Eddie

Freddy

Ralph

ARTICLES: - Meet Eddie 2018 - Eddie Outsmarts Himself - It's All Relative - Eddie Starts School

Meet Eddie

No Bull, or 'Eddie' as we have come to know him, arrived at Sandridge Farm on January 26, 2018. Like my other project, 'Ready for Freddy' (Sefa on Parade) who was recently sold to Claudia I., (you can follow his story with Claudia HERE), No Bull was a 'Canter' Thoroughbred looking for a new home. He was apparently a dismal racehorse with only 7 starts, and had last raced in September of 2017. Retired to the farm where he was bred in Pennsylvania, he was hairy and covered in mud in his photos, and the video of him moving was done on the lunge on rough ground out in the paddock (Eddie is still trying to figure out what THAT was all about!). Despite the less-than-stellar presentation, there was an expression I liked enough to take a chance on. As I was not particularly interested in repeating the "bringing-Freddy-home" saga, I contacted various transport companies to try to ship him here, but between the cost and difficulty in organizing scheduling, I ended up twisting the arm of my friend Eric T, to go down and fetch him for me. The trip was uneventful except for a slight hiccup at the border, when it was discovered Eddie's owner had written '$ 1.00' as the selling price on the Bill of Sale. Fortunately we were prepared with all the necessary documents to enable Revenue Canada to collect their measly GST, but I wish sellers would stop trying to 'help' without letting me know what they are doing! Eddie arrived late in the evening and was one tired horse, so we left him with his hay to settle in and get some rest. His first day at Sandridge began with him limping out to the paddock. If I had not seen the video that had been taken only a few days earlier in which he was sound, I think I would have panicked, but I wanted a project, and 'yay!' here was something already that needed to be fixed! I also discovered he had a rather significant overbite, or 'parrot mouth', but as he looked well, it was obvious he could eat well enough not to starve - another item on the list of things that would need attention...other than that, I was quite happy with with how he looked and he seemed to be fairly civilized. We went through a few names before settling on 'Eddie' (yes, I know it sounds like 'Freddy"), but it seemed to suit him better than 'Rocky' or Stubby', which were two that were tried on and rejected... Eddie had an easy month of being brushed and getting turned out with Ralph - fortunately they hit it off and seemed to be at a similar 'intensity' level - Freddy was a bit too high-energy for Ralphie! DR. Heather Ross came and checked Eddie's teeth and despite the overbite, he has obiously had good dental care and other than requiring regular checkups, she did not anticipate his mouth causing problems.

Eddie Outsmarts Himself

During one of my first rides on Eddie, while he was standing still and paying close attention to Lou out in the field, his neck suddenly disappeared and he whipped around, dumping me on the ground and merrily galloping off around the field. I wasn't hurt, caught him and got back on, and we continued with our ride. I made a mental note to pay more attention and we carried on. A few weeks later, Claudia was riding him and he whipped around when he was surprised by a jump rail falling. We retrieved him and Claudia had just got back in the ring when he did it again. At this point little warning bells were ringing in my head, but I made excuses for him and kept going. The last straw was when we were on a quiet hack and without warning I once again found myself on the ground - and this time it hurt! For a minute Eddie was excited and galloped around, but quickly settled and quite calmly trotted up various driveways and laneways, avoiding being caught and apparently enjoying his tour around the neighborhood! I have spent almost 50 years riding, and recognize when I have met my match - Eddie needed to get sorted out by someone more competent than me. I suspected Eddie was just being a naughty 5-year-old, but he needed to learn this was not acceptable behaviour - by someone who could stay in the tack long enough to teach him! After getting several recommendations, I decided to send Eddie to Matt Kidney at Stonecrest Stables. Matt is an experienced Event rider with a knack for young or tricky horses, and he didn't feel Eddie's antics sounded out of the ordinary. On August 4th, we loaded Eddie in the trailer - but not without his faithful sidekick, Ralph, going along for company as Eddie was not sure about entering the trailer, and to avoid making a big issue out of it we simply loaded Ralph and Eddie walked right on. As Ralph is a good, calm shipper, we decide to bring him along, figuring he would help Eddie relax. Eddie would be living out at night and coming in during the day - a change for him, but one he adapted to quickly. He had a pasture buddy at first, but was coming in with various cuts and scrapes so it was decided he would go out alone. Matt got right to work, and was introduced to Eddie's 'move' right away. The Super Glue on Matt's breeches was obviously working, and he was able to both stay on and get Eddie right back to work. As the days went by, Eddie's spook was less and less in evidence; appearing only when he was too fresh after time off and tense to begin with. Eddie tried a couple of mini-rebellions - once deciding he was going to leave the ring and having a little temper tantrum when he was prevented from doing so! In general, Eddie remained calm and friendly and easy to work with. No more pulling on the cross ties (in fact he seems happy to be ground-tied!) and he was calm with the farrier. Seems a change of atmosphere along with a bit of work was just the ticket... Meanwhile, Eddie was coming along in his training and discovering that jumping was fun, and something he was good at. Despite his size (15.2?), he has a scopey jump and a long, adjustable stride. Matt did both stadium-type fences and small cross-country obstacles, with Eddie becoming more confident as the days went by. They also hacked out alone and in company, and rode in the arena when the weather was bad. As we had discussed the fact that Eddie was for sale, a couple of people tried him out. Some arthritic changes show up on X-ray in one knee that the vet is not concerned about, but it was enough to put those riders off. The upside was that he was ridden by a number of different people and went well for all of them - not a one-man horse. After just over 2 months, it was time to come home. The plan was for me to continue Eddie's groundwork and lungeing, and Claudia will school him a couple of days a week. We were lucky enough to have Laurie try him and get along really well with him, so she is half-leasing him for now. I wouldn't mind keeping him and hope to eventually be riding him myself, but with my confidence a little shakey it will happen if it happens. It's not the linear progress I had envisioned with this horse - but we all know that horses don't read the plans and often prefer to set their own schedules!

