OK, You Can Put It On My Resume

Thursday April 4 2013

Since his retirement from the racetrack (last year running: 1998. First year with me: 1999), Stormy has been less than thrilled with the post-racing careers I thrust upon him.

He hadn't planned on being a pack string leader for the Forest Service; he hadn't planned on being a wrangler's horse on a summer dude ranch.

Since moving to Idaho, he provides services as the Owyhee Handyman, Owyhee Bookmobile, Owyhee Mailman, Owyhee Building Inspector, and (his favorite) Owyhee Lawn Mower.

With Sarah visiting this week, he has been shoved into the new vocation of Riding Lesson Horse. Yesterday, he was not elated with this new posting.

Today, Connie set up an obstacle course for Sarah to (try to) maneuver the big handsome retired Thoroughbred ex-racehorse around at a trot.

At first, Stormy thought he was in heaven, with 6 grain buckets lined up in a row for him to eat out of! Alas, the buckets were not only empty, but the obstacles on the course.

I saw the finished product: even with the added obstacle of me, squatting by the last feed bucket, and with zero encouragement from Connie and the whip, Sarah got the old racehorse bucket bending (think: pole bending) - trotting non-stop in figure 8s through the buckets,

circling around the last one (and me)

and bucket bending back up the lane,

turning around and trotting the length of the buckets

and around the last one (and me) and trotting back up to the start before turning and coming to a halt.

Sarah and the Racehorse have got it down - and he is rewarded handsomely with a treat in one of the buckets!

OK, Stormy says, You can go ahead and put this on my resume!