| Midnight |
| Midnight used to be a trail horse before going to Oaklawn to be a lesson horse. The trailriding made him a bit nervous because of the many many different riders he had. At the school he would have a handful of riders and have time to get to know them all and he did very well for several years. Recently, he has been coming up lame after jumping and they need horses that can do everything they teach so when asked to cut the herd, Nate thought about me and Midnight. I rode him once over at the school and liked him and decided to take him. His front legs are about as crooked as they can be but he's a good boy. Yesterday, Nate was taking my husband Steve, trailriding. The girls wanted to go so I was going to stay home as I didn't have my horse yet. Nate suggested I take Midnight with Kasha's saddle (western) and he'd bring Midnight's saddle along (english) in case the western one didn't fit. He walked Midnight across the street to where we keep our horses and put him right in the trailer. We loaded up the girls, Yara, Zoie and Kasha and left to pick up Bo for Steve to ride. Bo is a great babysitter for first time riders. Had a little trouble loading everybody because Kasha wanted to sit on the other horses. We found her laying in the trailer when we unloaded! Scared me but she was all right. Monica walked her around and bit and she was fine. Loaded a different configuration on the way home. Anyway, we all rode, the wester saddle just barely fit my big boy and we had a great time. The weather was wonderful, high 70s and sunny. Midnight wanted to go go go so had to put him behind the girls who are slower. It was a small trail about 5 or 6 miles and a really good way for Midnight and I to get to know each other. We loaded up and took him to his new home. Because of the trail ride, he doesn't know that his new home is just across the street from his old home, so he won't be trying to get back to his old home. I thought that was a wonderful idea. Nate is a trainer at Oaklawn and does lessons, clinics and Creation talks as well. His website is here. Midnight is a 16.2 rattail Appaloosa. Most people think he's ugly but I like him. Even though his front legs are crooked, he has a pretty smooth trot and as long as you don't work him too hard, he does fine. After 2 hrs of straight cantering, he would be sore but I can't imagine that I would ever want or need to canter for that long. He'll be my trail and pleasure horse and he'll get lots of attention, hugs and treats. :-) The kids at the school are mostly Spanish and started calling him The Ugly Big. Nate corrected their grammar and he became known as The Big Ugly at the school. All the kids liked him and will miss him. I'm already getting teased about my hair being longer than my horses tail. That's o.k., though. He doesn't have to be beautiful or win any conformation classes. Nate has said, no good horse is every an ugly color and I have to agree. |
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