Trouble!

Well hello there, it's been a while! I have spent the winter keeping Roxy tuned up and teaching a few lessons here and there. I have been working every weekend at a new bar, Moe's Cantina, and came to the realization that I was saving up quite a bit more money that I thought would be possible. This led me to the decision to start horse shopping (finally!!). I went to Arizona to try a chestnut Old/TB mare, but she was a little more green and hot than what I wanted....I tried a horse of a local trainer's that I really liked, but he had some strength issues since he was a rescue and I wasn't sure if it would be a good long term investment. Then I got a phone call from Cathy that she was going to try a horse that could work for me and she would keep me posted. She called me the next day and said I better buy a plane ticket! I did, and I was in love with Trouble from the moment I sat on him.

Trouble is a 2005 grey TB gelding. He stands about 15.3-16hh, I will need to stick him to be sure. He is very responsive to the leg, is very balanced, and has a fantastic overtrack at the walk. He raced twice as a 3 year old and was not very fast, finishing 2nd to last and dead last in his starts and winning a whopping $300! He was then purchased by Betsy Johnpeter Anderson, who is a local hunter trainer in the area. Betsy is expecting her 2nd child this summer, so she sent Trouble to HITS with her trainer to be sold. Betsy called Cathy to let her know he was for sale and in Ocala, so I definitely got lucky when Cathy thought of him for me! When I rode him I noticed how comfortable he was to sit on, I never lost my balance and he keeps a lovely steady rhythm for a young horse. He was very game about everything we jumped, and we rode him in the top jumping field away from the barn without issue. Cathy was really impressed with how he uses himself and snaps his knees up without jumping hard-he just seemed to have a knack for it! We took him to Dr. Craig Roberts the next day for a pre purchase exam, and all went well so he is mine!! I came back to Illinois the following day and he stayed in Ocala with Cathy. She will be returning on March 7th with all the horses, and I am just so impatient for him to get here so we can get to work! Since he was used to going in a standing martingale, he needs to build up a topline and gain more strength over his back...dressage bootcamp, here we come!