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ARRIVED November 2010
ADOPTABILITY 1/15/2011: ADOPTION IN PROCESS!!
SPONSORED BY
  • Feed: needs a sponsor!
  • Medical: needs a sponsor!
BREED/AGE 9-yo (2002 model) blue roan approx. 15hh, 900 lb. mare
Quarter horse / tennessee walker cross, no known registration papers
Beauty
 		Blue Beauty
her name says it all

 

          photos on facebook!

click the boxed photo to enlarge... (upper right photo is her very first ride at CWER)

(LOTS more photos of Blue available on facebook!)Photo taken during first workout in our small outdoor sand roundpen.  Don't miss the first workout -- on video!
Summary Blue is a gorgeous dark blue roan mare. She is a great build and a great size, and has a wonderful mind. She isn't pushbutton or beginner trained; she is fun and sweet and has great energy. She clearly has some significant training time -- she neck reins well, pivots on her haunches comfortably and more. She also english reins (single/buggy rein) smoothly and easily.
Skills Report Card!
Overall Health: B Blue arrived in good health, approximately 50 lbs underweight. She needs regular exercise to improve her fitness.
She also needed to be brought current on vaccinations, deworming, and hoof care. Her vaccinations and deworming are now current, and the hoof care progress will take a bit of time. She is neatly trimmed, but her heals are still mildly underrun. Her hooves were in remarkably good shape for being in poor nutrition and without farrier care.
Ground manners: A On arrival, Blue was mildly shy but not timid. She led beautifully, is always respectful of what is asked, and could easily be managed by a beginner in most if not all circumstances. She is exceptionally well behaved with or without a leadrope, and even our most timid volunteers ask to lead Blue because they are confident that she will not do anything wrong.
She is careful, respectful and polite at every step. She has even been handled by a volunteer using a cane.
Basic Riding Skills: B+ We were told Blue has significant trail riding experience and required an expert rider.

December 22, 10 update -- Blue has had 3 rides here at CWER.
  • Blue english reins comfortably and with ease. 
  • She also neck reins, although she's gotten away with going her own way despite a neck rein instruction. 
  • She has a very refined, smooth western pleasure style jog (slow, soft trot).
  • She also has a forward comfortable posting English trot. She stops with ease but not simply upon weight.
  • Blue clearly knows how to respond to a rider's leg, including pivots on forehand and haunches (front and rear); AnnMarie and Blue are simply figuring each other out to find the cues they both understand.
  • Blue backs well, pivots from a halt both directions, and completed several very brief sidepasses as they explored what each other knows.
Blue is FUN to ride, with not even a hint of threat to do anything mean or unseating to her rider. But she does know how to test a rider, and see whether she can choose what work she is doing or whether she needs to follow her rider's instruction.

Blue has a surprising amount of energy under saddle for how quiet she is from the ground. At her current training stage, she requires an upper intermediate rider who won't accidentally tell her to go faster and then be upset or frightened when she increases speed. 
Ideal Career: NOT YET Until blue is riding enough to show where not only her skills but also her interests lie, we won't have a good idea of the best fit as a career. It appears she may have done some english riding as well as western (neck reining); she may have also done at least some basic schooling toward gaming such as barrels/poles, or working cattle or reining or similar. We look forward to spending more time with this gorgeous gal!
Stall Manners: B- Blue eats easily in a stall, including both hay and grain. She does not pace, crib, or otherwise behavior poorly SO LONG AS she is not alone. If she is alone, she will call for other horses and paw at her door. She still is well mannered to lead in or out, but she is anxious to not be left behind alone.
Trailering Skills: A Blue loaded calmly and trailered easily.
Companionism/Pasture: A Blue was initially in a quarantine paddock with her 'brother' - a gelding that also came from the same farm, but belongs to an owner and was boarded here for 30 days. She was exceptionally patient with him, shares her hay and grain easily, and was never aggressive. He was mildly dominant with her, but she is not submissive such that she would not eat or use the shelter at his insistance.
Blue then transferred into our main herd. Initially our "greeter pony" Sandy took Blue under her wing, showing her where to go, how to come in to be fed, who to stay away from in the herd. Soon Blue found her own way, and she is no longer 'attached' to Sandy. She has made friends with big Fay and while she is still fairly low in the herd's hierarchy, she easily gets to hay and comes in to eat without any problems. She comes to the gate politely, waits to be led or walks in on her own. She goes out to pasture easily and has great manners to catch her in the pasture if needed.
She would be a great partner to an older, foundered, injured or frightened horse.
Routine Medical Care: B+
  • Blue was mildly nervous about getting an injection to sedate her for her dental work.
  • Blue behaved fabulously for her dental work -- calm, easy to manage, stood relaxed. She let us know if she was a little nervous, but was never fussy or difficult.
  • Blue is again silly when it comes to farrier care -- laying her weight on the hoof instead of lifting when asked, until told firmly to behave, then she stands lady-like and is respectful.


