Shiney new toy...maybe not

Well, a few weeks ago I started messing with a 9 year old Arabian mare named Harper. She is a sweet little thing. Has had professional training, but that was about 5 or so years ago. So, she is a total greeny as her training was not reinforced. But she is not mean or an idiot either, she just doesn't know what is right. She will move out when asked, she "plow-reins" as she doesn't know how to neck rein, but she gives to the bit wonderfully. She is also broke to drive. But again, it has been even a couple of years since she has driven, and that was only a couple of times around the barn yard.

Harper belongs to my barn owner who just doesn't have time for her right now as she has several horses. So, she told me to use her as I wished. If she did well moving down the trail, take her to CTR's or endurance. Her sire was a roping horse and grandsire was a cutting horse, then I could see if she took to sorting. But here in again, she needs a lot of wet saddle blankets and time before I would take her into a cow pen.

So I did a couple of weeks of ground work with her to see what she remembered and what she might spook at before I climbed aboard. Again, she was good mannered, but needs a lot of trail time.

Well, this got me to thinking when Tracey and I were riding around the barn yard. I have a great horse in Summer, but even she isn't "finished". There is still so much for her to learn. I didn't complete our homework from Toni J. in Summer's trailer issues (which I started back up doing the other night). I haven't driven her since last November and I haven't driven my ponies in a year.

So...what do I do? Play with my new shiney toy (Harper) and leave my "unfinished" projects by the way side. I know it may sound stupid to some, but when I started thinking about my other 3 equine kids and all the things that they have yet to learn, I started to have second thoughts about Harper. I talked to Barb the next day and told her my thoughts. She agreed. She told me that I had a blue ribbon pony in Hank as he proved himself last year at our one and only show. That I needed to drive him more, show him and bring home some more ribbons.

So, Harper is back out in the pasture. Barb told me though, if Summer ever comes up lame or something, to just pull Harper out of the pasture and use her anytime. But I have to say, as Tracey pointed out, riding Harper those couple of times, sure makes me appreciate the great horse I have in Summer.