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!

Sarah and the Racehorse

Wednesday April 3 2013

9-year-old Sarah is out at the Owyhee Spa with her Aunt Connie, getting riding lessons on just about every horse that wears a saddle out here, from Trusty Krusty, to the Opinionator Finneas, to my retired Thoroughbred racehorse Stormy.

We talked up Stormy, showing Sarah pictures of Stormy winning races on the track, Connie galloping him on the track (top photo), and told Sarah he'd be a hard one on which to take a lesson. Not because he's wild, or fast… but because he is Lazy. He is so lazy, he has elevated the epithet to an Artistic Profession.

"He'll make you work!" I told Sarah. "He knows what to do, but he's not going to help you out!"


Climbing aboard the Big Mountain.


Jose supervises the stirrups positions on this 16.2 hand, somewhat round, ex-racehorse.


You can see Stormy is less than thrilled with this idea of being yanked out of retirement (and his approximately once-a-year-short-trail rides), into being a school horse. (Look at his expression!) 


Off they head to the torture chamber!


Sometimes Stormy took a little extra encouragement in the round pen, from Connie and her whip, when Sarah's short legs could not quite convince the big Thoroughbred to pick up a trot!


That's better!


Good enough to go outside the round pen! (still with a little extra encouragement.)


Strong legs and fabulous form!


OK, Stormy says, it wasn't THAT bad. Sarah is OK. And she gave me lots of treats when I was finished.

(P.S. He did not break a sweat. And he got a bucket of grain afterwards.)