I have not updated you
on how Valor is doing. We just got back some great pics so I thought I
would share. These were taken after our first snow-we let the horses
loose and they had a ball. I don't know if Valor has ever had so much
fun! You can see how beautifully Valor is maturing. He is about 17
hands now at about 2.5 years. Very strong, yet very refined and
elegant, like an old painting. And his movement is unbelievable-I wish
I had a video of his fancy trot out there with his head pumping and his
tail straight up in the air and those enormous strides. He was flying!
J
I am still not riding
him-I will probably get on him once he turns 3, so for now we do a lot
of hand-walking on the trails. I have even taken him snowshoeing with
me and that was really fun. We are developing a really good bond. He
is a very good communicator and is very sensitive-he seems to 'get'
immediately what I say and tries to obey always. He is a high energy
thing, but again, it takes just a teency bit of a correction-just a
breath or a look and he immediately knows what he is supposed to do. I
am really proud of him and can't wait to start riding him.
I was really wishing
to share pictures of me riding my 21yo thoroughbred gelding and pony-ing
Valor along side. That was so much fun and we had done it many times.
Valor always behaved and learned a lot from his big brother who was a
gentle soul. We would trot up hills and Valor kept our pace, and when
my TB spooked at anything, Valor could care less. They were real
buddies. Sadly that horse, Street, passed away unexpectedly in the
pasture the end of October. So of the very few regrets, it is that I
don't have that picture to share.
Valor is getting
exposed to A LOT. We have hosted several horse shows and I bring him
out in the middle of all of the action, loud speakers and all. By the
end of the season he was very comfortable, and I could even walk him
over the smaller decorated fences and he wasn't even fazed. Not bad for
two! We did have an interesting moment though when a full team of
decorated Percherons came trotting up the hill. That was when Valor
learned to canter backwards.
J
We have also hosted a few foxhunts, and that was a big thrill for him to
see the hounds, hear the horns and watch us all fly by his stall. Next
year maybe we will be hill-topping together!
J