We're home

                               

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

Home.

   Udex and I are back home, at The Klippenstein. I couldn't be more proud to say so. I shall save the last barn the humiliation, so I will just be leaving it at this, and making a long story short: If you feel safe leaving your horse in an environment with mould everywhere, even in the hay, undersized paddocks over crowded with horses, attacking each other for water and food, jealous girls, a so called "farmer" who can't tell the difference between a rutabaga and kohlrabi and forgets he is handling horses NOT cows.. Then sure, that stable is okay. Let me shorten the story...
 Because I wrote about saving a horses life, two of the barn witches decided to dramatize my story and go tattle tell to the barn owner. Of course everything they said was a lie and when the owner of the horse I saved read through it she could find nothing but the truth. That was the start of my trouble. A few days later I was physically and verbally assaulted and attacked by the grumpy old grandpa-of-a-barn owner. Unfortunately for him his farmer skills get a F-. He couldn't tell the difference between a rutabaga (which is completely healthy for horses to eat!!) and a kohlrabi (which aren't healthy for them.!) He stole my rutabaga from Udexs' food tray, and then had the nerve to say something along these lines to me
   "YOU! (while physically attacking me.) YOU!!!! YOU!!!! You give your horse this kohlrabi!! You want to kill him so you can say that this stable killed your horse!! I called the vet and he said kohlrabis are bad for horses! YOU!!!"
  Whoa now, chill out grandpa! I could have told you kohlrabis are bad for horses. I also found it funny that while a horse was choking to death at their stable, they couldn't call the vet, but he can find time to call the vet about a so called "kohlrabi" I'm giving my horse? Hmmm.. Speaking of calling the vet, maybe he should ring him up and ask about the effects of mouldy hay for horses? I love the entire idea of this "you murder your horse so we can take the credit" thing.... Hahah!! Grandpa made a fool of himself though going around the barn showing over 40 boarders the "kohlrabi" I was giving my horse. I guess he got his karma really fast!!
  I would never give something unsafe to my horse. If I was and someone told me it could kill my horse, I would listen to them until I had proof it was safe for them. When I'm 100 percent sure something is healthy for my horse, and I've already asked a vet about it, and someone comes and physically attacks me and yells at me for it, that's a different story. It's my horse, I'm allowed to feed him whatever I please. Also, Udex is Mr. I-eat-nothing, so the fact he goes nuts over rutabagas should be enough proof he won't kick the bucket from them.
  We left the barn that day.
  Oh how it feels nice to be back home. Friendly faces, lovely people, sweet horses.. Udex acted as if he was never gone. The best part was when Johann, the owner of the barn looked at us with a smile and said "I saved your stall! I knew you'd be back!! It was only a matter of time!!" There are a lot of bad people out there, but good people like Johann and the others at my barn really make up for that.

NOTE: I have pictures of Udex back at home that I've uploaded here!

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

There's only three things...

 There is only three [discovered] things that seem to scare Udex. They are.

1. Flying balls
2. Clear bags and bottles
3. Tractors

 I find it normal flying balls scare him. I'm a human and scared of them, I can only imagine how a horse must feel about them. No arms to throw in front of their faces! Clear bags and bottles? Well thats a little interesting, but I can understand that too. Stuff that you can see inside something, the way the light reflects.. Understandable. Tractors... Seriously, little green tractors!?! No, I can not find any logical reason as to why tractors scare him. You can start a motorcycle off right in front of his face, you can halt him right by a car and talk to the driver... but tractors a good 50 feet away from him? Now thats a total different story. Udex confuses me greatly.
  I was looking for a spot to tie him up today and about 45 feet away there was a tractor. Of course, it wasn't really a tractor. It was actually a huge horse hungry monster that was headed STRAIGHT towards Udex!! In "how to be a horse school," when something that scary is on the run towards you, you are supposed to take off, totally trampling over your owner who is leading you. Thats exactly what Udex did. All I can say is OWIE!! That hurt! I do feel a bit accomplished that I didn't let 750 kilos of wild, spookish beast get out of my grip. I held on tight to him even as his crow hopping lifted me in the air as well. I didn't know if I should be more mad at the tractors, or my horse, or myself!! Lately Udex has been frustrating me on all ends. If it isn't this, it's that. If it isn't that, then it's this. He's been a nut ball lately! At least today I managed to put his bridle on outside, and not having him in the arena or stall. That was really nerve wrecking for me because I knew that if he managed to run away.. he would be gone. There is no fences in that part of the barn, he could have gone straight down the hill and far, far away. I get nervous just thinking about that!!! I hope he starts to be a bit more submissive during tack up time!!!
  I rode Udex today. No head throwing at all!!! I think thats because he isn't bored. He has so much to do here now. Thats really awesome he has been feeling so great to the point he's almost too hot to handle!! (-: He needs this!!!!

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

New home!? So much better then I could have imagined.

  Well it's official... Udex is nine hundred and twenty percent happier at our new barn. Everything about this place is just perfect. Everything. I mean the people, the arena dirt, the horses, the trainers, the owners, the stalls, the grass... every little thing. Perfect. All of it. Udex is showing he is a lot happier here too. He is an even hotter horse then he already was!!! Don't get me wrong.. Thats an excellent thing!! Since he has more power and is feeling a lot more mentally fresh, his movements have been spectacular..! He has shown the world his true extension. His working and collected trot have so much spring to it. His canter is bigger, better, and more collected. His eyes are perky with happiness. Oh my. I'm starting to think he was depressed at our old stable.. Actually I know he was depressed there. Not severely, but enough that he was never truly happy. Seeing him actually happy at our new place is more then a dream come true to me. 

  Udex has also made friends!! He had been touching noses with them through the fences, and today we decided to let him into the warmblood paddock! Now I feel like we are officially part of this barn. Anyways, the only other chestnut in the herd, Wins A Lot, took an immediate liking to Udex. Touching noses, little ears forward, running side by side. Seems like Udex also likes pretty Wins A Lot!! These two will be good friends, you can already see it!! Also there is a sweet little filly called "Sevin PJ" and she seems to be head over heels for Udex. Crow hopping behind him, nuzzling up to him, and following him around everywhere!! Sadly, Udex doesn't seem to have the same feelings for her!! Anywho, he tolerates her very nicely and just puts his ears back and accepts the fact that she he has another shadow. Knowing my horse, eventually he will be best friends with Sevin. I'm kind of excited to see who he's going to like and who he isn't going to like. What rank will he be in his new herd?? Ah so many exciting questions that will be answered in the near future!!!!

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."