Ennis, my nemesis...Part Two

Ennis, Age 9 in the front Pasture of our farm

Last week, posted about my new horse Ennis and my warped equine background. If you are so amused you can catch up HERE

To continue...So here I sit, with feet out of my stirrups a fair amount of time partially to improve my balance and partially due to my poor seat. This new mare is different all the way around from all my other steeds.

Shes been well trained.

Yes, up close she does resemble a moose. So What?

In the past I would go cheap. Here in the US a "green broke" horse, one with little saddle time, can be purchased for between $500- $2000 depending on varying factors. I have never spent more than $1200 for one of my horses, (until now) mostly out of necessity and sometimes out of pride. Thinking I might be the next Buck Brannaman (The original horse whisperer) I would purchase a horse just "half cooked" thinking I had the skills to bring them up to par.

I did not.

Then the epiphany came. (I'd like to think it came just before the fall that impacted my head into my butt but that remains to be seen) I needed a horse SMARTER than I was. Enter Ennis. I found her about 60 miles from me and had to "audition" in order to purchase her. A bit unnerving I will admit, considering I had not ridden either of my horses in a year. To say I was rusty is like saying Obama is slightly liberal.

Meeting the GK's.

But the previous owner must have seen something she liked (cash perhaps?) and when I emailed her to say I wanted to purchase her horse after riding her once, she said yes, in a round about way. She invited me on a second ride, long trail ride. And so I did just that and after an hour in the woods, up and down hill and dale, I was even further convinced this mare and I might make a go of it. I also became convinced that her owner, Mary, was indeed not just looking for a cash cow, er horse. She did indeed really want her horse to go to a decent chap.

She moves with more grace than I ever will.

So with all tests passed, hers mine and ours, We brought Ennis home. (Her original name was Josie, but with all the changes in MY LIFE it seemd only fair she'd have to make some concessions as well. Ennis is the name of a lovely village in the west of Ireland's County Clare)

Now, 8 weeks later we are still in the getting to know you phase. At first she seemed reluctant to do anything I asked that was slightly difficult. Like walk forward. But I persisted and she, like a toddler testing the boundaries, learned quickly I did not intend to get off her back (giving her relief) until I obtained some give on her part. Some days the progress was minuscule, while other days it was...just slightly more than minuscule, but they way I look at it is this. I'm going to be 80 soon one day might as well take my time getting there.

We progressed from round pen work to pasture riding and then this past week...out into the wilds of the woods. She did quite well , taking me through narrow paths, around bends, up and over a few steep hills. Yes, she did very well indeed...until the duck incident.

Stay tuned.