A new horse has come into my care; his name is Nugget. He comes from a loving home, however due to circumstances he couldn't stay in his current living arrangement and his owner only wants the very best for him. He has been with me for just over a week and I cannot believe the progress he and I have made.
The first day I met him, I remembered the advice that I always give to others. To not set him up to fail and to have a completely open mind with him. Every single day, he shows me what a hidden gem he is.
He loaded in the trailer with only brief hesitation. This horse hasn't seen the inside of a horse trailer in over a decade. It actually didn't surprise me because whenever you assume a horse will or won't do something, they almost always surprise you.
He has gone from being herd bound and disassociated, to showing me what a huge heart he has. He is very smart and willing, a true gentleman.
He used to walk away from me when I went in his pen and now he waits at the gate for me. He used to rear and balk when he got to the barn door, now he enters willingly. He tried to walk over top of me, now he maintains a respectful distance. He only has to be told something once and he is immediately respectful and compliant.
Last night I tried a little experiment with him. I stood at his shoulder, and slowly backed up. He matched me step for step. I did everything with him at liberty, which means he could have run off at any moment. We ended up doing a very neat little mimicking dance together. He was bright and engaged and I can see how willing to please and kind he is. In taking the time to get to know him and allow him to settle in and feel comfortable, we are forming a relationship of mutual respect.
Because he hasn't been put into use for a long time, he and I have been doing lots of ground exercises and stretching, backing and getting him back in tune with his body.
He is a senior citizen, somewhere around 20 years old or maybe slightly younger, so I am taking extra time with him as I don't want to stress him unduly. In a short week, he has made real progress physically. In the beginning when he was disengaging his hindquarters, he wasn't able to cross his hind feet without literally stepping on himself. Last night, I was able to get him to cross over on both sides. His left hind leg was very trembly when I lifted it to clean his hooves and I am already noticing that it is improving and loosening up.
He is stunningly beautiful and very well put together. He has a huge, graceful floaty trot. He does have a swayed back, but I believe as he gains muscle and a topline, most of it will be gone. He has huge bone and great feet, a huge muscled hindquarter and a very nice head and neck. He is a registered appaloosa, although you would never know it looking at him. He is a dark golden palomino and has 3 or 4 small white spots on his body.
Once he has some regularly scheduled maintenance done, I will do a riding assessment on him but I am in no rush. I will post more on his progress once we are farther along.
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