Leighton Farm
"A Retirement Program created by Thoroughbred Horsemen,
for Thoroughbred Horsemen"
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Leighton Farm "A Retirement Program created by Thoroughbred Horsemen, for Thoroughbred Horsemen"
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The Little Guy
July 18, 2008
Scooter went to is first clinic every with Julie Devine up
and Steuart Pittman the clinician. Julie said "For his third
outing Scooter behaved like a superstar from the beginning. He has such a great
attitude. Steuart really liked him and he kept saying "holy moly!" whenever we
jumped a fence! It was a very good day!" Click here to take a look at his jumping skills! There are several things I am certain of. One is he is a very fun horse. The other, just as important, he is having the time of his life. There is no greater satisfaction. I'm fighting back tears of joy for that little guy. "You made it, you're a superstar."
July 15, 2008
April 5, 2008 Meet the Little Guy's new family, the Stiffels.
He will have a wonderful life now and there are so many people who had a hand in this. Once in a while a horrible wrong is made right and this one such time. He handled the transition like a champ. He trusts us to make good decisions for him. I know he is where he is supposed to be. He'll always be the Little Guy to me, but he has a new name to go with his new life. Scooter, which I love. Scooter will be living at a Holly Point Equestrian Center, a very beautiful facility. He's going to have everything a horse could want.
March 15, 2008
February 17, 2008 Little Guy now has a new rider. Her name is Emily and she's a young rider. Click here to see them do trotting poles.
February 7, 2008 We made a video of the Little Guys latest fetish. He LOVES popcorn and I thought we should make a video of him. I've never seen a horse eat popcorn the way he does. He crunches it up like a person at the movies! Click to see the Little Guy devour popcorn.
January 21, 2008 Mike Dougherty said the Little Guy became a man today. Little Guy had a dental check up and lost his last cap. This usually happens in the 3 year old year, but hey, he has catching up to do. Cherie said "Wow, he lost his "manhood" a couple months ago and now he's a man." Punkie said, "Teeth are important for eating, hoodles aren't useful for anything anyway." Punkie knows!!
January 12, 2008 Well, scratch the for sale thing--at least for now. After discussions with friends and trusted advisors, we've decided to keep the Little Guy in training for at least ninety more days. It seems too risky to turn him over to new handlers while he's so green. Our new improved plan is to get him up to a level where he can compete at schooling shows. Leslie Hardesty, a former student of the great George Morris has agreed to break him in at the hunter shows. This will give him a solid foundation for the rest of his life. He'll have a real skill, and frankly that's insurance for a horse to have a good future. We are concerned that should he fall into the wrong hands, all the progress he's made would be in vain. Once he's confirmed at a skill he'll be more likely to have the bright future we all want for him. New pictures will be posted soon!!
December 28, 2007 The day has come that this Little Guy will begin the search for his very own human. I've done as much as I can, and now it's someone else's turn to enjoy this incredible horse. He was put on the for sale page yesterday. All of the monies we receive for him will go to the "next" Little Guy and other rescue efforts. He needs his very own human. Don't worry, we'll be very selective on who gets the honor of having such a wonderful fella.
December 10, 2007 The Little Guy has grown to a bit over 15.2 hands. Click this link to see him longeing and being ridden.
November18, 2007 Little Guy is modeling his Baker blanket. I think he looks fabulous in Baker plaid. He really likes it!
November 7, 2007 This is what I'm going to call the celebration of the Little Guy. Ta-Da!!!! The first two pictures are one taken the day we got him and one taken today.
The Little Guy wants to say "Thank you"
He is so beautiful.
October 28, 2007 Just a quick entry to let everyone know the Little Guy now measures 902 pounds. That's 150 pounds our beautiful boy has gained. Pictures are coming and I think you'll agree he's almost at the weight he should be. Now it's a matter of building muscle and conditioning. That's what's been happening. We are just quietly riding him; putting on miles. Soon, we'll introduce some ring work, but not every day. The turns are physically demanding and it will take time for him to be able to handle that type of stress. It's good to know that thus far, he has had not lameness issues and he also has no vices.
October 14, 2007 Well, no pictures because I was on Punkie and JK was on the Little Guy. He went on his first official trail ride. Laura was on Clint too. The addition of another horse made the Little Guy really uptight, but he handled it like the champ he is. He went up hill, down hill, through a strange barn and across a bridge. Now, in all fairness, he probably wouldn't have done it without his Uncle Punk there to lend his support, but WHAT A GREAT HORSE!!!
