Tuesday, April 15, 2014

26 things you didn't know about Cash

I started off writing a post about our history, but it became a book. So figured I'd do 26 things about him - one for each year!

Another awesome pic courtesy of Lauren.
  1. Although I've ridden since I was 13, Cash is my first horse. I bought him for $1 when I graduated from college.
  2. He's a registered American Paint Horse. He's dual-registered as a Pinto.
  3. His registered APHA name is Midnight Dollar. I thought this was the dumbest name ever, so I showed him in eventing and dressage as Black Tie Affair. 
  4. He started out life as a reining horse, and won ROM points in the 2 and 3 year old APHA divisions. This early start in life came back to haunt him in later years.
  5. When I met him, he was trying to be a child's all-around horse. He was terrible at Western Pleasure.
  6. He used to absolutely lose his marbles when you went into an arena at a show. Sidepassing, half-rearing, bolting... it was truly a special thing. Getting into the dressage arena without blowing a gasket was challenging for quite a while!
  7. Cash used to be terrified of men. I remember one clinic we attended, the male clinician went to pat him on the neck and Cash bolted sideways/backwards without warning. I'm pretty sure he thought the guy was going to hit him.
  8. When I first got him, he didn't understand that he could go more than one speed within a gait.  The day he figured out he could do an extended trot, it was all he would do for a week! He was so proud of himself for figuring it out, lol!
  9. You could not touch his mouth, ever. We did dressage in a Happy Mouth eggbutt snaffle and getting even the lightest contact was always a challenge.
  10. Early on, I couldn't take Cash on trail rides. I remember one ride where we literally cantered at a walking speed for an hour, bouncing off of trees and nearly getting ourselves killed. Even now, Cash can only go out with one or two other horses, and starts to lose it if he's not in the front.
  11. He's an incredibly sensitive horse to ride. The tiniest shift of weight, or tilting of your head, and he'd respond. It taught me to be a very quiet rider.
  12. He never learned to trot through trot poles. He would canter them, every time, and he never touched a single pole.
  13. We never had a rail down in stadium, ever. NO TOUCHY THE JUMPS!!!
  14. Cash can't stand being clean. He is a professional roller and will often flip over multiple times to make sure he's completely covered. For shows, I would scrub and scrub and use QuickColor shampoo and  blueing to make him white, then keep him wrapped and blanketed, which he hated. As soon as we were done with the show, I'd make a mud puddle in his pasture for him to roll in - and he always got as dirty as possible!  
  15. Perfectly dirty.

  16. He only refused a fence once in his entire career. It was a Training level down bank into the water that took our half of our division. I was so surprised I forgot to ride and got us eliminated. Oops!
  17. Jumping out of the water was fine, however.

  18. Remember that arena thing? I could barely get Cash into the start box XC for more than a second. Fun times!
  19. I once took him foxhunting. I thought it wasn't the best idea ever, but I really REALLY wanted to go. As it turns out, I was right and it was a terrible idea - we spent the entire time fighting. We've never been again.
  20. Cash doesn't know how to eat a whole apple. He will only eat it if you cut it up into bit-sized pieces. Anything else would be uncivilized, clearly.
  21. We retired from jumping after an incredibly successful year in 1999, where we went from Beginner Novice to Training and were planning to move up to Prelim. Toward the end of the year, he was NQR behind, and one of the best vets in the country diagnosed him with arthritis in his hock. I spent several years trying to treat the arthritis, but nothing ever helped.
  22. Cash is not a snuggly horse, but every so often he'll asked to be scratched - usually right around dusk, just after being turned out or as I'm finishing up barn chores. He follows me around oh-so-politely, as if to say, "Excuse me...?" He will actually show me (with his nose) where the itchy spots are (usually his sides or legs), and then he'll sidle up to me so that I'm right next to the itchy spot - usually his withers or his butt. He'll spend 30 minutes or more pointing out the itchy spots, and when he's done, he walks away without so much as a thank-you.
  23. We showed second level once, at a schooling show, but we could do all the movements through fourth level with the exception of flying lead changes. He never quite understood how to do those. We also schooled baby piaffe a few times - so cool!
  24. Cash has 7 spots on his nose. I count them regularly (and poke them as I do), which he puts up with.
  25. Three years after being diagnosed with arthritis, I took him to a different vet for a second opinion, since nothing I was doing seemed to make him any more comfortable. This time, we got a REAL diagnosis - a bone lesion under the suspensory on his RH. The vet suspected it had started as a 2/3 year old during reining training, and it only flared up when the work was hard enough (i.e. jumping 3'+ and doing extended gaits). Despite 9 months off, it never fully healed, but he was still comfortable doing Training level dressage.
  26. Cash was a dressage schoolmaster until he retired at 19, with a mystery lameness high up in his hind end. He lived for three years an at amazing retirement facility called Paint Creek Ranch, and after two years miraculously came back sound. 
  27. Cash has always - ALWAYS - been at the very bottom of the pecking order at every barn I've ever been at. Most of the time I had to have him on private or semi-private turnout so he wouldn't get the crap beat out of him. The only horse he's ever been friends with (where said friend didn't beat the crap out of him) was Saga, who would even share his grain with Cash
  28. Cash usually waits at the gate for a bedtime treat. He just stands politely and looks cute until someone notices him and gives him something. So adorable!
Love.

