Post by Jay on Feb 6, 2006 10:04:47 GMT -5
Well, I'm gonna write this over because it was stupid.
I started looking for a horse in the summer of 2001. I found a horse, a red roan mare. We had planned to go try her out on September 20th. As you all know, there was a terror attack on September 11th. My father is a pilot, and he didnt think that he could support a horse now that his job was in jepordy. In the end- he was layed off, and put on a new job where makes less money. The only reason I have Odie now is because my mom started working as a teacher.
In January of 2004 my great uncle John passed away, leaving me enough money to support a horse with the help of my dad. So I had the go ahead to look at horses again. I began searching, and with the help of a friend, I got in touch with a man by the name of Burnell who was a horse trader in Ohio. He sent me a video of the "LA Gelding" I loved what I saw and arranged to go out to Ohio and give him a try.
We took a video camera out with us so that my trainer could watch it and give us the go ahead. I tried him out and loved him- even though his trot was a little bouncy ;D
Instead of getting my trainers go ahead, we bought him on the spot for 9,500, plus a saddle that he had won. We arranged for him to be shipped out to Maine the first week of July.
Bernell had no idea what Odie's name was. He said he always just called him the "LA Gelding." Since his name was Codys Grande Skipper, I figured his name was probably Cody. But every horse is named Cody these days- so I went with Odie. My cousin can't pronounce is C's (he was 3) and thats the way he said Cody. So, Odie became...Odie
Odie shipped out no problem (we had insurance anyways. Still do.) Hopped off the trailer, settled right into his stall. We later found out he was a cribber--(I didnt know and neither did Bernell because #1 he had 130 head horses #2 Odie was out most of the time)
Two days later I left for Ireland for 10 days. Sucked- but whatever. When I got home, Odie had learned so much, including how to give to pressure--therefore no more tie down! Yay!
Two weeks later we had our first show. It was a stupid back yard show. Odie was having herd bound problems (because at Bernells he was turned out with other horses) So my trainer had to run me into the arena. We had a shit ass pole run. But we won barrels and single pole if I remember right. I was pretty excited- it being our first time and all.
The next show I was at we did just as well. We didnt enter poles. There was a german shepard that tried to attack me when I was walking Odie, and Odie headbutted him and went to kick him but the dog ran away. Yep. That was the FIRST time he saved my ass.
We had a couple more shows and did equally as well- and then Odie got hurt. We had put a miracle collar on him to control his cribbing, and as he was rubbing his face on his bucket, he got caught a tweaked. He had a deep gash on his cornet band, his face was all scratched up and his nose was yucky looking. I didnt know if I could run him at my first Maine show with him because of the gash on his cornet band. We did run him one night- we won, but then we decided not to push it anymore.
THe winter we did a lot of work. We went back down to the basics and worked on everything. YOu could tell he had never done the basics before- when I tried him out, it took some work to get him to go to a trot- it was just walk lope walk gallop... I didnt care though. It was a rough winter and I got pretty fed up, but when spring rolled around, everything had worked out. During the winter, Odie and I got in an avalanche (off the roof of the barn) and he pretty much saved my ass.
The summer flew by- we won almost every class we entered. In October we were top 30 out of 170 at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. It was an aweful run.
Recently I have been learning to throw a rope off of him and working on stake race so I can qualify for worlds in Ft. Worth TX for '07. World Champs '07 babayyy ;D
In the future I plan on taking him to college with me ('07) and doing College Rodeos. I will be getting a 2-3 year old in my Junior year and training it to be my next barrel horse. I am getting a young horse because I hate the way the majority of barrel trainers train- its just run run runnn. So I want to get the horse before the trainers do. When the baby turns 5- I will lay off on running Odie (he'll be 15-16) and the baby will become my primary barrel horse. I may lease Odie out but he will not leave my house and I will never sell him.
So yep, heres some pictures.
One of the first days I owned him.
Odie at the beginning of Owning him. I cut myself out because I have braces and I'm wearing a helmet.
My favorite picture of him from when I first got him. I dont know if this is possible but I think he gained weight in his face.
Yeah- I know. You all love this picture.
Shmodie!