It's All Relative

I was able to start working with Eddie on a little more regular basis, and he was proving to be quite the character - in both good and bad ways. He has become much more friendly and sociable, and is VERY talkative - to the other horses, to people, and especially at feeding time as eating is definitely on his 'Ten Favourite Things To Do' list. It might be listed ten times. He seems to have a constant conversation going with anyone who will listen which is quite the contrast with Ralph, who rarely says a word! The two horses get along well, though Ralph finds Eddie a little bit needy out in the field, following him around like a shadow. In the stable they enjoy the 'let's remove the bars from between the stalls' game - we occasionally come in the barn to find Ralph's entire head and neck is in the stall with Eddie - even eating his hay or drinking his water! Eddie is becoming more trusting, but it is apparent that he has had some bad experiences and is still a little defensive at times. When he was being shod he was obviously very nervous and we needed to be very calm and reassuring, and he has pulled backwards on the crossties and broken them a couple of times when he felt threatened. Once he stops he just stands there wondering what happened; at least there is no continuing drama. He seems quite smart, but is also a bit cheeky. On the lunge he will suddenly whip round and leap in the air, and under saddle he will sometimes 'spook' to see if I'm paying attention (so I do!). Claudia has ridden him a couple of times, encouraging him to really go forward and she particularly pleased with his naturally good transitions. He was significantly better the second ride, but needs to be ridden very forward at this stage, as he tends to be a little lazy (He's very good at 'whoa'!). He happily trots over poles on the ground and seems to be quite brave about things in general. I think he needs to understand I'm not going to get after him if he makes a mistake but he does have to respond, and he needs to realize the ridden work can be fun. Starting another young horse reminds me again of how the challenges and rewards of riding are all relative. I have as many butterflies fluttering in my stomach for simple hack on a greenie like Eddie as I would setting off on cross-country with Ralph, and am as excited about Eddie trotting over a single pole on the ground as I would be jumping 3-foot fences on his more experienced stablemate. One of the beauties of riding is that every horse, every ride, every stage of of our lives has different problems and advantages, tests and successes - both big and small. We are alway learning and pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone - it may sometimes be exhausting, but it is never boring!

