Pony Blogging and Tracking. Take 2

So, I tried to do this with Sherwood, but I'm awful at consistency in just about anything. I LOVE new projects, then have a hard time seeing them through. Even Sherwood feels it at times. Right around August/September, we start backing off our competitions and workouts, everything gets a little lax... Eh, I'm only human. Every year it gets a little better, but it still happens. Last year was a complete fluke and not of my own doing, just FYI.

Anyway, Let me tell you a bit about the Andy Experiment. Andi, AKA Adonis, AKA Classic Maestro, AKA The Nice Horse in My Backyard.

Officially, he became mine on 11/26/18, When his owner sent me his bill of sale for $1.00. He's got a bit of a backstory. But I'm pretty sure all free horses do, am I right?

He came up from the Lower east coast (VA? SC? eh..) from a professional trainer who had gotten him from a different professional trainer, who had originally pulled him off the track. The first trainer, who we shall call T1, showed him Novice at recognized events with decent results! See??

 Not awful, for a first couple events.

So then the second trainer got him, shall we call them T2, and we have some amazing videos of him going round just so nicely! And quietly. Shall me take a look at those?

So, his last owner bought him, shipped him up from wherever he was, and... it fell apart. Fast forward 2 months in which he got a bunch of time off because he wanted her saddle to fit him better, so she got it fitted to him, and then started bucking. He colicked, was bucking uncontrollably under saddle, and got diagnosed with ulcers. Scoped, the whole she-bang. Unfortunately, after scoping, board, buying and shipping costs, new saddle, saddle fitting, and some personal financial issues, she had run out of money. Ulcers.. sort of treated. Hi, have you heard of Gastrogard? This shit is exxxxxxpensive!!! So. It's mid-Novemeber, this horse has bucked off a bunch of people, he's progressively becoming more and more of a dick, his ulcers are sort of being treated, she's becoming afraid of him, she can't sell him because... see above.. and.. My horse is moving home 12/1. I offered to baord him, cheap, at my place, (looking back, I'm so glad she didn't take me up on it, because this winter would not have been worth the money. Who could predict MONSOONS in DECEMBER!?!?!? In New England!!!)until spring. Just to give her a chance to recoup and regroup. She doesn't want to do that. Tosses around other ideas, but nothing is really working out. Week of Thanksgiving, she tells me she is going to give him to a sales barn because he's dangerous and she can't sell him and she doesn't want to afford him anymore. So... I offered to take him. Free-like, because quite honestly, I don't need 2 horses. In any way, shape, or form.

End of the week, he's mine. And so that, my lovely friends, is how I got the Red Beast of the East. And amusingly enough he and The Dragon have been besties ever since. Who knew??