October 10, 2007
How can the Little Guy top having his first longe lesson? By being ridden around the farm, of course! Now, it is true he needs his Uncle Punk to show him the way, but HE HAS NOT DONE ONE THING WRONG. Little Guy carries himself with dignity and intelligence. If he isn't sure of something, he is cautious, but always does what he's asked. He hates fly spray though.
October 6, 2007
Little Guy says "Hey look what I can do!!" Cherie Chauvin, accomplished rider and sporthorse trainer has agreed to work with him. You can view her website at http://www.golightlysporthorses.com This is his first longeing lesson and he's mastered a trotting pole. This horse is so smart and eager to do what is asked of him. He is healing very nicely from the castration surgery so we're continuing with his training. It will be one month before he is a true "gelding". It's possible to impregnate a female for up to a month. We expect great things from the Little Guy in the coming month. He's giving us good reason.
October 2, 2007 I'm going to be busy for the next few days so I thought it was important to let you all know the Little Guy is back home. He had minimal bleeding and swelling so it was safe to ship him home. He's grazing with his Uncle Punk as I write this.
October 1, 2007 I know everyone likes pictures, but I didn't take any of this day. I don't think the Little Guy wants to reminisce about today. That said he is doing great. He went through the castration without a hitch. Well almost--as you know they had to lay him down in order to reach the testicle that hadn't dropped correctly. Fortunately, Dr. Plaisance was able to reach it without much trouble. The Little Guy must have known he was losing his "man hood" because he sprang to his feet. Don't worry, no damage was done. They ended up emasculating the other testicle while he was standing. He handled the procedure fine and if his spirits are up tomorrow, I'll bring him home. It's reassuring to know he's got full time vet care should something go awry. Stay tuned for more updates. September 30, 2007
Very big day for the Little Guy. I got up at 4 am, fed everyone on the farm and loaded him up on the trailer by myself. He walked right on!! Off to Bowie Training Center we went. Dr. Sean Plaisance gave him a thorough examination and determined he is ready to be castrated. Tomorrow, the first of October will be the day. He will stay at BTC for observation and then return to the farm most probably on Wednesday. He does have one retracted testicle which will necessitate laying him down for the procedure. Dr. Sean is able to palpate it, so we're going to have a gelding tomorrow. Little Guy settled right in to his new surroundings. This is his first outing and he is handling the hustle and bustle of the track like a champ. This is a testament to his fabulous temperament and intelligence.
September 27, 2007
The little guy is getting ready to be ridden. He has a rider up in the stall and the next step will be to go out with Uncle Punk. He already knows he is supposed to stay with his pony so this should be a natural step. He is very unconcerned that a human is on his back. I think he likes us.
September 24, 2007 Little Guy is up to 802 pounds!!!
September 23, 2007
Okay, I'm sorry that I've taken this long to update you all on what's going on with the Little Guy. He's a star!! We've been schooling him to the horse trailer and he is doing great. I want him to load willingly on the side ramp and the rear ramp. We want him to be comfortable with the trailer and willing to go on for anyone. We are getting ready for the big trip to Bowie Training Center. My vets will evaluate him and tell me when he'll be strong enough for castration. This will happen this week.
September 15, 2007
September 10, 2007
Anyway, he saw the dentist today and he was a star. Mike Dougherty is absolutely excellent. He found the little guy to be most cooperative. Peanut wasn't sure about this and did put up a fuss. However, Mike said he was very good. The right side of his mouth was very cut up by sharp teeth. He'll be able to chew his food much better. This means he's going to be a lot more comfortable. He'll also be able to put on weight better.
September 7, 2007
We've introduced him to the saddle, pictures are coming. JK took these and I need him when schooling him to the saddle. He got the girth around him for the first time today and didn't have any bad reaction. Yes, he was wondering, but he accepted it and walked around the stall with it on. Don't worry, we're not going to put a rider up for at least a month. We're laying down a solid foundation for the future. He has to put on some weight first. He is looking better, and he looks great from a distance. He's still a bone rack when you are close to him. He's feeling more energetic and put up quite a fuss today about picking up his hind feet. That's okay though, this always takes a little time. God created them to know they should protect their legs and feet. He'll get used to it quickly. He did pick them all up and that's the important thing. Peanut, right now he's a Peanut. The other day I went out to bring him in and he nickered to me. What a little Peanut! September 3, 2007 Today the little guy went out with Katchi, Cherie's horse. He is becoming quite the social butterfly. There were no problems getting along with a new horse. This guy is very gentle and polite when introduced to a new friend. Tomorrow, he'll go out with Clint. If all goes well, he'll be integrated into that herd by the weekend. Our goal is to normalize him as much as possible for his future new owner. He also started class today. In addition to picking up his feet and being groomed, he learned to pony. This is done in the shedrow and will slowly evolve into strolling around the farm with Punk. He was a star, even trotting up and down the aisle. He also looked at, and sniffed the saddle. We won't be putting it on him yet, but we want him to have it in his life every day. It was a good day.