Eddie Starts School

Although No Bull (Eddie) arrived at the end of January, I was only ready to start working with him at the beginning of April. Eddie is still quite immature at 4 and it is obvious he had not been as well-handled as Freddie had been. His go-to was a little bit apprehensive and defensive; particularly at the beginning, he was not averse to laying his ears back or lifting a hind leg or turning his rump to me - and seemed almost surprised when I didn't respond aggressively. He seemed a quick learner, though; when allowed to take a moment to understand what what wanted he relaxed and was quite happy to comply. His first 'outing' was a walk to the indoor arena with Ralph as baby-sitter. We had a bit of a mountain of snow to climb over to get into the arena but he wasn't overly worried. I strongly believe in the value of a calm, confident partner such as Ralph when introducing new things to a young horse as they then see no reason to be wary. We walked around a bit, including over a couple of poles on the ground and Eddie was well-behaved, but his breathing was shallow which indicated he was not entirely relaxed. Eddie displayed some of his defensiveness in our first attempt at lungeing. He let me know didn't want to walk over a pole by turning away from me (and it) and kicking out. When I gently waved the lunge whip at his hocks, he tucked in his tail and scooted - and again, seemed puzzled when I didn't get after him. Within 3 sessions, the napping and kicking out were essentially gone, although there were some acrobatics when he first felt and heard the stirrups flapping against the saddle!(which is quite normal) I was delighted to discover he stood still for mounting, which is not necessarily the case with ex-racehorses, and for my first ride was able to get on and off a few times and be led around the stable area with zero fuss. Our second ride involved being led to the arena (a fair distance at our farm) and walking back on our own. He halted without any argument and would stand quietly. The third ride was in the arena with Cleo for distraction. He was again was holding a little tension, but walked around both ways and halted when asked. At one point we wanted to go away from Cleo and he resisted by backing up. I'd ask him to go forward, he'd step back. We played this game for four or five strides, then he took a breath and went forward and didn't do it again. We walked over a pole a couple of times and called it a day. As an amateur, I am doing this for fun. I have no timetable and no pressure to be able to do 'X' by a certain time. I go as quickly as I feel comfortable and take as few risks as possible, listening to my gut if something doesn't feel right. My goal is to produce a happy and confident horse who is safe and fun for an amateur to ride - and if it takes me two years, well, that's two years of a challenge I look forward to!

ARTICLES: - Meet Freddy 2018 - Freddy and Claudia 2017 - Worms, Bits, and a Little Cross-Country - Freddy's First Summer - Settling In - Freddy Comes to Canada

Meet Freddy

In the spring of 2017 an effort to adopt a 'rescue horse' fell through, and while the idea to acquire a project that needed a home still seemed rational, I came across 'Sefa on Parade' (Freddy), a six-year-old with only about a dozen races under his belt on the Canter, Illinois website. He had a look that appealed to me and a very kind expression. For $ 1,500.00, what could go wrong...???

2017

Freddy and Claudia Team Up

I was both thrilled and sad that Freddy found his new partner, Claudia Iannuccilli, who bought him in mid-November. Claudia had been helping bring Freddy along and they undoubtedly had some real chemistry going. While I will certainly miss riding Freddy and was looking forward to competing with him in 2018, I know he will be well-loved and given every opportunity to maximize his potential. Freddy will be staying at Sandridge for the time being, and after taking a breather for a bit, I will start keeping an eye open for my next 'project'!

Worms, Bits, and a Little Cross-Country

While Ralph was my primary focus during the competition season, Freddy continued to be ridden 2 or 3 times a week. While progress is obviously slower when a young horse is not ridden more frequently, this schedule did confirm what an even temperament Freddy had and how well he retained his lessons. When the Eventing season ended for Ralph, I had more time to dedicate to Freddy and he seemed to thrive on more activity. One thing I had noticed was he seemed to be rubbing his tail a bit, and much to my horror one day, I was treated to the sight of a worm crawling out of his butt! After a quick refresher course on internal parasites, I realized he had pinworms - white worms about 1 1/2" long that lay their eggs around the anus and cause the itching. Fortunately they don't seem to cause much harm other than that, but the 'disgusting factor' had me treating him for worms right away! Freddy's flatwork continued to improve - especially after the bugs started to diminish, his head carriage became much steadier. I was a little suspicious that the bit I had been using on him - a Herm Sprenger Dynamic RS - was perhaps not helping our cause. It has a contoured mouthpiece in three-pieces and spreads any pressure very evenly over the tongue and bars, but I wondered if his reluctance to really stretch on to the bit (and occasional head-tossing) might have been partly due to a lack of space for his tongue. I chose an HS loosering correction bit to try as I had found that other horses tended to lean on it, and it seemed to make a difference right away - he seemed more accepting of the contact and more confident about lowering his neck. It was not likely the last contraption I would put in his mouth, but it definitely helped with the 'problem of the day'! I wanted to get an idea of Freddy's thoughts on cross-country before the cold weather hit and we would be locked in the arena, so Claudia hopped aboard and took him for a spin around the little fences we had at the farm, including some scary boxes, a ditch, barrels, and a tiny trakhener. Suffice to say I don't think Freddy will have a problem next spring! He was a little cautious the first time he approached something new, but was quite willing to jump whatever was in front of him and his 'gallop' was rhythmical and quite steady. The following week I rode him up the road to Janice's and Claudia again piloted him over a couple of logs, a coop, some barrels, and the always-terrifying-tires - and it was hard to say who enjoyed it more! I couldn't have hoped for more from Freddy for his first 6 months off the track and look forward to working on both his flatwork and jumping over the long, long, LOOONNGG winter...

