Dawn trimmed the boys yesterday (a story in itself), and when she got a good look at him (emaciated, Cushings furry, and struggling to breathe) she had a talk with him and told him it was ok to let go. I emailed her and told her that he listened.
Anne told us via text messages, and she said that he looked peaceful in the stall that he was still in until just a couple of hours ago. She then drowned her sorrows in Cheyenne's generous neck.
Anyway, last Tuesday (time keeps ticking by), Rick and I hauled ass over to Columbus to visit Funder and Dixie. We tossed a mess of saddles in the car, and listened to the GPS which not only landed us in morning rush hour traffic around Baltimore (actually, she wanted to take us through it, but I took over for a bit), but also would take us off of the highway and through towns full of lights, turns, and construction. That was nice of her.
I now hate West Virginia. God... whoever planned your roads should be.... should be.... forced to drive them.
What should have taken less than 8 hours (thanks to Rick's driving), took over 9. Grrr. By the time we got there around 4, we were both exhausted and probably were as brilliant as a sack of doorknobs, but it was great to meet an e-friend. Thank you, Funder, for being so welcoming and patient. :)
Dixie is sweet and honest, and since we have really never known TWHs other than Peanut she was a shock in the fact that she looks nothing like him. Well, there's one at the barn I'm at, but I can't see much under the long, curly Cushings coat and, besides, I can't stop staring at his horrific feet. I'm not sure what makes a TWH look like a TWH, but Peanut is definitely on the... erm... husky and squat side (aka Hobbit) and she's tall and elegant. No wonder he's usually mistaken for a quarter horse! In pictures, however, I can definitely see the resemblance in their head shape.
No wonder I have to seriously bulk out the TWH model that I got to transform into Peanut!
Anyway, it took me a while to wrap my head around that tidbit. Is it obvious? I mean, thoroughbreds look like thoroughbreds. Friesians look like friesians. And, for the most part, arabians look like arabians. I guess I just took it for granted.
Rick talked saddles for a bit, and we tried out all of the saddles save the Cashel (if the Fhoenix wasn't liked, there was no point in the Cashel). The 4-Beat seemed like a good match, so it found a saddle rack to sit on and it will enjoy the midwest until it wears out its welcome. If that happens, I'll consign it as I have the Lite Rider. If people around here keep stopping to stare at the oddity that is the Lite Rider, imagine when they get a load of the 4-Beat!
After Funder and hubby took us out for dinner, we retired to our hotel and came home the next morning. I chose the route this time, with a little detour through the mountains in PA which I hoped to be scenic, and we ended up behind an incredibly slow, gigantic motor home that neither knew how to go up nor down hills. That was fun... there was the hour that we were hoping to recapture.
We stopped at the barn before we got home, handed the book and DVD on saddles that Funder returned over to Anne, and eventually made our way home to a bunch of grouchy kitties.
Dixie!
The 4-Beat. (and, whine, indoor!)
There is something really wrong with its stirrup, but in my doorknob state I couldn't work it out. The stirrup leathers are... unique... and are meant to be pre-turned.
The Phoenix. Dixie wants to know wtf that lump of leather and cork is doing on her back.
2 comments:
Finally catching up!
I have a hard time telling TWHs from pictures only, but I can really see it as soon as they move. They are so flowing and long-strided. It always looks to me like they have extra joints in their legs somewhere!
Champ was a wide TWH, like it sounds like Peanut is. He wasn't short at all, but he was stout! Big wide bones. Dixie looks more like TWHs usually look, kind of tall and willowy. One of the things I like about her is that she is wider than average!
Dixie's definitely a bit of a standoffish princess. I <3 her though!
I had a fantastic visit with you two. :) If I make it out to the barn today, I'll ride in the Imus and post some more about it. I got distracted with the bareback and the walking, which would've been more fun minus the blisters!
Dixie is standoffish, but you can tell that she's not doing it to be snotty. It seems that she is just reacting to her past, which is why she seemed so honest to me. :)
I wonder if the movement you mean with TWH is what Rick describes as the puppy walk. I'm so used to it, though, that I don't see it. I'm also used to Peanut easily overreaching with each stride by a good 6 inches or so. I have to keep reminding myself that normal horses don't do that.
Yay! Imus post! I was getting worried that you decided that you hated the thing. :) I don't know if you've read anything on it or watched their little video (that you can see on National Bridle), but the positioning of the saddle is different than a normal saddle. Since the tree flares out in front, it is made to go on top of the shoulder blades. That's why I cheat and use the saddle pad as a guide for placement.
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