September 2, 2007
We'll be picking up his feet every day and grooming him, so he learns that the humans are here to make you feel better. Steve, (the shoe guy), said the Little Guy's feet are not in horrible shape and we should let them grow out now that he's on good footing.
The big news of the day is he got to go out a big field with Uncle Punk. I don't think he's had much exposure to other horses, but Punk let him know everything is okay. He wasn't studish at all. Punk really hates that and communicates his feelings clearly. After some time, he cantered across the field and it appears he has a very smooth stride. Punk has taught many a horse to the saddle and soon it will be the little guy's turn. I guess we better do something about getting him a real name. He's bound to outgrow "Little Guy" anyway.
August 31, 2007
After a long day of care and attention he headed out to the round pen for more grass and a nice roll.
He is now up to grazing in the round pen three times per day for one hour each. He is glad to come in and stand under his fan. We think he already looks a little better. Cherie, once again took these pictures.
August 30, 2007 The little guy is up to one hour in the round pen in the morning and one at night. He loves grass!! He is very intelligent and is adjusting to the new routine quickly. His favorite food is alfalfa/timothy hay cubes followed by grain. He eats his regular hay too. Yesterday he ate a peppermint!! Tomorrow we are giving him a bath. We measured him today and he stands 15.1 and a half hands tall and the weight tape says he is 752 pounds. It's going to be interesting to see the changes to these numbers in the coming months. |
I wanted to
give you an update about Scooter. He is
doing super and we are having a ball. This
past week Julie and I took he and Love on a
trail ride around St. Mary's Lake (about 8
miles) and we had so much fun. He loves the
water and we had a hard time getting him out
of it. That was on Friday then on Saturday
we did his first schooling show and it was a
midnight madness show so we didn't get there
till dark (lights, dust and a ton of horses
in the ring) and didn't ride until
midnight. He hung out by the trailer taking
everything in for 2 hours like an old pro.
Did as well as expected in his first flat
class and behaved himself. He is training
over jumps(up to 2') at home and is still
barefoot. His feet are awesome and he moves
like a cat on them. He is bright and quick
and has been a joy to ride. He doesn't lack
on opinion but with guidance will see it our
way and come around to what we are asking.
I know you think of him often and wanted to
let you know he is well.
The
picture to the left was taken three days ago. The great news is Little Guy
is now officially a "herd member". He goes out with Clint and Katchi and
has proved to be a great turn out buddy. He is the one in the middle.
Notice that he is perfectly comfortable being out with others. This is
important for his future. The goal is for him to be easy to manage for his
future owner. Thus far he is making it easy. He was in solitary
confinement for so long I was concerned about his social skills. I guess I
don't have to worry about that any longer. The big news is he's gained
weight!! We put the weight tape on him yesterday and he is now at 784
pounds. That's up 32 pounds from August 30, 2007. 
Today
was a big day for Peanut. Oh, I don't know Sunny seems to be so
appropriate, as was pointed out to me today. Worse still he comes when I
call "Little Guy" come on! He knows his name.
I'm
sorry I haven't put this up sooner, because it is exciting. He is
adjusting so well to the routine and I think he's really happy! You should
all feel a sense of satisfaction that your action and support has guided this
little guy to this point. Punkie is teaching him his lessons and he is a
wonderful student.
The
little guy saw the blacksmith today and he wasn't happy. You can tell a
lot about a horse's personality when you're asking them to do something they
don't like. He expressed his desire to be somewhere else, but in the end
he did as we asked.
The
little guy got a bath today and I know it made him feel better. Cherie
gave him a good grooming first to loosen up that deep dirt, and yes there was
rain rot, but not severe. He then got a Head and Shoulders bath.
This soothes and moisturizes the skin and it even makes him smell good.
