A Decision
I’m wrestling with a decision about Pi. He’s a sweetheart with really nice gaits, but my new coach sat me down and gave me the “come to Jesus” talk about his prospects. She told me he is too slow behind to ever be a grand prix horse. (Slow behind means he’s not quick with his hind legs and he has a hard time dropping his haunches which is a requirement for an upper level horse). After riding grand prix I’m finding it really hard to go back to third and fourth level, and when I thought I could train Pi to the upper levels I was willing to hurt my body on the training. But if he can’t do the work I’ve got to decide what to do.
My coach thinks he would make a great hunter horse and if I can get enough money I could buy a new horse that can do the upper level work. A horse like, oh, say, Dream Weaver. I’m going to ride the stallion again this week, and see if I can tolerate his trot. He has a rather vertical trot, and I had to have surgery for a stress tumor. I’ve got to make sure this trot isn’t going to cause another tumor to form. Or it could just be that my left seat bone has no soft tissue around the bone any longer.
It’s hard to sell an animal with whom you’ve bonded, but he might be happier with another rider doing the kind of work that is appropriate for his gaits and talents.
Melinda
June 26th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
That’s a tough one, my friend. I remember the night right after you got him that we had to watch the vet tube Pi for colic. He looked so helpless. He’s always seemed like a gentle giant to me, with a great personality. But if your goal is to ride the higher levels, I don’t see that you have any choice but to find another horse to ride. Too bad you can’t just afford to keep him as a pet, but he’d be happier with some job to do and he might do really well in another discipline. I think it is really important to listen when the horse tells you what he’s going to be good at.
While I can’t imagine living without Ace, I know that you have had horses come and go in your life. It sounds to me like Dream Weaver may well be a better fit than Pi is for you right now.
June 27th, 2007 at 7:22 am
It wasn’t so much a colic as it was dehydration after the flight from Germany and then a trailer ride from Chicago to New Mexico. He is a sweetheart, and I love him, but I don’t adore him the way I did Steppi.
Speaking of I have to go ride before it gets too hot, and I’m meeting Walter Jon, Daniel and Sage for lunch in Albuquerque.