More #148

#148 has now been tacked third day in a row, and I am asking were is that overly nice, respectful, compliant yearling that I was riding last October before #148 hock injury.  Tee Pee Minister has turned conscientious objector under tack, although getting a bit that will fit the big fellow may help.  One is on the way.

We had a successful walk under tack today, and, wow, when I get on this horse my impression, even just walking, is "what a horse".  Hoping that feeling continues.

Per last post, when I bought #148 at the Louisiana Yearling sale in Opelousas at 16' 1" hands, was thinking growing to 16'3" or thereabouts.  Tee Pee is out of a 17 hand son of Storm Cat who is out of the nearly 17 hand Spend A Buck mare Antespend who won a million in the early '90s.  The stakes placed dam Tee Pee Tomahawk who won $50,000 is by The Prime Minister who was no midget, and the bottom line sire is Cherokee Colony who the informed will recall was a nice stakes horse by the 17'1 Pleasant Colony.

These height stats escaped me on the spur of the moment at the Louisiana sale.  Tee Pee has 17 hand horses all over his pedigree.  And so, what would one expect except a 17 hand horse?  Note that Rainmaker (the sire by Storm Cat) and his size were unknown to me until after the sale, and I had pre-sale eliminated the #148 catalogue page because I was avoiding unraced horse.  It was only after I spotted the horse on the spur of moment that I decided to take a shot despite the unraced status of the sire.  This may yet come back to bite because I suspect that Rainmaker, being the only unraced and non-stakewinner by Antespend had a breathing problem.  I think Tee Pee can breathe but he has a disconcerting constant hiccup (weird) that  concerns.  It seems to kick in every couple of minutes.

I digress from the subject, which is how to fall safely off a 17'1" horse.  My first experience with this came back in 1985 the very first day I was to become a race horse owner.  I went to Tom Pryor's (Oaklawn Trainer of old) farm in Pleasant Hill, Mo. to look at and buy my first horse Jeckimba Bay as a two year old.  They were galloping for me over Pryor's farm track and the gallop lasted exactly 50 yards before the little cowboy rider fell off.  He dusted himself off and came over to where we were watching.  I said to him "that is kind of dangerous".  Reply:  "a shucks, that's nothing. You ride two year olds, and you will fall".

That has stuck with me.  Given the height of this horse I have decided that some thought re this statement is in order, next posts.

Training:  #17 made a couple of minor break throughs with some gallop under tack today.  Serious training soon, hopefully.  #148 did ground long line work and walked under tack with minor protests.