Freddy's First Summer

Freddy had a few months of light work under his belt and proved to be as nice as horse to work with as he looked. He learned about cross-ties and became completely comfortable with being handled on his right side. Standing for mounting was confirmed and he got much better to bridle - still holding his teeth closed, but without the head-tossing and anxiety that was going on at first. Despite only being ridden a few times a week, each time we got on we were able to progress from where we finished in the last ride. He is very quick and willing to learn and put up with my mistakes and miscommunications without becoming offended. Claudia rode him over his first small jumps and he was willing, brave and well-balanced - staying that way when I was his rider. The steering got much better when Claudia pointed out that I needed to focus on keeping his shoulders straight rather than trying to turn his neck, so we progressed to different sized circles, serpentines and so forth. The biggest problem I was having was with some head-tossing. A combination of Freddy's aversion to bugs and some tension at times would get him going and I found myself getting frustrated. We added a running martingale to his tack and also realized he needed a little more challenge in his training as when he was focused and busy, he didn't do it. I had taken him on quite a few trail rides, both alone and in company, and he was quite calm and not spooky. We hadn't come across any deer or birds flying up in our faces, so I was still waiting to see what would happen when he gets truly startled! In the field with Ralph and Lou, he became a bit of a pest - particularly bugging big brother Ralph who couldn't get a moment's peace. I was getting tired of finding new cuts and scrapes on both of them each day and worried that Ralph, who has hind shoes on, would get fed up and kick Freddy. Now Freddy goes out with Lou who seems to take less offense to his attention. The major excitement of this first segment of Freddy's training was a clinic with Jessica Phoenix! On the first day we did some flatwork, including leg-yielding in walk and trot. I had not attempted that while getting the steering sorted out, but Freddy was obviously ready for the challenge and made some decent attempts. Another exercise to add to the mix... On day 2 Jessica rode him, and the transformation in twenty minutes was incredible to watch. Freddy is capable of some lengthening, more bending exercises, and learned he CAN lower his neck and relax his back! Jess finished up with a few very tiny jump courses in canter, and it was apparent that Freddy, his fan club watching, and Jess herself were all delighted with his progress!

Settling In

On May 3, 2017, Freddy arrived at Sandridge Farm to begin his second career as a riding horse. I loved his eye and expression in his photographs, and so far the camera didn't lie - he was proving to be calm, smart, and friendly. He celebrated his 6th birthday on May 6, part of the first week he arrived that was spent learning the routine and being introduced to turnout again. He normally went out with Ralph, and was ready to come in after about three hours. He is the typical thin-skinned TB, and we make sure he wears a fly mask and a sheet if the bugs are particulary bad. In his first week, the farrier saw him to remove his remaining two racing plates. Apart from a bit of thrush behind, he appeared to have four nice hooves of a decent size, and we left him unshod for the time being. Dr. Halle was also by to give him a once-over and administer his vaccinations, take a Coggins Test, and de-worm him. Our Osteopath, Chris Gagné also examined him, and other than finding his back bit tight and sore, felt he should be able to start light work right away. Later in June, Dr. Heather Ross came and checked his teeth. She was pleased with their condition and they only required a light rasping. With all the health and maintenance issues dealt with, it was time to see what Freddy knew... We weren't sure if he'd ever been cross-tied, so we tied him in the stall for grooming and tacking up and he was very well-behaved. Putting on the bridle was a bit of a discussion, until we found he loves 'Barnie's' treats; with a little bribery, Freddy's mouth is open and waiting for the bit! Funnily enough, it was the only type of treat he would eat - not carrots, or apples, or any other brand of treat. His right side was a mystery to him - when we went to handle him from the right, he would turn around and face us or back up. On the lunge line it was the same - he was quite happy going left, but to the right he would stop and turn in, or right around. Andy, our barn-guy-extraordinaire, worked with him on that, consistantly leading and turning him both ways, and he was much more comfortable pretty quickly. The lunging was coming along; after 3 or 4 sessions he was pretty good in walk, trot and canter both ways, although he pulled outward to the right. Under saddle, steering and bending were definitely gaps in his education, and he would only stands for mounting with bribery. This was not unexpected, as exercise riders and jockeys are usually given a leg up and the horse is allowed to keep moving forward. Even though we were only riding him a couple of times a week, he was a little better each time. An average week would have him lunged once or twice, a little flatwork once, and a hack with Ralph on another day. Freddy comes as soon as you go into his field and seems happy to do things. He was still thin and got tired easily, so 20 miutes or so was about the limit of his mental and physical efforts. So far..so good! We looked forward to seeing how he would progress through the rest of the summer.

