Rocky's first ride & turning the boys out together!

The Two Horse Tack halter looks great on Rocky!!  I actually got it intending for it to belong to him, but I couldn't mention that when I did the post on it (see it here) because I didn't want to jinx it hehe.

We got both horses out to groom them together for the first time.  They did great.  Chrome was too busy rubbing his ear, forelock, neck and shoulder against the tree (sweet itch sucks!) to care about anything.  Rocky was pacing around, but didn't try to pull and he relaxed once hubby started grooming him.

 Cute booties!!  Chrome is rubbing his face... sigh.

After coating them in fly spray I left Chrome tied up while hubby walked Rocky around a bit.

 Then I made him pose for some pictures, which he hates to do hehe.

 Then I walked over and untied Chrome.... and handed him off to hubby!  I swear his expression isn't from fear of death haha.

 Chrome's lip is SO cute!

 Haha he looks terrified!  He wasn't though.  :)

 Self timer fail!  My head looks like it's floating in midair lol.

 An outtake for you... oh Chrome!  

I wish Jackal's face was in it.  He looks HUGE because of how the camera was sitting.  :)

After taking the pictures I put Chrome back in the pasture (where he proceeded to neigh, buck, crowhop and gallop around..........) and then we tacked Rocky up for his first ride with us in his new home!  :D  This was hubby's first ride on him.

 He looks good in the Aussie saddle and his biothane halter!

Now I need to order a bridle... totally forgot I didn't have one for him....

 Hubby was first up.  

We quickly learned that Rocky has no clue how to flex laterally.  I knew he had crappy brakes (he's actually known for running away with people, but only when galloping), but I didn't realize he couldn't do a one rein stop because I'd never tried it.  I will be working on him with that because hubby's shoulder is bothering him.  Rocky also did NOT want to stand still... ugh!  Definitely will be fixing that.

 He's rusty on neck reining too.  

In the above picture Rocky was staring at Chrome, who was being crazy, and hubby asked him to neck rein, but when he didn't he used an opening direct rein to get him to turn.  It works until we can get him tuned up on his neck reining.  I have to remind myself he's sat out in a pasture for a year or two with no work while my friend was working out of state.

Hubby had a nice ride on him around the property (we kept it short until we know how his back is going to do).  He said Rocky was very comfortable and a good size, so I have my fingers crossed his back can handle riding.  :D  So excited!

 Notice my supervisor?

Then I hopped on to work on lateral flexion.  I did a bunch of tight turns at a walk too, to get him listening.

He had no clue how to flex.  He went in circles until I thought my arm would fall off!!!!  I have to say once he figured it out he was quick to do it!  It didn't take nearly as long to do the other side.

 Ignore my expression, I was talking.

Then we did LOTS of standing STILL!!!!  He did not want to stand still!  So every time he stepped forward I flexed him until he was standing still and gave to the pressure.  Eventually after seven or eight times of that he stood still.  Then he would only try to walk off if I shifted my weight or something.  I kept working on it until he would stand in one spot until I squeezed with my legs.  He's a quick learner!

 He stood for hugs and then walked off when I sat up lol.  More flexing!

 I actually don't think I look too big on him.  :)

Remember I'm 5'10" and he's 14.3hh.

 Kitty photobomb!

Once he stood still for a good ten minutes or so I decided to end on a good note and got off right there.  I never did even trot him.  Hubby trotted him once, but he got so fired up and didn't want to stop that he didn't do it again.  I'll do a LOT of suppling work on him and then try the faster gaits next weekend.  He needs consistency!  He has quite a few bad habits (not necessarily bad to some people, but things I hate like rubbing his head on me, walking into me, not standing still, sucks at backing up, etc.) but the fact that he is so laid back, confident and not bothered by anything makes up for it to me.  I can refresh his manners easily.  :)

So after the ride we turned him out in the pasture to see how he would get on with Chrome, Zep and the goats.  This weekend made a week that he's been here in the round pen and I know he's bored to death of being in there, so I decided to cross my fingers and see how it went.  After seeing them out together, tied up, being groomed, taking pictures, I figured it would be a laid back transition.  I was right.  It was almost boring haha.

 Chrome was following him, but was calm and not obsessive.

 Rocky was sniffing the poop and Chrome was sniffing Rocky lol.

Zep looks like he was hiding.  I was surprised how unsure he seemed.

Then, to my utter shock and surprise, Chrome left Rocky and went to hubby where he tried to put his head in the halter.  He was so jealous we had Rocky out without him.  He wanted to go play.  He's come a long way from the horse who obsessed over other horses.

 When he saw how far away Rocky was he trotted out to him and started following him again.

 Goat photobomb!  They grazed a while...

 ...then Rocky got too far away again and Chrome took off!!

They galloped to the back of the pasture (where I couldn't get pictures... so typical).  I did get some video though.  I saw them have one small altercation in the back pasture as I was running to get through the trees so I could get video.  They were trotting and Rocky bucked in Chrome direction because he was crowding, but it was nothing serious.

If you can't see embedded videos, click here.

I love the first clip in the video how the goats are calling to them to come back.  They hate being left behind hehe.  Also the last clip where Chrome trots to me to see why I'm sitting on his hill was cute too.  Love my boy!  You'll notice in the video at one point Chrome bites Rocky and he kicks Chrome in the chest.  After that, they settled down and that was it!  Chrome takes a lot less convincing these days hehe.

Chrome was really hot from all the running around he did while we rode Rocky and then in the pasture with him.  He got a drink and then ran to the barn to hide from the flies (that were still attacking even though I fly sprayed him... grr).  I was so shocked that there was a horse wandering around in his pasture and he chose to stand in the barn and eat hay.  My boy is growing up!  Finally!  It's crazy what a little socialization does haha.

Rocky had his ears back, but he was good with the goats.

Zep finally approached him very cautiously.

He threw his head in the air when Rocky flicked his tail like he was expecting to get kicked.  I've never seen Zep be so cautious with another horse.  Weird.

Zep followed Rocky to the barn.  You can see Chrome's tail in the barn hehe. Rocky didn't go in.  I don't know if it's because Chrome was in there or because of all the mud.

Sorry for the bad picture.  I was zoomed in too far and accidentally chopped their legs off.

Rocky did go into the outside lean to part of the barn with Zep, but he didn't stay in there long.

Well that's all for now.  I'm glad putting him out in the pasture went so smoothly.  I'm still checking on them constantly, but I think they will be fine.  :)  I hope you enjoyed all of the pictures!

P.S.  Just in case you missed it or haven't heard.... we have a Triple Crown WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!  I've waited my whole life for this day!! Way to go American Pharoah!!

Here's the video of the race.

Click here to go to the video.