Phase 2 - first jump

Malachite Farms - June 17th, 2024 - 6:54pm

Phase 2: Past And Present 

Carefully, I pulled a rope halter off the hook beside the door and looked into the stall that held the Loshenka makeover mare: Dawn. It was late on a Monday and I had just gotten through riding a client’s colt after a day of lessons and other projects. I sighed deeply, my chest slightly hurting from the workout my body endured from the ride previous.. There was a reason I never worked with thoroughbreds. Dawn managed to become one of my favorite mares in the barn after all this time, she was a wonderful one to either start or end your day with. As I looked over at her, she was cozily propped up against a wall under the fan to keep her cool during these hot Kentucky summers and recently, we moved her to a different stall next to her pasture buddy/best friend: Valkyrie. Valkyrie was another Loshenka mare we had here and she kept Dawn a lot of company, and with time.. Malachite staff saw an uplift in Dawn’s personality when it came to pasture time.

I clucked to her as I entered her stall, watching her head and ears lift up as I stepped closer. I slipped the halter over her ears and tied it, walking her out of her stall and to the cross-ties. She still didn't walk very quickly but I truly didn't mind it.. it made me relax after all the high energy horses we work with, and with that, I placed her in the cross ties. It’s been a few weeks, and in those weeks I learned that she will untie herself from anywhere, no matter how she is situated and much rather prefers to stand there and be trusted.. So I dropped her lead rope and grabbed a curry from a basket. I took my merry time grooming her as she steadily stood there and embraced her pampering, going through all the steps. Finally, I spritzed her down with fly spray before going to get my tack from the tack room next door. 

Somehow, I manhandled a saddle, half pad, saddle pad, bridle and brushing boots and took them all to a saddle rack. I slipped the saddle onto a wooden bar before dropping the boots and pads, setting the bridle on a hook. Dawn looked over to me curiously with all my commotion, I smiled at her and she briefly sighed. Despite being so lowly, she had quite the personality. I took my time tacking up, reflecting over the work we had done. We have taken it very slowly, we lung quite often and do a lot of flat work in an attempt to give her a goal. She’s been learning things very quickly and steadily and Dawn has shown a lot of interest in learning and willingness to work. Last week, I started her with poles and smaller cavalettis. It was rough at first but she always made it work to the point she was able to find her own distances and the courage to do them confidently. Each day, we went back to the barn with an accomplished goal along with a new one for tomorrow and today was to try cross-rails and a small vertical.. perhaps a little course as well. I came back to my thoughts, realizing I had the end of my reins in hand and a green rope halter situated where the brindle once was. 

“Ready sweet girl?” I asked Dawn as I scratched her forehead softly, then led her down the isle to a mounting block where I checked the girth and got on. She looked lovely in a set of burnt umber color with black pads and boots to match. Somehow, I always instinctively made my horses match as I had dark gray breeches and a black tank top that I've been sporting all day… and I definitely smelled like horses and sweat.

Once in the sandy arena, I felt Dawn get happier under my legs as she knew it was time to work and with that, we started with a casual warm-up. Her gaits were smooth, easy to post to.. and easy to sit too. She collected easily and sometimes she would struggle with bending but with time.. we figured it out and she got it every time. She reminded me heavily of an event horse.. which is what she would hopefully become with plenty of work and patience. 

When I felt she was warmed up properly, I slowed her to a walk to allow her to catch her breath. She heaved slightly, but dropped her head to stretch and allowed me to guide her around the arena with a loose rein. I walked her around the four small jumps set up.. all were alone but could easily be shifted into a course without much work. She sniffed each one, knowing that they were new and I genuinely couldn’t tell if she saw them as a new challenge or just a general object. But Dawn huffed and I knew it was time to get going. I pushed her back to the rail and sent her into a working trot; at times it was hard to get her to move into faster gaits, especially as she got more tired but with the aid of a gentle spur, it became a lot easier. We trotted a loop and then lined her to a cross rail on the long side of the arena. Her ears perked, trot stride getting longer but with it came a little pressure of spur for encouragement as she clearly was confused. She hesitated, but ultimately leaped over the crossrail like it was on fire with the kraken coming to get her. My eyes widened in shock as I was slightly flung around for I didn't expect that reaction but expected it at the same time.

