horse-stealing energy

The little Speedolito arrived safe and sound at MIL’s and we’ve spent the last ten days getting to know him better. While he was utterly delighted to get off the trailer and into his paddock, he didn’t have the most restful first night. He paced and didn’t eat or drink much. MIL got him out the next day for a little lunge which seemed to set him right, and after she put him away he happily consumed the rest of his hay and drank plenty of water and hasn’t really stopped since. Apparently a little work was all he needed to know that everything would be all right?

Speedy’s going to spend a couple of months here at MIL’s while I get things all buttoned up for winter on the farm (turns out there’s a lot to do to get the orchard squared away before I can rest and just play with my pony, ugh), and he will move up my way after the holidays. As much as I would love to have him with me, I have a shitload on my plate on the farm right now and do not need the distraction. Plus, MIL has agreed to take him on for dressage bootcamp, and I’ll come down to ride and get lessons whenever I can.

While he’s down here, I’m making sure the hony gets the royal treatment. Not that his life was rough before, but we’re going full-on spoiled pony here. He got new shoes and the farrier reported that his feet are fantastic — strong, lots of sole, good growth in a cycle. He also got body work for the first time! At first he was looking at the bodyworker like “Um, why are you touching me like that??” but eventually he got reaaaallly into it.

Body worker identified a couple of sore spots along his back and suggested his last saddle probably wasn’t a great fit (whose is, in a sales program? but also boo, saddle shopping). She also gave us a stretchy-lunging routine for him to help him lift his core, engage his hind legs, and start building more of a dressage bod. She did belly lifts and hip tucks with Speedy and he was like “oh shit what is happening I had no idea my body could move like that“

he did not go like this in Germany

Even with all the changes and crazy shit I’m throwing at him, Speedy is soooo sweet. He is such a good sport about everything — equibands, chambon, new lunging routine — he takes a minute to go “well, this is weird” quickly followed up with “okay well, I’ll try it!” You can totally see his little brain working on how to move his body with the equipment instead of against it, and he improves literally from day to day. Under saddle he totally got that I was asking him to stretch his neck down in about a ride and a half. A ride and a half! And they were like ten minute rides!

He loves a good wither scratch, and also those gooood crest scritches right up under his mane. And you can tell when he’s really appreciating a scratch because his little lips and teeth flap and go clackclackclackclackclack. I love when a horse really gets into scritches. I just feel like it shows a level of trust and engagement that is a really good sign. Oh and literally every time you walk by his paddock Speedy follows you along the fenceline like “oooh what are we gonna do now? Are you here for me? Pick me pick me pick me!” He seemed a little bit standoffish when we met him at Luhmühlen, which kinda worried me, but I was wrong!

the first time I saw him in California he promptly shoved his nose right into my phone

Apparently there’s a German idiom about people who are a lot of fun, have a really great energy, are up for anything, are a great friend, etc. You might describe that person as “someone I could steal horses with”. Speedy, according to my MIL, totally has horse-stealing energy. I totally get that. (Trust the Germans to have an idiom for that — hell it’s probably a 45 character word.)

Oh and he didn’t shrink in transit!!!!! Between deciding to vet him and literally the moment I pulled him out of his paddock for the first time, I was low key panicking that I would suddenly discover he was really 128cm or something and I just hadn’t noticed that when I tried him. But he is still 153cm (almost exactly 15h) and he’s pretty perfect and his canter is still a fucking 11/10. I am just so goddamn excited that he’s mine and I CANNOT wait to do all the things with him.

several people pointed out that Speedy looks like a legit child’s pony here and for a minute I was like “oh god I’ve made a terrible mistake”