Second Chance Ranch

The Ranch gets a lot of horses given to it as a sort of " retirement" or second chance at a new life. I can't tell you how many ex-show horses have come here and tried to become trail horses.  Some were older and had minor lameness issues that prevented them from being competitive anymore.  Two whose owners really wanted them to work out were both warmbloods that had been jumping horses, but neither of them could handle the lifestyle change of living in a pasture with a large herd of horses. They were just too use to living solitary and being stalled.  One gelding settled into trail horse mode nicely, but couldn't handle the seperation anxiety of the herd or stand very calmly tied for saddling which the guests do themselves. After a trial period, they went back to their previous owners to find new homes. We try, but sometimes it's just not a good fit.

Two horses that worked out and are worth their weight in gold were an Andalusian gelding and an older OTTB. The Andalusian quickly became Ranch Boy's mom's favorite riding horse (she doesn't ride often) and top dog within the herd. As a former dressage mount and just a big powerful horse up front he has a lot of forward motion and super fun to canter!

The OTTB arrived last spring. In his younger years he had won something like $200,000 racing on the track then went on to do eventing. He has a fancy show name but quickly earned the nickname "Bean"- short for "string bean" because he's so tall and lanky. Here are some photos from his early show days.

Here he is now as a ranch horse with Ranch Boy's 8 yr. old daughter in the stirrups getting ready for a group trail ride.  She canters him all around the arena, too!

And guess who is riding him below? Yep, Ranch Boy Jr.! It was his first time ever sitting on a horse. I always thought it'd be My Boy that he'd ride first, but it happened that a chance for him to sit on Bean with his sissy arose, so he did. He is yet to actually sit on a horse in motion, so he really hasn't ridden.

Bean's former owner has come back to visit and give him carrots.  I'm sure it pleases her to know that he gets to live a laid back retirement lifestyle that puts smiles on kid's faces.  It's hard to imagine that this once energetic, competitive race and show horse is now a kid babysitter!

RANCH GIRL