”Easy girl..” I laughed as she smoothly cantered away, clear she was proud of herself. “We don’t have to take it that intensely.” The smile never left my face as I collected her back to a clear working trot and she settled back down as well, and we went back to the crossrail. Our second time around, Dawn took it much more confidently despite the clear need for more work. I patted her neck on landing, beyond happy with our work as we cantered off calmly. I could tell all she really wanted was a proper job and love. 

“Well done Dawny..” I cooed as I cantered her around, working on her bend to get it all off her mind. and with that.. I got interrupted.

”That was clean!!” A familiar voice called, I looked over my shoulder to see Kyden who had seemingly been watching from the fence all along.

”You like it?” I called back with a smile, slowing Dawn to a walk and giving her the rein as we walked to Kyden across the arena. She huffed slightly, sweat from the glistening June day evident on her coat. 

“Mhm!” He chimed, “You’ve come very far with her in such a short time..’ He reached out to scratch her forehead, a touch she gladly accepted. “Those supplements and hay seem to be treating her well.” I couldn’t help but nod, reflecting back on a supplement the vet had prescribed her.. one that was supposed to lift her mood and give her a better mental space.. which also helped her energy and appearance similar to the Alfalfa flake and pellets she got daily.

”It helped her a lot.. and going out with Ole’ Valkyrie has seemed to give her a friend. She’s coming around.” I replied.

”You've done beyond well with her Val, I’m very proud of how far you’ve come with Malachite Farms in the past years.” I smiled, my heart melting at the praise.

”Thank you.. means the world to hear that.” I kept eye contact with the brown headed boy.. unsure of what to say. He gave her a little pet on the neck before glancing at her then back at me.

”I’ll let you two get back to work.. I’ll talk to you in a bit Val” He spoke with a smile before sliding off the fence and heading back to wherever he came from in the first place. Happily, and confidently, Dawn and I went back to work without crossrails and verticals.. watching her get stronger and stronger with each one before we were able to do a small trot course using the four jumps I had. She was confused, but by the second time with a ton of leg.. I could tell she was getting tired and ready to call it a day since she had such a good session once more. I walked her laps around before going back to the barn.

I always wanted to hack her but her extensive past of constant trail rides made her.. not.. so fond of them. And I found that extremely understandable. 

Back in the barn, she relaxed back into the wash rack as I took her gear off and put it aside.. covering my saddle with the upside down pad to protect it from water. I gave Dawn a big hug and scratches on her head, my heart warmed as she leaned into me. Then gently I got the hose and turned on the water, rinsing all the sweat off her smooth farm and then removed the excess with a scraper and toweled her. I allowed her a few minutes to dry before taking a hard brush to her coat to lay it back down how it was meant to be, but in that time i dug for a small bottle of liquid of thrush buster and picked up her hooves.. picking them clean then applying the remedy to the inside of her hoof. The farrier had stated that Dawn presented a severe stage of thrush from her previous home and wet traveling conditions that since then, I've done my best to overcome for her. Besides her thrush, poor emotional state, and wormy system (she recently got dewormed strongly), Dawn was a much healthier horse than I had expected. And finally, I brushed her coat soft before leading her back to her stall. By now, the sun was close to dusk and all the horses were outside in their pasture besides Valkyrie and Dawn.. who were both waiting on dinner. I picked Dawn’s bucket up and dumped it in her feeder before releasing her. Valkyrie gave me a small whinny to hurry up as I closed the stall and grabbed the other bucket.. feeding Valkyrie as well who happily munched on her grain. I collected a flake of alfalfa for Dawn and an orchard for Valkyrie; quickly.. I threw both in their own piles in their pasture and put my tack away while the two ate and digested their dinner. To end my evening, I brought both of them out and released them into their field.. watching them greet each other before going to their own respectful pile of hay.

”Goodnight ladies!” I hummed and closed the gate.. then going to the barn so i could go home myself.. My golden retriever male is lying by the tack room door waiting for me. It was a good day.. and I was extremely proud of that little raspberry mare.