Duke Rides the Field

Saturday, January 7, 2012

            Duke is turning 15 this year.  I raised him and he became our farm stud.  He and Finny had the same dam, Blackie, a granddaughter of Boston Mac.  Finny’s sire is Red Dee Hobby.  Duke’s sire is Good Asset.  They both were bred for the pleasure showing.  They both are slow legged, deep hocked, with a strong, true lope.

            We rode Duke as a 2 year old, and showed him as a 3 or 4 year old.  After many foals, and a few rides on him the past 10 years, I realized that the time was right to geld him.  I thought of gelding him a few years ago, but then decided to breed one more time.  Now I have 2 beautiful fillies, which will be my replacement mares.  I know gelding at an older age has more complications, with increased risk of bleeding.   Duke did very well, didn’t start swelling until day 3, then only swelled as much as younger horses.  He was to have a lot of exercise, and we had him in the indoor arena.  After 3 days, we put him back into his pen, but he didn’t exercise himself as much.  He started to get abdominal swelling, so during the following 3 or 4 days, we put him back into the   12^th, it will have been a month since his gelding. 

I may not get some of the behavior out of him, but now I’m riding him.  I’ll expect him to act like a gelding, which he is now.  I just hope that one day, he will be able to go in with the other horses.

Duke is riding beautifully, after just 4 days of riding.  The first day with the saddle on, I lunged him about 15 minutes, first in the indoor arena and then in the outdoor arena.  He could have cared less being in an area that the hadn’t seen much of.  He wanted to buck a little, but being fat and out of shape, that didn’t last long.  I put my helmet on and I rode him about ½ hour that first day, mostly at a trot and lope.  He wanted to lope around and I left him.  But he was too out of shape to do more than that. 

Day 2, I took him to the grassy area to lunge about 10 min, then rode him 15 min in the outdoor arena.  I rode him in the grassy area, then took him to the field. I only rode about 10 min in the field, just long enough for him to get used to the corn stubble and to see the culvert at the road.

Day 3, repeat of day 2.  Then we rode about ½ hour in the field, back and forth the corn rows and up and down the slight hill, getting used to different terrain.  He’s learning to pick up his feet over the corn stubble.

Day 4, repeat of the previous days, except I went an hour to the field.  We went over to the CRP land and rode the tree line.  His trotting improved as I put him in an extended trot to trot the grassy area.  He acts like a broke trail horse.  He didn’t startle as birds flew out of the trees.  He carefully walked over downed tree branches.  He perked his ears and went forward.  He rode beautifully by himself.

I may give Duke a break today. 4 days in a row after years of leisure, I may just give his legs a break today.  I have Savannah to take to the field as I have someone coming to look at her tomorrow!  I may take Shaggy out as he had yesterday off.

            I know winter is coming, well it’s here, but we’re having beautiful weather.  I think Thursday was 68, and that’s unheard of.  But each day since, the temps have been dropping. Today is to be in the low 40’s, but I don’t know if it’s going to make it.  This next week is supposed to be back in the high 40’s.  I’m sure the snow is going to hit us one day!