A Year of Dalton

And just like that, it's been a year since the giant dino-horse has joined our well-intentioned and slightly neurotic family in Texas.  What can I say about this big baby who continues to charm the pants off all the other trainers and other boarders with his goofiness and good attitude?

Intentional and slow has been the name of the game for Dalton.  When he came to us, it was apparent that he had some physical and mental maturation to go.  He had the attention span of a gnat and his hind end was poorly developed, which was influencing how he had been using his body under saddle.  He was thin from travel and a growth spurt but his feet were actually decent.  We spent a lot of time with flatwork and exercises that would make him try to hold his own body / shape / rhythm.  Trainer would get him to a weight / muscle level that she liked and he would immediately go through a growth spurt and lose it again.

A year later, his brain is still very immature but he is a sweet sweet derp.  He still constantly wiggles in the crossties and still needs to be tranq'd when getting shoes / trimmed.  When we first got him, he would refuse to drop his head for the bridle and instead would lift his head as high as he could, but he learned pretty quickly to drop his head for it and takes the bit nicely.  He didn't like being rinsed off or being fly sprayed - he tolerates both of those today.  He is very trusting of people and he has never done a dirty / nasty thing on the ground or when a rider is in the saddle.  Dalton respects people's personal space (horses are a different issue) and doesn't use his size to push them around.  I've taught him how to smile (personal brand for all of my horses) and now he cheeses for treats every second he gets.

Under saddle, there has been a lot of work but also progress.  Trainer is keeping his jump training limited and low until his back end is stronger.  He also doesn't have shoes in the back, as we're trying to strengthen the hoof wall.  Dalton is learning to relax over fences, to carry himself, and to stop relying on speed and his shoulders to get him over higher fences.  He's my good boy so of course I think he's fun on the flat but jumping over fences is really what he prefers and where his personality asserts itself.  It is a major work out to get the big guy moving so every ride is with spurs except for when we're jumping.  Then the spurs come off and he is forward with very little urging on my part.  I spend a lot more time holding him back and half halting him to fences.  If we are hacking around the arena and there happen to be jumps up, he will prick his ears and turn toward them, as if asking me, JOMPIES MOMMM?  And then is disappointed when we go around them.  We've been adding canter poles between jumps so that he learns not to rush his strides and use his body in a smarter way.

Physically Dalton has grown taller some and started to fill out.  Somedays he looks like a proper horse, and other days he looks like a tick with a giant belly.  His top line is starting to develop and dare I say, he's getting wider.  Someday we're going to have to go fully custom with a saddle but I'll happily wait for that.  I'm excited about his growth - I found pictures of his momma and she has imprinted hard on his looks.  He's turning six next week and I'm eager to see what we get into together over this next year.