# Cracker



## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

So I thought it might be a little fun to keep a journal of the little horse I picked up cheap last week and his progress...

So my husband decide that maybe we should pick up some horses before we head back to Nevada. I found a cute little grey horse on Craigslist and the next day I took a drive to go look at him. The guy brought him out of the stall and the first thing I notice is a big gob of tag glue on his ***. I ask if he came from the sale....oh no, I hauled him to the vet to have him checked out and that's how they track them at the vets office....ok do have the paperwork from the vet?....no I left it at my parents house. OK buddy, you bull**** your friends, I will bull**** mine, but let's not bull**** each other...lol. Always take a horse at face value, not what a horse trader tells ya....especially when tells you he has no reason to lie to you!

So we saddle grey take him to the arena and try him out. He grabs the bit, peels out to the gate, price just went down. I get on, same thing, but I can feel how soft his mouth is for a gate soured horse...a little surprised, don't know nothing for a 5 yr old, like riding a colt..no biggie. Picks up both leads and a smooth ride. I step off after he heads for the gate and offer the guy half of what he's asking, he wants more and claims that's what he's got in him, I say I understand a guy needs to make a buck he must not be the right horse for me and walk off...he can't help it and took my offer...lol...horse traders....

Jump grey into the trailer and head for home, husband approves of my purchase..cute, big boned and decent feet. Next day I did a little ground work with him. Caught on real fast and very willing to please..still pleased with my purchase.

It rained here for about three days in a row..no work

I have no arena at the house we are now, about 20 acres of pasture and half of it bottoms...not too excited about busting out a new horse in the bottoms after three days of rain. I made a deal with the fairgrounds where I pay "rent" and can ride in the indoor arena all I want. Husband and I load up and head to the arena to ride. I get on grey(by this time I named him Cracker) like he's a colt and go through all the motions..I strike up a lope and he grabs the bit and head to the gate... I have his head bent around and kicking with my outside leg and he is running through it. My husband was a pickup man for a short time and loves it, so here he comes and crashes into us with his horse. Ruh roh...Cracker wasn't expecting that... so after a half dozen times he decides that isn't fun anymore. He doesn't do it once so I let him rest he licks his lips and drops his head, figure that's a good place to quit..good boy Cracker....

Next day husband is busy, I am on my own. I load up Cracker and my good horse Stilts and head to the arena. A little more difficult without hubby there to crash into me. Cracker grabs the bit runs into the corner by the gate wedges himself in and sulls up, I have had horses flip over in this situation before. So I have pressure on one rein to give direction and go to whipping with my rein ends prepared for him to go back over himself, if he does, I step off, grab the oppisite rein and flop him on his head...amazing what what a coming to Jesus meeting will do for a spoiled horse..tee he... 
I give him credit, he popped out of that corner at a high lope and I let him....after a bout a half dozen times of pulling this trick he gave in and quit...again let him walk around, cool off, I dismount in the opposite end of the arena, loosen his cinch, and walk him out a different gate...he seriously confused..tee he.

Today husband rides with me, only did he think about taking off to a gate....hmmmm....but which gate? Gave it up...rode real nice today. Was even softer today and wants to really stop hard. Needs his topline strengthend and learn collection...with time. I busted down the rope on him and just like everything else he took to it quickly. I was swinging it on him, had it over his butt rubbing on his back legs and his head.
Good boy Cracker...

Good way to end the day and week.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Gotta love traders :lol: Sounds like a good little project horse, bet he comes around quick. Where are the pics? :wink:


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Well here is a few pics, (not proper conformation pics)...
He needs his feet done, but not bad looking for the price. If it ends up he doesn't fit our deal well then he will be broke enough by then that he will make someone else a horse.

Double bred Jackie Bee bred..nothing fancy..


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Pretty solid looking guy. Look forward to hearing how he gets along.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Nice looking fellow, how tall is he?


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks guys! He is about 14.3h but I haven't measured him. I was a little surprised when the guy brought him out of the stall...I didn't even think it was the same horse that was pictured in the ad. The ad pic looked like he weighed more and a bit stouter. Later he admitted that he originally posted the horse for $1500 and nobody bit, so then he lowered it to $900 and I got him for $400. I think the picture was taken when he first bought him and he lost weight there, all the horses there were a little thin, but not starving. 

I refuse to pay a bunch of money for a horse that someone else screwed up. There is a gal down the road that has some real nice Smart Little Lena, Doc's Oak bred babies for about $1000. For that price I can get something decent bred and I start myself the way I like.(I think I might go get one before we leave too.) Anyhow the price was right for an easy fix. These younger horses with these problems are usually a result of someone that has never owned a horse decided to buy a colt so they can "grow together":roll: The horse gets smart and figures out all he has to do is throw a fit and the riding session is done.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Well Cracker did pretty dang good the other day so I gave him a few days off unfortunately I had only inteded for one but we got busy and he got a couple more. I did get him out one day and was introduced to a set of clippers which he seemed to take pretty good. I was proud.

However today he showed his *** today. I knew he would with that many days off. He went to a friends house where we having some Mexican steers. We weren't going to team rope just sort and rope. We wont talk about the roping...it was pretty **** poor on my end...I kinda wanted to cry..lol. It was getting close to sunset and I decide I better ride Cracker quickly so we can load up and go home. I hop on him start trotting some circles. He pulls his crap and heads for the gate, I got his head pointed towards the center of the arena and I go to smack him on the *** with my rein to send him out of there. Well he decides he's going to jump the arena gate. He gets a front leg hung over the top of the gate about the time my husband walks around the side of the trailer and sees what's going on. I see the front leg over the gate and decide not to ride this one out and check out. Cracker gets off of the gate and my husband is furious. So he gets my rope down from my saddle, puts a loop on his front foot ties it to the saddle horn and we flop him on to the ground, hubby holds his head and I sit on his flank and let ol Cracker soak for a spell. After a few minutes we let him back up. Hubby offers to ride him which I thought was nice, but he was my buy so I will deal with him. Go back to trotting circles...funny, he didn't think about going to the gate. Amazing what a coming to Jesus meeting does for a horse. I trot him to the center of the arena stop, dismount and lead him out a different gate....

Tomorrow is another day!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Finally after a few days of rain, which was needed-not complaining, I rode today. Took Cracker Jack and Stiltsy today.

I rode Cracker first and he was pretty good today. Apparently getting dumped on his melon last week did him some good! He was more responsive today. I worked him on the fence getting him to listen to my seat, sitting down and following a pull. He caught on quick, I think someone started him right he just didn’t go to the right place afterwards. He drops his shoulder bad loping to the right but even that improved today. I stopped him hard and he left some little elevens and kept his head down. He pulled on me a little and is a little dumpy in the front, easy fixes. But he hunts the stop..I like that. He wants to be soft and doesn’t get too worried. I can’t wait to get him just a tad bit better, I really want to see if he has any cow. Plus I think he will be happier with a job. Any how afterwards left him to soak tied in the arena while I rode Stilts since he has issues going to the gate…and jumping out. Reinforcing that he doesn’t get rode out of the arena…and trying to jump out isn’t going to get him out any sooner either. If anyone reading this has any suggestions for a horse like this I am all ears, feel free to suggest!

Stilts did pretty well today as well, I rode bridleless today. Nothing like riding without a bridle to see where your holes are . I found mine…my seat stopping. I knew that already, but today really confirmed it! Need to stop relying on my reins to stop and more on my seat…more to work on.

Today was beautiful day, about 65 degrees….no matter what I ain’t complaining!


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