# Meet Pez



## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Hi!
So as some of you may know, ive recently been interested in a new horse. Well its official and hes all mine <img style="max-width:100%;" src="http://www.horseforum.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Biggrin" class="inlineimg" />

We went on a 5 hour trail ride through the mountains today and it was both terrifying and exhilerating. Ive mentioned that im relatively scared of skittish horses and for only 50+ rides this horse made it seem like he was a seasoned trail horse. We rode through creeks, lakes, steep slopes, roads, fields and through some thick woods due to the recent hurricane blocking off some trails. I rode him in a 2 piece bit (big mistake) so he didht like when i held him back when the owner was breaking down trees, but i plan on switching him next time i ride. 

i made a deal with the owner that i could board him at his place since he lives so close and no one else boards there. Hes pretty known in the local horse community and is the only licensed packer in my province so he does some pretty serious trail riding. So he gave me the oppertunity to come with when he goes as well as helping him break in some horses ( to an extent ). hes so unbelievably knowledgable and i feel like im going to learn a lot being under his wing.

Heres some pics! they may not be good quality but i wasnt able to snap any. a few are repeated from other threads but i feel like ill just throw them in for those of you who havent seen.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Congratulations!!


:runninghorse2:...


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

And some more for good measure + a cute dog i met today


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

He’s still handsome. I’m glad you are having a good beginning to your story!


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## Feathers7 (Jun 11, 2019)

Handsome fella! Sounds like you two had a blast =)


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

pretty horse. Love that saddle! I bet it's very comfortable, too.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

tinyliny said:


> pretty horse. Love that saddle! I bet it's very comfortable, too.


haha lets just say that even after a 5 hour trail ride from hell, I can still feel my rear end :wink:


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

He's a handsome fella alright! I think it's a great idea to keep him where he is so you can keep working with the barn owner to finish him a bit. It sounds like he could still use a little work, but that he has a good mind. A lot like my Rusty! Who is coming along very well. 5 hours in the saddle sounds divine! The most I've done was 7, and surprisingly, I tolerated it quite well. These days, I barely have time to ride for an hour here and there  

Have fun with him, ride him as much as you can, and spend a lot of time just hanging out with him too! Congratulations!


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Acadianartist said:


> He's a handsome fella alright! I think it's a great idea to keep him where he is so you can keep working with the barn owner to finish him a bit. It sounds like he could still use a little work, but that he has a good mind. A lot like my Rusty! Who is coming along very well. 5 hours in the saddle sounds divine! The most I've done was 7, and surprisingly, I tolerated it quite well. These days, I barely have time to ride for an hour here and there 😞
> 
> Have fun with him, ride him as much as you can, and spend a lot of time just hanging out with him too! Congratulations!


thank you! ive read quite a bit of your threads and i can agree on them being a bit a like. Ive never been on a TRAIL trail ride before so it was definitely an experience.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Took the boyfriend out to meet Pez today, i think he liked him


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

had an AMAZING ride on Pez today, youd never even knew he was green. He has the absolute smoothest lope ive ever been on and i look super forward to working with him. he also made a new friend today


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

wouldnt be a complete thread without baby pics


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

and just because hes so handsome and im so excited about him


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

trying to sell my saddle, thought it was a bit comical.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

more pics! he was being very playful tonight. tried lipping me a few times but i quickly corrected him. his pasture buddy was also being weirdly aggressive to him tonight? Must be something in the air. Hes also starting to gain a bit more weight which im super happy about.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Also what does it mean when a horse lips you exactly? Some tell me its a sign of dominance and others tell me its a sign of play.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Do you mean that he just touches you with his lips? My Rusty does that. I will tolerate it a little, but I'm very careful not to let him overdo it. He's a super playful horse, much like a dog, and will walk straight up to me and sniff my face and hair, like he's right ON my face, touching my skin. He's even licked my cheek, lol. He's a giant dalmation. That said, I will not tolerate even the slight touch of teeth, even accidental. And if he's pushing on me a little too hard, I push him back and tell him no. He is not nippy, has never bitten me, but I'm always aware that it might come across as scary to a new person, especially a child. He's not very good about personal space, so after an initial greeting, I'll ask him to respect my bubble a little more. So I'd say it depends on the horse and the situation. You don't want to let him contact your skin with his teeth, ever, obviously. And too much lipping might be undesirable too because it could scare someone who doesn't know him and thinks he's going to bite.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Acadianartist said:


> Do you mean that he just touches you with his lips? My Rusty does that. I will tolerate it a little, but I'm very careful not to let him overdo it. He's a super playful horse, much like a dog, and will walk straight up to me and sniff my face and hair, like he's right ON my face, touching my skin. He's even licked my cheek, lol. He's a giant dalmation. That said, I will not tolerate even the slight touch of teeth, even accidental. And if he's pushing on me a little too hard, I push him back and tell him no. He is not nippy, has never bitten me, but I'm always aware that it might come across as scary to a new person, especially a child. He's not very good about personal space, so after an initial greeting, I'll ask him to respect my bubble a little more. So I'd say it depends on the horse and the situation. You don't want to let him contact your skin with his teeth, ever, obviously. And too much lipping might be undesirable too because it could scare someone who doesn't know him and thinks he's going to bite.


yeah! like he doesnt use his teeth but its like a biting action without the bite. just his lips.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

pheobe111 said:


> yeah! like he doesnt use his teeth but its like a biting action without the bite. just his lips.