45 comments:

  1. Love learning about him :) He sounds like a very cool little horse.

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    1. He is... so difficult in some ways, so perfect in others. Like most of them, lol!

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  2. He sounds awesome. Loved reading about him.

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    1. I'm kinda partial to him, I must admit. :)

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  3. Very cool! He sounds like an absolutely tremendous horse <3

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    1. He was definitely not the easiest horse to ride, but we got along perfectly.

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  4. <3 Cash. Elvis was also really afraid of men for awhile. Those western horses are started roughly sometimes.

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    1. They sure can be. Makes it hard if you ever want to take them in another direction.

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  5. Awww... I love Cash! I know you repeatedly said that he was not a good horse for a beginner to learn to ride on, but he always behaved wonderfully for me from the very first. He spoiled me for other horses. I need to come down and visit him more.

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    1. I'm glad you two got along so well. You're welcome to visit any time!

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    1. Thanks! I had fun doing it... brought back wonderful memories. :)

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  7. Sweet - totally love this post - especially #20. My pony also points out the hurts, itches and lately tick bites for immediate attention please!! ;D

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    1. Haha isn't it funny how some of them tell you exactly what they need? So cute!

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  8. Wow what an amazing horse!!

    I love #20!!!

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    1. He's pretty awesome, but I might be a wee bit biased. Glad you liked #20!

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    1. He has personality now... when we first met he was so closed off. Now he's quite the ham, if you know what to look for!

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  10. What a cute idea! Loved reading all the little tidbits about Cash! Number 10 sounds like another Paint I know... hmmm.

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    1. Haha, I'm glad he's not alone in his trail ride crazy-ness! Yikes! Definitely not one of his more redeeming qualities.

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  11. Love, love, love this post! Cash sounds a lot like Winston but I don't have it in me anymore to bounce off trees on trail rides and deal with half-rearing at shows. LOL. There was a day though... (I think you would enjoy Winston; he's a lot of fun for a quiet rider; too bad you aren't closer).

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    1. The funny thing about Cash's antics was that he was never trying to be naughty - in the arena, he was just so nervous that he couldn't concentrate. He'd learned at an early age that he had to perform and he just couldn't handle it when his rider got nervous. I had to learn to stay very very calm (NOT easy at a show, lol) and keep his focus to keep him relaxed and not let him "notice" that we were actually in a dressage ring instead of still warming up. For the trails, he was just never comfortable on them, which is funny because he is absolutely not a spooky horse. Being out on the trail with other horses just made him horribly worried.

      I think at one point I might have enjoyed Winston, but like you I've found that I want a safe, kind, FUN horse. Paddy is like Cash to ride in many ways (he's kind, super sensitive and he tries oh-so-hard) but he's not a worrier. And that's just what I need right now!

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  12. So many cool things! I'll have to remember to do something like this when Lady's birthday rolls around.
    Happy Happy Birthday Cash! My girls are sending you carrots ;)

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it! It would be fun to read lists like this for other horses. And Cash appreciates the extra carrots. ;)

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  13. I love #8 and #18. Cash is such an awesome horse. I love sensitive horses and I think it is so fantastic that he started piaffe. Maybe that water jump wasn't safe and he knew it.

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    1. The water jump eliminated half of the division. Only the top 3 riders didn't have stops there... something was definitely weird about that jump, and Cash wasn't the only one who thought so!

      Glad you liked #8 and 18. :)

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  14. This is one of the most wonderful posts ever! And I adore his weeping eye. What a fantastic journey you have had (and still have!) together. I've found it's the haunted quirks & the battles you have to pick to forfeit that seem to make them the most endearing. When I was competing Solo, his defiant hatred of the dressage arena would bring me to the verge of fury tears (and I do. not. cry. in. public. ever.). Today, his clearly annoyed body language, mid-test flights, and five years of "shows potential" make me laugh the most!

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    1. I always joked that his mascara ran on his blue eye, lol! And it's definitely the quirks and the battles that are the most amusing. It's like having a spouse - you learn to live with them not putting the cap back on the toothpaste because they cook dinner every night. I learned to live with Cash bolting into/out of the start box because I knew he would never put a foot wrong XC. Best spotted pony ever!

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    2. *gasp* No way! Equine tantrums FAR superior & more endearing than man tantrums! LOL!

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  15. Paint horse power! LOVE this post so much!

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    1. Paint horses rule, it's true! And Haffies. Haffies also rule. ;)

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  16. I have always found him to be a gentleman. A little senile these days but ever the gentleman.

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  17. Not sure how or when your blog fell of my to-read list, the cast of characters has changed...shall have to backtrack a bit to catch up!
    What a great list for a fab partner!

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  18. Hey Lady, you still out there? Is everything ok? Been a while since you posted and me and Ashke were missing you!

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  19. You guys all okay? Missing your posts!

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  20. Hope all is well. I miss your posts!

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  21. The Internet is lacking Haffie.
    Hope you guys are doing well. We are, just tough to get infront of my computer and writing on the tablet is less than fun.

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  22. How are you? Just wanted to pop by and say I (and probably everyone else) miss your posts and hope things are going well.

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