Star's Fault

Breathe ~

The sun's rays reach inside the stall, its southern exposure capturing the streaks of light and warmth in the late afternoon.  I smell fresh hay and can hear him eating, softly pulling away one mouthful, then another... chewing .... breathing. 

He nickers quietly when he realizes I have arrived, turning to see what I might have brought for him.   I reach out to pat his great neck and shoulder and he nuzzles at my chest, his warm breath tickling my face. It feels so good to touch him, and his fur is warm and silky, strong muscles beneath velvet.  He is beginning to lose his winter fuzz, and the black and dark liver chestnut hair coat beneath shines with good health.

I am restored just by being here with him. 

This is my Johnnie.  He is very beautiful, and very dear.  I brushed him for the next hour while he munched his supper.   We weren't in a hurry, and he loves the attention.  

I wanted pictures of him today.  He was less excited about holding still for the camera, and wiggled a bit while I tried to get a sharp photo.  Oh well.  He is a kind horse, endlessly patient and gentle, despite improper handling before he came to be with me.  He's come so far in the last 12 months. 

John is almost 8 years old now, and has only been under saddle about a year or so - that we know of.  Most of that with me.  John is a registered Tennessee Walker, and was bred to be a show horse.  Many TWH trainers are cruel, sacrificing the mind and body of the horse for unnatural, but extememly flashy, gaits desired for the national show ring.  

John has scars on his pasterns. Sometimes he's afraid.    

I bought him on a whim last year and blogged about him in a post here.  He is doing fantastic under saddle and should be in show condition by the end of summer, all bulging muscles and spunk.  He's incredibly well-behaved and always tries his best. 

If you go see the first post about Johnnie, scroll down a bit in the post to this picture. Tell me what you think of the transformation, and while I expect you will see that the body change is profound, what is not so visible is the change to his heart. 

Mine too.  I can breathe now.  I have a horse again. 

Eileen

 

Pushin' CG's Pride ~ Johnnie

This is Johnnie.  He didn't always look like this, but I'm getting ahead of myself....

I've been horse crazy as long as I can remember, purchasing my first horse in 1975.  I've had five all total, a wonderful Morgan/Quarter horse, then a couple of Arabians, and finally a huge Thoroughbred.  I sold my last horse in 1991, when we moved from our litle Southeast Alaska town of Haines, to Juneau, 90 miles down the coast.   It was time to put aside horsey dreams, raise my son, and concentrate on building my career.  We moved to Anchorage in 1993.  I never looked back. 

In 2007 I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.  The athletic pursuits that had kept me healthy and fit were no longer easy for me to do, in fact, caused damage to newly fragile joints.  So, in the search for a safe physical activity and a few endorphins, I bought a horse, literally, the first one I saw - how very unlike me.

Pushin' CD's Pride, aka "Johnnie" was advertised as a green 6 year old Tennessee Walker.  The fuzzy photo in the advertisement on the Alaska Horse Journal showed a handsome, elegant, liver chestnut gelding.  We went out to visit and found a thin, sweet tempered horse standing in a paddock with two others.  For the next hour he stood beside us or followed us around, personable, friendly, calm.  I made no committment, but then Johnnie nickered at us when we left. 

A test ride several weeks later revealed a very, very, green horse.  Johnnie had spectacular ground manners, trailered well, stood perfectly still while I groomed, saddled and finally mounted him.  Under saddle he acted like he had never been ridden before - which I would later discover was pretty much the case.  When we left after the short ride, Johnnie looked back at us and nickered again.  The next day I called the owners from the airport as I was heading off on yet another business trip, and made the commitment to purchase Johnnie. 

After vet checks, negotiations on price, and a review of his "training" to date and pedigree, Johnnie arrived at the stables, mine all mine.   Here he is that first day ~

Yes, he was poor, thin, no muscles and not much to recommend him, except his wonderful personality.  The photo taken below shows Johnnie a month later, looking much improved.  Under saddle, he was a nightmare - beyond green, fearful and unsure, he never knew quite what he was supposed to do, but always tried to please.  Sweetly affectionate, he followed me around like a puppy. 

Today, Johnnie is deep into training, learning all the things he should have learned when he was 3 or 4 years old.  He's improved dramatically under saddle, but still has so much to learn.  The photo at the top of this post shows his beautiful conformation, incredible legs, shiny liver chestnut coat, and much improved condition.  Johnnie is the grandson of The Pusher CG, 1981 World Champion Tennessee Walker.  Johnnie is an incredible mover, every bit as lovely as his grandsire. 

 

Eileen