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I'm so glad you enjoy Sherlock so much!  AnnMarie, he did beautifully for you!  

 

(PS to everyone else, I'm Christina, Sherlock's mom for 10 years).  AnnMarie and Mike have done wonderfully with Sherlock!  He looks a hundred times better than when I took him from his former "home" where he lost almost 200 pounds!  Not a spook in him! (sometimes we had spooking issues when he was in too good shape and was bored)!  I knew he would respond well to both of you--you're so patient!  Thanks for giving him such a good home!

 

Christina

================another list post, March 12, 2006:================================

Sherlock was fantastic this weekend. This Saturday, we took Sherlock along to a small local indoor show we like to attend. It's a great little place, with an indoor for keeping warm and dry second to the actual indoor show arena. Sherlock was nervous getting into the trailer and on the trailer, and even more so getting off and then tacking up. In fact, tacking up, he even reared once! However, he wasn't unmanageable, just nervous. I found him to behave a lot like Factor on her first trip to this show -- his mind seemed to be in race mode. 

Unlike Factor, however, when we walked into the indoor arena, he surveyed the area, and I swear, you could hear him say, "Oh, horse show. Duh. I know how to do this." and my unruly 17hh thoroughbred was suddenly a big, quiet kitten. At home, he never holds still to be mounted. Here, he stood stock still, looking back at me like "is it time yet?" In the warm-up, he was a gentleman with the other horses, obviously familiar with this 20 horses doing 20 different things in one place scenario that was so upsetting to miss Factor. 

Time came for our first class. For some reason, the judge wasn't done pinning the class before us when we were asked to enter the arena, so 8 or so horses are standing in lineup in the center of the ring. I took Sherlock into the arena first, but the entire half lap we did, he kept insisting we were supposed to go join the others who were lined up! "This isn't right!" he seemed to scream. "I'm supposed to go stand over there and get a ribbon like they are!" Finally, I circled him around so he came in behind Sammie Joe. Then he seemed to decide that well, since his #2 woman is here on the rail walking like this is old hat, he should too. 

The rest of the ride was terrific. I'd even say brilliant for the big fellow. He did everything perfect. Our only weak point was after we did walk, then trot, then walk again the first direction, he anticipated the next instruction would be canter, and kept collecting deeper and deeper, until he finally had his nose past vertical. Eventually I managed to relax my seat and everything enough for him to decide to walk for us. Our reverse? A perfect 90 degrees of a turn on the haunches, a misstep that was my fault, then another 90 degrees, and a nice pause, fully collected and ready to roll, and we walked out, proud as punch. 

We lined up beautifully. I was careful to place him between 2 other horses - -at home we've been working on side passing, and my instruction to back sometimes results in a side pass instead. this way he knew back was the only way to go. and his back was magnificent! I was so proud!

But, the biggest high of the whole day by far -- the judge comes up after making her decisions and says, "He's come so far since I saw him last! I'm really impressed with his muscling and the work he's doing for you! He almost even looks BIGGER!" I smiled when I realized what she was saying, and responded... 

"Oh, no, you're thinking of Factor. This is this big guy's first show with us. In fact he's only been riding 2 or 3 weeks since coming to us."

She had mistaken this horse that had looked like a train wreck 3 months ago to be our well toned miss Factor!!!! HOW COOL IS THAT???? 

We placed 2nd in that class of 11, I think?

Later we rode the country pleasure class -- 13 horses. I chose to make his 'favorite gait' a slow trot, but in a 2 point to protect his back. It isn't yet strong enough for a long sitting trot, and my seat isn't light enough to pretend I'm sitting when I'm not. The arena was too full to have this big tb trotting out at his fullest, so this was my best compromise. It wasn't a class winning choice, but imho it was the right choice for Sherlock. I think we were 5th. 

After that, we rode the adult English walk/trot class. I joked with the judge as we entered that he can walk on a relaxed rein when he doesn't think it's time to canter, and we rode on into our class. Sherlock didn't take a single misstep this class. He counter bent a few times (didn't like where the barrel racing barrels were stored), but everything was right on. his transitions were balanced and pretty. His down transitions had forward movement into them, and we stopped with his hind end well under him. I watched him VERY carefully for his tell tale signs he was tiring, but the breaks had been enough for him and he was doing great. no sign of tiredness at all. 

When the class ended, I couldn't resist showing off his side pass to the lady riding the Tennessee walker next to me. he was fantastic! the whole day was great. 

We exited the arena, as they called the English canter class to the ring, with just one entrant. I'm really glad I didn't know earlier there was only one horse in that class. Sherlock and I have cantered together twice, and I would've been tempted to push it and enter him in that class. I'm glad I didn't take that chance, and risk overstressing his back. This big guy is something amazing. What a capable show horse we have on our hands here! He still has a lot of muscling to get back, and still more weight to gain, but he's doing terrific. We're so proud of him. He's done so well. What a great guy. 

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December 2006 update: I'm sorry its been so long since i updated Sherlock's page! Sherlock has had a long, hard summer culminating in the diagnosis of what's apparently been his key problem since arriving last year -- a severe urinary tract infection that had gone systemic and resulted in abscesses in his feet! He's been on antibiotics a few times for minor things, which apparently kept taking the edge off this bug, but not killing it. Finally, we got it diagnosed and after 60 days(!) of antibiotics, Sherlock's urine sample came through CLEAN!

Sherlock is now back to work and doing fabulously. He is 100% sound, and today did a 30+ minute workout, mostly walk/trot but even did a light straight line canter. We are going gradual to get him back into shape, ensuring he rebuilds his topline muscle now that he's sound again, making sure he doesn't have additional back issues as he comes back into tone. He's doing great, and carries himself in frame nearly all the time, on his own. He eagerly stretches down, long and low, from a lax rein, or comes right up into frame as soon as you 'pick him up'.