, put you away and probably feed you. That
wasn’t too bad a life. Nothing he did was terribly hazardous – just scary and annoying.
He found out that living here if you do junky stuff you work a lot longer and harder. It
doesn’t pay off.
The first summer she rode him she competed in local horse shows and won two belt
buckles with him. Since that time he has learned that we are consistent and fair in
what we ask and will not hurt him. We will make sure he gives us what we ask though.
He is at the point I can trust him with beginner riders and under his perpetually grumpy
look there is a neat horse.
We do have to remember to position the saddle absolutely in place or he will kick up
as he goes off. It is uncomfortable for him.
A few summers ago he came in from a ride lame. The farrier thought it was an
abscess and we treated it as such. When he didn’t make progress, as he should I took
him to the vet where he was x-rayed. He had fractured his coffin bone – located in the
hoof. He was out of commission for about 4 months while he healed. That was
certainly learning for me – I always thought fracture and foot equaled having to put
the horse down. He recovered and has been working regularly since.
We think Shorty was about 13 when we bought him. This last year he has slimmed
down some – I find that the horse’s shapes change as they get to their upper teens
and early 20’s. He will weigh in now at about 900#. We use him western, English and
bareback at the walk and trot.
the looks of his build may have some pony blood in him. He was purchased at the
horse sale November 11, 2003. Shortly after arriving our granddaughter Kelsea –
about 7 at the time – decided she liked him. We kind of turned him over to her as a
project. Boy – did he educate us.
When I called back to find out history I was told he had been used for ranch work up
near Las Vegas New Mexico. He had also been used by kids for playdays (games on
horseback). The man said he had him 30-60 days and was roping off him. When we
got him there were two big spots, one on each side, where the cinch tightens up that
had no hair. As soon as we started to tighten a cinch on Shorty he would pin his ears,
swing his head at us and try to bite. It took more than a year for him to quit biting. To
this day he still pins the ears and glares at us as we tighten up.
Kelsea had been riding him for a while and wanted to lope him. She was out of the
arena and things were going fine at the trot. She asked him to lope and as soon as
they turned toward the barn he ran away. She was able to stop by the time they
reached the arena and she was still on top. I caught up with them and had her take
him into the round pen where she kicked him into a lope again. This time he tried a
little bucking with her. She rode through all of it and the next few days I rode him and
gave him every opportunity to run off. He didn’t.
When we went to get on him he would kick up as he stepped off. When Kelsea
decided to ride bareback we get on from the fence. He would line up, let her get on
the fence then move his body away from the fence so she couldn’t get on his back.
That too has been corrected.
We had an instance where things were going well and all of a sudden Shorty just
dropped to the ground as Kelsea was riding. I didn’t see it happen, my grandson told
me about it. We got him up and Kelsea back on. The next time it happened we were at
home and I was close. I rushed over, got off my horse and whipped, hollered and
stomped him up. He never did it again.
After reflecting on all the little tacky stuff he did I think he had gotten his bluff in on
kids. Do junky things and they will get off, put you away and probably feed you. That
wasn’t too bad a life. Nothing he did was terribly hazardous – just scary and annoying.
He found out that living here if you do junky stuff you work a lot longer and harder. It
doesn’t pay off.
The first summer she rode him she competed in local horse shows and won two belt
buckles with him. Since that time he has learned that we are consistent and fair in
what we ask and will not hurt him. We will make sure he gives us what we ask though.
He is at the point I can trust him with beginner riders and under his perpetually grumpy
look there is a neat horse.
We do have to remember to position the saddle absolutely in place or he will kick up
as he goes off. It is uncomfortable for him.
A few summers ago he came in from a ride lame. The farrier thought it was an
abscess and we treated it as such. When he didn’t make progress, as he should I took
him to the vet where he was x-rayed. He had fractured his coffin bone – located in the
hoof. He was out of commission for about 4 months while he healed. That was
certainly learning for me – I always thought fracture and foot equaled having to put
the horse down. He recovered and has been working regularly since.
We think Shorty was about 13 when we bought him. This last year he has slimmed
down some – I find that the horse’s shapes change as they get to their upper teens
and early 20’s. He will weigh in now at about 900#. We use him western, English and
bareback at the walk and trot.
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