# Jet - Day 1



## StarGait (Jun 24, 2021)

(Original names changed)

Maybe this was a mistake.

The thought came to me for the hundredth time as I looked at the little, black mare in the stall.

They delivered her less than 10 minutes ago. She backed out of the trailer with eyes wide and body tense. Once in the stall, she kept her head turned away from me. The message was clear: I'm scared. I'm anxious. Please leave me alone.

This was a completely different attitude than when I saw her for the first time.

I looked at the few white spots along her spine, the touch too thin hindquarters, and the hooves that were in need of attention.

In short, she looked like a nag.

With every horse I ever loved, I knew instantly. True: this was only the second horse I ever owned. However, I had favorites at every barn I took lessons at, and I've been taking lessons since I was twelve. As soon as I settled into the saddle of each one, I knew we would get along, take care of each other, make each other look good.

It was the same with Jet. I went to see the man about a gelding, but I didn't connect with him. He was too slow and lacked personality.

When I asked about the mare, the man said she was 14 years old and still green. She didn't neck rein, she was too fast for most people, and she was standoff-ish.

I looked in her mouth, and mentally guessedher age closer to 17.

I asked if I could ride her anyway. He said yes.

It was just like all the other favorites before her. As soon as I settled into the saddle, I loved her. She had the pluckiest little gait when I asked her to walk on from the mounting block.

We went around the little arena a couple of times, and then we hit the trail. The trail was long and hilly. Keeping the state of her hooves and topline in mind, I intended to take it easy. I just wanted to get a sense of her attitude while on trail- not push her.

Well, Jet had other ideas. She charged up hills like she was mad at them for having the audacity to be in her path. She gave me the best ride in recent memory.

When we got back to the barn, I dismounted and I took a moment to just look at her.

She would be a lot of extra work. I wanted a horse I could enjoy as soon as I bought them, not a rescue. I wouldn't be able to ride her until she gained weight and her hooves were addressed. I wanted to get into endurance riding, but there was a good chance that wouldn't happen with this mare. Six weeks was my most optimistic estimate on when she would be healthy enough to consistently ride. The practical side of my brain said this mare was a definite no, and it demanded I keep looking.

But something else told me all this mare needed was a soft place to land and patience. I'd seen horses in worse condition improve in the right home. I've seen horses in better condition deteriorate in spite of the best efforts of a loving person.

It could go either way with this little mare, but I found myself willing to try.

...and so I bought her anyway.


----------



## StarGait (Jun 24, 2021)

"Maybe this was a mistake," I said under my breath as I watched Jet canter around the tiny pond in the middle of her pasture.

Without a treat to bribe her, I was stuck doing this the hard way.

I went around the opposite direction to keep her from getting back to the hay and small herd. As soon as she saw me, she wheeled and went cantering back around the pond, giving a couple of farts as a going away present.

I was waiting for her between her food and friends. She saw me, snorted, and went around the pond again, but at least at a trot this time.

I made her go around the pond a fourth time, and then let her put a head down to eat. I approached casually at her shoulder and spoke softly. When her head came up, I thought for sure she would bolt.

For whatever reason, she decided to be caught. I begrudgingly told her she was a good girl and gave her a pat.

As soon as I had Jet in hand, I took out my phone, and created a new note that said "apples".

At the cross ties, I looked for any sores or cuts as I brushed. Not finding anything more serious than patches of dried mud, I curried those away and then brought her to the indoor arena.

Here I walked her along the perimeter. She froze when we got to the large mirror and stared at what she saw.

"You don't know about mirrors, huh?" I brought her up to it and let her sniff. After a moment, we moved on without issue, but she kept an ear trained on that mirror every time we passed it.

In the middle of the arena, I asked her to turn her head toward each of her sides so she could stretch. I tried to find hot spots at her girth, flanks, between the back legs, each of the white spots on her back, and her ears.

She did great except for her ears. I tested to see how sensitive she was by petting her low on the neck, and working my way up to the ears. As it turned out, she would need desensitization at her poll and ears.

I tried to pick up each hoof which she showed no problems with at all. As soon as I learned that, I returned her to the cross ties and picked out all four. I took a moment to really look at each frog. They weren't in great shape, but not too far gone. The texture of her soles was rough and hard. The sooner a farrier saw her, the better.

After that, I figured it was time to fit the tack to her. First, we got the bit situated. She was a little hesitant, but didn't put up a fight. The trick was to be slow and steady with her ears. 

As soon as I got the bridle into place, I could see the bit was a little too big. That's when I noticed the black scabs at the corner of her mouth. I checked the other side, and found another scab.

"Bless your heart," I murmured and gently removed the bridle. I sprayed a little wound care onto a clean rag, and dabbed it at each corner of her mouth, being careful to not let any drip down a wrinkle, into her mouth.

I took out my phone and added "bit guards" to my note.

I stepped back and looked at Jet. She turned her head as best she could, her ears forward, curious.

She wasn't the nervous mare that arrived yesterday. Maybe this was going to work put after all.


----------



## StarGait (Jun 24, 2021)

Day 2

It only took 5 minutes to catch her today!

I gave her a thorough brushing at the cross ties, then led her around the arena on foot. 

After stretching, I tested her lunging skills, and promptly learned she doesn't know anything about it. So we worked on learning how to move away from me when I asked. 

I saddled her after the "warm up", and we made 3 circuits in both directions and 3 figure 8s. To maintain her riding skill/knowledge, my plan was to only ride her once a week, at the slowest walk she could manage, and less than 30 minutes.

But I noticed the girth I used reopened a mostly-healed gall that I missed. The scab was hanging on like the lid of a mostly-opened tin can. ...so no riding at all until that heals completely.

The bridle and bit did not reopen the sores at the corners of her mouth. However, after looking at her face a little more carefully, I wonder if she has a low palette. Her head is small and her face is a little dished- maybe enough that a three-piece bit would suit her better. Eventually, I would prefer she ride in a hackmore.

I dabbed more wound care at the corners of her mouth, globbed Desitin on her gall, and squirted fly spray on her.

She tossed her head as she eagerly trotted away when I unclipped the lead rope in her paddock.


----------



## StarGait (Jun 24, 2021)

Day 3

Today it took another 5 minutes to catch her. 

Now that I'm confident she's comfortable with me messing with her hooves, I took the time to really get to know them. In short, they all need TLC before I'll be able to relax about them. The farrier visits in less than a week.

After her hooves, I worked on her mane which had an impressive tangle. I went slow and untangled it as gently as I could. Once that was undone, I brushed out the rest of her mane.

After treating her various bites and galls, I sprayed her with fly deterrent, and took her to the arena.

There we worked on stepping away from me again and moving forward around me.

Jet did great! She didn't always understand what I asked, but she was willing to try throughout.

Maybe I'm in some sort of rosie-eyed, honeymoon-phase, but she looked better and seemed to have more confidence today.

As of yet, she hasn't decided I'm her person, but I'm patient and willing to earn such a bond. Afterall, I've only had her for 3, full days.


----------