My trainer doing Cowboy Mounted Shooting
Region Six Champs
Congress
Most recent
Sorry that was uber long.
gabs
I started looking for a horse in the summer of 2001. I found a horse, a red roan mare. We had planned to go try her out on September 20th. As you all know, there was a terror attack on September 11th. My father is a pilot, and he didnt think that he could support a horse now that his job was in jepordy. In the end- he was layed off, and put on a new job where makes less money. The only reason I have Odie now is because my mom started working as a teacher.
In January of 2004 my great uncle John passed away, leaving me enough money to support a horse with the help of my dad. So I had the go ahead to look at horses again. I began searching, and with the help of a friend, I got in touch with a man by the name of Burnell who was a horse trader in Ohio. He sent me a video of the "LA Gelding" I loved what I saw and arranged to go out to Ohio and give him a try.
We took a video camera out with us so that my trainer could watch it and give us the go ahead. I tried him out and loved him- even though his trot was a little bouncy ;D
Instead of getting my trainers go ahead, we bought him on the spot for 9,500, plus a saddle that he had won. We arranged for him to be shipped out to Maine the first week of July.
Bernell had no idea what Odie's name was. He said he always just called him the "LA Gelding." Since his name was Codys Grande Skipper, I figured his name was probably Cody. But every horse is named Cody these days- so I went with Odie. My cousin can't pronounce is C's (he was 3) and thats the way he said Cody. So, Odie became...Odie
Odie shipped out no problem (we had insurance anyways. Still do.) Hopped off the trailer, settled right into his stall. We later found out he was a cribber--(I didnt know and neither did Bernell because #1 he had 130 head horses #2 Odie was out most of the time)
Two days later I left for Ireland for 10 days. Sucked- but whatever. When I got home, Odie had learned so much, including how to give to pressure--therefore no more tie down! Yay!
Two weeks later we had our first show. It was a stupid back yard show. Odie was having herd bound problems (because at Bernells he was turned out with other horses) So my trainer had to run me into the arena. We had a shit ass pole run. But we won barrels and single pole if I remember right. I was pretty excited- it being our first time and all.
The next show I was at we did just as well. We didnt enter poles. There was a german shepard that tried to attack me when I was walking Odie, and Odie headbutted him and went to kick him but the dog ran away. Yep. That was the FIRST time he saved my ass.
We had a couple more shows and did equally as well- and then Odie got hurt. We had put a miracle collar on him to control his cribbing, and as he was rubbing his face on his bucket, he got caught a tweaked. He had a deep gash on his cornet band, his face was all scratched up and his nose was yucky looking. I didnt know if I could run him at my first Maine show with him because of the gash on his cornet band. We did run him one night- we won, but then we decided not to push it anymore.
THe winter we did a lot of work. We went back down to the basics and worked on everything. YOu could tell he had never done the basics before- when I tried him out, it took some work to get him to go to a trot- it was just walk lope walk gallop... I didnt care though. It was a rough winter and I got pretty fed up, but when spring rolled around, everything had worked out. During the winter, Odie and I got in an avalanche (off the roof of the barn) and he pretty much saved my ass.
The summer flew by- we won almost every class we entered. In October we were top 30 out of 170 at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. It was an aweful run.
Recently I have been learning to throw a rope off of him and working on stake race so I can qualify for worlds in Ft. Worth TX for '07. World Champs '07 babayyy ;D
In the future I plan on taking him to college with me ('07) and doing College Rodeos. I will be getting a 2-3 year old in my Junior year and training it to be my next barrel horse. I am getting a young horse because I hate the way the majority of barrel trainers train- its just run run runnn. So I want to get the horse before the trainers do. When the baby turns 5- I will lay off on running Odie (he'll be 15-16) and the baby will become my primary barrel horse. I may lease Odie out but he will not leave my house and I will never sell him.
So yep, heres some pictures.
One of the first days I owned him.
Odie at the beginning of Owning him. I cut myself out because I have braces and I'm wearing a helmet.
My favorite picture of him from when I first got him. I dont know if this is possible but I think he gained weight in his face.
Yeah- I know. You all love this picture.
Shmodie!
My trainer doing Cowboy Mounted Shooting
Region Six Champs
Congress
Most recent
Sorry that was uber long.
gabs