[Rolly]

Originally Posted by MyViggie

Rolly thoses standerdbreds are really really cute. I really like the one looking at us. she/he looks like they have a kind gently personality and reminds me of a young 3 year old. You cannot tell there old at all wow there really nice

Lol thank you . you can kind of tell Dusty (the one eating [as always]) is old because of his hollow whithers and goose rump but Jackie (mare facing camera) is 8 now. i think she was 7 when that was taken. i really need some nice new photos of her and some of me riding her lol.

Thanx Heaps Holly

[AnnaBelle02]

ALL standardbreds have that kind gentle looking personality (and its true most of them do!) and thats what I love about them - its the big doe eyes they have! lol

[ItsAThought]

Originally Posted by AnnaBelle02

ALL standardbreds have that kind gentle looking personality (and its true most of them do!) and thats what I love about them - its the big doe eyes they have! lol

You mean this kind of eye?? lol, I love this guy

[Asfaloth]

Itsathought-wow what a great picture! So pretty.

Anabelle02-Yeah I know she will improve I see hints of really nice movement in her. Just need to work on bringing it out. Untill just recently I only rode her occasionally nad was not really working on her gaits just getting her to behave on the trail. She is such a mare! lol she is always making faces at the other horses. I got to get pics it is so funny. Now since I have her all to myself on a full lease I am going to really work on her gaits. I have seen her pace on a longe line and hope that, in time, I can get her to foxtrot.

[AnnaBelle02]

I've found an easy way to get them into the fox trot is to ask for a trot and then slow it way down and right before they break into the walk most of the time they will foxtrot. Its best if you do this on a really straight stretch (if you can get out on the road or in a long hay field you'll probably get the best results).

[Asfaloth]

Thats is what I was thinking. I had her doing a really nice slow jog the other day on a straight smooth bit of road and it did feel as if she almost could go into that gait. She was really smoot at the time.

[bigred]

I think it's cool that your looking into buying a horse from a horse rescue, and I think you should go for it, but just be careful about the one you choose, because some are really mean, and won't even let you by them. And even if you choose to get one like that that's cool too.

[Asfaloth]

The standardbred rescue baby came from had some strict rules for adopters but all went really well with Baby. It did take 2 years befroe her owner became her owner but that was a precaution to be sure she would not be abused or sold to slaughter. Rescues sometimes can be very hard to deal with or seem mean because they don't allow some people to adopt but they are just trying to make sure the horse gets a great home.
Dog rescues can be prety bad too but they do have the best interest of the amimla at heart. Somtimes if your situation is not perfect but you look like a person who is going to give the animal a great home they will be a little more forgiving.

Baby is doing well with her trot. We are up to 2 1/2 hour trail rides and she just loves to go. She mostly leads since I know the trails better than some of the others I ride with but we also mix it up so she is not always in front. Sometimes we are in the caboose. Had 2 good gallops on Saturday morning but last night she forgot how to count to 3. So it was 2 beats all the way up the hill. Actually she was doing good until we came to a bend and she was on the outside lead so I needed her to switch and she lost her stride. On Saturday she did a flying change on her own though it was prety rough.
I just love this mare!Two years ago she would not step in a puddle or any mud and now she jumps down a 2 foot bank into a stream and crosses without any hesitation.

[AnnaBelle02]

Asfaloth: Don't you find STB's are just the most willing horses to try anything? Even if they are dead scared of something, with just a bit of persuasion they will try it anyhow? I just LOVE that, thats why they are such great trail horses, and the fact that they can stay so focused on their rider helps alot too.

I volunteer for a STB adoption agency, and ya they are really strickt. I'm a guardian/site inspector. Which means I check in on adopted horses and have to file reports as well as inspecting facilities of those who are interested in adopting one of the horses. A great thing about most STB "rescues" is that generally they haven't been abused - they are just finished their racing careers and the owners want to get rid of them, so you don't usually end up with one with emotional/behavioural problems that were brought on by abuse.

[Asfaloth]

One of the things I love is that they don't just take off if they are scared. The simply stand there and refuse to move. It can be a bit frustrating but much easier than dealing with a panicking horse running away with you.

Six months ago we moved to a new stable with new trails and one of them requires the horse to go down a 2-3 foot bank into a stream to cross it and go up a steep hill. The first time we went someone else was on her and she refused to go but we put her between two more experienced horses and she did go. Now she never hesitates. She just goes right in and has a dringk and rightback out. She used to absalutly refuse to goin mud too but this spring she was wading through mud halfway to her knees without a hesitation. Once you teach them to trust you they will just do anything. Such bold confident horses on the trail. I have not enjoyed any horse so much since I had to stop riding my old horse and he was a standardbred too. I have ridden a lot of diferennt horse but the STB's are my favorite.