Freddy's first ride, and a cuddle with Andy

Freddy Comes to Canada (Or, misadventures in acquiring a horse)

It all started innocently enough with a little idle chit-chat in the barn - "Wouldn't it be fun to get a project?" After all, three years into my polo-makeover project with Ralph, we've rearranged the muscles, figured out the feeding, identified the idiosyncrasies and put in the training to the point where he is a solid and fun Pre-Training level Eventer with the ability to go on and do whatever might strike our fancy. He is still a work in progress, of course, but most of the 'figuring out' is done. And I've discovered that the 'figuring out' is something I really enjoy. A second horse at this stage of my life is probably the last thing I need. I know that. But I also know that I have a strong desire to do this, and if not now - when? So, being slightly irrational and more-than-a-little headstrong, the idea took hold and I began to 'keep an eye open' for a rescue or rehab horse... I have to tell you, there are A LOT of rescue and re-homing organizations out there! As I was considering an off-the-track-Thoroughbred (OTTB), before long I was being fed a steady diet of tempting horses from Ontario to California. I followed up on a lovely mare off a Toronto track, but she had previously fractured a hind leg and that was a bit too risky for my liking. Ha! It turned out that would have been the LEAST risky part of the subsequent acquisition effort! Anyway, I moved on... 'Canter' is a nation-wide rescue and re-homing organization for Thoroughbreds in the U.S., and I was seeing a lot of horses that looked interesting. I saw one on their Pennsylvania site that I liked a lot, but apparently a few other people did too, and he was sold before I could follow up. The days passed.. I looked at so many horses my eyes began to glaze over... I'm not sure why the Chicago chapter of Canter made it into my news feed, because I certainly wasn't going to drive to some track in Chicago to fetch a horse, but there it was - and there HE was! "Sefa On Parade", a 6 year old gelding for sale by his owner. He had a look I couldn't resist. There were also a few videos of him walking and trotting in the shedrow and he moved very well to boot. But Chicago! Too far..too complicated.. I tried to put him out of my mind and concentrate on closer, simpler options, but I kept going back to Sefa and I kept getting that gut feeling that he was 'the one'. Before I could allow practical considerations or sensible decision-making processes to kick in, I got in touch with the owner. My first question was, "Will you ship him to Toronto?". When the answer was, "Sure, no problem", the die was cast, and the nerve-wracking, frustrating, and extremely foolhardy effort to bring Sefa to Sandridge began. I had an in-depth conversation with Sefa's 'agent', who was actually his jockey. His stable name was "Freddy" and everything sounded perfect. He was sound, had only started racing at 5 and had only raced a dozen times. Did his training 'from the farm', so he had driven to the track an hour and a half away, five days a week, and trained barefoot. He had won one race, was second twice, and then decided 9th would be sufficient from there on in. He was used to being turned out with other horses, and had once jumped out of the field 'over a 5-foot fence'. Their 12-year-old son could ride him. He mucked out his own stall. Okay, perhaps she didn't say that last one...I decided to take a leap of faith and buy him. If Freddy had been located in Canada, the entire experience would have been pretty stress-free - I would have driven to wherever he was, paid for him, loaded him in the trailer, and left. Unfortunately, he was in the U.S., and I was dealing with people who were very anxious to get their money and not too worried about getting Freddy where he was supposed to go. They also communicated by text for the most part, and though I wanted to have our conversations documented, it seemed that much of what was suggested or agreed upon was ultimately ignored. The initial arrangement was his owner would ship him to Detroit for $ 100.00, then to a friend's farm outside Toronto for another $ 100.00. I suggested I would pay half his cost up front; the other half when he arrived in Canada. I sent an International Bank Transfer on Tuesday and the next day Freddy was in Detroit! Very impressive! The next step was to get him over the border. I got a call from a shipper saying she would bring him Saturday morning. Health papers were done and the owner assured me the bill of sale and registration papers were in Detroit with Freddy. Great - hubby and I swung into action! Organized the truck and trailer and planned to leave Montreal Saturday morning so we could bring him home Sunday. Co-ordinated work and a saddle-fitting in T.O. and we were good to go! At around 5:00 on Friday evening I figured I would check in with the shipper to verify what time she would be picking him up. "Oh, I can't pick him up tomorrow, the health papers weren't stamped in time. Maybe Monday." What? Was anyone planning to let me know this? We cancel the trip and start re-scheduling. But now it's going to cost me $ 400.00 for the Detroit-Toronto leg because the shipper, "wasn't really planning on going there...and, for just that horse, you know, it's really not worth my time." Arrgh, now I'm getting stressed. Back and forth with the owner, "Well, I can probably get him sent with somebody else in the next couple of weeks or so..." WHAT?? MY horse is supposed to stand in a stall at crappy racetrack in Detroit for a couple of weeks or so?? I don't think so!

