Let's be realistic. What's the plan with your pony? Is it a five-year investment with a return, is it until you move up beyond the Kin's abilities, or is it forever?
 |
| Lets talk about the best horse in the world first |
Rico is my heart horse, my baby, my forever horse. I know I can't say this for sure, but I doubt I'll ever have a horse as important to me ever again. I got him when I was eighteen years old and a first level rider. He gave me my USDF Gold medal and I'm giving him the rest of his life in a pasture. Lucky for me (and him), my parents have property and they told me that they would retire him for me. I'm glad that I'm able to do this for him.
 |
| Love him |
 |
| Keeping him forever <3 |
Future horse, who may or may not be TC depending on if I EVER can get a job and if he passes the vet check blah blah blah, will be a project. And I'll keep doing projects from then on, ideally to help pad my savings account for a house (or a Grand Prix prospect with CDI quality gaits) while having something fun to ride. I don't intend to make a ton on the horse, but I would like to break even if possible.
Plus, Rico showed me how much an older horse can cost in terms of keeping his joints and feet healthy. I want to train a horse who will eventually become someone else's heart horse who they can spend their life with. TC is going to be spoiled rotten once as he gets sold to an ammy or junior rider! But for now, he needs to learn his manners and get a decent record so that an ammy or junior rider would want him.
 |
| Who wouldn't want to buy this little guy? |
A four to five year plan for TC looks like this:
2015 (4yo)- schooling shows at intro and training for the first half of the year, debut at training in a rated show at the end of the year
2016 (5yo)- show training all year, first level debut in the spring/summer
2017 (6yo)- start the year at first, second level debut in the spring, put changes on in the fall/winter
2018 (7yo)- debut third level in the winter/spring, consider selling after he gets some scores at third in the spring OR push forward and try to get a 4-1 done in the fall
2019 (8yo)- if I keep him (this will be if he has PSG potential), show fourth level and debut Prix St George in the fall, sell in the spring as a PSG horse when he's coming 9
This is pretty slow moving, I think he'll zip through a bit faster than I'm thinking. He's just been a little asshole recently so it makes me think in slow motion!
 |
| Come on little TC! |
I have a post left over from the other day that I totally forgot to post... woops. Today TC is getting chiropracted for the first time ever! I have a bit of extra time this afternoon so I'll be heading down to watch and see how well my saddle is fitting him. He's been acting up again recently and we think it could possibly be due to my saddle or him being out (or both). I rode in a wither relief pad and that seemed to help the fit of the saddle (although it's for a jumping saddle so it doesn't really fit the dressage saddle that well).
I'm not sure if I would want to get the saddle reflocked. My saddle is currently fit for Rico at the Grand Prix level, so it's not fitting the fat retired version of Rico either. So I'm thinking of getting it refit to HIM and that will help it fit TC a bit better. I just feel weird getting it reflocked to fit a horse that isn't mine. Plus, Rico and I have some trail rides planned for the spring so he would appreciate having a well fitting saddle.
I wish I had a plan like yours, but when you're both learning together... eh. I hope we don't spend another whole year at Training, but who knows. If only I was a better rider!
ReplyDeleteLearning together is great! It definitely gets faster the more you go up through the levels. But taking the time to really get the basics right will mean not having to drop back down. You guys are doing so well!
Deleteyour plan for TC (or future horse) sounds awesome! producing project horses sounds like so much fun ... tho also so much work haha
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to it! I'm worried about getting too attached though, I need to keep the focus on the project part of it rather than how cute and sweet the horse is. I'm not very good at letting horses go, hence Rico staying with me forever.
DeleteI think we all end up with that horse that teaches us all the things we need to know to succeed with other horses, even if that horse doesn't get us all to Grand Prix! ;) It must feel so good knowing you have a solid plan for Rico. I know I plan to make sure Guinness gets to live out the rest of his life comfortably once he is done working, and I already have some plans in place to ensure that. I think you have to stand by that partnership that let you develop.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, there are so many questionable things that happen to older horses, even the talented ones. People don't often want to spend the money to keep them comfortable and retired until it's their time. I'm glad for Pig and Rico that they get to happily retire!
Delete