Trigger | Horse Adventures

spirithawk06
Junior Member

Posts: 544

Trigger Aug 17, 2020 1:53:17 GMT

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Post by spirithawk06 on Aug 17, 2020 1:53:17 GMT

As some of you know, I lost my partner, Star in October of 2018. He had dislocated his shoulder and tore all of the tendons and ligaments around that area and would never walk again without dragging that leg. I had to make the decision to give him peace. For over a year, I couldn't even stomach the thought of buying a new horse, but eventually, I knew that I needed to find a new partner for my own sanity. I started looking around tentatively, trying to see what was out there.

Before I started going see some of the horses, I got a text from a friend of mine. Her daughter was going to college and couldn't keep up with both of her horses. She wanted to keep her colt to train and ride barrels with and she wanted her other horse to go to someone who would care for him and love him.

I was impressed by this horse when this little bitty slip of a girl rode him in a parade with a hackamore with no issues. I went to look for the pictures I knew I had of him from the parade and found 2 pictures of Trigger and Star together, one where they are nose to nose. I felt like that was a sign, kind of like Star's blessing. I went try him out and he hadn't been ridden in a couple of months because the girl was too busy. I saddled him up and off we went. He tested me a tiny bit, but it was nothing I couldn't handle and I felt like I was where I belonged.

I took him home in March and he has become my best friend. He is really attuned to my moods and we are learning a lot from a trainer friend of mine. He moves so differently from Star, but he's wonderful. We have our quirks to work through, like him wanting to break into a trot whenever we head home, but we're working through that. We also started learning barrels just for fun. I've tried more trail riding with him than I was brave enough to do with Star and even started loping on him, something I was never brave enough to do before. Star gave me the confidence to ride again. Trigger is giving me back my freedom.

He's black (sun faded now) and part draft and quarter horse. He's 13.3 hands and stocky as all get out. His mane was roached when I got him, but I'm letting it grow back. My farrier loves his hooves and my vet was impressed by how laid back he is. He stops and looks at what startles him and is willing to move on once he realizes it isn't going to eat him. He's 15 and seriously careful with all children. My 3 year old can grab his lead and walk him anywhere she wants and he just patiently follows her around.

Meet Trigger. We had some fun finding a saddle that fit him, but now, we both enjoy trail riding.

horselady
Full Member

Albany, New York

Posts: 5,313

Trigger Aug 18, 2020 1:19:57 GMT

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Post by horselady on Aug 18, 2020 1:19:57 GMT

Your smiles says it all, sometimes the signs are all there,, like you said with the two horses touching noses.. yes star was telling trigger what was going to happen.. and now you do have another to love,, not to replace but to fill the void and enjoy horses all over ,, he sure looks handsome and a short horse is good,, at least easy to get up and down. :'(

www.rainbow-horse-retirement-center.com
northeastequinesanctuary on facebook

horselover4life
Junior Member

Central Florida

Posts: 3,297

Trigger Aug 18, 2020 1:40:52 GMT horselady likes this

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Post by horselover4life on Aug 18, 2020 1:40:52 GMT

Glad to meet Trigger and even better is he makes you happy.

Also very glad you came to tell your story...thank-you.
You have been missed..

So, off to ride the trails, the barrel patterns for fun and to just be one with your friend.
I heard a "sigh"...

spirithawk06
Junior Member

Posts: 544

Trigger Aug 20, 2020 1:44:09 GMT horselady likes this

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Post by spirithawk06 on Aug 20, 2020 1:44:09 GMT

Thanks y'all! I just realized the pic with Star and Trigger didn't post up. I'll get that posted soon. I'm doing some early Christmas shopping to give the things I want time to come in.

He's so different from Star, but one thing they both have in common is that they were really sensitive to my moods. Trigger is just very stoic and calm. Nothing seems to ruffle his feathers. Speaking of feathers, he has feathers on his feet! They were trimmed down, but they're growing back. I wish I knew what kind of draft he was crossed with. He didn't even move when my vet pulled his coggins and he lifts his feet up when I tap his fetlock.

When I was trying out a new saddle on him that I was looking to buy from my cousin, it was pinching his withers horribly, and he was dancing around and snorting. I pulled the saddle off of him and was about to jump on bareback just to show that he wasn't going to go without being ridden just because he was acting the fool. (I knew what the problem was when we checked the saddle fit, and he didn't get corrected because he was in pain from the saddle.)

My farrier was there and he looked at me and said "You're going to ride that horse bareback?" with a bit of surprise in his voice. I could tell he thought I was a bit crazy because Trigger had just been prancing around and acting up under a saddle, and I was going to jump on bareback.

I told him "Yep" and climbed up. (Thank God for mounting steps! Even though he's short, my knee can't take much mounting and dismounting from the ground and I'm too short to jump up bareback without a boost.) My farrier just shook his head and laughed. I rode him around for a few minutes doing some turns and backing up just to end on a good note instead of ending with him hurting from a bad saddle fit. I knew the problem was the saddle and not Trigger and he did wonderfully bareback.

A friend of mine had a saddle with a really wide gullet and it fits him like a glove. I love it. The stirrups actually go up enough for my short legs, and it molds to him and doesn't cause pain in my knee like my Hereford does. He gave me a really good deal on it too.

I need to go riding this week. Work has left me really stressed, and I haven't been able to ride for 2 weeks now. I was going to go for a walk today, but it started raining. My farrier comes out tomorrow and we're going to have an equine dentist out in the next month or so to float his and Hurricane's teeth.

horselady
Full Member

Albany, New York

Posts: 5,313

Trigger Aug 21, 2020 1:20:03 GMT horselover4life likes this

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Post by horselady on Aug 21, 2020 1:20:03 GMT

Yup a bad saddle fit makes the horse grumpy and in pain.. good that you figured that out before he had too bad of an experience.
your gaining confidence is a plus and this horse came to you in the right time.. happy trails :'(

www.rainbow-horse-retirement-center.com
northeastequinesanctuary on facebook

spirithawk06
Junior Member

Posts: 544

Trigger Aug 22, 2020 17:39:32 GMT

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Post by spirithawk06 on Aug 22, 2020 17:39:32 GMT

He already has a spot where you can tell a poor saddle fit galled him. He is tender in that area, so I knew a proper fitting saddle was a must. I just hit it VERY lucky that my friend had one that fit him right because I was looking at having to have a custom saddle made if not because there just aren't many horses with that wide a back and withers shaped like his in this area. We just don't have many drafts or draft crosses. Most of the horses down here are quarter horse, paint, or appaloosa, or some mix of those.

My farrier commented on his mane growing back and said he's like a chia pet. I am still laughing at that one. He looked like a wooly mammoth when he was blowing out his winter coat and now he looks like a chia pet with his mane coming back in. I think I'm going brush and condition it today at the very least if I don't ride.

We have 2 hurricanes that are looking to impact us next week. I already started busting butt preparing for it. Got outside at 8 and came back in at 11:30 for lunch. Got to make sure the gates are all open in case the water rises again.