Thursday, September 23, 2010

Old Man

Old Man is an old champion poll and barrel performance horse, and by old, I mean around the age of 28-29 years. He was put to pasture after the young girls whom rode and won with him moved out of their house for college. When we got Man, he was thin enough to count ribs, had rain rot and ear and eye infections, painful teeth that gave him pain with a bit, he had a mess of a mane, and by his posture, looked a bit depressed. He was to be a beginners horse for my son, age 11, to learn how to ride. Man was trained by John Lee Robicheaux, whom has since passed, but was well known and endeared for the horses he trained. This holds a bit of nostalgia since my brothers rode and won with a horse named Chief, around the same time Man was running. Chief was also one of John Lee's horses and happily retired and died in my dad's pasture and is often reminisced about to this day.

It's been a month since Man has been in our barn, eating fresh hay and feed, medicine and special shampoos. His hooves have been shaved once. My dad started him off slow, havng eli walk him about and rest the next day. (more later..._