Blackie If you computer gives you and ActiveX warning, it is because of the YouTube videos embedded in this page. Blackie Born: April, 2000 Heigth: 16h Weight: Approx 1150lbs Breed: ½ QH – ½ TW Price: $5,000 Before you look at the pictures of this horse, you have to realize that I’m a very tall woman. I’m 5’14" with a very long leg. I tend make all my horses look like ponies. Blackie really is 16h, which can be verified at the vet check. Also, I’m a western trainer, with very little background in dressage. I’ve had no training at all since I was 18 yrs old, and I’m feeling my way thru on pictures and books. The fact that this horse is scoring high 60s in his tests is absolutely amazing, considering who is riding him. That is me, in the orange, next to my brother and son (6’4 and 6’3") and my daughter, sister-in-law and sister (5’9", 5’4" and 5’10"). Quick overview: This horse is an amazing athlete. He is aware of each part of his body and what it needs to do to get any job done. He’s got the fluid grace of a professional athlete, with the coordination and flexibility of a ballet dancer thrown in just for good measure. He truly likes dressage. And he should. He’s good at it and he knows it. There is nothing like asking him to do a tuff sequence of maneuvers, having him handle it with ease and then watching that grin on his face when you tell him he’s a good boy. But he’s also been to work cattle on ranches, which included cutting cattle in the alley, been on trail rides, and ridden thru our small town on a regular basis. He’s a lot of horse, sure-footed, smart with the kind of staying power that outlasts all others when the going gets tuff. Blackie hasn't been worked since 2006, when my husband died. Somehow the horse got included in my grief and I have not been able to shake that loose. I rode him exactly 8 times till last month, when I finally got enough of that beautiful horse standing useless in the pasture and took him to the feedyard, where I work. There he's been checking pens, which means, rain or shine, dry or mud, we go thru 44 pens, thru at least 88 gates, and we see around 5000 head of yearling cattle every day. We see feed trucks, loaders, paddle scrapers, tractors and 4 wheelers within 15ft of us. Lots and lots of energy at the yard. I'm not sure why I was surprised, but this horse has as much cow as my superwellbred QHs. LOL. These pics are all from 3 yrs ago, when I was actively training him. This last month I just rode him, touching on a little collection here and there, and trying to make that long legged boy figure out how to ease sick cattle out of a pen. The video below is from a week ago, tho. I got some other horses in, and have taken him home to the pasture again. I doubt I'll ride him again. Still can't do the dressage stuff. What is he good at? Laterals. His laterals are effortless, forward and clean. He really extends his shoulder to reach, giving him the look of a ballet dancer as he travels across the arena. Matter of fact, I’ve used the sidepass to explain the step sequence for the extensions to him. Anything Canter. His canter is to die for. Counter Canter, extensions, circles, none of it is any problem. One time I was turning a sharp 60* corner around a pattern I like to ride, and I swear he was doing a canter piroutte for a few steps each time we came around the marker. Sure… It’s a lateral at the canter. Both his strengths in one. Forwardness. Thanks to my Ranch background, forwardness is something all my horses have. That doesn’t mean I allow them to be hot. But when I say "Go", I expect Go at the speed I asked for… nothing more and nothing less. Stretchy Circles. He loves to stretch down and relax. My daughter Hannah riding him when he was 4. What was he learning 3 yrs ago? Extended Trot. Due to my lack in training, I am fumbling my way thru making sure the extensions are good. He does awesome when we are out on the trail, goofing around and just gawking. But in the arena, he still speeds up his steps sometimes. I really like what he's coming up with now tho. As a nine year old, he just seems to have more muscles in the hind to push himself forward. Half Pass. All his lateral work is effortless. But he still needs to be truly straight under me, truly round, etc, etc, etc. Half Pass ain’t easy. Half Pass at the Canter. We have only tried it a few times so far, but it’s coming along. Flying Lead Changes. The flying changes are huge and correct. When I let him play thru them, they are always right on. Now we are introducing getting them done on a signal from me. We are in the beginning stages of this, but he succeeds more often than he misses. What still needs work? The Extensions, obviously. The turn on the haunches. He has the lateral steps down real good, but needs to gain obedience and tighten the area he covers with his hindend. Backing. He is not quite truly under me when we are backing. He needs to engage his belly and back a little more, and really back from my legs instead of just following the signal and backing till he thinks that’s enough. How are his manners? He is easy to shoe, clip and load. We trailer to different places about 2 or 3 times a week. I need to get a video of him loading... You literally point him at the trailer, throw the rope over his back and he jumps in and walks to the front. There he'll quietly wait to be tied. He is used to spending all day outside, but has been in a stall for a little while too. He is respectful and kind. He likes people and enjoys his job. But… He is a lot of horse. I would not recommend him for beginners or weekend riders. This horse is a great opportunity for a serious dressage rider. Be sure to look at the Gallery Page I added a video of him leading at walk, trot and canter. That is a recent video, and it shows the beautiful gaits this horse has by nature. As I've said before... I will probly not train the horse. I might take him back into the yard, if I need a horse. But I will not ride him dressage. He is for sale as is.
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