I would discourage this if it happens consistently. Touching, I'm ok with, even a little licking, but not picking at you with his lips. And I'm probably more tolerant than most about these things, but it's too close to biting in my view. On the other hand, I'll let Rusty pick things up with his lips and teeth, just not me. I taught him to hold a flag in his mouth for Canada Day using clicker-training. Might as well shape those behaviors appropriately! So he knows now that I won't get mad if he picks up the manure fork, but I will if he tries to take off my gloves (he might accidentally grab a finger on someone who is not careful). If I leave the glove on the ground though, it's fair game.


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## WildestDandelion (Apr 4, 2019)

He is super gorgeous, I am excited for you! Subbing


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## AndyTheCornbread (Feb 3, 2019)

A lot of times lipping is a request for touch interaction from the horse. When he starts to lip you, take your hands and rub all over his nose and mouth very gently. Usually they will stop lipping and enjoy the face rub for a few seconds. Then before he pulls away you can stop rubbing so it leaves him satisfied but not overwhelmed as the horse's nose and lips are very sensitive and it doesn't take much stimulation there to give them the amount of interaction they are wanting. Every time he goes in for a lip do this until he quits asking for more, then continue on doing what you were doing. If the horse is indeed asking for interaction by lipping and doesn't get it, it can turn more demanding because he doesn't think you are listening to him and it can turn into nipping and other obnoxious behavior.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Great suggestion by Andy. Though if you'd rather not have a horse that lips people, you can give him the face rubs (something I do with Rusty a lot) as soon as he comes close to you or touches you with his muzzle. Then he doesn't have to progress to lipping, and learns that gently touching you (not knocking you over) with his muzzle is the way to get this attention.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

So, vet check went bad.... turns out he has a heart murmur... the vet said it could be small which would mean theres no issue, or it could be big and he could be too at risk for a heart attack to be ridden... im seriously heart broken...


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## WildestDandelion (Apr 4, 2019)

pheobe111 said:


> So, vet check went bad.... turns out he has a heart murmur... the vet said it could be small which would mean theres no issue, or it could be big and he could be too at risk for a heart attack to be ridden... im seriously heart broken...


OH NO!! Have you already completed the purchase or was this the PPE?


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

WildestDandelion said:


> pheobe111 said:
> 
> 
> > So, vet check went bad.... turns out he has a heart murmur... the vet said it could be small which would mean theres no issue, or it could be big and he could be too at risk for a heart attack to be ridden... im seriously heart broken...
> ...


just the ppe, i planned on fully paying today. we didnt even really do the ppe since ill have to figure out if hes rideable or not..


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

im trying to be hopeful but she said she never heard one this bad.


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## WildestDandelion (Apr 4, 2019)

I'm so sorry


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## AndyTheCornbread (Feb 3, 2019)

That really stinks, but good job making sure you got a PPE! That would have been really heart breaking to buy it and then have it drop dead from a heart attack when you started riding it more and were really emotionally bonded with the horse.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

I’m sorry. It is lucky you got the ppe though.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

can i get one of your guys opinions? im still really upset about the situation but i cant get over it... do you think it would be worth bringing the cardiologist down? it could honestly be nothing and if it is then i would absolutely be all over him. we went on a trail ride today and he was amazing. i think i can talk the price down to atleast $2500, should i look more into it?


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## AndyTheCornbread (Feb 3, 2019)

If you have an equine cardiologist available, sure why not have him or her take a look. However you need to prepare yourself that if the news is not good in any way you need to look elsewhere for a horse as buying this one would be really setting yourself up for a disaster both emotional and financial.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

I guess if you have the money and you are determined, then have the cardiologist give it a look. I would be prepared to walk away though. If you already feel this attached to him, imagine two years from now if you lost him.

My parents sold a horse when I was young. He was called Woody. I liked him for whatever reason, but they didn’t care for him and sold him to family down the road. He was a four-year-old hot style of horse, and they gave him a bit of time off before sorting some cattle with him. I was said he reared up and tipped over dead. Just like that. No one imagined he had any sort of health issue, and his siblings never had heart problems, but he proves heart issues are to be taken seriously.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

That's crummy.... but if a regular vet can hear a bad murmur, that's pretty bad. Get a second opinion by all means. If you can afford the cardiologist exam, go ahead and do it, but I would be prepared to walk away if another vet also finds it. I'm so sorry.

