Cutting Horse!!!

Well I done it.  Bought me a cutting horse.  I mentioned to Doug in Novemeber I was looking for a new horse, maybe something a little more broke and lot more show experience that was still good for me, I am smart enough to know I can not ride an open horse right now (or maybe ever), Its been a year since I worked cows so we gotta work my way up to where I was and then continue on.

Well he said he had 2 geldings in mind and if they don't work out a mare but she gets cranky and he thinks she's not right for me.  And aged mares are a lot more if they have earnings so he was pointing me towards a gelding.  Which is fine, just been a long time since I rode a gelding.

Well the one has OCD and he was worried it would go lame, hasn't yet but they don't wanna lower the price on it even though they are honest about it.  Well I want something I know will be sound, I know its not guaranteed, but at least start out with no issues is a lot better.  So he was lower on the list before I even know I wanted to try the other one cause I know Doug trained him and that's who I been riding with so it makes it easier.  And Doug said hes never been lame, they don't even show him in shoes.  They gave him a shot of Legend before show season and he was good so far.

Well they brought him there and loped him for a week or so to get him back in shape and then called me and said I should come try him.  That was Wednesday.  So I did.  He was super cool, hasn't worked cows since Calgary and just does it, no herky jerky, no overly excitement just worked cows.  Even when I got a little wrong he just does the right thing.  Better when I am better of course and Doug said the better I get the better he gets too.  But he also said you can just go out and show him and get 71 or 72 no problem.  That made me feel a whole lot better.  And his steering is good, we did a cut between 2 cows there is no way Jessie woulda done.  It was a lot of fun.  Fun I been missing out on for a long time.

(After working cows, cooled him out while Doug worked the flag)

He is a bit lazy and tends to get fat easy, haha he'll fit right in around here just like all my other fatties.  He is super easy going just does whatever its pretty cool.  Hes won somewhere near 30,000 so that's a lot of shows.  Missed the finals in Red Deer by half a point and made finals in Calgary.  Doug said he could be used ranching and it won't hurt him cutting, that's nice to know too.  Said they used him quite a bit to get cows in and stuff he goes through mud and doesn't worry about that kind of stuff.  Hasn't been roped off but I haven't roped either so no big deal.

Well I had a lot to think about, pretty expensive horse and I already have too many to ride right now.  But before I left I made plans to come back Friday and try him again.  I had made a budget earlier this winter and it scared me a little but I think it was doable, at least I know how much it will cost for the year, rest of the time I'll just have to ride at home or with friends I guess to keep costs down, which is OK I like doing that too.

Well Friday was cccold but I said I would go and I also had plans to meet a gal in Airdrie for a blanket and mail some tack that I had sold of Facebook.  I'm actually going to a tack sale in Taber and have a table there but I had more than a tables worth haha, so I listed some for sale and it went fairly well.  Anyways got there and Doug sent his boy to get the horse ready and we visited a while then I went to warm him up and he said the owner was coming out today too.  Oh cool but scary for him to see how I ride his horse.  He come out to the arena as I was just trotting around and so we visited for a while then Doug came and we worked the flag cause it was cold.  He said hes not as good on the flag as on cows just finds it boring, haha so do I really I would much rather work cows than a flag how perfect.  But we did it and he tried turning in on one end but it was all me leaning and then he done it perfect.  Whew I really like him :)

(so only got a few head shots of him

 but no worries there will be lots more as time goes on :) )

Afterwards I was gonna take a couple pics of him but Doug said he would unsaddle him and put him away so I could visit.  All I can say is hes all red with a narrow blaze.  Not real tall which I like and not real wide which will be nice.  He warned me I was gonna get grilled (nicely lol) cause this guy really likes his horses.  Well he did.  Kinda he just wanted to know what we did and where from and if I had been cutting before and owned horses before.  I think he was quite relieved when I said I bought a horse off Wayne a few years ago and still had her and I been riding at Doug's a while.

We made the deal and he warned me he was giving me a deal on price only if I would take him to Doug if I had any trouble and he needed tuning and if I mistreated him he was gonna repossess him.  Said with a laugh, I think he would like to he really liked him and he's been a good horse.  I hope I can do justice by him.

I am keeping him at Doug's for the winter and we are gonna do the winter series, not the first one but mid January till March.  That way he will keep him in shape and haul to the show and warm him up and all I have to do is show up and get on and show.  He doesn't need much warming up so that's nice, and he said if I cant make it no worries someone else will ride him.

His name is Easy, LOL and he really lives up to is, Doug says hes a character, likes to untie himself and just have fun.  I think he likes him.  Said the only bad thing about him is he hates needles, but whatever that can be dealt with. Hes good to laod, haul, turn out, catch, just nice all around. I know his registered name but I don't have his papers yet so will wait on that for now.  I'm super excited, can't wait to go back next week and try ride him again!