Overview: 

 Blue is a beautiful blue roan mare with a great natural build, surprisingly strong/healthy hooves, and a darling but mildly shy personality. She was donated by a woman who had sold her farm and the horses had to be moved immediately. She arrived mildly underweight, clearly undernourished on minerals and vitamins, and severely behind on vaccinations, farrier care, and general health care.
Adoption Terms: 1/11/11 UPDATE: ADOPTION IN PROCESS!

12/1: It will be some time before Blue will have completed enough of the intake, medical care, and basic training refresher needed to be far enough along to set an adoption plan and fee for a 'normal' non-trainer owner to adopt her. If an experienced trainer or rider with a trainer showed interest in her "as is", we would discuss making a special arrangement for her under those circumstances. Her adoption fee will be determined once basic skills testing or training is completed, and may be increased over time as she acquires more training and shows more skill in particular disciplines.

Please see our AdoptionQnA pages for details of how to adopt.

HISTORY: 

 Blue was donated to us in November 2010 in an emergency situation where the owner sold her farm and the horses had to be out 'immediately'. We are told she is an experienced trail horse.
November 2010
 Blue Beauty's first training evaluation on video!
Dec 2010
 Blue did great for her dental work, which was significant, and for her other basic intake vet care.
Dec 20, 2010 Blue had her first ride this week! Blue has good energy and is not a 'deadhead' beginner's horse. She was playful -- turning back toward the gate to see if I would insist she went where I'd asked -- but never mean or difficult. She has a fantastic slow, easy western style jog as well as a forward and energetic english style trot. She knows at least basic neckreining, and responds well to English style single rein.
Blue backs but needs clear direction to do so; she pivots on both forehand and haunches (front hooves and hind); and can do a basic sidepass.
We will continue to ride Blue and assess her strengths and ideal career in the days to come.
On her 3rd ride, she has already stopped acting gate-sour, and rides past the gate without even turning her head. She is moving comfortably on a loose rein with a rare reminder needed not to increase her speed unless asked.
WHAT A FUN GIRL!!!! She has personality and opinions, but is playful not mean, and just a really FUN ride.
January 15, 2011 Great news! We have an adoption in process for Blue. We look forward to receiving her contract and completing the plans for her transport home on 1/27/11.

Sponsorship:  Blue needs medical sponsorship! 

  • FEED SPONSOR: Please consider sponsoring Blue. She needs to gain weight, and is consuming approximately $60/month in Purina Strategy and supplements.

  • Transport to CWER:   PAID by donating family

  • Basic intake vet care: $100

  • Dental care: $200 - completed in December 2010...she was having difficulty eating, spilling grain. She had major hooks and high spots.

  • Farrier care: she is receiving regular barefoot trim farrier care here at CWER. Her heels are underrun matched to a long toe, so we are gradually working to bring her heels back and correct the shaping of her hooves.

  • Worming: We will test her stools and treat as needed. Her initial parasite issues were resolved immediately; now she will be dewormed only as required by the fecal tests.

Bloodlines:  

We don't have any registration information on Blue, but are hoping someone might recognize her and help us find her true name and registry