The Detroit track

"Okay, I'll pay the $ 400.00; half before you pick him up, half when he arrives. Can you bring him Monday?"... iphone silence for 18 hours...Monday afternoon I hear back, she 'guesses' she can bring him Tuesday first thing. Back to re-scheduling, we get it done. Back to the owner to ensure all documents are ready and with the horse. Yes, they are, but the horse isn't going anywhere until the balance is paid - plus fees they were charged by their bank. At this point I will be paying in full for the horse with a feeling I may never see him. I'm also thinking if I don't follow through, the future doesn't look too bright for Freddy-boy. In for a penny, in for a pound...I send the second payment. 9:00 Tuesday morning I e-transfer $ 200.00 for half the shipping and get confirmation the shipper is 'close to the horse'. Paul and I set off. I ask that the shipper texts me when she is over the border, she confirms that she will. We drive. And drive. And drive. Nothing. I send a text to find out what's happening and hear nothing. Then she texts that she 'had stuff to do in the morning' and will only be picking him up mid-afternoon. Oh, and by the way, "I'm not loading him until I have the rest of the money". Right, of course not. I e-transfer the balance. It's 5:00 and we're crossing Toronto and I get a text asking if she can bring the horse to 'her place, near Cambridge'. This is closer than the stable where he was supposed to be going, and turns out to be easier for her, so I agree. Are you almost there?, I ask. "No, I'm just arriving to pick him up". I ask her to let me know once she's through the border and start digging around in the glove compartment to see if there is any alcohol stashed anywhere. Meanwhile, my phone is dying, and the car charger is not working. All the phone numbers and info I need are on the phone, so I have to turn it off as much as I can. The next text informs me she is indeed at the border, but she doesn't have a bill of sale for the horse. Apparently the owner could benefit by saying she was donating him to a rescue, so that's what she told the shipper to do. And funnily enough, Customs wasn't crazy about letting him through on that basis! Fortunately, I had pictures of the money transfers on my phone, so I sent those to her and to my great relief I got a text a few minutes later saying they were in. And a request to e-transfer the $100.00 in GST the shipper paid on my behalf immediately. The evening turned to night and I wasn't getting any response to my "Where's Waldo?" queries. Paul & I found a hotel, had a bite, and went to bed. At 11:20 I get a text saying she has arrived at the farm. Turns out she had been about to run out of diesel and had to go 35 minutes out of her way looking for a station... I asked if we could pick Freddy up at 6:00 a.m. He was on the West side of Toronto and we wanted to beat the traffic as much as possible. That was too early for the farm owner (Didn't she tell me it was HER farm??) and she would be another hour away picking up her own horse (Wait, didn't she tell me it was $ 400.00 because she was only making the trip for me??) Fine. We settled on 6:30 and went to sleep.

Cambridge layover

The address she gave me didn't exist. "Oops, made a mistake, it's XX90". Phew! Okay, found the place, found my horse standing on concrete with no bedding and no hay. Led him to the trailer and he walked on with barely a pause. Shipper makes a few comments that we could work together in future if I'm ever looking for more horses. I look at Paul and start the truck. 8 hours later, we unloaded a very tired Freddy out in the field at Sandridge. He floated across the field, bucked a few times and settled right down. He was home. It was all worth it.

N.B. As an experienced horseperson, I am fully aware that I did not 'follow the rules' when acquiring Freddy. I am extremely lucky that I have wound up with a very nice horse in my barn. Do as I say, not as I do!!

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