Horses with his breeding are generally fat and sassy. Cardiac problems could definitely cause that slightly ribby, lacking look he has. If he has a heart murmur, he is worth nothing. Pasture pet or euthanization, unfortunately.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

The vet told me that either it could prove that he can go along fine with it and cause no issues, or that he shouldnt be ridden. she cant really decipher herself because she doesn't specialize in that. so im trying to decide if its worth the risk.. im still thinking i should get him one just to be sure.. so even if it does turn out he cant be ridden, atleast there will be closure and not a “what if”. it just ****es me off because the way he goes youd never even know.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Just thought id give a quick update: i bought him!! and things have been going super super well. Just thought id update with some pics weve been on many many trail rides and everything is going absolutely perfect. i think i finally found my heart horse.


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## parider (Sep 25, 2019)

He is cute!
ummmm,,,, the Horse I mean - the horse! 
seriously, it's really great to see a boyfriend come out and be part somehow. I'm a guy, and wish more guys were around the barns I go to.
Congratulations on Pez, there is a great look to his eye!


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

and more 🙂


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## lb27312 (Aug 25, 2018)

Great looking horse! I hope you have a long life together!! Take it as it comes... appreciate the time you enjoy with him, sounds like a great horse!


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## MeditativeRider (Feb 5, 2019)

I hope it all turns out well for you. Did you investigate the heart condition more? I find it interesting because I have a child with a congenital heart defect. Her murmur was not consistent and could not always be heard even by trained cardiologists. So if your horse has a strong murmur then they probably have a defect. I guess it just depends on if it is a defect that will affect the horse. It is also interesting what someone said about the horse being slightly ribby, as that was my child's only outward symptom (that she was thinner than she should be). On the inside she had pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary edema, and was on the verge of congestive heart failure. So she needed open heart surgery. But if your horse has made it this far, surely that is an indication that it can function ok with the level of work that it has? I really hope it all works out!


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Had a gorgeous ride today


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## pasomountain (Dec 19, 2018)

Just wanted to say that a vet diagnosed a heart murmur in my arab and he still lived to be 28 yrs old. Had to put him down due to cancer spreading--not his heart issue. Also you mentioned being lippy--my arab would lip at me very lightly now and then when we hung out and his expression was so sweet I know he was just being affectionate. Hope you have a long and happy time with your beautiful Pez!


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

another great ride today


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

handsome boi


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

another nice fall ride


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

spooky fun tn


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

just thought id give a little update on Pez. everything is going GREAT. we went to a sorting clinic yesterday and he did fantastic for it being his first time to ever see cows. he has SUCH a great mind and literally nothing phases him. Ive attached a little before and after photo to show how much hes changed (both body and mind) and im looking very very forward to what show season 2020 brings our way.

First picture is the day i came to see him, second picture was 3 days ago.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

new pic just because i love my boy


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

It's so obvious that he is so much happier with you, that he has put on weight, has woken up , and is enjoying his horsey life. 

Well done!!!


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

tinyliny said:


> It's so obvious that he is so much happier with you, that he has put on weight, has woken up , and is enjoying his horsey life.
> 
> Well done!!!


this made my day to hear, thank you so much!! i truly do plan on giving him the best possible life. Ive had 4 different horses in my life and i could honestly say that he is my heart horse.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Haha dont mind me, this post has basically become my personal drop box for pez. Im just going to dump in some videos i took today of a happy boy.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Pretty relaxing day.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

some pics from today


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

sorry for the picture overload, i just can’t get enough of him.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

played with the ball a bit today. after a while he came around to it.


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## Rudytoot (Feb 14, 2020)

Such a beautiful horse!! He looks like the horses that Tom Selleck rides in Westerns. Sam Elliot does as well. 
I remember as a youngster, I wanted a horse with a lot of chrome on it, and did not like the roans. But as I get older, I want less white, and more roan. Ha-ha!! What makes that happen??? 

He is one of the more pretty colored horses that I have seen. I am so glad that you are having a great time on him. It is nice to see young people being interested in horses again.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

Well, first ride of the season... Didnt go so great... Was windy so his nerves were already kind of shot because of the noise the indoor was making. At first he wouldnt take the right lead, and then he just wouldnt lope at all. Tried working on it a bit but i started getting frustrated and didnt want to end up taking my frustration out on him so stepped back. (maybe not a great idea because he learned he could get away with it) But at the time, it was just too much for me.So a bit frustrating to say the least, but expected due to not being able to ride much. Im planning on riding again tomorrow, which after a cool, collected night (and no wind) Ill be darned if he doesnt pick up the lope by the end of tomorrows ride.


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

today’s ride went SO much better. He learned to pick up his leads as well as an easy jog-lope transition. so proud of my boy


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

todays ride went great! a little hiccups with engaging the hind end but by the end of the ride we were able to get a sliding stop! not bad for a shoeless greenie. also pez made a friend


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

i honestly cannot get enough of him


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

just thought id add these to this thread. had a nice ride yesterday, fell off, but c’est la vie


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## pheobe111 (Feb 18, 2019)

pez is doing great, he had a bit of a reset since last year due to being off for the winter, but he’s been picking back up slowly. there was a recent shooting up here in NS so everyone has been sketched about leaving the house lately plus the whole covid thing so this little fluff is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. i am interested in learning some new tricks (he knows bow and spanish walk) 

any recommendations?


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