"The One"

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of of a man.

- Winston Churchill

Let me jump to the conclusion: Emmit is "The One."

I saw Emmit on equine.com. Something about him jumped out at me. Maybe it was his stripe and snip that kind of reminded me of Fancy. Maybe his small-ish size (he stands at 14.3 hh...just made the horse/pony cut off!). And thus began my love affair with Emmit.

He was stabled up in Adairsville at a beautiful barn (www.inunisonfarm.com). I dragged Richard along (he's so sweet every once in a while...) and drove up to meet Emmit on a VERY cold, blustery saturday. It was love at first sight - Emmit was standing so quietly on the cross ties, let me pet him all over (including his face and ears - bonus!). The trainer/owner of the stable got on him first; trot, canter, and right over fences, easy as pie. I fell in love again.

I got on him and felt great. Even though he's 14.3, he has a presence. I was told he can be testy - and that he was. He barely moved into a trot. But I liked him instantly - it was something about his sanity, his calmness, his trustworthiness that made me feel comfortable for the first time in a long time to really push a horse. I picked up the crop on Lee Ann's recommendation...a few taps and he moves out like a charm! A bouncy trot, but he moves like a big horse. I love this pony. After a few extra strides, he picks up the canter - it's not a "Cards" canter, but I can half-seat it and it felt good. He spooked at something in the wind. "That's about as bad as he gets when he spooks." I love him.

We ended up going over a small cross rail and a little gate - he doesn't rush, he literally hops over them. I get a sense that I will really enjoy jumping on this horse. Emmit will melt away the fear I had developed over the last few months. I just knew he will.

When we drove away from there, I knew in my heart this was going to be my pony. I could keep looking, but he was what I wanted. A horse that I can trust. A horse that will teach me. A horse that will be my buddy. A horse who will love me back.

The rest of the "quest" was so painlessly easy, thanks to Lee Ann and Kathy (Emmit's former mom). Emmit came to Green Tree Horse Farm on Feb 1 for a 2 week trial period. He was vet checked on Feb 8 - besides a questionable right hock issue which may need to be injected at some point and needing dental work, he checked out in good health. I only rode him several times that week because of the weather, but he never once spooked, acted up, or looked phased by his new "home." I told Lee Ann and Kathy a few days before his trial period was up to go ahead and deposit the check - I wanted Emmit to be my first horse. The hunt was over.

*Update: It's been a week since Emmit became "MY horse." His true colors are starting to come out now - he was introduced into one herd and proceeded to kick Sid and chase Fancy/Choc. Wrong move, buddy! He was moved to the other paddock and has quickly climbed the social ladder - he duked it out with Cisco and seems to have taken leadership of the herd. As such, we're looking to name him something like "Napoleon Dynamite" or "The Little General" in honor of his Short Man Syndrome.

Emmit appears to have been kicked last week - he developed a "lump" on the right side of his belly, right behind the girth which is slowly healing. He was slightly tender for a few days, so I opted not to ride him during the week. I rode him yesterday for the first time in a week...it was rough! He refused to trot, he refused to canter, he started running me into the fence ("get off me!"), and he tossed his head all over the place. I felt severely defeated and remembered Teresa telling me about owing a horse - "you take everything personally." I was taking it very personally that Emmit was fighting me. I wanted my horse to respect me, to be attentive to me. I wanted us to ride in harmony, not struggling the entire way around the ring. I wanted to jump but he was being so difficult, I was half given up. I was sitting in the ring, totally deflated, when Jennifer and Danny came in to join us. She suggested I go over something very low, just to end the ride on a "good" note. She lowered the cross rails for us and we went over it several times without a problem. I'm glad she made us do that - it made the whole experience less painful.

I went out today, thinking maybe he learned his lesson yesterday. Not quite. He was slightly better, but still refusing to pick up the trot/canter and made me work entirely too hard for something too simple. He tried to rub me off the fence again. The only saving grace today was that Teresa and Shorty were in the ring with us, which seemed to motivate Emmit a little bit. Again, I was completely frustrated and defeated. Teresa and her wise words of wisdom - "Give him some time, he's only been here several weeks." Duh, that's so true...I was losing patience and this is precisely when I need to have patience. A partnership rarely comes "just like that." In my head I know everybody's had to work at it - Sid and Bridgette, Karen and Fred, even Meghan and Mikey. But I still feel terrible when my horse decides I'm not "good enough" to listen to. I suppose I start to blame myself for his behaviors.

And then my God send came. Jess must have heard from Teresa that I was having trouble with Emmit; she came out to check out the situation. I had her get on him to see what he'd do. Besides tossing his head and trying to rub her off a few times, he did GREAT. What the hell. He picked up the trot, moved out beautifully, and even picked up the canter without having to go around the ring shouting "canter damnit!" and frantically kicking Emmit while he broke out in a super fast trot. Thanks, Emmit. Now I just feel like a tool, completely violated. This pony just completely disrespected me and walked all over me.

I got back on him and he felt different - I felt fear, submission, respect. He went zooming around the ring at a trot and picked up the canter with a decent transition. I felt much better, even if this was just a result of Jess having ridden him. At least I know he can do it and I can make him do it.

Just 2 weeks until the HSV show at GIHP. I can't even get him to canter without spurs, a crop, and Jess. Awesome.